Bakery - Ann Geierman Personna

Dear Cousin Marie:
The service for poor Mr. Fox was well attended at the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Malone was so kind in his words. I felt like my James was among Angels. I am never going to serve Oysters again. I feel like I must be jinxed. Mr. Smith died after I served him those Crabs and now my beloved Mr. Fox is dead too.
Mrs. White has a wonderful Bakery established in Columbia and has offered me employment. All the miners love her tasty Sugar Biscuits. It’s a fine business. I am to serve the customers, but she doesn’t want me helping in the kitchen. I don’t understand why, truly I am a good cook. I placed an ad expressing my desire to find another Husband. There are so many lonely men surely I’ll find the one the dear Lord intended. Pray for me cousin. Mr. Napoleon said the Foresters are still looking into my two claims, I know they will do what is right.

Fondly,

Cousin Ann
Columbia, California

Bakery - Louise Kirk Persona

Dear Sister:
Just this day I have found employment in Columbia. It is a fine position; I will be working at the Bakery.
My position is that of assistant baker and saleswoman for Mrs. White. Mrs. White is the owner of the Bakery as Mr. White passed away leaving her with some money to invest. And with the laws in California letting married women own property this has worked out quite well for Mrs. White. The Bakery is a fine establishment with a good reputation in the area.
I truly am impressed with the quality of Mrs. White’s Merchandise, and will be proud to sell her products. Mrs. White says that when a customer comes into the Bakery I am to say, “How may I assist you.” And Mrs. White also says that she will help me with the weighing of the Gold Dust and how she likes to make her bread and products. I have so much to learn.
Although it will be a long walk to and from Springfield I assured Mr. Cannon that all his laundry and meals and a clean house would be kept the same order as now. But I do worry about this winter and walking in the rain and snow. Oh well, I endured worse coming to the Mines.
Now I feel that even if Mr. Cannon does not succeed in mining at least we will not starve. And I may have some extra money to send back home to you dear Sister. You are such a dear to watch over my children.
Please give my love to all of yours and mine. I do miss my children; give them an extra hug for both Mr. Cannon and myself.
At last, “A Fine Position”
Love Always,
Bedelia Cannon
Springfield, California

American Hotel- Susie Webb Persona

I portray Rachel Freeman, a made up person. The name is actually from someone in my own history. My husband and I lived in Rockland, Maine. My husband heard about the gold rush and decided we were going to California. We had no children. We came to California across the plains. Shortly before we arrived in California, my husband died of disease. He wanted to come to California in the worst way so I decided to follow his dream and keep coming to California. Because of the Sole Trader Act I was able to purchase the American Hotel.


That is all I really say.

Susie

Diane Glamuzina- Browns Store Owner Persona

Mrs. Melison R. Brown Mauldin has just arrived at the Diggins from Maryland. She is here to assist her brother, Hugh Nelson Brown who has a General Store in the Diggins. His business has been sso good that he needed help to run the store. If any merchants or miners wish credit and are upstanding citizens, we will extend them credit. Please just apply to one of our excellent clerks. Ne'erdowells neeed not apply.
H.N.Brown and Mrs. Melisson R. Brown Mauldin

Potluck update

Thursday night dinner will remain the same: minestrone soup, quiche, and salad.
Thanks to the Garcia's, we will be having homemade chicken and pork tamales on Friday night. We will provide salad and beans.
Saturday night's dinner will be provided by the Garcia's: Chicken Mole. We will provide rice, corn tortillas, and salad.
Sunday will stay the same... Survivers BBQ dinner

If there is something that you would like to bring to compliment the dinners, that would be fabulous.

Cancled Saftey and Interp Meetings

We will not have any other meetings in the Evenings besides the May 28th
( Wednesday, at 6pm at Diggins).
Our saftey meeting will be held at our flagpole meeting. We will also be updating people on whats happening that day interpretivley. The 9 am flagpole is manditory for everyone particpating in that days diggins festivies.( meet at TENT TOWN flag pole) If you cannot make it please let Amber know at acantisano@parks.ca.gov so we can send it to you on email. Thanks Amber

Saftey and Interp Meetings

We will be having a wed(28th)at 6pm night meeting at 6pm for tour guides ( we understand some of you will not make it) and Venue Heads. It will be 1 hour and will concetrate on school tours and how they work for Thursday and Friday and we will be ordering our supplies for thursday morning. If you are a venue head and connot make it please make sure you email your request to amber no Later than Tuesday night the 27th. See you then

Fondly, Amber

Diane Jacobsohn- persona for diggins

“My name is Madeline McDougall. I have arrived in Columbia from Waterloo, Iowa. I am a spinster and was born in 1812. My baby brother, Alexander McDougall, came to the West, along with his wife and two children 2 years ago. His wife died this past winter and my brother has paid for my passage from Waterloo to San Francisco, taking the route around Cape Horn. He will meet me in San Francisco and accompany me to Columbia so that I may care for my niece and nephew. Alexander seems to have prospered as a miner in that he could manage to pay for my passage. I have corresponded with a childhood friend, Bedelia Cannon, who is also living in the Columbia area. Bedelia assures me that she will be of assistance to me in my acclimation to living in a mining camp.”

Food at the Event and Pot Lucks

We will be providing the main couse for each nights potluck, so If you are not already signed up for this please let us know so that we can order the right amount of food and still stay in budget. Thursday night meal is minestrone soup, salad bread and quiche plus whatever you want to bring. Friday is lasagna, salad and bread ans sat night is taco/ burrito bar. Sunday night survivers BBQ.( if you would like to bring something please let us know).
In the morning we will be bringing in coffe, yogurt, granola, muffins, bagels and fruit for a contential breakfast. Please rember that we do not have staff on in the evening to help with clean up of potluck and we will need your help in the morning to get everything picked up from breakfast before the event starts at 10am. Thanks and we lookforward to seeing you all at Diggins.
Fondly, Amber

Camping at Diggins

If you are camping at Diggins tent town- you are welcome to bring a camp stove for your own use before 9am or after 5. If you are still in need of a place to stay you may camp at the school house without a period correct tent. Just rember valuables should be taken with you and not left in camp. Although there are bathrooms there is no shower there, but we can work out something either at Tibbits or Eagle cottage.
For questions please contact the park. 209-588-9128 or email Amber at acantisano@parks.ca.gov

Interpretive activity for sat and sun

Welcome to a new venue! A social gathering place for "proper ladies" to meet and stitch, far away from the bars and rabble rousing (next to the new bakery). Bring your own project or try something new. Will have demos of redwork, embroidery, cross-stitch, hand-quilting, tatting, lace making, you name it. Come and sit a spell and catch up on the latest on your neighbors. Share a cup of tea.

If you bring your own, please be period correct on the tools. No plastic or aluminum. Will have extra wooden hoops and some threads if you'd like to try your hand. Perhaps a crochet hook or two.

Donations of desert for the Green Room

Wanted
Donations of Dessert items for the Green Room We will be serving lunch from Thursday thru Sunday 11:00 am until 2:00 pm Please bring items to Eagle Cotage =========================================

Tnx & Rgds,

Jerry T.

Daily Sign-in/Sign-out

We will have a daily Sign-in and Sign-out sheet starting Tuesday, May 27 (move in day). This will help keep track of all your hours since everyone will be so busy. Also, it helps us staff know if you have left for the day so we don't have to worry that you are missing. The sign-in sheet will be kept at portals.

Saturday and Sunday Schedule

11:00 Diggins Town Tour
12:00 Drop Mail
1:30 Theater
2:15 Diggins Town Tour
3:00 Theater
3:40 Bucket Brigade

Diggin’s School Tours

Thank you for taking the time to lead a school tour through this year’s Diggin’s Program. We are attempting to touch on as many of the California State Educational Standards as possible. Routes for the tours have been planned. This is so that we do not have tours backing up at stations. Please show up Wednesday, May 28th at 6pm at Diggins Tent town for a brief walk through and a chance to answer any last minute questions.

Notes for event organization.
• Please arrive by 9:00 a.m. for the flag pole meeting/briefing.
• We will prepare a sack lunch for you, your order will be taken after the 9:00 a.m. meeting at the “Meeting Place” across the street. Your choice is meat or veggie.
• We will deliver your lunch and cold drinks to the meeting place so that you can have as long of a rest as possible.
• The last tour ends at 4:00 p.m.

Notes on the Tours.
• Each tour has a planned route so that we don’t have people bunching up at any stations.
• Tours will move at the ringing of the school bell. This will occur every 10 minutes. You have a script, you may use it if you want to, or make up your own dialog with your students. BUT you must follow your route to avoid confusion and cover the State Standards for your group.
• After 45 minutes, your students will have 15 minutes to explore or shop on their own, you can have a break at this time, but return within 15 minutes.
• If you are scheduled for another tour, return to the meeting place. You will begin to gather your next group.


Thank you very, very much for your participation. The school groups generate more than half of the costs for the production of this event. Without you this event could not happen as we could not afford to present it.

Tours and Topics for Venues on School Days

--Bakery: Diane Mifflin, Louise Kirk
The bakery is an activity spot. The children will have the opportunity to work with dough and learn about different opportunities from women in California. With a predominately male society early in the rush, many women found financial opportunities not available in the place from which they came. The “Sole Trader Act” is passed by the legislature in 1852 and allows married women to own property individually of their husbands. Ensure that the children understand that up until this point no other state in the United States allowed this. Once you were married your husband owned your business.

--American Hotel: Susie Webb
The hotel is an activity spot. The children will have the opportunity to work with aspects of cooking, sleeping and about different opportunities for women in California. With a predominately male society early in the rush, many women found financial opportunities not available in the place from which they came. The “Sole Trader Act” is passed by the legislature in 1852 and allows married women to own property individually of their husbands. Ensure that the children understand that up until this point no other state in the United States allowed this. Once you were married your husband owned your business.

--Laundry: Sandy Tanhouser
The laundry is an activity spot. The children will have to opportunity to learn how laundry was done and soap was made and learn about different opportunities for women in California. With a predominately male society early in the rush, many women found financial opportunities not available in the place from which they came. The “Sole Trader Act” is passed by the legislature in 1852 and allows married women to own property individually of their husbands. Ensure that the children understand that up until this point no other state in the United States allowed this. Once you were married your husband owned your business.

--Blacksmith: Biscuits (Dennis Brehm)
The Blacksmith is a demonstration stop. The children will have the opportunity to learn about the production of tools and implements for mining without factories to produce them and the rapid industrial development of California. As California grew fast, many services and goods were not available. These holes were filled quickly as people learned that it was easier to make money at their old trades than mine for gold. Often times these trades were worth more than the gold itself.

--Tinsmith: Bill Brown
The Tinsmith is a demonstration stop. The children will have the opportunity to learn about the methods of producing goods in an area with no factories and the rapid industrial development of California. As California grew fast, many services and goods were not available. These holes were filled quickly as people learned that it was easier to make money at their old trades than mine for gold. Often times these trades were worth more than the gold itself.

--Californios (foreign): Delfina and Francisco Garcia
This stop gives the children a “foreign” view of the mines and society. The children will have the opportunity learn about the various people who came to California and review aspects of Mexican California. Californios had been here prior to the Gold Rush. These people had to get used to the way that Americans governed themselves which was radically different than the Mexican style. The Californios struggled to fit it, but the Foreign Miners Tax of 1850 was introduced to target Latinos. In 1852 a second Foreign Miner’s Tax was established to target the Chinese, but was indiscriminate in its application. Californios often found themselves foreigners in their own land.

--Saloon (Yankee):
This stop will present the “pro-American” view point of foreigners and society. The children will have the opportunity learn about the various people who came to California and review aspects of Mexican California. California grew in population rapidly with the Gold Rush. This is now an American State and fought for and won fair and square. It is felt that Americans own the gold in the ground and any foreigner can dig for it as long as it is “paid for.” The military was ineffective in dealing with civil issues and with the growth of California dictated the need for civil law and Statehood, equality is the hallmark of the American way.

--Overland Route (two stations):
Travel to California was very difficult. Coming overland would take months and require certain provisions that would not spoil. There were mountains and deserts to deal with, great unknown lands to cross and disease that were great obstacles to success. This stop will give the children information on these aspects of the journey.

--Panama and Nicaragua Route (two stations): Barbara Anderson (House); Terry Melau Physcian
Travel to California was very difficult. Taking the Panama or Nicaragua route was supposed to save time. Early on, it often took longer than expected because ships were not always available on the Pacific side. The land was dense with tropical forests (Jungle is a modern term) rife with disease, many died on the route. Many times, the people (mostly Americans) providing services swindled travelers who were desperate and far from the security of home or escape. A railroad had been started in Panama by 1852.
Barbara portrays Eliza Ann Tomlinson who came to California by way of ship, crossed the Isthumus of Panama experiencing diseases and hardship.

--Sea Route (two stations): John Salico
Travel to California was very difficult. “Coming ‘round the Horn” was not as easy as many thought. Seasickness, scurvvy, and starvation were all issues of the sea route. Once people arrived they had to get from San Francisco to the mines. Often the trip took as many as five months due to weather. Stops had to be made on the journey and Valpariso, Chile was one of the most popular. Quarters were tight and ships were often overcrowded.

--Express Office: Rebbecca Lund & John Phillips
Early communication in California (and even in parts of the United States) was difficult at best. The Post Office Department was a haven for political favors and become difficult to manage. Mail was slow, expensive and unreliable and early on the only Post Office was in San Francisco, Sacramento would receive one later. Either way, mail had to be called for at one of these offices. Express Companies (established early on in the east) were highly popular and successful due to this. They also provided financial services by sending money with relative safety to all parts of the world.

--Water Office: Frank Cimino & Lyle Taylor
Water was a very scarce commodity in Gold Rush Columbia. The Tuolumne Water Company was formed to bring water to the mines from the Stanislaus River. To do this a flume was built. Supplies to build it had to be brought in and a mill to saw wood into lumber needed to be erected. This machinery and goods were imported from San Francisco by river steamer and then drawn by oxen or mule to Columbia. Great financial backing had to be obtained for these endeavors.

--Theater: Don Deluca
The goods and materials to build a theater had to be obtained. Discuss with the children the need for industry in California. Without industry all of the goods had to be imported causing problems in both quality and supply of needed material. Hopefully sawmills will be erected close by so that you won’t have to rely on goods being shipped from as far away as Sonora. Towns grow fast and need ways for people to be entertained. Miners expect a certain level of entertainment. Without that a theater cannot make a return.

--H.N. Brown: Diane & John Glamuzina
The children will understand the difficulties of obtaining goods in the early mining camps. The children will understand how goods got to California and then to the mines. They will also be introduced to the various places that they came from aside from the United States (Chile, France, England and China). They will understand the capitalist approach to supply and demand and that relationship to prices, explaining why prices in the early mines were so high.

--Hardware: Joe Waltz, Gene Marrow, Bob Carter
The children will understand the difficulties of obtaining goods in the early mining camps. The children will understand how goods got to California and then to the mines. They will also be introduced to the various places that they came from aside from the United States (Chile, France, England and China). They will understand the capitalist approach to supply and demand and that relationship to prices, explaining why prices in the early mines were so high.

--Mines: (Tours will stop during all rotations. The mines tours will last through two five minute rotations. There may be as many four groups in each rotation.)
Each rotation will cover use of common Gold Rush tools (i.e. long tom, rocker, and pan). Mining laws and gold in general will be discussed while mining methods are demonstrated.

School Tour Rotation

Thursday May 29th& 30th 9:45, 11, 12:45, 2:00 and 3:00(same rotation only times change)

Tour Group 1
10am - 10:10 Theater
10:10- 10:20 Mines
10:20-10:30 Water Company
10:30-10:40 Express office
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 2
10am - 10:10 Mines
10:10- 10:20 Bakery
10:20-10:30 Browns
10:30-10:40 Blacksmith/tin
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 3
10am - 10:10 Laundry
10:10- 10:20 Browns
10:20-10:30 Bakery
10:30-10:40 Mines
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 4
10am - 10:10 Herb Shop
10:10- 10:20 Laundry
10:20-10:30 Water Company
10:30-10:40 Mines
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 5
10am - 10:10 Blacksmith
10:10- 10:20 American Hotel
10:20-10:30 Californios
10:30-10:40 Mines
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 6
10am - 10:10 Mines
10:10- 10:20 Hardware Store
10:20-10:30 Saloon
10:30-10:40 Blacksmith
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 7
10am - 10:10 Yvonne's House
10:10- 10:20 Express Office
10:20-10:30 Hardware store
10:30-10:40 Laundry
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 8
10am - 10:10 Hardware Store
10:10- 10:20 Theater
10:20-10:30 Blacksmith
10:30-10:40 Mines
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

Tour Group 9
10am - 10:10 American Hotel
10:10- 10:20 Theater
10:20-10:30 Californios
10:30-10:40 Mines
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap Up

Tour Group 10
10am - 10:10 Mines
10:10- 10:20 Theater
10:20-10:30 Express office
10:30-10:40 American Hotel
10:40-10:55 Shopping
10:55 - 11:15 Wrap up

School Tours: Thursday May 39th 2008
9:45; 10 groups
11:00; 6 groups
12:45; 6 groups
2:00; 6 groups
3:00; 6 groups

School Tours: Friday May 30th 2008
9:45; 8 groups
11:00; 6 groups
12:45; 6 groups
2:00; 6 groups