Volume 054-3 - July 2000 (8 pages)

NCHS Bulletin July 2000 A large number of Nevada County residents worked on the park, however the following should be given special credit: Chamber of Commerce Secretary James C. Tyrrell, J. E. Taylor, A. H. Mooser, B. A. Penhall and George Starr. A. G. Chegwidden arranged the dedication programs. The compiling of the list of Grass Valley servicemen was given to Edmund G. Kinyon of The Union newspaper. After several weeks of work, Kinyon said the list was as complete as possible. The list, hand-lettered by Mr. Uren of Nevada City, was posted in the community house (which now houses the Video History Museum). The auto park contained small shelters, costing $120 apiece. Each had running water, gas hot plate, sink and a table with benches. A parking place for the auto was alongside each structure, and in the back there was room to erect a tent The shelters faced an oval lawn with electroiliers (electric chandeliertype lights) on each end of the lawn. There was a separate building housing showers, toilets and other such modern conveniences. Later a swimming pool donated by Mrs. Starr of the Empire mine was built. It was 135 feet long and 40 feet wide and featured a fountain that shot water 100 feet in the air. The banks around the pool were landscaped with shrubs. There was no charge for the use of the pool, which had its own dressing rooms, showers and toilets. At a later time tennis courts were donated by Dr. Carl P. Jones, Judge George L. Jones, and their sister Frances, along with other friends of the Jones family, in memory of Dr. John Taylor Jones, who had died a few years earlier. The community house was built by the Idaho-Maryland Mine Company for dances and parties for school children as well as adults and as a platform for concerts by the local band. It immediately saw a lot of use. The North Star Mine donated $1,000 for the park. Two bridges were erected to cross the beautiful creek that passes through the park. The stone bridge, able to carry wheeled traffic, was designed by B. A. Penhall, who also supervised its construction. A rustic bridge was designed by Miss Frances Jones and installed by James McCormick, who was a faithful worker in helping to get the park 2 The first swimming pool (donated by Mrs. Starr) had a fountain at is center. (Courtesy of the Al Dilts and Ron Sturgell photographic collection.) finished. The area along the creek was divided into two sections for landscaping. Frances Jones, known for her private gardens, designed one section, giving the planting tasks to her own gardener. The other section was beautified by a group of women headed by Mrs. Samuel Wolford. They brought many rare ferns and plants from higher elevations to the park for planting. The athletic field was set up for football and baseball games and was complete with grandstand. The creek that flows through the park was stocked with trout. The picnic grounds were equipped with tables and included a gas stove and sink A memorial was built for the men of the Grass Valley district who did not return from World War I (there were numerous draft districts in Nevada County in 1918). The memorial was built in the shape of an outdoor temple and was designed by architect William Mooser of San Francisco. Its main feature was a bronze tablet with the names of the sixteen veterans who had died. A memorial grove of sixteen American 4 Elm trees was casualty. A plaque was placed below » each tree. A grove of acacias was planned for another part of the park. On November 11, 1921, Memorial Park was dedicated. It was estimated that 2500 people visited the new park that afternoon, and between scheduled events they walked around to see what the park was becoming. At exactly noon bells tolled in honor of the brave men who had made the extreme sacrifice. The first event was the dedication of a cornerstone located on the hill above the new flagpole. The flagpole, donated by the local Farm Bureau, was 60 feet high and set in concrete. Then the site of the World War I Memorial was dedicated. James C. Tyrrell, who had worked so hard to bring his dream to completion, presided at the dedication ceremony, and spoke of the men lost in the war who were being honored. He then accepted a large flag from Mr. Gassaway, president of the Farm Bureau, passed it to a™ detail of veterans from American Legion Post 130, whc promptly hoisted it to the top of the pole as all present watched it wave in the breeze. planted, one for eache™

NCHS Bulletin July 2000 A large number of Nevada County residents worked on the park, however the following should be given special credit: Chamber of Commerce Secretary James C. Tyrrell, J. E. Taylor, A. H. Mooser, B. A. Penhall and George Starr. A. G. Chegwidden arranged the dedication programs. The compiling of the list of Grass Valley servicemen was given to Edmund G. Kinyon of The Union newspaper. After several weeks of work, Kinyon said the list was as complete as possible. The list, hand-lettered by Mr. Uren of Nevada City, was posted in the community house (which now houses the Video History Museum). The auto park contained small shelters, costing $120 apiece. Each had running water, gas hot plate, sink and a table with benches. A parking place for the auto was alongside each structure, and in the back there was room to erect a tent The shelters faced an oval lawn with electroiliers (electric chandeliertype lights) on each end of the lawn. There was a separate building housing showers, toilets and other such modern conveniences. Later a swimming pool donated by Mrs. Starr of the Empire mine was built. It was 135 feet long and 40 feet wide and featured a fountain that shot water 100 feet in the air. The banks around the pool were landscaped with shrubs. There was no charge for the use of the pool, which had its own dressing rooms, showers and toilets. At a later time tennis courts were donated by Dr. Carl P. Jones, Judge George L. Jones, and their sister Frances, along with other friends of the Jones family, in memory of Dr. John Taylor Jones, who had died a few years earlier. The community house was built by the Idaho-Maryland Mine Company for dances and parties for school children as well as adults and as a platform for concerts by the local band. It immediately saw a lot of use. The North Star Mine donated $1,000 for the park. Two bridges were erected to cross the beautiful creek that passes through the park. The stone bridge, able to carry wheeled traffic, was designed by B. A. Penhall, who also supervised its construction. A rustic bridge was designed by Miss Frances Jones and installed by James McCormick, who was a faithful worker in helping to get the park

2 The first swimming pool (donated by Mrs. Starr) had a fountain at is center. (Courtesy of the Al Dilts and Ron Sturgell photographic collection.) finished. The area along the creek was divided into two sections for landscaping. Frances Jones, known for her private gardens, designed one section, giving the planting tasks to her own gardener. The other section was beautified by a group of women headed by Mrs. Samuel Wolford. They brought many rare ferns and plants from higher elevations to the park for planting. The athletic field was set up for football and baseball games and was complete with grandstand. The creek that flows through the park was stocked with trout. The picnic grounds were equipped with tables and included a gas stove and sink A memorial was built for the men of the Grass Valley district who did not return from World War I (there were numerous draft districts in Nevada County in 1918). The memorial was built in the shape of an outdoor temple and was designed by architect William Mooser of San Francisco. Its main feature was a bronze tablet with the names of the sixteen veterans who had died. A memorial grove of sixteen American 4 Elm trees was casualty. A plaque was placed below » each tree. A grove of acacias was planned for another part of the park. On November 11, 1921, Memorial Park was dedicated. It was estimated that 2500 people visited the new park that afternoon, and between scheduled events they walked around to see what the park was becoming. At exactly noon bells tolled in honor of the brave men who had made the extreme sacrifice. The first event was the dedication of a cornerstone located on the hill above the new flagpole. The flagpole, donated by the local Farm Bureau, was 60 feet high and set in concrete. Then the site of the World War I Memorial was dedicated. James C. Tyrrell, who had worked so hard to bring his dream to completion, presided at the dedication ceremony, and spoke of the men lost in the war who were being honored. He then accepted a large flag from Mr. Gassaway, president of the Farm Bureau, passed it to a™ detail of veterans from American Legion Post 130, whc promptly hoisted it to the top of the pole as all present watched it wave in the breeze. planted, one for eache™