SARATOGA HISTORICAL FOUNDATION PO BOX 172, SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA 95071 January 2011 Don’t miss the free lecture on New Almaden January 17; New exhibit on woman’s suffrage opening February 6; Check out the Mustard Faire March 6; Don’t miss the March 21 lecture on Sarah Winchester; And renew your membership today !!!! scare halted the last attempts to reduce the still potentially New Almaden—Once the Largestprofitable Quicksilver cinnabar. Boudreault Minenotes information in California--Free Lecture “The History of New Almaden—Once the Largest Was discovered and this issue will be included in the Quicksilver Mine in California” will be presented on presentation. Monday, January 17 by noted authors and local historians The New Almaden Quicksilver Mine produced over $75 Art Boudreault and Mike Boulland. million from some of the deepest network of quicksilver The program will take place on January 17, at 7:15 PM. shafts on earth. Diverse laborers populated this thriving Those participating in the potluck dinner should arrive at town, creating neighborhoods called Hacienda, Englishtown, 6:30 PM and bring food to share, your own dishes and eating and Spanishtown along with the mine manager’s stately utensils. Beverages of water, tea or coffee will be provided. home, Casa Grande. Although the mines are now closed and The Immanuel Lutheran Church is located at 14103 Saratoga the great ore furnace cold, the Casa Grande still stands along Avenue in Saratoga. The with a residential community that event is free and open to the was placed on the National public. Register of Historic Places in New Almaden is located 1963. outside of San Jose and was Boudreault is a retired once the oldest and richest electrical engineer and is the mine in California. director, treasurer and archivist Discovered in 1845, its for New Almaden Quicksilver quicksilver payload was County Park Association; crucial for gold and silver director of the Almaden Valley processing and for Community Association; docent manufacturing munitions. and researcher for the New During the Civil War Almaden Mining Museum. He President Abraham Lincoln has co-authored the book, “New was urged to seize the mine Almaden” as well as “Journey to which would have upset Recovery” and written several every mining title in magazine articles on historic California and Nevada and topics. might have caused these states to turn and join the Boulland is a retired elementary school teacher. He is Confederacy. Dressed in character, Boudreault speaks president of the Friends of Santa Teresa Park Association through the eyes of James B. Randol, the mine manager and a director in both the New Almaden Community Club from 1870 to 1892. Boulland speaks as Robert Bulmore, and NAQCPA. He is a tour guide and docent at the New who succeeded Randol as mine manager. Their presentation Almaden Mining museum and History San Jose. He co- is accompanied by priceless images of New Almaden. After authored “New Almaden” and has previously published the mine shafts were abandoned— the mercury pollution books entitled “Whoppers and Ghostly Tales from Rancho Santa Teresa” and the “Legend of Santa Teresa.” 1 At Your Service The Gift of a Don Loughridge turned in his key this year, retiring as a Museum Docent. Loughridge Lifetime always had a smile for visitors A national philanthropic group and if they had the time, would currently uses this quote by Sir tell them about his World War Winston Churchill to explain II experiences. He had been a their philosophy: “We make a Lt. JG and a member of the living by what we get but we submarine crew of the USS make a life by what we give.” Lizardfish. In similar fashion, we would Loughridge has lived in like to thank our lifetime Saratoga for 46 years and his members this new year by residency was useful in telling recognizing their gift. Each has Museum visitors about given a gift of $2000 and are Saratoga history. He is a long- recognized with their name on time member of the Saratoga Historical Foundation and says a plaque posted in the Museum. of course he will continue his membership-- “it’s just getting This gift demonstrates their support and appreciation to too hard now to continue as a docent.” But he said he will the Saratoga Historical Foundation. A big thank you is continue to be active with one of his hobbies—to go to a extended to the following: local high school on the weekend and fly radio controlled Rick Bonetti airplanes with his friends. He notes, “afterwards we go and Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Boyce drink coffee and tell a few lies or two!” George Cooper The SHF Board of Directors (and Museum visitors) thank Loughridge for his many years of commitment and help in William and Diane Gorman keeping the doors of the Museum open each weekend. Richard Harkness Warren and Sheila Heid Mike and Maureen Herran New Exhibit Opens February 6 Evelyn Johnston Celebrating 100 Years of Suffrage Amy June Jorgensen David and Bette Loomis Bob and Anne Louden Marilyn Marchetti Carol Maulden Laura Menard Jim Sorden Rick and Ann Waltonsmith Saratoga Historical Foundation Officers The mission of the Saratoga Historical Foundation is to preserve the unique history of Saratoga for the education and enjoyment of the community. th Executive Committee This year marks the 100 anniversary of the state of Bob Himel, President California awarding women the right to vote. Proposition 4 Annette Stransky, Vice President, Marketing of 1911 was an amendment of the Constitution of California Ron Hagelin, Recording Secretary that granted women the right to vote in the state for the first Jane Asher, Treasurer, Social Director time. It was approved by voters as part of a special election Newsletter on October 10 in 1911. An earlier attempt to enfranchise The Saratoga Historical Foundation newsletter is produced 6X women had been rejected in 1896. California was the sixth a year. If you have comments or suggestions, please call 408- state to pass this amendment. Nine years later women's 867-7468 or e-mail: [email protected] suffrage was recognized at the federal level by the Museum and Gift Shop Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This new The Saratoga History Museum and McWilliams House are exhibit is highlighted by memorabilia from Isabella (Bella) open from 1-4 PM Friday through Sunday. Call 408-867-4311 Blaney who was active locally in woman’s rights. Blaney, to arrange group or docent-led tours. shown in white, lived in the Rancho Bella Vista estate in Visit our website: http://www.saratogahistory.com. Saratoga. The exhibit opens Feb. 6 and runs through May 31 at the Museum. Don’t miss it!! 2 Save These Dates! A Mystery and Sarah Winchester Join us March 21 at our potluck/membership meeting as Mary Jo Ignoffo talks about “Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Now-Jan. 26 Uncorking Prohibition exhibit at the Rifle Fortune.” The topic is the Museum same as the title of her new book Jan 17 New Almaden lecture and potluck at and copies of the book will be Immanuel Lutheran Church available for purchase. Feb 1-14 Love Notes , SVDC event, in the Village The program will take place on Feb. 6-May 31 New exhibit: Calif. Women Get the Vote Monday March 21, at 7:15 PM. Those participating in the potluck March 6 Mustard Faire dinner should arrive at 6:30 PM and bring food to share, March 12 St. Paddy’s Day , 2-4, SVDC event with your own dishes and eating utensils. Beverages of water, tea green food, music and dancing! or coffee will be provided. The Immanuel Lutheran Church March 21 Sarah Winchester lecture and potluck is located at 14103 Saratoga Avenue in Saratoga. The event at Immanuel Lutheran Church is free and open to the public. Sarah Winchester inherited a vast fortune upon the death of her husband in 1888. For twenty years rumors cast A Decade of Mustard Winchester as repentant for the deaths from the Winchester The yellow mustard flowers rifle, the source of her wealth. She became known as being are in full bloom and nodding obsessed with spiritualism. Fact or myth…come to the in the breeze in anticipation lecture and find out!! th of the 10 annual Mustard Mary Jo Ignoffo is a historian and Faire. The event is scheduled has spent 20 years researching and to be held Sunday, March 6 writing about California and from 10 AM to 4 PM at the community history. She has worked Warren Hutton House and with museums in Sunnyvale, Heritage Orchard. California History Center, and the Los Norm Koepernik who is Altos History Museum. She has organizing the event has written the book, “Gold Rush promised a fun-filled day Politics” and five other books on packed with things to do and California history as well as written see. Hay rides and other articles for the San Jose Mercury entertainment for children News, Santa Clara Magazine and the Californian. She and the young at heart; teaches in the history department of De Anza College in musical groups; mustard Cupertino, California. tasting; docent-led walks in the orchard; antique cars; wine tasting, local crafts, and Are You a Character? more are planned. The second The Saratoga Historical Foundation will participate, too. annual Heritage Be sure and stop by and visit! Day is The Mustard Faire celebrates the agricultural history of scheduled for Saratoga by highlighting the Heritage Orchard. Saturday May Once upon a time the orchards of “the Valley of Heart’s 21 in the Delight” could be seen everywhere even extending to the Village and at center of the Saratoga Village.