LibraryAware H&G March 2021 Newsletter

SONOMA COUNTY HISTORY & GENEALOGY LIBRARY

NEWSLETTER MARCH 2021

Volume 3 Issue 3

New at SCL Digital Collections

Archival Collections A-Z

Just added! An A-Z list of archival collections of local history and government agency records. Full guides for most collections are available through the Online Archive of California (OAC) - follow the link by clicking on the title of each collection.

Physical items are housed at SCL Special Collections - the History & Genealogy Library, the Healdsburg Wine Library, the Petaluma History Room and the Sonoma County Archives. Digitized items are viewable as noted. Follow this link or go to digital.sonomalibrary.org > Archival Collections.

Pedersen's Furniture Company records, 1903-2017

Collection contains business records of Santa Rosa's oldest family-owned store until its closure in March 2019. Includes family photographs, scrapbooks with advertisements starting in 1948, business ledgers and ephemera documenting the history of the company.

Sonoma County Bar Association Collection,

1881-2014 (digitized)

Historical records of the Sonoma County Bar Association. Includes photographs of members and events that chronicle the history of the legal profession in Sonoma County.

Photo of Shirley Waldron, sitting at desk with Sonoma County Public Defender

Shirley Waldron, right, first female investigator hired by the Sonoma County Public Defender's Office, 1970s

Road Book ledgers from the Board of Supervisor's Collection

Sonoma County

Board of Supervisors records, 1845-1995

Collection contains records created by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, as well as records of special districts.

Includes general minutes,

permits and licenses, official documentation, contracts,

budget and funding reports.

Local High School Yearbooks

Page of The Azalea - Analy High School Yearbook

Explore early Sonoma County High School yearbooks - now available through our Digital Collections. Materials come from five schools: Analy Union High School, Cloverdale Union High School, Healdsburg High School, Petaluma High School and Sonoma Valley High School. Most issues are the only known surviving copies and are in fragile condition.

Go to digital.sonomalibrary.org > Explore > Collections, or digital.sonomalibrary.org > Local History & Culture > Documents, Maps and Plans. The yearbooks were digitized in partnership with California Revealed - a California State Library initiative.

Thank you, Zayda Delgado, H&G Librarian /Archivist, and Geoffrey Skinner, SCL Head Cataloger, for managing this project!

Photo: The Azalea - Analy High School, 1919.

Join us on Zoom!

Virtual Community Coffee

Thursday, March 25, 2021

11 AM - 12 PM

Grab your favorite beverage and join the staff of the H&G Library for virtual Community Coffee!

Meet fellow researchers - share your own projects - bring your questions. We'll keep you updated about H&G Library news and resources. Register here!

Visiting our Neighbors in Mendocino County

The Historical Society of Mendocino County (HSMC) celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. Find out about its history, collections and the future of the Held-Poage Memorial Home and the William J. & Molly Toney Archives in Ukiah, California.

Interview with HSMC Historian and Archivist Alyssa Ballard

Hi Alyssa, please tell us who you are!

I'm the archivist and historian for the Historical Society of Mendocino County located in Ukiah, California. I was born and raised in Ukiah, and I received my M.A. in US History from Sonoma State in 2017. I am passionate about Mendocino County history, and I feel so fortunate I get to go to work every day and do what I love.

What is the most interesting project you have worked on recently?

I have a hard time picking just one - I learn something new about Mendocino County that I want to research further with almost every research request! I enjoyed working on the 19th Amendment - Women's Right to Vote Centennial last year. During the research phase, I was blown away by the stories we were finding on some of our early local women, particularly Belle Lynch who was the editor and proprietor of the Independent Dispatch in Ukiah from 1874-1878. Belle was not shy in expressing her opinion on local politics and politicians. Unfortunately, the latter led a local politician, T. L. Carothers, to physically assault her - twice - in the streets of Ukiah. Not long after the second assault she sold her paper and moved to Oakland where she started another paper. As soon as it's safe to travel again, I plan to pursue her story and take a trip down to the Oakland Library to look at the microfilm of the paper she started in that city.

What's in the future for the HSMC and the William J. & Molly Toney Archives?

The HSMC is currently fundraising to digitize our entire collection which consists of nearly 1 million items, including photographs, records, documents, newspapers, books and maps. Since our archive was built in 2016, we have been archiving the collection from the ground up and digitization will be part of this process. We are building a scanning station capable of handling large and small documents and hoping to raise funds to staff the project. Records will be accessible in our research facility, and in a few years, we hope to have a collections database on our website. Having digital copies of our collection will prolong the life of the originals, make research more efficient and our collection more accessible to the public. Additionally, wildfires over the last few years have made us all too aware of the need to have our collection digitally preserved and backed up off-site in case of a natural disaster. We are also restoring the historic Held-Poage Memorial Home on our property. Before the archive was constructed, it served as our headquarters and when it's finished, it will be a period home museum reflecting the life of its single owner, California State Assemblyman William D. L. Held and his family.

Your favorite historical building in Ukiah?

Like many Ukiahans, I hold a special place in my heart for the Palace Hotel on 272 N State St, even though it is quite sad watching the building decay. The Palace was the hub of this community for so many years, and I love that you can see three distinct eras of the business in the architecture. The main brick structure was built in 1891 and two annexes were added in 1914 and in 1929, when the main building underwent a massive expansion. Unfortunately, the hotel closed in the early 1980s due to financial difficulties. After a few attempts to repurpose the building, it ultimately had to close for good in 1988.

Last question! What would someone be surprised to know about you?
I love the outdoors, and I'm an avid hiker. If I'm not at the archive, I'm either hiking or planning trips to new hiking spots!

Interview: Simone Kremkau. Photo, top: Provided by Alyssa Ballard. Photo, right: The Palace Hotel decorated for a Fraternal Order of Eagles meeting in 1910. Robert J. Lee Photograph Collection, Historical Society of Mendocino County, Ukiah, California.

More Information

Aerial photo of Held-Poage Memorial Home and Toney Archives building

The Historical Society of Mendocino County is a non-profit organization that collects, preserves, and shares the diverse history of Mendocino County. Visit the website for more details. Don't miss this informative YouTube video and follow the HSMC on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Find the digitization fundraiser on GoFundMe.

Photo: Held-Poage Memorial Home with the William J. & Molly Toney Archives building to the left, 100 S Dora St, Ukiah, California.

Women's History Month 2021

Download the poster here

Virtual Local Events

Saturday, March 13, 2021

2 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by the Sonoma Valley Historical Society

More information and Registration

Thursday, March 18, 2021

6 PM - 7:30 PM

Hosted by the Historical Society of Santa Rosa

More Information and Registration

Monday, April 12, 2021

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Hosted by the Western Sonoma County Historical Society

More Information and Registration

Presentations are free and will highlight archival materials from each geographic area.

Click on flyer to see larger image

(or Disproving) Family Stories

Thursday, March 11, 2021

7 PM - 9 PM

Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA

I have them and you have them. In fact, we all have them, that story about our family’s brush with greatness. Maybe you’re related to Jesse James, or your ancestor was on the Titanic, or you’re descended from three brothers who came to America. But is it true? Learn the methodology for proving or disproving that family story.

Virtual presentation hosted by the Sacramento Genealogy Society. Free event.

More Information and Registration

Introducing Petaluma History Spots

Virtual Exhibit Opening

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

7 PM - 9 PM
Petalumans Of Yesteryear members and Spots producer Clint Gilbert