The flood of 1849-50 resulted in efforts that led to Sacramento City’s notoriety as the “Levee City.” Photo courtesy

Editor’s Note: This is part three in a series about the history of the Sacramento River.

When presenting a history of the city’s rivers, it is important to not only provide details about major floods, but also measures that were made to combat potential floods.
The 1880 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” notes that prior to the great flood of January 1850, “nothing had been attempted in the matter of protection from flood or high water.”
Capt. John Sutter and the Indians, who showed him where to build his fort, recognized that the proposed location for the new Sacramento City was in a natural flood plain that was regularly inundated in the winter months.
Flood control became an immediate concern of the citizenry and politicians.
The Saturday, Jan. 19, 1850 edition of the Placer Times included the following words: “A week ago last night, our city experienced one of the most terrific southeast storms known in this region, which had the effect of swelling the Sacramento (River) by Wednesday afternoon, so that the water commenced running over the slough on I Street, at various points between First and Third (streets). On Thursday morning, the entire city, within a mile of the embarcadero, was under water. The damage to merchandise and to buildings and the losses sustained by persons engaged in trade is very great – vast quantities of provisions and goods having been swept away by the rushing waters. The loss in livestock is almost incalculable; many persons have lost from 10 to 50 yoke of cattle each, and horses and mules have been carried down the stream in great numbers.”
It was obvious to all people concerned that flooding in the area needed to be stopped and the waters held at bay.
But there were some people who found a “gold lining” in the inundation.
The Times also reported in its Jan. 19, 1850 edition that “large numbers (of people) have been washing gold within the limits of our city during the week, without any great degree of success.”
It was also noted in the 1880 county history book that “waters had scarcely begun to recede from the city (following the January 1850 flood) when surveyors were employed to survey lines for and make a location of the proposed levee.”
A levee commission was established on Jan. 29, 1850 and one of the commissioners was Hardin Bigelow, who on April 1, 1850 became Sacramento’s first elected mayor, largely because of his support of building levees.
The need for building levees was immediate, but the funds for doing so were nonexistent.
Bigelow arranged for the city to borrow funds beyond the city’s $10,000 limit, and he also provided $6,000 from his personal assets.
With this money, the city was able to construct temporary embankments, which held off the anticipated second flood of 1850 and demonstrated the need and efficacy of levees.
On April 29, 1850, voters approved a special $250,000 tax assessment for a permanent levee that was built between September and December 1850.
The contract for the levee was given to Irwin, Gay & Co. on Sept. 6, 1850 and the labor began several days afterward.
Although the levee was not yet completed by Oct. 25, 1850, on that date, the San Francisco newspaper, the Daily Alta California referred to Sacramento City as “our sister, the Levee City.”
The levee, which commenced to the south at the high ground near Sutterville, ran for about nine miles along the northern and western boundaries of the city. And with this levee, the people of Sacramento City felt safe.
But less than a year and a half later – on March 7, 1852 – new raging waters broke through the sluice gate at Lake Sutter, breached the levee and once again inundated the city.
As a result, Sutter’s Fort, the knoll at the current site of Cesar Chavez Plaza and Poverty Ridge on the southeast side of the city stood as islands in a lake that in low spots reached 12 feet deep.
While once again the economic devastation was extensive, according to an article, titled “Sacramento defies the River: 1850-1878” by Marvin Brienes, “No lives were lost, and warnings before the levees gave way enabled many Sacramentans to remove their most valuable goods to high ground.”
Three days after the city was flooded, Mayor James Richmond Hardenbergh called for a new levee to be constructed on I Street, from the Front Street levee to 5th Street, from 5th Street along the edge of Lake Sutter and then to the levee of 1850, along the American River.
The proposal was adopted by the common council and this $50,000 project was completed after about two months of labor in November 1852.
Although local citizens were once again feeling safe in the Levee City, this feeling lasted only three weeks, as the American River levee was broken on Dec. 19, leaving a 40-foot-wide crevice.
Eventually, 150 feet of the levee was destroyed and Sacramento City was under water.
In its Dec. 25, 1852 edition, the Daily Alta California reported the following: “The water was running through Eighth Street, some six feet deep. Several lives were supposed to have been lost. One man was seen floating down the river on the top of his house. At the foot of L Street, a whole block is afloat; the Eagle Saloon is washed away and is floating round.”
As mentioned in the previous article of this series, on New Years Day 1853, the water level of the Sacramento River was 22 feet above the low water mark and two feet higher than the great flood of 1850.
By Jan. 2, 1853, floodwaters once again entered the heart of the city.
Frustrations mounted for the city’s “burned out and flooded citizens,” as one local man described the area’s residents.
In an early January 1853 letter to the editors of The Sacramento Union, the man wrote: “Our city government has been in operation nearly three years, has expended more than two hundred thousand dollars upon the levee, and very large sums for other purposes. Our taxes have been greater perhaps than those of any other city in the world; our city debt is now very large; and after all this taxation and expenditure, the city has not received a benefit commensurate with the costs. We have received nothing like a fair equivalent for our money.”
On July 29, 1853, a city ordinance “for widening, altering and improving the levee, and providing for the payment of the expense” was approved by the mayor and common council.
The cost was set at no more than $50,000 and the work, which was completed by the latter part of 1853, was paid for in scrip known as the “Levee Scrip.” The levee along Burns Slough at the eastern end of the city and down R Street was separate from this approximate sum and was paid for through a loan.
The levee system, which later underwent various improvements, proved to be a successful barrier against major floods in the city for several years. But that level of prosperity quickly changed on Dec. 9, 1861.

Carmichael’s rejected governor’s mansion at 2300 California Ave. is now a private residence with no connection to state government. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

When Californians refer to the “governor’s mansion,” they are generally speaking about the Second Empire Italianate-style Victorian mansion on 16th Street, along the old Highway 40. But at times, some of these references are directed toward the historic Stanford Mansion at 800 N Street or the mansion built for this state’s governors in Carmichael.

Many people in the Sacramento area recall this latter, controversial estate overlooking the American River.

It was that very mansion at 2300 California Ave. that was to solve this state’s void of a permanent structure for its chief executive.

But this mansion was already a major issue of debate while it was still under construction in 1974, as Gov. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr., during his second term in office, refused to reside in the structure.

Despite the fact that nearly every other state in the Union has a designated, permanent governor’s residence, it has been 45 years since such a place has existed in California.
The French Second Empire/Renaissance Revival-style Stanford Mansion was once home to the state’s eighth governor, Leland Stanford, and the following two governors, Frederick F. Low and Henry H. Haight.

The mansion on the 16th Street
And the aforementioned 16th Street mansion, which was built in 1877 for Albert Gallatin of the hardware business, Huntington, Hopkins & Co., was the home of every California state governor from 1903 to 1967.

Following the 16th Street mansion’s nine decades as a residence, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan and his family became the final residents of the mansion. The Reagans moved from the mansion into a leased home in the upscale East Sacramento neighborhood, known as the Fabulous Forties.

This move occurred only four months after the Reagans moved into the 16th Street mansion.

California First Lady Nancy Reagan was dissatisfied with the structure’s living conditions and declared it a “firetrap” with a neighborhood that was unsafe for small children.

The 16th Street mansion and its property, which is known today as the Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, is now recognized as one of Sacramento’s most important historic sites and is a popular destination for visitors and locals seeking to learn some history through daily, guided tours.

Carmichael Mansion construction begins
Construction on the 12,000-square-foot, concrete block Carmichael mansion began during the final stretch of Gov. Reagan’s second and last term in office. Contracts for the job were let in October 1974 and construction began shortly thereafter.

The mansion, which was completed in 1975, was built within 11.3 acres on the bluffs that were donated by friends of Gov. Reagan.

Brown criticizes construction
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1974, Brown, a then-36-year-old bachelor, was elected to replace Reagan as governor.

Brown had made it an issue in his campaign to refer to the construction of the $1.3 million, 17-room governor’s residence, which Gov. Reagan was determined to have built, as an inappropriate use of funds during a recession, in which many California residents could not afford adequate housing.

Gov. Reagan, however, stressed that the construction of the Carmichael mansion was appropriate in that it would fill the void of a permanent governor’s residence, and serve in this capacity for at least a century.

“It is not a residence for one particular governor,” Gov. Reagan told reporters in 1974. “It is a residence for governors on down through the years, a hundred years or more.”

Continuing, Reagan said, “I recognize there are some forces in Sacramento that believe the residence should not be a residence, so much as a tourist attraction downtown. I think that’s unfair to anybody who occupies this job.”

A Venus-like statue stands amidst greenery just inside the entrance to the old governor’s mansion grounds. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

Brown dubbs it “Taj Mahal”
Although Brown did not take office until Jan. 6, 1975, soon after being elected governor, he continued to publicly voice his opinion and intentions regarding the construction of the governor’s mansion, which was patterned after a Spanish villa.

In speaking to local reporters only two days after he was elected as the state’s next chief executive, Brown said, “I have not looked at (the under construction Carmichael mansion) yet. I want to take a look at the contract and see if it is legally and economically feasible to terminate it. I certainly want to, if I can.”

Brown was unable to halt the construction of the mansion, which he famously dubbed a “Taj Mahal.” However, he held true to his words that he would not live in the structure, as he instead opted to make a sparsely-furnished, two-bedroom apartment at the Dean Apartments at 1400 N St. his gubernatorial home.

Others were also critical of the Carmichael mansion, which some people referred to as having the appearance of a Safeway supermarket.

The Sacramento-born writer Joan Didion called the mansion “an enlarged version of a very common kind of California tract house.”

The mansion’s loyal caretakers
A 1979 United Press International article, however, described two couples who were very fond of the mansion.

According to the article, Lonnie and Mildred Eastmade and Jim and Ruth Bryner were at the time dividing the monthly cost of $1,600 per month to live in and take care of the estate. The couples were responsible for security of the place, various upkeep and escorting reporters and state visitors around the mansion.

The article noted that the Eastmades and Bryners did not “take kindly to putdowns of the river bluff villa – even from Gov. Brown.”

Deukmejian takes office
Unlike Brown, Gov. George Deukmejian, who served as Brown’s successor from 1983 to 1991, said on multiple occasions that he wanted to reside with his family in the Carmichael mansion.

However, Senate Democrats insisted on the sale of the mansion, and on July 15, 1983, Deukmejian changed his stance on the matter and advised lawmakers that there was no need to block the sale of the Carmichael estate.

The Deukmejian administration had rejected a $1.5 million bid to purchase the mansion in June 1983.

In its Sept. 14, 1984 edition, The Sacramento Union announced that Southern California developer Matt Franich had submitted the winning bid of $1.53 million for the Carmichael mansion.

According to the article, Franich offered Deukmejian the opportunity to reside at the mansion, but Deukmejian found the $18,000 per month minimum rent payment to be too costly.

Current owners
Today, the old Carmichael mansion that was built as a governor’s residence is the privately-owned home of a local physician and his wife.

Altogether the original, 11.3-acre property includes eight lots, four of which have houses. The lots for the non-governor’s mansion homes were sold in 2003 and 2004.

The entire property is gated in from the street. And on a brick pillar supporting the entrance gate is a plaque bearing the Spanish name, La Casa de los Gobernadores – “The House of the Governors.”

Kim Pacini-Hauch, Lyon Real Estate agent and a resident of the gated community, said that presently there is a rare opportunity for one to purchase a home within the community.

“The (available) house was built in 2007 and it’s listed for sale for $1,595,000,” said Pacini-Hauch, who grew up in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe and has resided in the Sacramento area for nearly 30 years. “It’s about 4,200 square feet on just a little under an acre and it (has) beautiful quality construction. There’s just two (homes) here overlooking the bluff in a gated community and there’s nothing like it.”

And in describing her very unique neighborhood, she added, “It’s just a beautiful (community). It’s peaceful and quiet and it’s just a lovely place to live.”

LIFELIKE. The bodies of these bird figures were carved from solid blocks of wood into amazingly lifelike representations. The Wildlife Art Festival will feature this unique American art form in Sacramento on July 14 and July 15. / Valley Community Newspaper photo, Susan Laird

America is famously known as a “melting pot” – where all peoples bring the richness of their culture to the table and the nation embraces those gifts as its own.

However, there is an art form that is unique to the North American continent. And the world has embraced it.
What is this mysterious craft that is indigenous to North America? It is the art of bird carving.

Thousands of years old
For thousands of years, Native American Indians spent countless hours carving figures of birds for use as decoys. These tools were used to catch birds for food and ceremonial purposes.

A cache of Native American decoys was discovered a century ago. Miners discovered some 10,000 artifacts from a cave in northern Nevada. The decoys were individually wrapped and highly detailed. Some even sported feathers for a realistic look. The find was dated to 200 B.C.
European settlers who traded with the Indians also learned hunting skills from them. The settlers also learned how to carve their own decoys.

Uniquely American
“You don’t find decoy carving originating on any other continent,” said Jim Burcio, membership vice president the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association. “When plastics came along after World War II, the art form started to die because people could buy plastic decoys.”

In the early 1970s, several organizations were started throughout the United States to save the craft. The purpose was to continue an American heritage that began with the hand carved decoy.

Life-like
Today, the art of bird carving is practiced throughout the world – and not just for the creation of decoys. Artists create carved birds for display in homes and businesses that are so realistic, one would not be surprised if they moved. Some of the models even boast personalities, they are so life-like.

This is true wildlife art.

Check it out
The Pacific Decoy Association will host its 42nd anniversary Wildfowl Art Classic – the second oldest annual show in the nation – at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento on July 14 and 15.

“We live in the Pacific Flyway, so it was natural that we would have a club doing bird carving,” Burcio said. “People now carve any bird in the world.”
Several categories of bird carvings will be on display at the show: decorative lifesize wildfowl carvings, decorative miniature wildfowl carvings, gunning shorebirds, decoys, miniature decoys, game birds and more.

Over 500 carvings will be on display from all over the United States and Canada. Additional features of the show include raffles, a banquet auction, a junior carver event and activities for kids. There will be items available for purchase, as well.

The 42nd annual Wildlife Art Festival will be held on Saturday, July 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, July 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The DoubleTree Hotel is located at 2001 Point West Way in Sacramento. Admission is $5 for the weekend and children under the age of 12 are free. To purchase tickets to the banquet or for more information, visit www.pacificflyway.org or call (925) 687-2013.

Sitting at the reunion committee table during the 70th reunion of C.K. McClatchy High School’s classes of 1942 were, left to right, co-chair Dolores (Silva) Greenslate of the June class, Arleen (Matson) Lotta of the June class, Betty (Lyles) Townsend of the June class, co-chair Peggy (Kneeland) Kinney of the January class, Norm McGee of the June Class of 1940 and Peggy’s guest and Norm Greenslate of the June class. / Photo by Lance Armstrong, Valley Community Newspapers

A group of 57 people recently congregated inside the Dante Club on Fair Oaks Boulevard to celebrate a milestone in local high school history – the 70th reunion of the January and June classes of C.K. McClatchy High’s Class of 1942. Thirty-four of the attendees were members of these classes.

The 1942 McClatchy High yearbook described the January Class of 1942 as “small, but mighty.”

And certainly these same words could be used to describe the enthusiastic 1942 graduates who gathered together at the Dante Club during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 13.
The event began with much mingling among those friends who kept in touch and those who had to catch up on details from the years that they had lost contact with one another.
The buzz of the lively conversations continued through a served chicken meal and dessert.

The event begins
As the schedule moved to the program segment of the event, the emcee Dolores (Silva) Greenslate of the June Class of 1942 stood before the crowd, which sat in small groups at eight tables.

At the center of each of these tables was a red and white flower arrangement in a tall, red plastic beer mug with the abbreviated word, “grad,” running vertical along one side in large letters. Hanging out of the mug was a small, plush lion representing the school’s mascot, Leo.

The person or couple sitting at a table with the largest number of great-grandchildren would later be given the arrangement, mug and plush lion in recognition of this notoriety.
Also adding to the McClatchy school colors theme were white table cloths and red, cloth napkins.

After a little work to silence the buzz of the sharing of 70 years – and in some cases more – of memories, Dolores Greenslate presented a welcoming speech to the attending alumni and guests. She also acknowledged June 1942 graduate Art Rinetti, who was a member of his class council and was unable to make the reunion due to health issues.

Those in attendance
In addition to Dolores Greenslate, members of the 1942 classes in attendance at the reunion were: Minerva (Kattenhorn) Bruner, Stanley Chun, Clancy (Schierts) Determan, Ed Drennon, Dorothy (Ferrick) Dunkle, Kenneth Garcia, Lauretta (Purcell) Geremia, Rich Gilmore, Della (Gomes) Garibaldi, Mariel (West) Green, Norm Greenslate, Harvey Holm, Walt James, Claire (Schluer) Johnson, Betty (Anderson) Kiene, Peggy (Kneeland) Kinney, Fred Kirchubel, Carol (Wykoff) Laquaglia, Eunice (Christensen) Locke, Arleen (Matson) Lotta, Jo (Licursi) Loverde, Gerald McJenkins, Don Odgers, Muriel (Hopkins) Paine, Barbara (Cross) Petrotta, Dolores (da Roza) Pierce, Rudy de Polo, Tommie Lew (Wallace) Rider, Mary Iris (Smith) Ryder, Richard Schultz, Pat Symons, Betty (Lyles) Townsend and Nelda (Thomas) Valiska.

The January class
As a further indication of the veracity of the 1942 yearbook’s “small, but mighty” description of the January class, at the reunion, the January class was only represented by three people – Drennon, Garcia and Kinney.

During his time at McClatchy, Drennon was a lineman on the football team, a member of the Block M Society and he worked in the school’s cafeteria.

Garcia was a member of the Saber and Chevrons Society and the Carnival Committee and Kinney was the class secretary, a graduation usherette in 1941 and she had a role in the senior play, which was a ghost story, called “A Murder Has Been Arranged.”
Kinney also played an important role in the recent reunion as its co-chair. The other co-chair was Dolores Greenslate, who is the only McClatchy alumni to be a member of every reunion committee of the classes of 1942.

Speeches and memories
As part of her reminiscent speech about the January and June classes’ experiences at McClatchy High, Dolores Greenslate shared her amazement with how members of these classes had come together 70 years after graduating from the school.

Although she noted that she still spends time with some of her old classmates, Petrotta, who grew up at 2975 32nd St., where she was raised by her parents, Howard and Josephine Cross, enjoyed seeing classmates that she had not seen for many years.

“Some of (the graduates) I haven’t seen for a while – the guys especially,” said Petrotta, whose father owned and operated an automobile repair garage on Franklin Boulevard for more than a half a century.

Petrotta also mentioned that when she was a majorette at McClatchy, she made her own skirt.

“We had to make (the skirts) long, because we weren’t allowed to wear them short, but when we went on the field, we rolled them up,” Petrotta said.

Bruner, like many McClatchy students of the era, walked to school.

“I had to walk all the way from Mead and Wentworth (avenues) to McClatchy every day, rain or shine,” Bruner recalled. “I got to typing class one day – that was my first class – soaking wet. We had a typing teacher named (Mrs. Dorah) Tuttle. She said, ‘You go over there and sit by the window, where the heater is, so you can dry off.’ We also had a great gym teacher, Miss (Nell) Flanders. And of course, Arleen Matson (Lotta) and Della (Gomez Garibaldi) and I and a few other of these gals were the ones who would play out in the hockey field.”

One of the familiar sights of every reunion of this class is the presence of de Polo, Chun, Pierce and Norm Greenslate, who grew up near one another and attended school together from kindergarten through high school.

They began their schooling at William Land Elementary School at 1116 U St., then went to California Junior High School at 2991 Land Park Drive before spending their final three years together at McClatchy.

Cross-town rivals
Members of the McClatchy classes of 1942 began attending this now-longtime institution at the beginning of only the third school year in its history.

Prior to this time, the city’s only high school was Sacramento High School.

It took very little time for these schools to become cross-town rivals in sports.

Norm Greenslate, who was known for his success as a batter, was the captain of the baseball team, which ended the 1942 season with an 8-3 win against the Dragons of Sacramento High. Other star hitters on the team were Wes Kelly, Al Gianelli and Harvey Ward.

Also playing on the baseball team were James, who was an infielder, and Odgers, who was an outfielder.

And as previously mentioned, Drennon played on the football team, which also included All-City team left tackle, Bob Geremia.

More Personal remembrances close the evening
Being that these students attended McClatchy during wartime, activities at the school at that time included folk dancing in the courts for morale, bandaging in first aid classes and a visit from a former student who had become a U.S. Army bombardier.

And of course, the most popular senior year event for many members of the classes of 1942 was the Senior Ball, which was held at the Memorial Auditorium.

Also adding to the 70th reunion was Lotta’s speech and readings from her old junior high autograph books.

Lotta, who had perfect attendance in school from the time she was in kindergarten through her years at McClatchy, brought a cordless microphone around the room, allowing alumni to share some of their own memories.

In summarizing McClatchy High during his time at the school, de Polo, who grew up at 1225 T St., said, “(McClatchy) was a good school, clean, a lot of fun, a lot of sports and it had very, very good students with no problems or anything like that and the teachers were good.”

Additionally, de Polo mentioned McClatchy’s first principal, Sam Pepper, who was very popular and well respected among the school’s students.

Dolores Greenslate said that although many people had to have assistance in making it to the 70th reunion, her classmates hope to attend another reunion in five years.

“At the very end (of the reunion), when we all had to part, I said, ‘This was the finish of our 70th reunion and we’ll see you back here in another five years for our 75th (reunion),’ and they all smiled and sort of cheered.”

It has been nearly a half-century since the private, nonprofit, nondenominational Sacramento Country Day School opened its temporary location in a trailer in the Unitarian Universalist Society’s parking lot at 2425 Sierra Blvd.

SACRAMENTO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL founder Herb Matthews served as the school’s first headmaster. / Photo courtesy, Sacramento Country Day School

This opening on Monday, Sept. 14, 1964 planted the roots of this Arden area school’s strong foundation in the community.

Country Day, which educates preschool and kindergarten through 12th grade students, moved to its present site at 2636 Latham Drive, east of Munroe Street, for the 1965-66 school year.

Although Country Day currently consists of about 470 students, the school opened with only 12 students.

During the duration of Country Day’s first school year, 21 more students were added to the school’s student body.

With the school’s limited number of students, it took the high school portion of Country Day six years to include all four of its grades.

Despite the gradual growing process of Country Day’s high school, the high school has been a part of Country Day since its earliest beginnings.

Representing the high school in the first year of Country Day was Susan Ricketts, who was enrolled as a 9th grader on Aug. 26, 1964.

It was not until 1970 that the high school had its first graduate, Marta Moorhead, who resided at 5254 Minerva Ave. and now lives in Bolivar, Mo.

Country Day was established through the efforts of Dr. Baxter Geeting of Carmichael and Herb Matthews of Curtis Park.

In his 1988, written remembrances about Country Day, Baxter, who was one of the founding deans of Sacramento State College (present day California State University, Sacramento), described some of the early steps that led to the creation of the school.

“We had a fine boy, who was, at the time, in a public school class of 43 students,” Baxter wrote regarding his son, Greg. “His teacher said, ‘Can’t you find a better school situation for Greg? After (Greg) grades all the papers, he just has to play chess until the next class starts.’ So, we began the hunt for a good private school and that led us to observing Herb Matthews teach in a local school with limited class numbers, and we enrolled Greg.

“But Herb soon withdrew and said he was going to start his own private ‘country day school’ and we joined him. Before long, around our kitchen table with Herb and Alice Matthews, we made initial plans for the school, which was to become the Sacramento Country Day School.”

These plans featured an educational philosophy, which included “a skillful grounding in the academic disciplines, proficiency in the mother tongue – English – through reading,

WELL ESTABLISHED. Sacramento Country Day School has been educating students in the Arden area since 1964. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

speaking, writing and listening” and “mathematics and the development of perceptual awareness and creative talent through music, art and writing.”

Baxter noted in an April 2, 1996 letter to Jamie Nelson, the president of Country Day’s board, that the school was founded upon “the fundamental elements that produce high student achievement: small class sizes; dedicated, enthusiastic, professionally-trained faculty; solid administrative leadership, a nurturing and rigorous academic environment; the inclusion of arts and humanities; and the whole-hearted involvement of parents in governance and student-support activities.”

Actively assisting in the development process of the school were Alice and Baxter’s wife, Corinne.

With the creation of Country Day, which was initially known only as “Herb’s school” – Herb became the school’s first headmaster – a position he held for one year, at which time he became a member of the school’s board. Baxter became the first president of the board and Susan Ricketts’ mother, Norma, served as the school’s first secretary.

The relocation of the school occurred after the board approved the purchase of Country Day’s present five acres for $45,000 and funds for mobile units for classrooms.

Considering the small number of students who attended Country Day during its early years, the first editions of the school’s yearbook, The Medallion (presently Medallion), were simple, handmade productions with very few pages.

An entire page in the first volume of The Medallion featured information regarding Susan Ricketts, who was the annual’s first editor and the school’s first high school student.

In addition to its yearbook, Country Day is identified by a logo, its red and black colors, its Cavaliers mascot and The Octagon newspaper, which debuted in 1977 and is produced by high school students at the school.

Patricia Fels, who has been Country Day’s only newspaper advisor, said that she likes that the name of the school’s newspaper is unique.

“The nice thing about The Octagon is that as far as I know, it’s the only high school newspaper in the country with that name,” said Fels, who was a writer during her college years for The Stanford Daily at Stanford University. “We go to national conventions every year (and) I’ve never seen another one.”

PATRICIA FELS, The Octagon newspaper’s advisor, shows off an original copy of the publication’s first edition, which was dated Oct. 20, 1977. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Despite its small student body, Country Day is active in middle school and high school intermural athletics for boys and girls and has won many championships in various sports.

Stephen T. Repsher, the school’s headmaster since 2003, said that Country Day students receive a quality education, which includes a low student to teacher ratio.

“In terms of the quality of the educational experience, (Country Day) would stand up to any good, independent school in the United States,” said Repsher, who will reach his 40^th year as an educator next year. “There are about 195 independent schools in California and we’re all members of the California Association of Independent Schools.”

In being a part of a small, well-connected school, Country Day students and staff often develop a family-like relationship with one another.

Cooper Jackman, a junior at Country Day, echoes the sentiments of many students at the school.

“I like (attending Country Day),” Jackman said. “There are great teachers, great faculty and I like the small school atmosphere. You get to know everyone so much better.”

As Country Day nears closer to its 50th anniversary, the school continues its growth in the community as it strives to consistently provide a high level and intimate academic experience and positive learning environment.

For additional information regarding Sacramento Country Day School, call (916) 481-8811 or visit www.saccds.org.

The Home of Peace cemetery on Stockton Boulevard replaced the original Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento in 1924. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

Across the street from the area’s first cemetery, Sutter’s Burial Ground – later known as the New Helvetia Cemetery – which had its first interment in 1845, was the aforementioned Jewish cemetery.

Property for this Jewish cemetery, which was located on J Street, between what would be 32nd Street, if the street were to extend to this location, and 33rd streets, was purchased in 1850 from Ring Rose J. Watson by Louis Schaub, in trust for the Hebrew Benevolent Society.

Moses Hyman, a prominent merchant who came to the area from New Orleans in 1849 with Samuel Harris Goldstein, donated $150 to the Jewish Benevolent Society for the establishment of the cemetery.

Cemetery’s first resident

An account regarding Hyman and Goldstein is documented in the June 3, 1850 edition of the Placer Times – Sacramento’s first newspaper – as follows:

“On the downward trip of the (steamboat) Gov. Dana on Friday (May 30, 1850), Mr. Harris Goldstein, a merchant of Marysville, fell overboard in an attempt to get a bucket of water from the (Feather) River, about four miles below Marysville. He swam well at first, and all aboard, including his son, about 14 years of age, had perfect confidence that he would reach the shore. He was observed to turn on his back, as if to rest himself, and then sank to rise no more. He had some $1,600 in (gold) dust on his person. We are furnished with numerous testimony to Capt. Young’s exertions to rescue him. The scene, when hope had fled, was most distressing. The agony of his son (Jacob) drew forth many a manly tear of sympathy and the truest commisseration (sic) was expressed for the wife (Rosina) and children home in New Orleans.”

This headstone marks the gravesite of Samuel Harris Goldstein, who was possibly the first person buried at the Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

Although it is unknown where Goldstein was originally buried, his remains were re-interred in the Jewish cemetery on J Street and later moved to the city’s current Jewish cemetery, Home of Peace of Sacramento, which is located on Stockton Boulevard at El Paraiso Avenue.

Robert Wascou, cemetery project coordinator of the Jewish Genealogical Society, said that based on his personal research, he believes Goldstein may have been the first person to be buried at the Jewish cemetery on J Street.

“At the time of Goldstein’s death, there was no Jewish cemetery in Sacramento, so therefore he would have been buried in another cemetery,” Wascou said. “Since the New Helvetia Cemetery was closed to burials due to recurrent flooding, he was likely buried in the city cemetery (which was established at the present day corner of Broadway and Riverside Boulevard in 1849). Unfortunately, there was no superintendent of the city cemetery at that time and no records were kept. My feeling is that he was probably the first or one of the first people buried in the Jewish cemetery, because of his friendship with Moses Hyman.”

Hyman later had another connection with Goldstein, as he married his widow, Rosina.

Original location on J Street

During the existence of the city’s original Jewish cemetery, which is presently the site of about a dozen businesses, including the historic Club Raven at 3246 J St., about 500 bodies were buried at the cemetery.

Early additions to the Jewish cemetery occurred in 1863 with the construction of a chapel and a brick wall, which bordered the cemetery.

This present day view of J Street in East Sacramento shows the site of the city’s first Jewish cemetery. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

A reference to the Jewish cemetery in the May 29, 1886 edition of The Sacramento Union describes the site as follows: “This cemetery is well kept and contains many handsome monuments, five of which were placed in position during the last month. This cemetery is under the charge of Nicholas Mohns.”

Mohns, who resided at 2830 O St., where Meritage Insurance is presently located, maintained the title of the cemetery’s sexton, a position that he also held at the New Helvetia Cemetery by as early as 1889.

During this era, the cemetery was located near Nehemiah, Albert and George Clark’s Pacific Pottery at 34th and J streets.

The Clarks’ business, however, was destroyed by fire during the afternoon of Dec. 18, 1887. The fire was reported to have originated in the kiln room on the eastern end of the business’s two-story, wood-frame, main structure.

Move to present location

In 1924, the property for the Jewish cemetery on Stockton Boulevard was purchased from Walter W. Bassett, a bank cashier who resided at 1224 40th St.

Club Raven at 3246 J St. is the most notable landmark on the former site of the Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

While observing historic Home of Peace records, Wascou presented the following information regarding the relocation of the remains at Sacramento’s original Jewish cemetery: “They started moving the 500 remains to Home of Peace in the spring of 1926 and by June 1926, 104 bodies had been moved,” Wascou said. “It was noted in the cemetery’s minutes of May 16, 1927 that 70 bodies were moved and 10 more would be moved in the coming week. In the May 21, 1928 minutes, there were yet 48 bodies to be moved from the old cemetery. In the Nov. 14, 1929 minutes, there were about 25 graves yet to be moved. The last section of the old Jewish cemetery was sold to Paul and Isabel Prom (of 1545 38th St.) on Nov. 6, 1945.”

Wascou added that about 250 bodies were moved to the Home of Peace cemetery and that other bodies were moved to the Jewish cemeteries in Colma in San Mateo County, or to other Jewish sites.

Today, the Home of Peace cemetery, which consists of more than 2,500 burials and is under the direction of its executive director, Lewis Rosenberg, represents a continuation of 160 years of serving the Jewish community of the Sacramento region.

The original main gate of the Home of Peace cemetery is located at the corner of Stockton Boulevard at El Paraiso Avenue. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

The Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church, a church with roots dating back to the 19th century in the capital city, will be holding its 40th annual Asian Food and Cultural Bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church at 6929 Franklin Blvd. in south Sacramento will be the site of an Asian food and cultural bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 2. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Lance Armstrong

Rich in flavor, tradition

The event, which begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 3 p.m., will feature a variety of Asian food cooked on site such as teriyaki chicken, sesame chicken, udon, Korean short ribs, kahlua pork, chow mein, sushi, and manju (Japanese confections).

Additionally, the event will include children’s games and free entertainment, including performances by the ukulele group, ACC Pocket Pickers, Sacramento Taiko, guitarist Mark McLean, and the hula group, the Ohana Dance Group.

Guests of the bazaar will also have the opportunity to purchase nursery items and handmade crafts created by the church’s Boutique Committee.

The bazaar is undoubtedly one of the church’s richest traditions, since the church, which is located at 6929 Franklin Blvd., was founded in June 1968 and the bazaar was first held in 1970.

But as previously mentioned, the church has roots dating back to the 19th century, thus in many ways, it is much older than the 42 years that it has operated on Franklin Boulevard.

A tale of two churches

The formation of the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church occurred as a result of a merger between the Pioneer Methodist Church of Sacramento and the Florin Japanese Methodist Church.

Pioneer Methodist Church 

Sunday school class members gather outside the Japanese Methodist Church of Sacramento at 331 O St. in 1936. / Photo courtesy of SJUMC

The older of these two churches is the Pioneer Methodist Church, which according to the book, “A Centennial Legacy: Historyof the Japanese Christian Missions in North America,” was the third oldest Japanese Methodist church in the United States.

The roots of the Pioneer Methodist Church, which was originally known as the Japanese Methodist Church of Sacramento, date back to about 1891, when ministers from the Japanese Methodist Church in San Francisco traveled by riverboats to Sacramento, where they conducted worship services and roadside preaching for local Japanese residents.

The congregation gathered in a house at 510 L St. with its first appointed minister, the Rev. Sotohichi Kihara, in February 1892.

The following year, under the direction of Superintendent Harris, the church was formally organized.

According to an historic, translated record of the church, which at the time was referred to as the Japanese Methodist Mission, its members began meeting at 903 D St. in December 1893.

In 1895, the church relocated to 310 M St., where it remained until 1908.

The church held its services at 417 P St. for the following decade and in 1918 moved to its longtime site at 331 O St. A new church building was dedicated at the O Street site on March 4, 1951.

In 1954, the former Japanese Methodist Church of Sacramento was renamed Pioneer Methodist Church.

Florin Japanese Methodist Church

Although it was not as old as the Pioneer church, the Florin Japanese Methodist Church had a long history of its own.

The history of this Florin church began in 1913, when Dr. H.B. Johnson worked with Japanese community leaders to establish Christian work and a Japanese language school in the town of Florin.

In 1915, the Florin church’s first appointed minister, the Rev. Raiichi Minabe, was appointed and a two-story building was designated for the church and school.

The following year, a sanctuary was constructed for the Florin church, which began with seven members and seven children. A multi-purpose hall was added in 1927.

Despite the Japanese internment as a result of Executive Order 9066 in 1942, both churches resumed their operations in 1945.

These churches continued their services and other activities for the following two decades.

WWII internment contributed to merger

In the 1960s, efforts to merge this pair of churches began, as the Pioneer church was being forced to relocate due to city redevelopment and the Florin church’s membership numbers had dwindled.

Tom Kushi, who was born in Florin in 1924 and graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1942, three days prior to the internment, said that a contributing factor to the Florin church’s attendance woes was due to the internment.

“Most of the membership didn’t come back to Florin (following the internment),” said Tom, who was raised on his father Shonosuke Kushi’s farm at Stockton Boulevard and Gerber Road.

Tom said that less than a dozen former Florin church members are living today.

Among these former members is Sam Kashiwagi, who was raised on Stockton Boulevard, along the former Highway 99, about a mile south of Florin Road.

Kashiwagi said that the Florin church originally met in a structure at Florin and Pritchard roads – across the street from today’s Buddhist Church of Florin – that was connected to a parsonage. He added that a community hall was built on the site about 10 or 15 years later and by about 1958, a new parsonage was built just south of the hall.

Efforts to locate a home for a new church ended when the Merwin Memorial United Methodist Church at 6929 Franklin Blvd. dispersed and the Merwin church’s four acres of property and its small building was obtained by the Pioneer and Florin churches for $1, plus the payment of the Merwin church’s debts.

The acquisition of the Merwin church and property was aided by a recommendation by Merwin church pioneer members, Eugene and Marion Drown.

Bill Taketa, who managed the Bank of America at 1515 Broadway and served as the church’s treasurer, said that a considerably large cost of the new church was the addition of a $20,000 parking lot.

The Japanese United Methodist Church

The Rev. Motoe Yamada is the current pastor of the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Lance Armstrong

The merger, which occurred in June 1968, allowed the Pioneer and Florin churches to officially meet together as the Japanese United Methodist Church.

Initially, the then-new church met in the sanctuary within the site’s small building, but through the assistance of many of its members who helped to lower costs, a new sanctuary and multi-purpose social hall was completed in 1970 at a cost of $250,000.

Roy Sato was among the members who helped lower the cost of the project, as he provided free heating and air conditioning labor.

Charles Kobayashi, a member of the church’s history committee and a former member of the Pioneer church, said that the preservation of the church’s history is an important endeavor, which includes a current project to translate about 12 volumes of handwritten Pioneer church journals. The journals were written from about 1892 to about 1940.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Motoe Yamada, who was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, was the daughter of a Buddhist monk and became a Christian in the 1990s, said that it is important to remember the church’s history and its early members.

“I think it’s wonderful that we have such a rich history,” said Yamada, who attended the University of Toledo in Ohio. “We don’t want to forget that, because of the Isseis and what they went through and their experiences coming over all the way from Japan and being Christians and of course, second generation (Japanese) born here who experienced internment camps. Now we have third, fourth, fifth generation (Japanese) and we are becoming more mixed. I always want to make sure we learn from the history, so we will never forget how faithful those first and second generation (Japanese church members) were and the legacy they have.”

In honor of the Issei Japanese, church members created a memorial garden between the old Merwin building and the 1970 structure. Last year, a fountain was placed within the garden, which is cared for by a church group, known as the “Garden Angels.” The “Angels” are led by Ed Kubo and Bob Sasaki.

Yamada said that in appreciation of members of the former Merwin church, a special ceremony will be held at the recently renovated Merwin sanctuary on Sunday, Nov. 7 at about 11:45 a.m., following the 10:30 a.m. worship service in the larger sanctuary.

Yamada emphasized that in addition to the importance of remembering the roots of the church and its early members, it is also important to stress that despite its name, the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church is very much a multicultural church.

“We are becoming more and more multicultural,” Yamada said. “We have a Japanese-speaking ministry, but almost everything is done in English. And regardless of a person’s age, race, gender or ethnic background, everyone is invited.”

And like the church’s Sunday services, the community is also invited to attend the Asian Food and Cultural Bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For additional information regarding the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church and its upcoming events, call (916) 421-1017.

lance@valcomnews.com

Jesse Herbert Thomas has seen a lot – which is understandable, since he celebrated his 100th birthday at Merrill Gardens retirement community on Sept. 7.

Jesse Herbert Thomas celebrated his 100th birthday at Merrill Gardens retirement community of Sept. 7. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Susan Laird

Born and raised in Wilcox, Canada, he was the second of three children born to Jesse J. and Caroline Thomas. He grew up farming with his sisters in the Saskatchewan region until the family moved to Omaha, Neb. during his teen years.

During the Great Depression, he was the only member of the family who was fortunate to land a job to support the family.

During the years of World War II, Thomas served in the Pacific Theater as a bodyguard for General Douglas MacArthur.

“MacArthur was quite a guy,” Thomas recalled. “He would do his best thinking while he was walking. There were six of us who were his bodyguards, and he kept us moving.”

After the war, Thomas worked for Union Pacific Railroad. He was married for 25 years to the late Teckla Thomas. He moved to Sacramento in 1988 to be closer to his nieces, Carol Harris and Sharon Collins.

He loves to socialize, enjoys card games and community activities. Thomas is often seen walking about the community.

When asked his secret to longevity, Thomas said he has no real advice, other than “to sit down, stay out of jail and eat right.”

susan@valcomnews.com

Elks Lodge No. 6 commemorated the memory of 9-11 with a Patriots Day celebration on Sept. 11. At the dinner, which included patriotic items such as “Yankee Pot Roast” and “All-American Apple Pie,” Elks Exalted Ruler Ron Brusato presented plaques to “honor a fire fighter and a police officer who have done meritorious work for the community.”

Captain Mark Ramirez of the Sacramento City Fire Department and Officer Jeffrey Silva were both honored by the Elks that evening.

The purpose of the celebration, according to Brusato, was to never forget those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

“If 9-11 is ever forgotten, the terrorists have won,” he said. “We won’t let that happen.”

susan@valcomnews.com

Patriots were recognized at the Patriot Day celebration held by Elks Lodge No. 6 on Sept. 11. Left to right, Ron Brusato, Fire Captain Mark Ramirez, Police Captain Jim Maccoun and Police Officer Jeffery Silva. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Linda Pohl

Every high school senior knows that fall is college application season, a topic of great interest and importance for students and parents since most applications must be submitted between November 30 and January 1.

As students make their college lists, they must be aware that colleges and universities have different kinds of applications – and still others have applications that are unique only to them. The California State Universities and University of California systems have separate applications, and now over 400 schools use the Common Application (Common App).

The CSU, UC, and Common Apps work basically the same way – students complete one application and then indicate the campuses to which they will apply. The completed form then travels to a processing center, which forwards the application to each school indicated by the student.

Originally developed by private schools to avoid duplication of efforts, the Common App is now used by public and private schools that use a holistic approach to admissions. They examine all aspects of the student: grades, test scores, activities, jobs and talents. Common App colleges include University of the Pacific, St. Mary’s College of California, Claremont McKenna College, Westmont College, Pomona College, Lewis and Clark College, Colorado State University, the Ivies, and many more.

Most Common App schools require supplements with additional questions. They may ask:

• a student’s intended major;
• why they want to attend that campus;
• if family members have attended the college;
• if students have visited the campus.

There are often additional essays. Each school, college and university is different.

It is very important for students to know not only the due date but also which application each school requires. The Common App was posted on Aug. 1. The CSUs and UCs will post their applications on Oct. 1 with deadlines of Nov. 30, but the word is to get them in early – don’t delay!

Marilyn van Löben Sels is a certified college counselor. Contact her at marilyn@college-gps.com.