Enthusiasm for the Heritage Garden Keeps Growing
By Betzi Hart
The 49er Breakfast Club Rotary has taken on the Heritage Garden as their community
service project for 2017. 49er Rotary will build a new shade pergola around the large
Chinese Elm Tree near the center of the garden. About fifty volunteers from Rotary will
participate on April 29th, working in the garden and on the grounds of The North Star
House.
We are very excited to announce that Gil Mathews, owner of Plan It Solar, has donated a
solar electric system to provide electricity for the Heritage Garden's lights and irrigation
system. Gil and his crew are planning to install the system on April 29th.
A Chinese Elm tree will be planted here in memory of Dave McKeen.
Garden benches are being built by Larry Dulmage and his group of North Star House
volunteers. They are styled after Craftsman vintage Park Service benches. Four
benches, donated by Gary Emanuel, Charles & Betzi Hart, Lorraine Plagge and Nancy
Tilman, will be placed in the Heritage Garden in the Spring.
The rock wall seating in the front of the Historic Garden has been completed by Ron
Bailey Masonry. As weather allows, a second Chinese Elm, donated by Jean McKeen in
honor of her late husband Dave, will be planted in the seating area in front of the
garden.
Carole Miller, Paula Campbell and Lee Dempsy are working with WuWay Landscape
Contractor and Designer, James Pyle to complete the layout for planting. Carole and Lee
have been protecting heritage plants at their homes and will have them ready to plant
once the irrigation system is in place.
We expect to recycle enough bricks from the NSH property to line the Heritage Garden
pathways. We will be asking local businesses to assist us with pathway materials. The
paths will be ADA accessible.
We still need funding and volunteers, come join the fun!! To help, contact Betzi Hart or
Gary Emanuel by leaving a message at The North Star House phone number (530) 4777126.
Construction News Bites
By Larry Dulmage
YouthBuild students are re-shingling the Veranda side of The North Star House. Work will
continue as the weather allows.
Howard Levine removing plywood "shingles" he created many years ago, to protect the house from further
deterioration.
The installation of restored paneling in the dining room is beginning next week.
The Julia Morgan room is in the midst of an incredible transformation! Having all new
sheetrock installed, then painted, the windows are now being restored. And a new door
has been ordered.
The Work Shop is being cleaned up and reorganized. Thanks to Bruce Ivy for hauling
away unneeded Work Shop clutter.
The preservation of The North Star House would not be possible without the financial and
volunteer support of our community.
Become a 2017 Sponsor or Supporter of the
North Star Historic Conservancy
The North Star Historic Conservancy is presenting businesses in the community an
opportunity to become an Annual North Star Sponsor, or an Event Supporter, for the
calendar year 2017. Funds garnered from these programs will help the NSHC to continue
operating, managing and rehabilitating The North Star House, and offer educational and
cultural events to the community.
In exchange for support, each business will become part of the North Star Family. Event
Supporters will be recognized at various levels in event programs, newsletters and event
promotion. Annual Sponsors, will be further acknowledged on our website, with year long
advertising, VIP recognition at all events, and a window display plaque.
By becoming an Annual Sponsor, or Event Supporter, a business will be able to publicly
announce itself as a champion of the North Star Historic Conservancy. These businesses
will be acknowledged as participants in the restoration of the North Star House.
Please contact Betzi Hart, David Wright or Charlie Brock at the North Star House 4777126 to learn more about these opportunities.
Letter from Wallace Stegner Shines Light on Angle of Repose
Recently, a person who wishes to remain unknown, dropped off at the Grass Valley
library, several letters pertinent to North Star history. The librarian forwarded them to The
North Star Historic Conservancy.
In a December 1971 letter to Wallace Stegner, Mrs. John Snapp of Seattle WA writes of
her history, memories of the Foote's in Grass Valley and offers several analysis of the
characters in Angle of Repose. Mrs. Snapp is the granddaughter of Bessie Hallock
Sherman, Mary Hallock Foote's sister. Her father is Gerald Sherman, Mary's nephew.
Wallace Stegner's response explains his rationale for the characterization of the Foote's in
his novel, Angle of Repose.
13456 South Fork Lane
Los Altos Hills, Calif. 94022
Dec. 14, 1971
Mrs. John F. Snapp
3712 41st Avenue, N. E.
Seattle, Washington
Dear Mrs. Snapp,
Your letter of November 11 was a long time in getting to me.
Day before yesterday I put your signed book in the mail, and now I have ten
minutes to make some sort of reply to your very interesting letter.
I'm delighted to hear from a grand-daughter of Bessie Sherman:
If I had been writing another sort of novel, she would have been the heroine.
As it was, (and as it was pretty much in her life) she turned out to be the
supporting character.
Not that you could tell much about her life, or her sister's
either from my book. I took advantage of Janet Micoleau's invitation to
do whatever I wanted with her grandmother's papers: I used them verbatim
when it suited my purposes, and I changed them when it didn't and I invented
them when there was nothing in the papers that would take my novel along its
track. And I did borrow Molly Foote's character in many ways, but I also
gave her some fatal flaws (beyond her rather innocent snobbery) which she
didn't have. I put her through some wringers that in fact she never had
to pass through, and I endowed her life with some tragedies that it never
had to face. All of that is fiction. But I took the woman herself from history,
and then doctored her. As for the "supporting" characters, there is your
grandmother, not too much changed except that I didn't let her get out West;
and your father, whom I erased off the blackboard entirely because my cast
was already full; and your Aunt Betty, fairly straightforward; and Agnes,
who died (at seventeen, of appendicitis, not as in the novel). Wiley I left
barely changed. Tompkins, his assistant, I combined with an assistant of
Arthur Foote's in Leadville (a man who later committed suicide, but not
over your great-aunt!), and I gave him the role of tragic and hopeless
lover because that's the way the novel wanted to go. His heirs would
have cause to sue, I suppose. Nellie Linton I took straight across, and
because I saw no reason why the historical governess would not serve as
well as a fictional one, I even left her her own name. I believe she went
on running a private school in Boise for many years.
And that's more about the origins and prototypes of the
characters in that novel than I have told anyone else except Janet Micoleau
and her sister. I'm very glad you felt it as true. It got to be very near
to me while I was writing it. I admired Molly Foote, and I would have loved to
be Bessie Sherman's grandson, and I rather thought Arthur Foote, however
inarticulate, was somehow the hero of the piece, though by no means an
unflawed hero. --------, I should say to you what I said to Janet in the
dedication: Thank you, thank you extremely, for the loan of your ancestors.
Upcoming Events
On Sunday, May 7 the NSHC presents A Conversation with Julia Morgan. Betty
Marvin, well known for her compelling impersonation of Julia Morgan, will reimagine life in
the early years of The North Star House. As an Architectural Historian, Betty is known for
her work with the Oakland Heritage Alliance. The event will take place from 1:30 - 4:00
pm. Refreshments will be served. Tickets are $25/members and $30/general public.
On Sunday, May 21, the NSHC presents Julia Morgan: Architect and Engineer.
Architectural Historian Karen McNeill, Ph.D, will give a presentation on Craftsman style
architecture, with an emphasis on Julia Morgan-designed buildings. Karen McNeill is the
leading expert on Julia Morgan and has published multiple articles on the subject,
including, most recently, "'Women Who Build': Julia Morgan & Women's Institutions," in
the Summer 2012 issue of California History. Her work focuses on women and gender in
the architectural profession as well as how Progressive Era women used the built
environment to expand their roles in society as consumers, reformers, educators, and
professionals.
This event is co-sponsored by NSHC and Cal Alumni. Lunch will be served at 12:30
and the program will take place from 2 -4 pm.Tickets are $23/NSHC & Cal Alumni
members and $28/general public. Lunch options may be selected when purchasing
tickets.
On Sunday, June 18, from 2 - 4 pm, Gary Noy will present an illustrated lecture entitled
"Cousin Jacks in the Wild West: The Historical and Cultural Impact of the Cornish
in the American West". The presentation will familiarize the audience with famous
Cornish people, particularly those in the United States, and highlight the hidden impact of
the Cornish on everyday life. The talk will also examine the Cornish at work, particularly
in underground mining, and at play, such as Cornish wrestling. Unique Cornish cultural
characteristics will be examined, most notably Cornish foods like pasties. Gary's lecture
will also shine a spotlight on the Cornish in Nevada County and will feature some stories
from his own Cornish heritage.
Gary's newest book, Gold Rush Stories: 49 Tales of Seekers, Scoundrels, Loss and Luck,
will be available for sale and signing.
The annual "Party at The North Star" this year will be a Country Hoedown, on July
30, 2017. The event will feature Nevada County Dancing with the Stars Champion, Jamie
Hogan. There will be country dancing, singing, entertainment, and a bar-b-que. It will be
a party recognizing our country roots and the historic significance of our community.
More details soon!
Event tickets will be available at www.thenorthstarhouse.org beginning April 10, or at The
North Star House from 9 - noon, on Saturdays, beginning April 15.
Smile on Us
If you shop at Amazon.com, go to AmazonSmile first, and enter "North Star Historic
Conservancy" as the organization you would like to support. Once you establish NSHC as
your preferred charity, a percentage of eligible purchases will be designated. It all adds
up!
And Remember to use eScrip!
Sign up with escrip.com and enter "The North Star Historic Conservancy" as the
organization you would like to earn for. Then, bookmark the on-line mall and always click
through there to go to your favorite retailers for all your on-line shopping! You may also
register your credit cards and every purchase you make at participating merchants will
generate a donation to the North Star Historic Conservancy.
Looking for Volunteers
North Star History and Educational Program Development
Develop educational programs that highlight the history and people who made the North
Star so vital to our past and present community.
If you have a love of history and a desire to develop and present living history to our
community, you are right for this job!
North Star Events Coordinator
Organize fundraising events for following year. Work with event teams to coordinate set
up, publicity, graphics needs.
Creativity welcome as you work with the Team to develop new event concepts and
calendar events for the year
Publicity Coordinator
Write press releases about project work, special events; post events to regional media
outlets.
Thank You to Our 2017 Annual Sponsors
Byers Leaf Guard
C & D Contractors, Inc
Charles Hart, EA
Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty
Real Graphic Source
Mimi Simmons C21 Cornerstone Realty
SPD
Sierra Solar
David Wright Architect
Thank you to Our 2017 Event Supporters
Evening Star:
Ron Bailey Masonry
Grass Valley Courtyard Suites
Hansen Brothers Enterprises
Bruce Ivy Construction
Nevada County Mortgage
Reflections Skin Oasis
Morning Star:
Art of Logic
Bent Metal Winery
Grass Valley Eye Care
Mill Street Properties
Brian Hollister State Farm Insurance
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