The McCready Boys
by Denise Henderson - Part 3
Mary Alice was fascinated with all of the carvings the brothers had done and which were displayed here and there throughout their cabin. Unforgettable was the long wooden chain, carved from one tree and draped along the ceiling in the cabin’s main room. A wooden box she especially admired was left to her upon the death of the last McCready brother and she cherishes it and their memory to this day.
John and Spencer McCready were also locally well-known, talented musicians. It wasn’t uncommon for the neighborhood kids to go by the McCready cabin and stop in for a sing-a-long.
In 1939 a woman named Sydney Robertson-Cowell traveled the state of California interviewing, photographing and recording folk musicians believed to be performing songs that originated during the Gold Rush. The work was sponsored by the Library of Congress and the University of California Berkeley and was a WPA (Works Projects Administration) project. A copy of her field notes, the photographs and recordings are kept at the Library of Congress at the Library’s Archive of American Folk Song and another copy is kept at the Archive of California Folk Music at the University of California Berkeley.
According to her field notes, on August 1, 1939, “Recorded 12 songs by John McCready, who said he would record again in a day or two.” On August 3, 1939, “In the afternoon, returned to Groveland to record another 20 songs by John McCready who is one of the 3 best singers I have found in California.” On August 7, 1939 she wrote, “This is a region and a type of music never investigated at all before, showing what is left of the 49er tradition.”
In 1942 the first issue of the California Folklore Quarterly was published by the University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, in which Sydney Robertson-Cowell wrote, ”A second good
California singer, John McCready, is a miner in Tuolumne County, the son of a Forty-Niner who returned to raise a family in Kansas.
more...
Listen to Sydney Robertson-Cowell's introduction to the recordings.
Listen to John McCready singing "Little Brown Jug"
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FOGL Looking For New Members and Volunteers
by Maggie Jacobson
FOGL membership is important to the library. The money raised goes toward purchasing books, equipment and wireless Internet for the library; funding additional library hours, supporting the Summer Reading Program, reading programs at Tenaya Elementary School and story time for preschoolers. Membership is $15 for an individual or $20 per family. To become a member contact Jane Sperry at 962-4178.
We encourage volunteers, including non-members, to participate in various programs such as the Saturday Book Sales, decorating the library, shelving books, the Tenaya Reading Programs and preschool story time.
LIBRARY HAPPENINGS
The PML Ladies Club has made a donation of $25 in memory of Gert Montoya. Harriet Causey made a donation of $100 in memory of her husband Fred.
Tenaya’s reading program, “Brainy Groveland,” was featured on the front page of the Union Democrat.
On February 10 FOGL showcased “Bookleggers,” its valuable outreach program that brings books to Tenaya Elementary School, to the BOFG School Board.
Groveland will be participating in “The Big Read,” a national program promoted by the National Endowment for the Arts. The book selected, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, is very relevant to our area. We will keep you posted as we get closer to this very special event.
Our annual spring basket sale is scheduled for April 3. The baskets with Chocolate, Italian and Book Lover themes will be displayed in the library. Raffle tickets can be purchased in the library or at the Saturday Book Sales.
Bill Manville will again be presenting his six-week writing program in May.
The Book Nook is open every Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00. It is a wonderful place to find books at truly bargain prices.
FOGL meets every 4th Tuesday at 2:00, downstairs at the library. We welcome visitors and love new members. Please call Jane Sperry (962-4178) for membership information.
NEXT MEETING ON FEBRUARY 23.
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Upcoming STCHS Programs
Joe Sparagna
The Sierra Railway
Its Impact on Tuolumne County
7:00 PM
Saturday, March 20
Groveland Community Hall
Oral Moore
Getting Hetchy Water
to Groveland
7:00 PM
Saturday, April 24
Groveland Community Hall
The Sierra Railway’s
Race for Gold, Water and Power
in Tuolumne County
by Dodie Harte
Joe Sparagna will discuss the history of the Sierra Railway’s impact on the economy of Tuolumne County in the race for gold and, particularly south of the river, for water and power projects on Saturday, March 20, at 7:00 PM in the Groveland Community Hall. Joe has been an interpretive docent at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park since 1997. The many questions posed by visitors at Railtown sparked his interest in the interaction of the various railroads in Tuolumne County and how they affected the development of our resources.
The March program will include the history of San Francisco City and County’s huge Hetch Hetchy Water & Power Project, the Hetch Hetchy Railroad and its relationship with the Sierra Railway in the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam. Joe is a past president of the Tuolumne County Historical Society and currently chair of the Society’s Landmarks Committee and second vice-president. He is currently a director on the Mother Lode Fair Board of Directors. Joe has a BSEE and retired as a vice-president of a GTE defense electronics division in 1996. After 38 years in systems analysis, design, project engineering, and general management he moved to Sonora and volunteers on various projects. His most recent project involved the return of the 1897 Jamestown Branch Jail that received the 2009 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in January 2010.
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Jane Dees Retires From Board
by Marc Fossum - Board President
Jane Dees, a long-time member of the Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society (STCHS), has begun a well-earned retirement from serving on the STCHS Board of Directors. She has been a Board director for many years and served as president of the Board for six years (2002-2008). Fortunately, Jane will continue her active involvement in the management of STCHS as she will remain as chairperson of the Museum Advisory Committee. She is also co-chairing the Pine Mountain Lake Wine Tasting Cruise this spring.
Jane was introduced to the STCHS Board in May of 2000. She agreed to be the “official” greeter at the Saturday evening educational programs. In January 2001 Jane took a seat on the Board of Directors and served on the nominating committee. In 2002 Jane was elected vice president of STCHS and began her presidency the following year. She has shown that there are no boundaries when it comes to supporting the mission of STCHS. Under Jane’s presidency the annual Pine Mountain Lake Wine Tasting Cruise was formulated and has proven to be our most successful fundraiser each year.
Jane was the driving force behind the acquisition and reconstruction of the Gentry Gulch
Arrastra. In 2003 the ownership of the arrastra’s floor stones was transferred to the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum and it was Jane that marshaled all the necessary volunteers to put the giant jigsaw puzzle together and finish it off so beautifully and authentically.
The popular Living History Day, featured every October, came to fruition under Jane’s
presidency in 2006. Jane even found a donkey to pull the yardarm of our arrastra during the event. Her dedication and generous spirit expand and enhance our programs and services in uncountable ways. Though she could be spending her valuable time in other ways or supporting other organizations Jane has chosen to share her passion for organization, her energy and quick wit with us.
Jane is a tremendous asset to STCHS and we cannot thank her enough for her past contributions and ongoing support.
Museum Explores Outer Space
by Rosemary Adams - Publicity
Visitors to our Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum will be delighted to be able to do just that when they drop by to visit. The staff under the guidance of Rich Hathaway, Displays and Exhibits Director, have brought together an exhibit, EARLY U.S. SPACE PROGRAM, which deals with this fascinating subject. The exhibit portrays the early efforts of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) which was created in 1959. At the outset NASA had invited 110 top test pilots to volunteer for the manned space flight program. From this group 7 were chosen to work on PROJECT MERCURY. They were Malcolm Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepherd and Donald “Deke” Slayton. These fine men and their staff became our HEROES OF THE SPACE AGE; they will always have our gratitude and respect. And the members of the APOLLO MISSION flight will remain a NON PAREIL feat forever. It was during their mission on July 20, 1969 that Neil Armstrong became THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON. Astronauts Michael Collins and Bud Aldrin accompanied him.
Our exhibit features photographs of several of the astronauts and a collection of 35 Mission Badges, detailing the missions, wearer and year of event. There is also a photograph of the Ames Research Center 5 DEGREES OF MOTION SIMULATOR used in the program. There are four facemasks used by astronauts John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Don Heinle and Alan Shepherd during their flights.
It is a most interesting and enlightening exhibit. We are happy to be able to offer it to our visitors. We do wish to thank the following friends who donated various items for showing. They are Loren Bright, Jeanne Clemson, Mary Kelly, Janet Konrath, Ina Rathert and Steve Ryan. A comment respecting the exhibit—there is also a plaque presented to Mary Kelly by Ames Research Center honoring her years of service with them. Duly awarded, indeed.
Do come by to see this special exhibit. This is truly history being written as we watch.
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