California Office of Historic Preservation

Today is Cesar Chavez Day

Today is the yearly observance of Cesar Chavez’s birthday and celebration of his legacy of work in social justice, civil rights, and the farm labor movement. C...esario Estrada Chavez was born March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona. Chavez started working as a migrant farm worker as a young child. In 1952, he started his life-long activism as a labor organizer with a Latino civil rights group. In 1962, focusing his attention on the deplorable conditions of migrant farm workers, Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Dolores Huerta. He used non-violent tactics of strikes and boycotts while heading the first successful farm workers union in the United States, the United Farm Workers of America. Chavez married his high school sweetheart Helen Fabela in October 1948. They had eight children and 31 grandchildren. He died in his sleep on April 23, 1993, at the age of 66. Pictured here is a portrait of Chavez by Richard Gilmore from May 1973 (Sacramento Bee Collection, 1983/001/SBPM00581), and a photo of Chavez at the United Farm Workers protest at the Offices of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in Sacramento on September 15, 1975 (photograph by Ward Sharrer, Sacramento Bee Collection, 1983/001/SBPMO5281). #cesarchavez

Happening today, March 30, at 12pm PDT! Free, online exploration of the life and work of architect Paul R. Williams. Hosted by the California Preservation Foundation.

A good day at the Fort and Museum!

Redwood City Woman's Club is featured by the National Register of Historic Places! At their January 29, 2021 meeting, the California State Historical Resources Commission voted to forward the Woman's Club nomination to the Keeper of the National Register, who in turn gave final approval for listing on the Register. Listing was achieved on March 12, 2021. Congratulations to the members of Redwood City Woman's Club, and thank you for your dedicated efforts to preserve this treasured part of California's heritage! If you would like to see the State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) in action, join us virtually via Zoom and the Cal-Span network for the SHRC April 30 meeting: https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pending

California Preservation Foundation is offering three free online events in December: https://www.facebook.com/capreservation/events/

Lucy Telles, aka Pa-ma-has, was born in 1885 near Mono Lake to Miwok and Paiute parents. Her family had homes in both Yosemite Valley and the Mono Lake area, an...d Lucy spent much of her childhood and most of her adult life in Yosemite Valley. Lucy learned traditional weaving from her mother, and she quickly became an adept weaver. By the 1920s, Lucy had gained a reputation as a fine weaver known for her intricate and innovative designs. She was a frequent prize-winner of Yosemite Indian Field Days basket competitions, and in 1939, her largest and most recognized basket was exhibited at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco. Lucy demonstrated basket weaving to park visitors from the 1930s until her death in 1955. Learn more at https://www.nps.gov//exhib/yosemite_basketry/weavers.html #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NPSCollections

The California State Library offers a chance to help preserve history and learn about a determined early Californian:

State Historical Resources Commission Meeting is streaming live this morning at 9am! https://cal-span.org/unipage/index.php

Happening tomorrow:

A free learning opportunity from the ACHP:

From the Office of the Governor:

Preservation News for November!

The National League of Cities is accepting applications for their 2021 Leadership in Community Resilience Grant Program. Grants support local communities as they pursue coordinated climate resilience efforts. Deadline for applying is December 23, 2020.

November is Native American Heritage Month!

From the ACHP in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month:

Wishing everyone a safe, peaceful Election Day, even if you didn't get up at midnight to cast your vote.

Tune in this Friday, Nov. 6, starting at 9AM for the California State Historical Resources Commission meeting where 14 properties will be considered including t...he Cambria Chinese Temple. The temple was constructed between 1892 and 1895 and served as a central temple and community space for the Chinese community of Cambria and San Luis Obispo County. To participate or view the meeting visit https://bit.ly/2HZQegR California Office of Historic Preservation See more

We’re thinking today of the legendary chef and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang, who died this week at the age of 100. From a privileged upbringing in China, Chiang ...fled the Japanese invasions during World War II and eventually landed in San Francisco. Her memories of the rich local and regional dishes prepared by the family’s chefs in Beijing inspired her to open the Mandarin restaurant in downtown San Francisco in 1962. While most Americans associated Chinese food with chop suey and chow mein at the time, Cecilia Chiang offered a more refined and authentic experience to American diners. Her presentation of Chinese cuisine was embraced by James Beard, Julia Child, and other gastronomes who were also redefining the food landscape in the United States. In 2011, museum staff visited Ms. Chiang in her legendary San Francisco restaurant as part of a project called Sweet and Sour: Chinese Food in America. Museum specialist Noriko Sanefuji interviewed Ms. Chiang and collected a selection of objects and archival materials for the museum’s permanent collections, including the menu, dishware, and recipe book pictured here. Sanefuji recalls Chiang’s passion for Chinese cuisine and her enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge about it with others, including a Smithsonian researcher. Cecilia Chiang’s story and her impact on Chinese cuisine in America is worth remembering today and beyond.

A bit of history for this election season:

A good day in California's capital city!

The California State Library is sponsoring free preservation assessments for cultural and historical collections, including museums, libraries, archives and his...torical societies, in select counties. Assessments will help organizations identify risks to their collections and develop achievable preservation strategies. Registration closes November 15 to find out if your organization is eligible, go to library.ca.gov/preservation-assessments. See more

The California State Historical Resources Commission invites the public to participate in its next commission meeting being held virtually on Friday, Nov. 6, at... 9 a.m. A total of 14 nominations will be considered by the commissioners -- 11 nominations for federal historic designation and three nominations for state historic designation. Find a list of the nominations and more info on how to view the meeting here: https://bit.ly/3jyqCoF California Office of Historic Preservation Photo 1: China Shrimp Camp in Contra Costa County. Photo 2: Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco County. Photo 3: Donaldson Futuro in Riverside County. Photo 4: Interior of the Cambria Chinese Temple in San Luis Obispo County. See more