Newsletter

HEMET MUSEUM ON THE VERGE OF BIG CHANGE— As our museum heads into its seventh year of operation in the historic Santa Fe Depot, we are anticipating some major changes: in design, in display and in management. We are also squirreling away money into a building fund for the day when we can supplement our freight house headquarters with additional space. We have the money to buy a large number of display cases, better to exhibit and protect our collection. We also have enough to pay for consultants to help us forge ahead into a 21 st Century operation. We'll keep you posted on developments.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE DEPOT… Our visitation during 2004 approached the 5,000 mark and included guests from 39 states, 4 Canadian provinces, and guests from England , Fiji , South Africa , San Juan Island , Germany , Sweden Australia, Jamaica , Italy and Japan . In addition to classes of 3 rd graders (about whom, more later) we had group visits from Hemet Woman's Club, ladies of the Red Hat Society, special education classes; HELP students, Japanese exchange students and the photo club from Riverside Community College. We'd love to see you, your family and your guests.

THE KINKADE CONNECTION— Our major financial activity for the year was a cooperative agreement with famous artist Thomas Kinkade to sell his evocative historical print, “ Florida Avenue at Dusk— Hemet , 1915.” The museum sold the print for about 10 years starting in 1986, but it had been unavailable for several years. Tom's father-in-law Al Willey, a Hemet resident, put us in touch with the artist again. A final financial report is pending, but the museum sold 175 of the prints from October through the end of the year, collecting nearly $100 per print as our share of the $295 purchase price. Our net after expenses will be over $15,000, according to treasurer Beryl Andrews. This is the seed money for our building fund and our thanks go to Thomas Kinkade for making this venture possible. We will continue to carry the Kinkade print as long as it is available to us, but will no longer have an exclusive agreement with Tom.

HARRIETT HILL GLASS EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION— On June 26, the museum honored Harriett with a reception held in conjunction with an exhibit of family artifacts which she donated to the museum. The exhibit include her artwork, mementoes from her father Bill Hill's printing business, artifacts of valley life collected by the Hill family, and hundreds of photos of valley events from the 40s and 50s. Our thanks to Harriett for all her help in putting the exhibit together and for her valuable donation.

OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS— We opened our Kinkade print sale with a two-day advertised event Oct. 23-24 which attracted well over 100 people. We followed this up with a second sale Dec. 4-5, held in conjunction with a “historic sale” of de-accessed collectibles and other items donated for sale. We observed Ramona Pageant season with the display of many “Ramona” artifacts from the storage shelves.

SPEAKER SERIES— Many thanks again to the excellent speakers who provided our monthly programs (except for August, when we go dark). AGRICULTURE was the theme for many of this year's talks, as we watch the rapid urbanization of what was founded as an agricultural community. Speakers and their topics were: Julie Martin Burgard, history of the Hemet Martin's Theatre (when it closed in 1995, the longest continuously running movie house in the country, now newly reopened); Jules Wesselink, with wife Corrie and daughter Valerie Thomas, on the operation of the Winchester Cheese Factory; Ruth Jaenke Roman, on ranching in the Garner Valley area; Diane Pinto, author of If Stones Could Speak, on her uncle, master mason Kenneth Kreigh; Leonard Searl and Virginia Searl Sisk, assisted by Gordon Sisk, on the Searl ranch; Lilie Golden, on her years as a secretary for mystery writer Earle Stanley Gardner; the Currie family—Bob, Margaret Ollerton and Mary Beth Davidson, on operation of the family olive business; Bill Corwin on the Corwin family and walnut growing in the valley; Marjorie Quandt Goodwin and Ella Mae Quant Record on the Quandt Ranch; and Mary E. Whitney, local historian, on the treasure of the local history collection in the Heritage Room of Hemet Public Library. Both Bob Currie and Bill Corwin donated written accounts of their family history to the museum. The Searl family presentation was probably the best attended regular meeting the museum ever had as nearly 100 people crowded into the Community Room at Provident Bank.

BACK TO THE THIRD GRADERS— Our expanded program for 3 rd graders brought in hundreds of students in classes from Whittier , McSweeny, Harmony and Little Lake Schools. The response of both students and their teachers to the program continues to be very enthusiastic, a tribute to program coordinator Rosemary Sears and her staff of volunteers: Marian Shellaberger, Virginia Sisk , Bettie Bothner, Carmen Lopez, Margaret Bagby, Thelma Adams, Connie Eacret, Louise Israel, Jerri Hamilton, Jackie Moyer, Claire Doolittle, Flora Johnson, Betty Martin, Lorraine Culton, Bill Jennings, Marv Nottingham, Kitty McCullough, Jim McCullough, Sarah Welsh, Bettie Smith, Joan Walters, Marv Gudmondson, Bob Fonville, Marjorie Goodwin, Gregg Cowdery, Heloise and Paul Marsh Kids have a real hands-on experience during their visit to the museum. The program is coordinated with 3 rd grade curriculum on knowing your own community.

SPEAKING OF VOLUNTEERS— Our faithful docents keep the museum open four hours a day six days a week, with only a few holidays and the month of August off. Assisting co-curators Bill and Anne Jennings in meeting the public and answering the questions were: Jim Moyer, Louise Israel, Rosemary Sears, Bud Schroeder, Sally McDonald, DeWitt McCloy, Betty Jo Dunham, Lee Christie and the late Hollis C. Hollis. Lee and Jim also helped with exhibit preparation. Our whole docent staff was treated to breakfast at Ryan's Restaurant in April. We will no longer have the services of Sally McDonald and Jackie Dunn, who have moved from the area to be closer to family.

AND STILL MORE VOLUNTEERS— The phone committee: Marian Shellaberger, Corinne Winkleman, Warren Clemens, Leroy Glass, Beryl Andrews, Frances Proze, Sally McDonald, Heloise Marsh, Virginia Sisk , Tom Garnella , Barbara Ott, and Dora Cordery keep our members informed of our programs and get folks out for meetings. Tom Garnella monitors our E-mail and website. He also represents us with the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association. Russ Jacobs fills in for Tom sometimes. Russ also picks up the key to the bank meeting room. Julie Burgard is helping us to sell on E-Bay. At the Kinkade and historic sales Al and Nancy Willey with their granddaughters Frances and Hannah Moore, Bettie Smith, Beryl Andrews, Sarah Welsh, Barbara Adams, Bill and Anne Jennings, Bettie Bothner, Rosemary Sears and Heloise Marsh were on the job. (Apologies for any omissions.)

OUR PUBLIC FACE— We had excellent coverage from local newspapers this last year. Thanks are due to Marilee Reyes, Phil French, Bob Pratte, DeeAnn Bradley and Don Perez of the Press Enterprise, and Louis Amestoy, Lynn Webb and Monica Reichl of the Valley Chronicle. We have announcements carried on the community access channel of Adelphia Cable TV; and we were featured on KHEM UHF Channel 53. We ran ads in the Chamber of Commerce directory and in Ramona Bowl Music Association programs. We also contributed to a video ad prepared for cable TV by the downtown business group.

Anne Jennings talked to the Breakfast Lions Club, the National Association of Current and Retired Federal Employees and Retired Public Employees Assn. Bill Jennings took part in the l00th anniversary celebration at Pilgrim Congregational Church, which was organized by our members Russ and Joan Jacobs. Photos from our collection were copied for permanent exhibits at Applebee's and Farmer John restaurants, and for a temporary exhibit at Gottschalk's. Our museum receives full credit for these exhibits. We also network with and support the other historical organizations and museums in our area.

THE COLLECTION JUST KEEPS ON GROWING— Retired City Clerk Mary Henley, part of an old Hemet family and the lady for whom the park is named, moved into much smaller quarters and donated many items from her life and career. Collections from the late Helen Rheingans were donated by her family, including the archive for Golden Years. Howard Miller brought in a bell from the old Hemet High campus. Indian ollas from the Eva Percival collection were donated by her daughter, Pat Percival Sawyer. Martha Feole Gauer and her husband Larry donated a California Water and Telephone Co. PBX station, very popular with kids and former operators. The estate of graphic artist and Hemet News cartoonist Frank Mosher donated a collection of his papers. Virginia Sisk has loaned the fabulous and fantastic Aguirre chair, which kids also love because it looks like an alien invader that's going to eat you up. The Aguirre chair all by itself is worth a trip to the museum. We can't mention all the items but we are grateful for the continuing contributions.

SOME NEW TECHNICAL TOYS— The museum purchased a digital camera, a digital camcorder and a lap top computer. Lee Christie donated a phone. Sarah Welsh has used the camcorder to record our programs. Gordon Sisk keeps feeding photos into the laptop. And everybody uses the phone.

SAD NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM— Our losses of good friends were great in the past year. Hollis C. Hollis, a past president who did everything there was to do at the museum, and artist Barry Hanson, who worked so hard for Save Our Station and HAMA , were both victims of cancer. Last summer, Barry was honored with a “meeting of remembrance,” and we will hold a similar event for Hollis this spring. Other members, or former members, or contributors to the museum who passed away were: Kenneth Bogart, Herschel Higgins, Jim Davidson, Mildred Berical, Edward Kingman, Harold Barron, Joanna Stuart, Myra Mansur, Warren Borders, Anna Houk, Oliver Elliott, Doyle Boen, Roy Schippling, Grace Guion, Orrin (Scratchy) Scranton and Annette Stoker. A great loss to their friends, family and the museum.

PIONEER PICNIC AND GOLDEN YEARS— HAMA sponsors both of these projects. The picnic, held annually at the Valley-Wide Recreation gymnasium in San Jacinto , in 2004 named retired City Clerk Mary Henley and Garner Valley rancher Jack Garner as honorary co-chairpersons. The picnic's annual Heritage Award went to local historian Mary Whitney. Oldest native-born attendees were Cliff Bruce and Martha May Libby Benson; oldest non-native attendees were Milt Lefton and Virginia Freeman. Farthest traveled attendee was Margaret Silvas Estrada. Picnic committee chairman Rob Lindquist presided over the event, assisted by Gregg Cowdery of the Winchester Historical Society. About 300 people attended. Mark your calendar for Memorial Day and plan to join the picnickers. The museum stays open that day.

The Golden Years newsletter continues to be published twice annually, with Clarena Dennis as editor, assisted by Shirley Kline and Beryl Andrews. The newsletter is mailed to Hemet High and San Jacinto High graduates of 50 years ago and more. It was established by the late Helen Rheingans.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY— A complete financial statement will be available soon, says veteran treasurer Beryl Andrews. Between an anonymous gift of $8,500, the Kinkade print sales, and regular museum boutique sales, memberships, donations and the raffles at our monthly meetings (initiated by Sarah Welsh), it's been a very good year for HAMA. A preliminary accounting shows that in 2004 our income was $81,744; expenses were $53,598; and our total net worth was $96,901, an increase of $26,654 over 2003. Please write to the museum for a complete report. And speaking of Beryl, all of us breathed a great sigh of relief when she agreed to go on with the treasurer's job. It is a massive amount of work, and as our pro bono auditor Jim Pomeroy tells us every year, we should thank our lucky stars that we have Beryl (and we should also thank our lucky stars that we have Jim.)

NEWS FROM SAVE OUR STATON— SOS painted and carpeted the entryway, stairwell, upper level landing and 2 nd floor meeting room the past year and plans to make the upstairs available to other groups for meetings. The organization also upgraded the electrical function in Olivera's Fruit and Juice Bar. The SOS board is: Linda Krupa, president; Bettie Bothner, vice president; Margaret Bagby, secretary; Dorothy Walck, treasurer; and directors Don Austin, Jack Stuckeman, Connie Hall, Susan Weeks and Larry Miller.

HISTORIC HOMES OF HEMET , a new book by Bob Vieten, is selling well for $27 at the museum. Bob's first in what is projected as a series of books about pre-1940 homes in the area, covers the downtown central area. With maps by Gordon Sisk and photos by Joe Karcher and help from a large phalanx of volunteers, the book adds a valuable resource to our collection of local history. Also new in the museum's bookstore in 2004 was Steve Lech's Along the Old Roads: A History of the Portion of Southern California that became Riverside County —1772-1893. Quite a mouthful and quite a book. The museum's stock of works on local history includes Bill Adams 2003 book Hemet Then and Now, Mary Whitney's Valley, River and Mountain, Whittier Fuller & Co. and Vignettes of the Valley, Beryl Andrews Apricot Memories, Margaret Wellman Jaenke's Looking Back, and Steve Fairfield's two Wheels books (among others).

OUR LEADERS FOR THE YEAR— With characteristic panache, Rob Lindquist installed the incoming board of directors at our December meeting. President Heloise Marsh, who has so ably led us for the past four years, agreed to continue in office for one more year. Assisting her are Al Willey, 1 st vice president; Virginia Sisk , 2 nd vice president; Barbara Adams, secretary; Beryl Andrews, treasurer; and directors Russ Jacobs, Tom Garnella , Bettie Smith, Rosemary Sears, and Sarah Welsh. Bill and Anne Jennings, co-curators, serve ex-officio.

PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR SUPPORT— A membership blank is enclosed for your convenience. Our life members might want to consider an additional donation at this time. Please visit us. Please participate. Please help our museum to grow and better serve our public.

Anne B. Jennings Co-Curator January, 2005

E-mail address: info@hemetmuseum.org Website: www.hemetmuseum.org