The McCready Boys

by Denise Henderson—Part 2

     William Jr. died in 1921. Sadly, no one alive today remembers William Jr. but many people who spent their childhoods in Big Oak Flat in the 1930s fondly remember his 2 younger brothers, John and Spencer.
     In 1930 John was 59 years old and Spencer was 56. They listed their occupation in the US Census as “farmer” and “farm laborer.” Their property was valued at $1500 and, unlike many of their neighbors, they did not own a radio. (Whether or not the family owned a radio was really a question people had to answer for the 1930 census takers, or enumerators.)
John and Spencer lived the rest of their lives together in their log cabin on Harper Road. Mining for gold continued to be one of their main sources of income.
     They were skilled wood carvers who are most remembered for their carvings done in manzanita. They carved small manzanita wooden hearts for all the little girls of Big Oak Flat and slingshots made from manzanita for all the boys. Several of the hearts survive intact but none of the slingshots have surfaced as yet, the theory being that the boys, being typical, were rougher on their toys than the girls were on theirs.
     Harold Eaton, born and raised in Big Oak Flat, recently passed away. On a wall in his home until the day he died Harold proudly displayed the manzanita serving set the McCready brothers made for his mother.
     Clair Weast remembers John and Spencer McCready as regular customers at his family’s meat market in the Wells Fargo Building in Big Oak Flat in the 1920s. Often the McCreadys would come by the store with carved gifts for Clair, his sisters, or his parents. Dr. Clair Weast has generously donated all of those old gifts from the McCreadys and they are now held in the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum’s permanent collection of local folk art and were on exhibit at the Groveland Community Hall the night of the McCready Boys Program.
     The McCready Boys, as they are now affectionately referred to, were well-liked, familiar, trusted figures in the neighborhood. Harold Eaton, Clair Weast and Mary Alice (James) Capson have all been quoted as saying the exact same thing about the McCreadys, “They were good to us kids.”
     Harold would often ride his burro by the McCreadys’ home and stop and visit. They were not only good to Harold but were also good to his burro, as they would feed the burro tobacco which burros apparently greatly appreciate.
     Mary Alice recalls first walking with her mother to visit with the McCready brothers when she was just a toddler. After she got a year or two older Mary Alice was allowed to grab a friend or two and the kids would hike over to the McCreadys’ cabin on their own. She says all of the kids in town were taught to be respectful and they never called the brothers by their first names. They were both “Mr. McCready” to all the kids, never merely John or Spencer!

more...

Coming Soon

by Rich Hathaway

     We have received two large glass display cases from a Sacramento Museum that will fit perfectly in the cubical areas in our museum. We’ve named these cases “A LITTLE OF THIS” and “A LITTLE OF THAT” because we now will be able to display smaller objects that can stand alone and not be associated with a larger display theme as in our other main display cases.
We have, in the past, received objects that we were unable to display in the theme cases but now will be able to put them into the two large glass cases that will appeal to a larger number of visitors’ interests.
     Due to the large size of the cases, we still have need for additional objects for display. As in the past, objects given to the museum can either be permanently donated or temporarily loaned for a specific time. So, if you have any old objects or heirlooms that you would consider donating or loaning to the museum as part of this new display program, please contact the museum at 962-0300 or write your name, telephone number and a short description of the articles and give it to the docent on duty.
     Do not drop the object off at the museum first because there is a procedure that we must go through to properly document the transfer of the object and determine its donation or loan status.
Please remember that these cases have several large glass shelves so the objects must not be real heavy (not exceeding 5 pounds). These are secure cases with locked sliding glass doors of the type that are being used in large museums throughout the country.

Tenaya Elementary School Photo Contest 2009

Visit the Museum and Cast Your Votes

by Bonnie Belisle

     Each year the Rotary Club, STCHS (Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society) and Tenaya Elementary work together to host a student photography contest. A special thanks to the Rotary Club for their continued support.
     In September student participants were given one-time use of 35mm film cameras. Bonnie Belisle, STCHS Special Events Coordinator, and Steve Ryan, Photography Advisor, conducted a meeting with the 17 students that signed up for this year’s contest. Our first meeting was to give photo tips and inspiration to capture scenes through the eye of the camera. Cameras were distributed and the students were given one week to shoot their photos.
     The second meeting was held on October 6 to choose their entry for the contest. Each student wrote a paragraph of thoughts about their photo in addition to coming up with a title.
     This contest is “judged” by each of you! So please be sure to give our up-and-coming photographers your SUPPORT by VOTING.
     The Photography Display is ready—ballots and a controlled voting sign-in sheet are available from the docent on duty at the Museum. Voting will continue through the first week in January. A big thanks to Rich Hathaway for once again mounting the 8x10 photos and creating the photography display at the Museum.
     Our Awards Ceremony is currently scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, with the exact time yet to be determined. Stay tuned! First, second and third place winners will be determined by the votes you cast at the Museum. Cash awards will be presented for $35 for 1st - $25 for 2nd - $15 for 3rd in addition to Certificates of Participation and photo key rings for all which will include a copy of their photo.
     You can all help support our young photographers by dropping in at the Museum to cast your ballot for the Top 3 photographs on display beginning the last week of October!

A Big Thanks

by Dodie Harte

     A big thank you to everyone who helped make Living History Day run so smoothly and to those who provided an educational and enjoyable experience for all who came. We are preparing for next year’s event on October 2, 2010. If you would like to help in any way or know of people to demonstrate skills or crafts from the 1800s, please let us know.
     For next year we are looking for someone who could demonstrate making wooden bowls with hand tools or, if you would like to learn, we’ll help. We are also looking for people who would like to learn how to make floor cloths. Floor cloths originated in France in the 1400s and were introduced to the American colonies in the early 1700s. Floor cloths were an inexpensive way to add floor covering to earthen or wooden floors. They were gradually replaced by linoleum and had disappeared by the 1920s. These colorful floor coverings are done by stenciling designs on canvas with paint and applying many coats of a clear finish to make them durable. If you are interested in making some for next year’s event please call Dodie at 962-7425.

California Gold Grease

Courtesy of  Debbie Adams
From the Weekly Wisconsin, February 14, 1849

A Yankee down east has invented this specific for the use of gold hunters. The operator is to grease himself well, lay down on top of a hill and then roll to the bottom. The gold and “nothing else” will stick to him. Price $94 per box.

Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum

Schedule of Winter Hours

by Rosemary Adams, Publicity

     Our Museum operating hours have moved to the winter schedule effective November 1, 2009. The hours are from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday we are open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We are closed on Tuesday. This schedule will run until spring or early summer.
     We have just prepared an exhibit that is a great treat for all of you and we encourage you to drop by to see the TENAYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST. There are photographs from seventeen students, and they are most impressive. Each student has provided a brief comment on the photographs. They cover many subjects and are just grand. Furthermore, our visitors are invited to vote on the photographs of their choice in the contest. What a treat for all of us. We look forward to having your participation. The Awards Ceremony is scheduled for January 13, 2010. This is a joint effort of the Rotary, STCHS and Tenaya Elementary School, and we thank them for their fine participation.
     So, do come and see the efforts of the children and cast your vote.
And a reminder to our docents—there is a Docent Appreciation Luncheon scheduled for December 7, 2009. We will meet in the Museum for a visit together and then have lunch in the Conference Room downstairs in the Museum.

Here comes SANTA CLAUS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hetch Hetchy Letter

Courtesy of Claudia Day
From the Moccasin Records/Archives

This letter was written in 1922 to the head engineer of construction on the O’Shaughnessy Dam.

December Thirteenth, 1922

Mr. L. T. McAfee
Construction Engineer
Groveland,
Tuolumne County,
California.

Attention Hetch Hetchy Dental Examiner,
Re Shovel Teeth.

Dear Sir:

     It has come to my attention that the Utah Construction Company has purchased in Chicago and had billed prepaid to itself at Hetch Hetchy Junction a number of shovel teeth, with the obvious intent of re-shipping the same to Hetch Hetchy Damsite. This would, of course, be strictly illegal and in contravention of the Interstate Commerce Law. The fact remains, however, that some steam shovel is suffering for lack of its teeth at Hetch Hetchy Dam, and my advice has been importuned to remedy this situation.
     Having been informed by Mr. Tyler that it is impractical to divert the shipment en route, I have suggested that he execute a bill of sale of said teeth to the City and County of San Francisco, being of course careful to specify whether they are molars, bicuspids or incisors. This bill of sale will be mailed to you. Upon receipt of the same, you should advise the City’s agent at the Junction to accept the same as property of the City and County of San Francisco, and direct him to re-ship them over our industrial spur to Mr. C. R. Rankin at Damsite. Then carefully file the bill of sale in such receptacle as you deem most appropriate, and inform Mr. Rankin that he will be guilty of high treason and violation of the Dental Laws, punishable by at least 40 years in jail and $60,000 fine, if he permits one Dr. Hank Lawlor, D. D. S., to get hold of the said teeth and have them inserted in the aforesaid suffering steam shovel.
     Finally, I have advised Mr. Tyler to avoid, so far as possible, a repetition of such transaction, and hope that home industry may be patronized in all future dental matters.

Yours very truly.

Special Counnsel.

RMS:RHS

C.C. to Mr. N. Å. Eckart

Got Mail

by Dodie Harte

Member and newsletter readers: We would like to have the email address of every STCHS member who wishes to share it. If we do not already have your email address we will be contacting you. We think that this would be an excellent way to announce programs, yearly events, and STCHS news items in a timely fashion. Your email address would not be given out but only used for information about STCHS. Some of you might choose to receive the STCHS newsletter by email instead of regular mail. This can save paper and postage.

From the Museum

by Jane Dees

   Have you noticed the fantastic colors we are experiencing this year? I think it is a message meant to remind us of what a beautiful area we live in.
     Remember to take the time to stop by the Museum to cast your ballot for your choice of best pictures in the photo contest now on display at the Museum. Seventeen Tenaya students are participating in this year’s contest. A great big thank you to Bonnie Belisle, Steve Ryan and Miguel Maldonado for a job well done!
     I hope you were able to attend this year’s Living History Day. It was a fantastic event. We wish to thank Dodie Harte for all of the hours she spent on making this event the success that it was. Would you believe she is already at work on next year’s Living History Day!!!! It will be on the 1st Saturday of October next year so when you get your 2010 calendar up and going put a big X on that date.
     We plan on having a great 2010 at the Museum. (Read the article Coming Soon by Rich Hathaway.) We now have need of more docents so why not plan on joining us?
     On behalf of the entire Museum staff, I want to wish everyone the happiest Holiday Season ever.