OSLHP Newsletter - December 2004 and January 2005

President's Message

The OSLHP is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Thanks to Mel and Dorothy Picanco for being founding members and Terry and Ray Eargle for celebrating 10 years in April 2005.

Look for a special 10-year celebration this year. It is the volunteers that make this organization so great and keeping it going.

I wish everyone happy holidays and a great new year!

Executive Council Notes
At the November Executive Council meeting the Council voted to terminate the membership of Ray Closs. This was not an easy decision, and there was a lengthy discussion about this matter.

By-Law Revisions
It was proposed at the Nov. 13th general meeting that the By-Laws be amended from all references to Old Sacramento Management to Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, who is now our parent organization. Changes will be voted upon at the January 8, 2005 meeting.

Volunteer Recognition
Thank you to Doug for updating and now maintaining the OSLHP web site. Thanks to Penny and her crew for the wonderful Santa Parade Float. Ken Knott for organizing the Lamplight Tours and all the people who participated.

Volunteer Hours
It would be great if I could get updates of personal time spent on OSLHP related activities. This would include reading, sewing, research, strolling and such. Please do not include general meetings or any activity that had a sign in sheet. I got everyone's hours for ghost tours, gold rush days and the Riverboat cruise. To-date, members of the OSLHP have given over 2300 hours to the program. Amy

Parking Permits
You do not need to renew your parking permit this quarter. It has been changed to a 6-month permit, so you will not need to renew until the end of March 2005.

2005 Calendar Of Events

Please come to the January meeting to receive your revised 2005 calendar of events. If you cannot attend the meeting, I will place one in the mail. It has all our events and includes pictures.

Checking Account
Balance as of Nov. 26 is $10,699.

Executive Council Meeting
January 4, 2005, 7pm. Members are invited to attend to observe and comment.

General Meeting
January 8, 2005, 10am, at the OSLHP center.

PAST EVENTS

Sutter's Fort
Lantern Tour
by Ken Knott

On Saturday evening, Nov. 20th, some of us went on the annual Sutter's Fort Lantern Tour. I know several of the docents who were participants in the various “vignettes,” including Biscuits the blacksmith whom EVERYONE knows.

We arrived about ten minutes early and were greeted by Rudy Ramaris in his Californio outfit and modern eyeglasses. We were instructed not to talk to any of the Living History participants because they would act as though we were “ghosts of the future,” and they wouldn't see us.

Here are a few of my impressions: The rooms inside the fort were very cozy and lit with lots of candles; they have a LOT of period-appropriate material inside the rooms that make it very authentic looking. The period attire was very good, with few notable exceptions, the most obvious being that about a third of the docents wore modern eyeglasses! You know how I am on that subject.

A few of the vignettes were outside, and it was cold. The wind was whipping sparks out of the campfires but luckily nothing caught on fire! Most of the skits had some humor to them, which we appreciated. The dialogues could have used some more accurate phraseology and vocabulary, but some of the docents were speaking in an accent, which was very well done and added interest.

Biscuits was in the blacksmith shop and had one arm in a sling as though he had suffered an injury, but it turned out he was just faking it to fool Captain Sutter into not giving him more work, since he already had a lot of work to do. Biscuits was trying to talk one of the Fort's hunters into helping him with his work, but the fellow had SEVERAL reasons why he couldn't do it. Sutter was pronounced "Suiter."

Altogether, the tour was a lot of fun, especially for us as living history re-enactors, because the history was well researched and the performances were convincing. At the end of the tour they served apple turnovers, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, coffee, chocolate or warm apple cider; YUM! It's a certainty that I'll return next year!

Sutter’s Fort By Candlelight – Living History in 1846!
By Mary Carlson

Several OSLHP members were able to enjoy this annual event on November 20, 2004. It seemed to me we had stepped into a time tunnel, hearing James Marshall and others talk of their plans, past activities, and daily living situations. It was an evening to be remembered and ended with a repast of homemade treats and hot drinks.

Lantern Tours
by Ken Knott
The Christmas Lamplight Tours received enthusiastic approbation from the people attending the tours, and the Living History players who participated had a rollicking time putting it on. It was almost too much fun for the OSLHP members, who enjoyed it so much that they were sorry when the tours came to an end.

The Lamplight Tours were held only one weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 10, 11 & 12. The evenings were cold and foggy, which lent a mystical quality to the Lantern Tours.

OSLHP discovered a new comedy team of Chambers and Melau, who had 'em roaring at Steamers when they performed "Only the Best Rum Will Do." Karen Leni and Amy Whitlatch delivered admirably as Frau Zins at the Old Schoolhouse, edifying the tour about the German origins of the Christmas Tree Tradition in America.

The estimable Greg Tracy portrayed Ned, the Lonely Miner, who joined the tour to improve his prospects at Christmas Park where Father Christmas portrayed by Doug Peterson browbeat General Winn into giving Ned a job and proving yet once more the triumph of the redemptive Christmas message.

The OSLHP Christmas Carolers filled the air with the spirit of Christmas at the Visitors Center with their rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Participating were, Terry and Ray Eargle, Eileen Carey, Mary Carlson, Penny Adams, Loretta Dobbins, and a couple of guest singers from Sutter’s Fort.

To those who participated, thank you, you were great! We all had a lot of fun doing it, no matter how much or little money was raised from the endeavor!

ONGOING EVENTS

Walking Tours
Reserve America will be taking reservations for school tours, Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 1 through November 30.

Links to the Past
If you have a web site you would like to share please send its address and a brief description about why it is useful. Information can be sent to Richard Sneed at rsneed5820@aol.com

COMING EVENTS

Sutter Rifles Drill
By G R Tracy
Sacramento's premier militia company is conducting the first of many monthly Close Order Drills. The drill planned for Sunday, January 30, 2005, will be centered around the encampment set-up in Waterfront Park. The militia company plans to talk history, practice marching, practice the manual of arms, and maybe end the drill with the firing of a volley. The goals for this event are practicing living history, promoting OSLHP, and educating visitors about our city’s rich history. As with most events extra help is always needed.

If you are interested in participating, the encampment will be discussed at the January meeting. It will be fun having a slice of Gold Rush Days every month.

Free Museum Day
February 5, 2005. Let's have a table for the OSLHP to recruit new members. Please sign up with Amy.

Evening at the Crocker
Volunteers are needed to perform meet-and-greet functions at the Crocker Art Museum mixer, February 26, 2005, 6 to 10pm, food and beverage included. This is for the annual Gifted and Talented Education meeting of educators in California. This is sure to be a fun event and great way to promote Old Sacramento and our walking tours. Sign up with Amy-264-8142.

Women's History Day
March 5, 2005
We will need the usual people to read poetry, give speeches and march around Old Sacramento. New this year will be an Afternoon Tea and presentation.

The afternoon tea and presentation will be aboard the Delta King. There will only be 100 tickets available to this event. For members the first 2 tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 other advance tickets will be $25 and at the door $30. Members need to come in costume.

For the afternoon tea, OSLHP will need 5 volunteers to host and serve food from the buffet. These volunteers will attend the event free.

The presenter is author and re-enactor Chris Enss. Chris is currently on a book tour for her latest book, The Cowboy And The Senorita, A biography Of Roy Rogers And Dale Evans. Her other books include: With Great Hope, Women And The California Gold Rush; She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Women Soldiers And Patriots Of The Western Frontier and Love Untamed, Romances Of The Old West.