Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

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Title: Volume 074-1 - January 2020 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 8 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2023-12-30 11:48:42 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:06:34 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:06:34

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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NCHS Bulletin January 2020 Essential Founders Elmer Stevens (1907—1982) Elmer Stevens was the NCHS’ charter president and the vital link between the fledging historical society and the College of the Pacific. Stevens was born in Grass Valley, excelled in local schools, and while still a boy spoke at a July 4th parade. As the old-timers said of a passionate orator, “he made the eagle scream!” He completed a business course at Mount St. Mary’s and earned his BA at the College of the Pacific, where he was student body president and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While on campus, he established friendships with Robert Burns, his classmate, and Tully Knoles, president of Pacific, which lasted a lifetime. He later earned an MA at UC Berkeley and much later was a Fulbright Fellow”. Elmer Stevens, courtesy of Jan Stevens Stevens packed plenty of California history into his history, civics and speech classes at the local high school. He coached speech contests for the Lions Club and American Legion and saw many of his students advance in regional and state competitions. Over a 40-year career he touched countless lives. His students called him “Chief.” Stevens was enthusiastic about Grass Valley. When poor vision prevented him from enlisting in World War II, he redoubled his civic activities. In addition to standing at the cradle of NCHS, he led the March of Dimes campaign, served on the local War Manpower Commission, was an active Mason, a vestryman at Emmanuel Episcopal Church and leader of the Lions. He was a director of the state teachers association and founding president of the local association. He actively supported the Democratic Party. Chief Stevens’ manner was relaxed and unhurried. He had a story for every occasion and told Cornish dialect stories. When he walked through town, Stevens would greet person-after-person, calling most people by name, including students he hadn’t seen in years”®. Elmer Stevens sometimes walked in Grass Valley with his grandchildren. After Stevens’ grandson Chris entered the U. S. Foreign Service, he took Elmer’s friendliness and small-town values to towns and cities wherever he served in the Middle East. U. S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens died in an attack on the U. S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. More than 30,000 Libyans marched in the streets to protest the death of the American ambassador they considered a friend’. Rev. Frank Buck (1891-1951) Frank Buck was the NCHS founder who saw action in World War II. He had previously served as an infantrymen and chaplain in the Canadian Army in World War I and had been awarded the Military Cross for “acts of exemplary gallantry.” Between the wars he was a Yukon missionary and a high school principal in Victoria, British Columbia, where he also taught Latin, English and history. He entered WWII with New Zealand forces and served as a chaplain in England during the Battle of Britain and later in Greece and North Africa. He fled Crete in the desperate evacuation when that island fell. His personal war ended early in 1944 when Lieutenant Colonel Buck, 53, was granted a medical discharge’*. = The Reverend Frank Buck in his New Zealand uniform, courtesy of Jacqueline (Jackie) Buck and Mark Buck Buck turned deliberately from making war to building peace. Within weeks of his discharge he accepted the position of rector at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Grass Valley, arriving to lead Easter services in 1944, and wearing military medals on his cassock. Buck represents newcomers who become enthralled by Nevada County history. Father Buck befriended Elmer Stevens and followed him into the Lions Club, where talk of a county historical society began. Buck energized his parish, tripled the attendance and paid off the debt. His inspirational talks, in his crisp Canadian accent, made him a popular speaker before congregations and service clubs as far away as Sacramento. By 1950 the pace of Buck’s activities was taking a toll on his health. He suffered a heart attack and died in 1951. The parish hall at Emmanuel Church is named in his honor.