THE PLACER a Voice of History
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE PLACER A Voice of History Nov.-Dec. 2010 Administrator’s Notes Volume 13, Issue 6 showcases a private carousel Melanie Barton collection that includes 24 pieces. You won’t want to miss In this Issue I’ve spent several hours reading seeing the tiger, giraffe, rabbit, oral histories and firsthand dog, bears and horses of various accounts of Christmas during shapes, sizes and colors. If you ever rode on a carousel, you 1. Administrator’s Notes the Depression. There are several recurring themes other will delight in the variety of 2. Christmas than the obvious accounts of animals on display and will very difficult economic times. enjoy reminiscing about your 3. Christmas First and foremost, is the experience. Carousels are not importance of being with as popular today as they were 4. Museums family. Everything I read before modern amusement Intelligence described in some detail the parks, so this is a great holiday food preparation and opportunity to bring your PCHS News 5. the meals shared. Another children and grandchildren to see something that was Historical common account was that 6. important to you as a child. Organizations/ stockings were filled with an orange or tangerine, an apple, Artifact Highlight th nuts, and hard candy. These December 4 through the 7. Calendar of Events items were looked forward to holidays, the Bernhard Museum each year and were prized and will be decked out in Victorian Melanie Barton, Museums Admin. enjoyed slice by slice or bite by splendor. Christmas quilts form Placer County Museums Division bite. It appears that a gift other the Foothill Quilters Guild will 101 Maple St. than fruit was usually be on display on the second Auburn, CA 95603 floor of the winery. The Gold (530) 889-6500 something needed such as a pair [email protected] of socks or hat and gloves. Country Museum will be Rarely did a child receive a toy. decorated for a Gold Rush Michael Otten, President I think there is something to be Christmas. You will enjoy Placer County Historical Society said for a holiday that focuses reading journal entries recorded PO Box 5643 on Christmas day 1849 by real Auburn, CA 95604 on being with loved ones and www.placercountyhistoricalsociety.org less on giving and receiving 49ers. gifts. With that in mind, I invite you to attend the holiday You won’t want to miss Old Editor and Staff Writer: activities at the Placer County Town Country Christmas on th th Ralph Gibson Museums and take a stroll back December 11 and 18 at the (530) 889-6502 in time. Placer County Museum this [email protected] year. Join us at the historic www.placer.ca.gov/museum On December 2nd our newest Courthouse en route to Old exhibit at the Placer County Town Auburn and enjoy the Museum, A Leap of carousel exhibit, Christmas tree, 1 Imagination, will open. It and holiday treats. Canned food drives and toys Another method of managing All our events and museums are for tots – these wonderful one’s funds for Christmas free…you won’t find a better programs are built around gifts were the Christmas value! the holidays. Club accounts offered by many banks. Though Best wishes for a very Merry The same was true during Christmas Club accounts Christmas and a Happy New the depression. People started in the early 20th Year. persevered and they century, they became celebrated the holidays extremely popular during the however they could with help Great Depression. These from local charities that accounts were somewhat pitched in whenever they tricky because they offered were needed. Many of those very little to no interest and who lived through the Great the penalties were high for Christmas in the Great Depression as children withdrawing the money Depression acknowledge the difficulties before December 1st, when that surrounded the holidays, the funds in one’s account Ralph Gibson yet they still reflect fondly on became officially available. Christmas morning. Of course, this kept many Christmas during the Great Something as simple as an from withdrawing the funds Depression – the very orange in their stocking early and helped preserve thought is well, depressing. thrilled them with joy. Tears their savings for the Imagine the millions of would often flow when a gift purchase of Christmas gifts. families that couldn’t afford a their father or mother made nice Christmas dinner or for them was unwrapped. With some people saving presents for their children. Though there wasn’t any of money in Christmas Club Of course, many families will the glitz and sparkle of a accounts, local businesses face the same problem this modern day Christmas, it tried to sway holiday Christmas. Tragedies and was still just as special, if not shoppers into entering their unfortunate events like a more so. stores. G.E. Lukens & Sons depression or recession renamed their establishment seem to have a greater Some were able to scrape “The Christmas Store” when impact on us when they up enough money to buy the holiday neared and happen around the holidays. Christmas gifts and purchase offered everything from toys This is why it’s easy for us to cakes and pies from local to rugs. To make things believe the myth that the bakeries during the even more confusing, a suicide rate is higher this depression. Locally, this is women’s clothing shop also time of year. reflected in the number of added “The Christmas Store” advertisements in the Placer to their title as well. Local Yes, the holidays can be Herald. Believe it or not, the bakeries offered baked tough, but at the same time, first Christmas goodies and PG & E peddled there is an extra sparkle in advertisements between electric ranges and people’s eyes; smiles seem 1929 and 1933 in the Placer refrigerators. warmer and more genuine; Herald ran Thanksgiving and many walk with a spring weekend. This might be Bad things that happen in their step. Christmas because local businesses around the holidays tend to cheer is infectious. That wanted people to think about hit us harder than if they cheer is reflected in a higher Christmas earlier so they happened any other time of number of monetary and could better manage their year, but those who survived food donations to charities money to afford a few gifts. the Great Depression, that support the poor. especially the children, still 2 hold onto warm Christmas memories. Perhaps heartwarming events and good fortune have a greater impact on us than negative ones. This would be good to remember as we head into another Christmas during poor economic times. So have a little gleam in your eye, smile a little broader, and get that spring back into your step. Christmas cheer is infectious and a lot of local charities need your cheerful support. Advertisement December 13, 1930 Placer Herald Bank of America Christmas Club Advertisement December 5, 1931 Placer Herald 3 Advertisement Decemb er 5, 1931 Placer Herald Advertisement December 5, 1931 Placer Herald 4 Advertisement December 13, 1930 Placer Herald Advertisement Advertisement December 13, 1930 December 13, 1930 Placer Herald Placer Herald 5 Museums Because of printing costs, ½ tsp corn syrup our cookbook will only be Intelligence available online. Batter: Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, put all dry Karen’s Washboard Cookies ingredients, and then add remaining ingredients. Mix with These are really great if you an electric mixer until Placer County work at a history museum and combined. Pour into greased everyone knows what a muffin tins ½ full. Museums News washboard looks like. Filling: Beat cream cheese, Ralph Gibson egg, sugar and salt in a small 2 cups flour I can’t believe it’s time to 1 cup flaked sweetened mixing bowl until combined and start thinking about turkeys coconut smooth. Add chocolate chips. ½ tsp baking powder Spoon two heaping and Christmas presents tablespoons into the middle of again. Of course, for those ¼ tsp soda ¼ tsp salt the batter. Bake 30-35 of you who shop at Costco or minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, Sam’s Club you’ve been ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 egg remove from pan and cool exposed to aisles of the 2 Tbs milk completely. latest Christmas decorations 8 Tbs butter since September – so maybe 1 cup light brown sugar Glaze: Combine chocolate, it isn’t so unbelievable after butter and corn syrup and melt all. Mix butter and sugar, add dry in microwave on medium heat ingredients. Shape into or over a double boiler. Dip top This is always a busy time of rectangular log 2 x 3 by 15 portion of cupcakes into long. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 chocolate glaze. year for the museums. We’re just wrapping up hours. Slice about 3/8 inch thick and make "washboard Volunteer Training, we’re Community Education planning a new carousel lines" with floured fork. Bake at 350º for 15-18 minutes. Rotate Program: Old Town exhibit to replace the Native pan if needed. Yum! Country Christmas at the Sons exhibit in the Historic Courthouse Courthouse, and we’re in the Tom’s Black Bottom planning stages for Cupcakes This year Country Christmas decorating our museums for comes to the historic Batter: 1½ cup flour the holidays. Courthouse in Auburn! A ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup cocoa powder carousel exhibit, A Leap of Last year, staff submitted Imagination will be on dessert recipes for a 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt display in the Treasury and a cookbook we created as our large Christmas tree will Christmas present to each 1 cup water ⅓ cup oil stand in the hallway.