Volume 038-3 - July 1984 (8 pages)

COMMENTS ON THE GARFIELD SCHOOL GRADUATION PICTURE OF 1884 by Harriet Jacobs This graduating Class of 1884 attended the Garfield School on Lloyd Street in Grass Valley. Many of the names will be familiar to older people of the community. With the help of Phil Keast it was possible to find out a bit of the history of some of the class. The son of W.C. Jones who founded Jones Memoria] Hospital on Church Street in Grass Valley, Will Jones became a doctor as did his brothers, John and Carl. His other brother, George, was Superior Court Judge in Nevada City for many years. Tom Brockington built the large white home on Kate Hayes street where his daughter Martha, an R.N., lived for many years. His brother, Charles, was the person who built Brockington Court where the shopping center in downtown Grass Valley is located. Ed Whiting was a shift boss at the Empire Mine and later worked at the G.V. Post Office for many years. Jack Cadden’s brother, Pete, a mail carrier, was found scalped in his home and the murder was never solved. Prof. Hugh J. Baldwin married Clara Lewis in 1886 and moved to San Diego soon after. He worked in the schools there for many years and after retirement became active in the Humane Society and served as State President of that group for several years. No information on Bunny or Carroll. Kate Ryan lived with her family of two or three sisters and brother Budd Ryan on Allison Ranch Road. Nothing on Tom Manion or Frank Code. Mike Kelleher lived in Boston Ravine. His brother, Tom, was the father of Ursula Kelleher, a teacher in Grass Valley. The son of Myron C. Taylor who started the Taylor Foundry on Mill Street, Ed Taylor became the Manager of that enterprise. Charles and Ed, his brothers were very prominent men in the community all their lives. Jack Hurley was one of the large Hurley family who lived at Allison Ranch. This road is an extension of lower Mill Street where the Mining Museum is situated. Jennie Champion had a dressmaking establishment with her sister, Jessie, in the building on the corner of Auburn Street and Colfax Avenue that later became the Partridge Hotel before the freeway overpass was built. Cora Lord’s brother, William, had Lord’s Livery Stable on Main Street. He opened the telephone exchange at that site in the early nineteen hundreds. Now in 1984 it is the location of the Sofa Sensation store. Anne Whelan became a dressmaker also. Her sister, Jane, will be remembered as the Librarian who was so proud of the huge Boston fern that took up a large area in the 18 southwest windows of the Grass Valley Public Library. No information on Lillian Boon or Brown. Florence Savelle was probably a member of one of the black families imported to work in the Kentucky Mine by a slave owner from that state. Johnny Savelle, who was a swamper for several saloons on Mill Street, was from the same family. Alfred Argall came here from England and was the brother of Mrs. Ben Opie, along time resident of High Street. The crape myrtle tree she planted in the front yard still blooms every summer and the English Holly produces berries at Christmas. Jack Roberts, no information. Jack Conroy lived next to the Bone family on Chapel Street. Walter Byrne was related to the Salisbury family. Nellie Carlyon was sister to Herb Carlyon who worked for the Clinch Mercantile Company for many years. Several members of her family were employed at the Empire Mine. Alice Brady lived in the house still standing at the top of Neal Street. Her family had the Brady and Cassidy Hardware Store which later became the Alpha Hardware. She had a brother, Fal, whom I believe married Wm. Lord’s daughter. Clara Kline’s family owned a shoe store on Mill Street. Gladys Byrne, no information. Hattie Nathan’s family owned Nathan's Dry Good Store on Mill Street next to the Grass Valley Hardware Store which is still in business. Mollie Murphy, no information. J. Bunny became the owner of a hardware store in San Francisco. His brother, Alex, was a carpenter in Grass Valley and lived on Mohawk Street. The family of Jim Manion owned the Manion Dairy and the barn is still standing just beyond the school bus yard on East Bennett Street. The large meadow past the barn was where the dairy cows were pastured. Jim left Grass Valley and worked for the Southern Pacific in San Francisco. Fred Spencer had a business in Grass Valley. . Will Rowe became the owner of Nathan’s Dry Good Store. His son, Ernest (Curly), was the owner of Rowes Garage on Main Street. That property was taken over when the new city hall was built. Jack Clausen had a plumbing business in Grass Valley. His sister, Sadie Clausen, taught school for many years. The most distinguished class member was Tom Ingram. For many years he was publisher and editor of the Morning Union newspaper, now called The Union. He was elected to the California State legislature where he served as Senator while still maintaining his home on East Main Street and rearing a large family. His son, Robert, became Editor of the paper after his death and still resides in Grass Valley. Jenny Berryman’s relatives are still in this area. Lizzie Conlin lived most of her life in the family home on Mill Street. Her sister, Annie, taught 7th and 8th grade at Bell Hill School for a great many years until she retired. Lizzie Northey was possibly of a family of that name who lived on North Church Street. Annie McCabe was of the well-known McCabe family who lived in this area and were active in the community. Her son was Ray Hall who worked at the Billy George Grocery on the corner of Auburn and Neal Street before that building was torn down to make way for the first Safeway Store. Claudia Johnson was from another of the black families that did not stay long after the Kentucky Mine closed. Her brother, Hook Johnson, had a ranch at Clear Creek. The building that housed the Garfield School is still standing on Lloyd Street. After Lincoln School was built on School Street it became a residence and has recently been refurbished after years of neglect. IN MEMORIAM CLIFFORD EDWARD SOMMARSTROM On June 28, 1984, Cliff Sommarstrom was taken away from us. He was born on October 13, 1913, in Oakland, California, and = } received all his early schooling there. In ™1936, he graduated from the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley with a degree in engineering. He retired as an international engineer with Standard Oil, Bechtel Corporation and George Weston Limited of Toronto. In 1980, Cliff and his wife, Nancy, moved to Nevada County, where he became involved in the Nevada County Historical Society. He became a director of that organization in 1982. Since that time, he was active on the Ways and Means Committee, and was responsible for getting reprints of a poster of the Narrow Gauge Railroad. He also designed and had printed the flyer “History on Tap,” advertising the Historical Society’s Museums. His most important contribution was the organizing of the new group “Friends of the Narrow Gauge,” which later was changed to the “Transportation Museum Division’ of the Nevada County Historical Society. This group purchased a Narrow Gauge railroad car from Chico, and hopes to display it ina permanent museum soon. The group also made a new display ofold photos and objects relating to transportation in Nevada County, which are now in the Firehouse Museum in Nevada City. He will be greatly missed by the Board and the members of the Nevada County Historical Society. pK. / \

COMMENTS ON THE GARFIELD SCHOOL GRADUATION PICTURE OF 1884 by Harriet Jacobs This graduating Class of 1884 attended the Garfield School on Lloyd Street in Grass Valley. Many of the names will be familiar to older people of the community. With the help of Phil Keast it was possible to find out a bit of the history of some of the class. The son of W.C. Jones who founded Jones Memoria] Hospital on Church Street in Grass Valley, Will Jones became a doctor as did his brothers, John and Carl. His other brother, George, was Superior Court Judge in Nevada City for many years. Tom Brockington built the large white home on Kate Hayes street where his daughter Martha, an R.N., lived for many years. His brother, Charles, was the person who built Brockington Court where the shopping center in downtown Grass Valley is located. Ed Whiting was a shift boss at the Empire Mine and later worked at the G.V. Post Office for many years. Jack Cadden’s brother, Pete, a mail carrier, was found scalped in his home and the murder was never solved. Prof. Hugh J. Baldwin married Clara Lewis in 1886 and moved to San Diego soon after. He worked in the schools there for many years and after retirement became active in the Humane Society and served as State President of that group for several years. No information on Bunny or Carroll. Kate Ryan lived with her family of two or three sisters and brother Budd Ryan on Allison Ranch Road. Nothing on Tom Manion or Frank Code. Mike Kelleher lived in Boston Ravine. His brother, Tom, was the father of Ursula Kelleher, a teacher in Grass Valley. The son of Myron C. Taylor who started the Taylor Foundry on Mill Street, Ed Taylor became the Manager of that enterprise. Charles and Ed, his brothers were very prominent men in the community all their lives. Jack Hurley was one of the large Hurley family who lived at Allison Ranch. This road is an extension of lower Mill Street where the Mining Museum is situated. Jennie Champion had a dressmaking establishment with her sister, Jessie, in the building on the corner of Auburn Street and Colfax Avenue that later became the Partridge Hotel before the freeway overpass was built. Cora Lord’s brother, William, had Lord’s Livery Stable on Main Street. He opened the telephone exchange at that site in the early nineteen hundreds. Now in 1984 it is the location of the Sofa Sensation store. Anne Whelan became a dressmaker also. Her sister, Jane, will be remembered as the Librarian who was so proud of the huge Boston fern that took up a large area in the 18 southwest windows of the Grass Valley Public Library. No information on Lillian Boon or Brown. Florence Savelle was probably a member of one of the black families imported to work in the Kentucky Mine by a slave owner from that state. Johnny Savelle, who was a swamper for several saloons on Mill Street, was from the same family. Alfred Argall came here from England and was the brother of Mrs. Ben Opie, along time resident of High Street. The crape myrtle tree she planted in the front yard still blooms every summer and the English Holly produces berries at Christmas. Jack Roberts, no information. Jack Conroy lived next to the Bone family on Chapel Street. Walter Byrne was related to the Salisbury family. Nellie Carlyon was sister to Herb Carlyon who worked for the Clinch Mercantile Company for many years. Several members of her family were employed at the Empire Mine. Alice Brady lived in the house still standing at the top of Neal Street. Her family had the Brady and Cassidy Hardware Store which later became the Alpha Hardware. She had a brother, Fal, whom I believe married Wm. Lord’s daughter. Clara Kline’s family owned a shoe store on Mill Street.

Gladys Byrne, no information. Hattie Nathan’s family owned Nathan's Dry Good Store on Mill Street next to the Grass Valley Hardware Store which is still in business. Mollie Murphy, no information. J. Bunny became the owner of a hardware store in San Francisco. His brother, Alex, was a carpenter in Grass Valley and lived on Mohawk Street. The family of Jim Manion owned the Manion Dairy and the barn is still standing just beyond the school bus yard on East Bennett Street. The large meadow past the barn was where the dairy cows were pastured. Jim left Grass Valley and worked for the Southern Pacific in San Francisco. Fred Spencer had a business in Grass Valley. . Will Rowe became the owner of Nathan’s Dry Good Store. His son, Ernest (Curly), was the owner of Rowes Garage on Main Street. That property was taken over when the new city hall was built. Jack Clausen had a plumbing business in Grass Valley. His sister, Sadie Clausen, taught school for many years. The most distinguished class member was Tom Ingram. For many years he was publisher and editor of the Morning Union newspaper, now called The Union. He was elected to the California State legislature where he served as Senator while still maintaining his home on East Main Street and rearing a large family. His son, Robert, became Editor of the paper after his death and still resides in Grass Valley. Jenny Berryman’s relatives are still in this area. Lizzie Conlin lived most of her life in the family home on Mill Street. Her sister, Annie, taught 7th and 8th grade at Bell Hill School for a great many years until she retired. Lizzie Northey was possibly of a family of that name who lived on North Church Street. Annie McCabe was of the well-known McCabe family who lived in this area and were active in the community. Her son was Ray Hall who worked at the Billy George Grocery on the corner of Auburn and Neal Street before that building was torn down to make way for the first Safeway Store. Claudia Johnson was from another of the black families that did not stay long after the Kentucky Mine closed. Her brother, Hook Johnson, had a ranch at Clear Creek. The building that housed the Garfield School is still standing on Lloyd Street. After Lincoln School was built on School Street it became a residence and has recently been refurbished after years of neglect. IN MEMORIAM CLIFFORD EDWARD SOMMARSTROM On June 28, 1984, Cliff Sommarstrom was taken away from us. He was born on October 13, 1913, in Oakland, California, and = } received all his early schooling there. In ™1936, he graduated from the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley with a degree in engineering. He retired as an international engineer with Standard Oil, Bechtel Corporation and George Weston Limited of Toronto. In 1980, Cliff and his wife, Nancy, moved to Nevada County, where he became involved in the Nevada County Historical Society. He became a director of that organization in 1982. Since that time, he was active on the Ways and Means Committee, and was responsible for getting reprints of a poster of the Narrow Gauge Railroad. He also designed and had printed the flyer “History on Tap,” advertising the Historical Society’s Museums. His most important contribution was the organizing of the new group “Friends of the Narrow Gauge,” which later was changed to the “Transportation Museum Division’ of the Nevada County Historical Society. This group purchased a Narrow Gauge railroad car from Chico, and hopes to display it ina permanent museum soon. The group also made a new display ofold photos and objects relating to transportation in Nevada County, which are now in the Firehouse Museum in Nevada City. He will be greatly missed by the Board and the members of the Nevada County Historical Society. pK. / \