Volume 049-3 - July 1995 (8 pages)

(This article is reprinted from the December 19, 1940, issue of the student newspaper, Red and Gold News, published bimonthly by the Journalism Class of Grass Valley High School. Elmer Stevens, first president of the Nevada County Historical Society, served as faculty advisor to the student staff, which included Editor Helen Tennis; Assistant Editor Doris Crispin; Exchange Editor Dorothy Whiting; Sports Editor Denmon Seay; Assistant Sports Editors Alfred Rule and Chester Holt; Girls’ Sports Editors Lena Macari, Charlotte Morrison, and Edith Osborne; Girls’ Activities Editors Dorothy Sullivan and Imogene Ballard; Business Managers Norma Smith, Tavio Battistya, Dick Perry, and Wally Morrison; Feature Editor Marie Eaves; and Art Editor Lois Hasbrouck.) First Donation Day Held Fifty-seven Years Ago by Tavio Battista Did you know that the annual Donation Day held in Grass Valley tomorrow was first begun on November 22, 1883, and came about as a result of one Caroline [Hansen] writing a letter to the editor of The Morning Union in which she stated her plan? On November 20, 1883, Caroline [Hansen] had just finished reading the report of the Ladies Relief Society when she thought of another way to aid the local needy. She wrote a letter to the Union stating that her plan was for every school child in Grass Valley to bring to headquarters after an elaborate parade one potato and one stick of wood. On December 20 of the same year the local business men agreed to help in the food gathering affair. On this same day the Union asked all local citizens to help as well as the school children. Mal P. Stone, who was the superintendent of public schools, announced the day after the event that the high school students had contributed: 1 bag of onions; 1 heart; 5 blood sausages; 2 drinking dippers; 2 quarter hinds of sheep; 5 hams; 1 cord of wood; 1 box soap; 8 sacks of potatoes. A parade was held in the morning with an impromptu band leading the procession. The band was first suggested by Theodore Wilhelm and was organized by Will T. George, John Stevens, and the two Van Loom brothers. Will T. George who has marched in the procession for 56 years with a miss will again be on hand tomorrow. This annual event has continued for 56 years without exception, with Mrs. Nellie Michell being head of the Ladies Relief Society at the present time. Robert Ingram and M. Henry Argall of the Union help organize the business men of the community. Tomorrow when Grass Valley’s 1700 school children march in the parade, they will be helping to keep up an old tradition. (An editorial in the same 1940 issue of the Red and Gold News discussed the problem of poverty and said: “In free America where there is an abundance, there is no excuse for the above situation. Some day it may not exist, but until that day when the causes that make this picture possible are done away with, we must give to those who need help. In Grass Valley we have built up a tradition which has been carried on for 56 years—a tradition which will be carried out tomorrow for the 57th time, called Donation Day—giving in the spirit of Christmas.” Since those words were written, the tradition has been continued for another 54 years.) 24 NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Board of the Society for 1995: President Calvin Palmer First Vice President Cynthia Sosa Second Vice President Jim Rose Membership Secretary Bill Brooke Recording Secretary Gay Conner Executive Secretary Paul Hinshelwood Treasurer Barbara Weaver Past President Bedford Lampkin Directors with terms ending 1997 Nevada City Anne Brooke Grass Valley Mel and Judith Ciphers County-at-large Connie Baer Directors with terms ending 1996 Nevada City David and Louise Beesley Grass Valley Calvin Palmer County-at-large Ron Sturgell Directors with terms ending 1995 Nevada City Roman Rozynski Grass Valley Alan Aspey County-at-large David Comstock THE NCHS BULLETIN Administrative Office: Nevada County Historical Society P.O. Box 1300 Nevada City, CA 95959 Subscription Fee: $12.00 per year Editorial Office: Peter W. van der Pas, Pacific Library 212 Hill Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 LIBRARY AND MUSEUMS Searls Historical Library 214 Church Steet, Nevada City (916) 265-5910 Open 1-4 pm except Sundays & holidays Firehouse Museum 214 Main Street, Nevada City Summer: 11 am to 4 pm daily Winter: call (916) 265-5468 North Star Mining Museum Allison Ranch Road, Grass Valley May 1 to Oct. 15: 10 am to 5 pm Winter: call (916) 273-4255 Video Museum and Theater Central Ave., Memorial Park, Grass Valley Summer: 11 am to 4 pm except Wednesday Winter: call (916) 274-1126 PUBLICATIONS NCHS Books P.O. Box 56, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 (916) 273-6220

(This article is reprinted from the December 19, 1940, issue of the student newspaper, Red and Gold News, published bimonthly by the Journalism Class of Grass Valley High School. Elmer Stevens, first president of the Nevada County Historical Society, served as faculty advisor to the student staff, which included Editor Helen Tennis; Assistant Editor Doris Crispin; Exchange Editor Dorothy Whiting; Sports Editor Denmon Seay; Assistant Sports Editors Alfred Rule and Chester Holt; Girls’ Sports Editors Lena Macari, Charlotte Morrison, and Edith Osborne; Girls’ Activities Editors Dorothy Sullivan and Imogene Ballard; Business Managers Norma Smith, Tavio Battistya, Dick Perry, and Wally Morrison; Feature Editor Marie Eaves; and Art Editor Lois Hasbrouck.) First Donation Day Held Fifty-seven Years Ago by Tavio Battista Did you know that the annual Donation Day held in Grass Valley tomorrow was first begun on November 22, 1883, and came about as a result of one Caroline [Hansen] writing a letter to the editor of The Morning Union in which she stated her plan? On November 20, 1883, Caroline [Hansen] had just finished reading the report of the Ladies Relief Society when she thought of another way to aid the local needy. She wrote a letter to the Union stating that her plan was for every school child in Grass Valley to bring to headquarters after an elaborate parade one potato and one stick of wood. On December 20 of the same year the local business men agreed to help in the food gathering affair. On this same day the Union asked all local citizens to help as well as the school children. Mal P. Stone, who was the superintendent of public schools, announced the day after the event that the high school students had contributed: 1 bag of onions; 1 heart; 5 blood sausages; 2 drinking dippers; 2 quarter hinds of sheep; 5 hams; 1 cord of wood; 1 box soap; 8 sacks of potatoes. A parade was held in the morning with an impromptu band leading the procession. The band was first suggested by Theodore Wilhelm and was organized by Will T. George, John Stevens, and the two Van Loom brothers. Will T. George who has marched in the procession for 56 years with a miss will again be on hand tomorrow. This annual event has continued for 56 years without exception, with Mrs. Nellie Michell being head of the Ladies Relief Society at the present time. Robert Ingram and M. Henry Argall of the Union help organize the business men of the community. Tomorrow when Grass Valley’s 1700 school children march in the parade, they will be helping to keep up an old tradition. (An editorial in the same 1940 issue of the Red and Gold News discussed the problem of poverty and said: “In free America where there is an abundance, there is no excuse for the above situation. Some day it may not exist, but until that day when the causes that make this picture possible are done away with, we must give to those who need help. In Grass Valley we have built up a tradition which has been carried on for 56 years—a tradition which will be carried out tomorrow for the 57th time, called Donation Day—giving in the spirit of Christmas.” Since those words were written, the tradition has been continued for another 54 years.) 24 NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Board of the Society for 1995: President Calvin Palmer

First Vice President Cynthia Sosa Second Vice President Jim Rose Membership Secretary Bill Brooke Recording Secretary Gay Conner Executive Secretary Paul Hinshelwood Treasurer Barbara Weaver Past President Bedford Lampkin Directors with terms ending 1997 Nevada City Anne Brooke Grass Valley Mel and Judith Ciphers County-at-large Connie Baer Directors with terms ending 1996 Nevada City David and Louise Beesley Grass Valley Calvin Palmer County-at-large Ron Sturgell Directors with terms ending 1995 Nevada City Roman Rozynski Grass Valley Alan Aspey County-at-large David Comstock THE NCHS BULLETIN Administrative Office: Nevada County Historical Society P.O. Box 1300 Nevada City, CA 95959 Subscription Fee: $12.00 per year Editorial Office: Peter W. van der Pas, Pacific Library 212 Hill Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 LIBRARY AND MUSEUMS Searls Historical Library 214 Church Steet, Nevada City (916) 265-5910 Open 1-4 pm except Sundays & holidays Firehouse Museum 214 Main Street, Nevada City Summer: 11 am to 4 pm daily Winter: call (916) 265-5468 North Star Mining Museum Allison Ranch Road, Grass Valley May 1 to Oct. 15: 10 am to 5 pm Winter: call (916) 273-4255 Video Museum and Theater Central Ave., Memorial Park, Grass Valley Summer: 11 am to 4 pm except Wednesday Winter: call (916) 274-1126 PUBLICATIONS NCHS Books P.O. Box 56, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 (916) 273-6220