Coarsegold Historical Society & Museum

Museum ABCs: The Letter Y Y is for Yarn Friendship Covering In the 1800's, a cloth would be kept on a prominent table in some homes.... Visitors to the home would sign or embroider (as in this case) the cloth with their name and date of visit. The oldest signature on this example is from 1834. See more

Museum ABCs: The Letter X "X" is for Xylography Xylography is the art of making wood cuts, or wood engravings. In this case, they are featured on a Gingerbread Kitchen Clock. These were inexpensive American made clocks produced in the last quarter of the 1800's.... Typically, they would set on a shelf in the kitchen of lower and middle income homes. The ornate carving conferred upon them the nickname "Gingerbread." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, admittedly, this is a bit of a stretch, but coming up with "X" was tough..... given we have no xylophone at the museum.

Museum ABCs: The Letter W "W" is for washing machine The first Maytag washing machine was built from cypress wood in 1907, in a small building in Newton, Iowa. Early wooden tub washing machines were operated by a hand crank or wooden rod that moved the agitator inside the tub. ... By 1908, this type of machine was beginning to become electrified. In 1915, Maytag developed its "Multi-Motor" gasoline powered, belt-driven unit, which allowed customers in rural areas without electricity to utilize automatic washers. This example, in our museum, dates to 1915. **Bonus Trivia: In 1941, production of the legendary Maytag Blue Cheese was begun as a separate company in Newton, Iowa, by the grandsons of the founder of the Maytag appliance company. After Whirlpool acquired the Maytag Corporation in 2006, the Maytag headquarters were closed, leaving cheese production as the only "Maytag" operation left in Iowa.

Museum ABCs: The Letter T "T" is for Teepee This is a cedar bark Teepee, of the type built and used by the Miwok and Mono tribes. Believe it, or not, it could house a family of six ! It is made of cedar poles and cedar bark from the Arnold Meadow area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. ... This is one of three such Teepees at the museum, two of which are located in our re-creation of a Native American village. See more

Museum ABCs: The Letter V "V" is for Vacuum Spring cleaning was much more labor intensive before electricity. Powered by human muscle, these vacuums used suction to remove dirt from carpets. The suction was created inside a metal canister by either a pumping action, bellows, or a piston being pushed up and down a tube. Either way, it took two hands to execute the procedure. These examples are from 1889, 1911, and 1915.

Museum ABCs: The Letter S "S" is for Sickle Bar Mower Horse drawn sickle bar mowers began to be popular shortly after the Civil War, and were produced until just after WWII. They were mostly used for cutting hay, but were useful for mowing ditch banks and other irregular terrain, as they excelled at cutting angles above and below level grade.... These three are circa 1900. See more

Museum ABCs: The Letter U "U" is for Uniform This is a WASP uniform from WWII. WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) was a civilian women's pilot organization formed in 1942. Members of WASP became trained pilots who tested aircraft, ferried aircraft, and trained other pilots. Their purpose was to free male pilots for combat. Although they were attached to the US Army Air Force, they had no actual military... standing. However, in 1977, they were granted Veteran status for their service. This is one of many military uniforms displayed in our "Old Adobe" annex. See more

Museum ABCs: The Letter R "R" is for radio This is a Silvertone "Tombstone" radio that dates to 1935. By the 1930's most cities had electricity, however many rural areas were still "dark." This particular radio was powered by batteries for rural use. The original price of this particular radio in 1935 was $40. That was the equivalent of one month's income for the average family.

Yosemite National Park was designated by an Act of Congress on October 1, 1890, making it the third national park in the United States. Sharing two great articl...es that talk about the history of the land and its road to becoming a National Park. Please see our first post to read an article on the history of the land and Native Americans in that region. This is article two: the road to becoming a National Park. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/h/john-muirs-yosemite-10737/

Museum ABCs: The Letter Q "Q" is for Quilt. A quilt is a bed covering made of padding that is enclosed between layers of fabric kept in place by stitching applied in a decorative design. Here, Grandma is snoozing under a quilt in her iron bed in the museum's "Old Adobe." At the foot of the bed is a crochet "quilt." This is one of several quilts displayed through out the museum.

Museum ABCs: The Letter P "P" is for Permanent Wave Machine Although this resembles a Medieval torture device, it is actually a permanent wave machine, circa 1925. ... Invented in 1906, by Charles Nessler, these machines were used to curl hair in the early decades of the 20th century, through the 1940's. The machine used water, chemicals, and electric heat rods to curl hair and recreate the look of naturally curly or wavy hair. This process would often take the better part of a day to complete. Ouch !

Museum ABCs: The Letter O "O" is for Organ. This is a Kimball pump organ, circa 1900. The Kimball company was founded in Chicago in 1857. They began manufacturing organs in 1881, and later, pianos. Organ production was discontinued in 1922. ... The pump organ is actually a reed instrument (like a saxophone), although in this case, the reeds are made of brass. The bellows, when pumped by the player's feet, sends a stream of air that causes the reeds inside the organ to vibrate and create a sound. This style of organ came to be known as a parlor pump organ because families would generally keep them in their parlors (later called living rooms). See more

On August 10, 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn-in as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in the East Room... of the White House. Ginsburg was only the second woman named to the Supreme Court in its history, following Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment in 1981. In the photograph below, Justice Ginsburg takes the oath as her husband, Martin, and President Bill Clinton look on. Justice Ginsburg was a champion for women’s rights, dedicating her career and life to the pursuit of equality for all. For 27 years, she faithfully served the American people on the United States Supreme Court. The White House Historical Association extends its condolences to Justice Ginsburg’s family and friends, as well as her colleagues at the Supreme Court. Image Credit: William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

Museum ABCs: The Letter N "N" is for Nitroglycerine Nitroglycerine is an explosive liquid invented in 1847, and was used for hard rock blasting in mining. ... This crate was one used for transporting the volatile product back in the day. A serious and deadly explosion in 1866, led to a ban on the transport of nitroglycerine in California, and ultimately elsewhere around the world. These events then led to Alfred Nobel (of Nobel Prize fame), and his company, developing dynamite in 1867. This more stable explosive was made by mixing nitroglycerine with diatomaceous earth. See more

Never Forget https://www.youtube.com/watch

Museum ABCs: The Letter M "M" is for Moccasin These are local Native American beaded moccasins from the 1930's. They are a "contemporary" version of the traditional moccasin, with the addition of rubber tabs on the soles that added to the versatility and longevity of the shoe, while maintaining the flexibility and comfort of a traditional moccasin.

Labor Day became a Federal holiday on June 28, 1894. The day acknowledges the social and economic achievements of American workers. We can also add to that list... of achievements: support that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Working women were important players in the suffrage movement. Experience in the workplace made working women acutely aware of their vulnerability to discrimination and exploitation, which motivated many to passionately support women’s voting rights. In 1909, a garment worker’s strike in New York City was crucial in winning woman suffrage in New York in 1917. This strike brought higher wages and awareness of unions to thousands of women workers. Leaders like Rose Schneiderman, became a major force among New York’s labor community, insisted that wage-earning women needed the vote to fight against low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions. As working-class women joined the suffrage movement in significant numbers during the 1910s, the movement gained not only unprecedented numbers of supporters but also leaders with experience in organizing labor. These working women won over powerful trade unions and working-class men. As labor organizations voiced their desire for a woman suffrage amendment, support in Congress grew. Image: Women picket, 2/1910. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7452469