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Collection: Videos > Oral Histories
Video: Edwin Tyson Interview, Curator of the Searls Library (2009) (9 minutes)
This video interview was recorded in the last days of Edwin Tyson, curator of the Searls Library and revered Nevada County historian and resident of Nevada City for many years. He became synonymous with the Searls Library to the extent that tourists sometimes assumed he was "old Mr. Searls." Ed passed away, at age 92 in February 2010, shortly after recording this oral history. He was much respected and beloved. In this interview, Ed shares his journey of becoming a central figure at the Searls Library. He began volunteering one afternoon a week and gradually took on more responsibilities, eventually being left in charge during a two-week leave. Tyson's dedication and the library's struggle for independence led to a more permanent role, where he even worked six days a week during a challenging period. He opposed the library being taken over by the county library system, emphasizing the importance of autonomy and the historical significance of the Searls family. Tyson's personal history, including his Midwestern upbringing, academic pursuits in psychology and English, and a serendipitous move to California, all contributed to his deep-rooted connection to the Searls Library. His story reflects his passion for libraries and his commitment to preserving the legacy of the Searls Library. Wally Hagaman conducted the interview at the Searls Library.
Published: 2009
Original Held At:
Original Held At:
Full Transcript of the Video:
[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] We are at the famous Searles Library. For years, people have told me that they had just spoken with kindly old Mr. Searles. [LAUGHTER] And I realized that they meant you, because you kind of became the Searles Library. What was it like when you came here? Well, it's funny. You know, I came here first, Doris Foley. I was introduced to her in a historical society, something or other. And when she found out that I was a retired librarian from San Jose, she said, oh, you would probably like to come and work for us one afternoon a week. So that's the way I started. One afternoon, I did that for, oh, about eight months. And then Doris decided that I could answer correspondence adequately. She liked the letters that I wrote. So she let me do most of that. And then she announced that she was taking a two-week leave the following spring, taking a two-week leave. And she said, you will be in charge. And so I started that two weeks. And then I kind of kept to that schedule ever since. And it varied. I went from three days a week to four. And then there was a period in the late '80s and '90s when I was here six days a week because we were struggling fighting being taken over by the county library system. I see. And I had an argument with a couple of the supervisors saying we don't want to be a part of the county library because the first thing you always cut in a budget time is the library. And we don't want to do that. And Fred Serrel's bow helped me a lot to keep it out of the county. And he didn't want it to be a part of the county library either, naturally, because after all, his grandfather had built this in 1872. No, it's really kind of strange. I got here. I grew up in the Midwest and out of California-- well, during the war, I went to school at UC Berkeley for a year studying, of all things, clinical psychology. But I decided I'd come back to Berkeley after the war to do graduate work, but not in psychology. I did it in English. And then I went-- by accident, I was teaching English in Pittsburgh when I got into the library field. And I went to the University of Washington for my master's in librarianship. And then I went to City College at San Jose. And I lived in Los Gatos. And the traffic in the afternoon when I would get off work going from San Jose to Los Gatos was so awful. I'd get home and I'd say, well, I made it one more time, but I've got to get out of here. And some friends of mine had this summer cottage, just a three-room cottage, two miles out of town. And they gave me a key to the place so I could come up whether they were here or not. And I was up here one weekend. There was pouring down rain. And I called up Warren Shin, the realtor, for that area out there. And I said, is this four-acre plot next door? Is it for sale? And he said, yes. You want to look at it? And I said, I'm looking at it right now. I was looking out the window. And I went down to his office and just bought it right then and just signed for it right then. And before I got out of his office, a man came in from Santa Barbara who had looked at it two weeks before and decided that he wanted it. And I had just signed it just before he got there. I want to move on. And when I left San Jose and Los Gatos, I said, I want to have a house built out where the trees are so thick grass won't grow. Because I'm not going to spend my retirement keeping up alone. And so that's why I'm out in the woods. It's only two miles from town. The road is good and I like it. [LAUGHTER] As a kid, were you interested in books and libraries and history? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've always been a reader. And my mother, when I got involved in music, she was a graduate from a conservatory piano. And I learned to play piano when I was five years old. And so I taught music up until I got in the Army. Well, then I went-- when I was going to college, for example, I practiced piano three hours a day. Well, when I got out of the Army, I'd gone four years without touching one. And I said, I can't go through that again. And that's why I went to the English Department of Berkeley. Yeah. What state did you grow up? You say the Midwest, and that's kind of a-- Northwest Missouri. It's 14 miles south of Iowa and 20 miles east of Nebraska. Oh, boy. You're up there in the corner. Yeah, through in the very cornermost area. And it gets cold there. I remember once a few summers back when I was back visiting my sister. And she said, do you ever think about coming back here to live? And I said, no. A cold is something it's nice to get away from. Have you ever regretted coming here to see us? Oh, no. No, it's a good way to end it. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, I had to laugh. Last January, I had to renew my driver's license. And I couldn't believe it. And they've renewed my driver's license for five years. And I said, well, I think that'll be long enough, because I'll be 92 in about three weeks. So that shall hold me. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] (upbeat music)
[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] We are at the famous Searles Library. For years, people have told me that they had just spoken with kindly old Mr. Searles. [LAUGHTER] And I realized that they meant you, because you kind of became the Searles Library. What was it like when you came here? Well, it's funny. You know, I came here first, Doris Foley. I was introduced to her in a historical society, something or other. And when she found out that I was a retired librarian from San Jose, she said, oh, you would probably like to come and work for us one afternoon a week. So that's the way I started. One afternoon, I did that for, oh, about eight months. And then Doris decided that I could answer correspondence adequately. She liked the letters that I wrote. So she let me do most of that. And then she announced that she was taking a two-week leave the following spring, taking a two-week leave. And she said, you will be in charge. And so I started that two weeks. And then I kind of kept to that schedule ever since. And it varied. I went from three days a week to four. And then there was a period in the late '80s and '90s when I was here six days a week because we were struggling fighting being taken over by the county library system. I see. And I had an argument with a couple of the supervisors saying we don't want to be a part of the county library because the first thing you always cut in a budget time is the library. And we don't want to do that. And Fred Serrel's bow helped me a lot to keep it out of the county. And he didn't want it to be a part of the county library either, naturally, because after all, his grandfather had built this in 1872. No, it's really kind of strange. I got here. I grew up in the Midwest and out of California-- well, during the war, I went to school at UC Berkeley for a year studying, of all things, clinical psychology. But I decided I'd come back to Berkeley after the war to do graduate work, but not in psychology. I did it in English. And then I went-- by accident, I was teaching English in Pittsburgh when I got into the library field. And I went to the University of Washington for my master's in librarianship. And then I went to City College at San Jose. And I lived in Los Gatos. And the traffic in the afternoon when I would get off work going from San Jose to Los Gatos was so awful. I'd get home and I'd say, well, I made it one more time, but I've got to get out of here. And some friends of mine had this summer cottage, just a three-room cottage, two miles out of town. And they gave me a key to the place so I could come up whether they were here or not. And I was up here one weekend. There was pouring down rain. And I called up Warren Shin, the realtor, for that area out there. And I said, is this four-acre plot next door? Is it for sale? And he said, yes. You want to look at it? And I said, I'm looking at it right now. I was looking out the window. And I went down to his office and just bought it right then and just signed for it right then. And before I got out of his office, a man came in from Santa Barbara who had looked at it two weeks before and decided that he wanted it. And I had just signed it just before he got there. I want to move on. And when I left San Jose and Los Gatos, I said, I want to have a house built out where the trees are so thick grass won't grow. Because I'm not going to spend my retirement keeping up alone. And so that's why I'm out in the woods. It's only two miles from town. The road is good and I like it. [LAUGHTER] As a kid, were you interested in books and libraries and history? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've always been a reader. And my mother, when I got involved in music, she was a graduate from a conservatory piano. And I learned to play piano when I was five years old. And so I taught music up until I got in the Army. Well, then I went-- when I was going to college, for example, I practiced piano three hours a day. Well, when I got out of the Army, I'd gone four years without touching one. And I said, I can't go through that again. And that's why I went to the English Department of Berkeley. Yeah. What state did you grow up? You say the Midwest, and that's kind of a-- Northwest Missouri. It's 14 miles south of Iowa and 20 miles east of Nebraska. Oh, boy. You're up there in the corner. Yeah, through in the very cornermost area. And it gets cold there. I remember once a few summers back when I was back visiting my sister. And she said, do you ever think about coming back here to live? And I said, no. A cold is something it's nice to get away from. Have you ever regretted coming here to see us? Oh, no. No, it's a good way to end it. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, I had to laugh. Last January, I had to renew my driver's license. And I couldn't believe it. And they've renewed my driver's license for five years. And I said, well, I think that'll be long enough, because I'll be 92 in about three weeks. So that shall hold me. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] (upbeat music)