Museum News

TO THINK ABOUT

Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place. - Abigail Van Buren

President's Message

What a day in history !! On July 2, 1906, the city of Tehama was incorporated. Tehama is also known as " The Biggest Little City in Tehama County". On July 2, 2006, the city of Tehama celebrated its 100th year of incorporation. The Museum extended its hours and also sold snow cones to help celebrate this historic event. This September 9, 2006 will be the museum's "Silver Jubilee," twenty-five years of celebrating our annual jubilee. It will be a fun-filled day for both kids and adults. Come and help celebrate the museum's "Silver Jubilee". We welcome any volunteers who would like to help make this event a big success. Once again, I would like to thank all our volunteers who's hard work and long hours make these events possible !!!!

Bobby McFarlin

The 25th Annual Jubilee: An Anniversary to Remember

For the Museum, 2006 has been a year of anniversaries: This spring, we celebrated the 150th birthday of Tehama County. Then, in July, we participated in the City of Tehama's centennial event. And now, we are looking forward to the silver anniversary of the Tehama County Museum's annual Jubilee.

The day starts at 8 a.m., with breakfast provided by the ever-dependable Central Tehama Kiwanis club. Pancakes, eggs, and ham will be served for a price of $6 for adults, and $3 for a child's plate.

The Young Marines, a community service organization for young people, will perform the opening ceremonies at 10:30.

The entertainment begins at 11:00, and the line-up this year includes Loosely Strung, the Red Bluff Community Band, and the Swingin' Squares.

The Kiwanis Club begins cooking lunch at 11:00, providing the usual fare of hamburgers and hot dogs. For those with a sweet tooth, the Los Molinos Women's Club will be on hand with cake and ice cream. And speaking of cake, the 4-H is donating cakes to be auctioned off in the afternoon.

Sam Kissee will be back again this year to do antique appraisals for $5 per item from 11:00 to 3:00. Dick Chamberlain will appraise the firearms, as well as doing upstairs docent duty.

Judy's Country Store is one of the Jubilee's most popular features, and will be back again this year. Any sort of crafted item, including homemade food items like jams and jellies are welcome, if you'd like to donate. Contact Pat Felthouse at 527-1805. A variety of other arts and crafts booths will set up in the park.

The Jubilee Raffle is one of the highlights of the afternoon. As always, there will be a wide variety of prizes, large and small. Last year, we gave away a color t.v. set, and the year before, a barbecue. It has been confirmed that handmade quilts will be among the prizes this year. Tickets are included with this newsletter.

As always, there will be a new exhibit on display downstairs in the Simpson room. The exhibit committee is planning this year's theme to center around the City of Tehama, in honor of the centennial. Tehama was, of course, the first settlement in what would become Tehama County - in fact, the county was named after the city, not the other way around. Even though the town is small in population, it is rich in history.

Children's games will be run by the Los Molinos Fire Department this year, and will include a cake walk, water balloon toss, pie-eating contest, and egg-and-spoon race.

The tri-tip dinner at the end of the day is a Jubilee tradition you won't want to miss. Besides a generous helping of the tri-tip, the meal also includes baked beans, green salad, roll, and dessert - a bargain priced at $8.50. Child's plates will be available for $5.00. We are also selling tickets for those who want to beat the crowd and pre-purchase dinner at the discounted price of $8.00.

Sourdough Paul's Ramblings

Greetings from the City of Tehama, my fellow prospectors and travelers on the road on life. It's sure enough summertime and as I look around the city it occurs to me that she's got just too civilized for her own britches.

Why, I can remember the day when livin' here meant you might not get home to say yer prayers at night. What with the river and undertow, steam engines that crept up on ya' without headlight or warning - kinda embarrassing gettin' caught out in the middle of that railroad bridge - and all sorts of dangerous fried catfish over at the La Reina Hotel. They didn't believe in refrigeration. If the ice block melts, then you replace it . . . none sooner. Dangerous kitchen.

So, if'n you like to compare, just look across the river to the Los Molinos folks' side. What'll ya' see? Bunches of them dang old sycamores towering along the river, that's what. Look at our "safer" side, none save that poor triple-trunked orphan hundred yards south of the bridge. It's been neutered to safety with nary a lone branch to fall. Kinda looks like one of them fruity poodles ya' see with the rhinestone collar. Couldn't hurt a flea.

And that's the rub. They gave life meaning. Dangerous as a mule with a rock in her shoe. Look out! You could never tell when you might get conked. Those mighty California sycamores gave flavor to life on the river. When you stepped out your back door you knew it was summer by the smell. Leafed out, they would give off a musty, woodsy odor that combined with the river to make you want to drop in a line, go barefoot, and do anything under God's sun other than work. They got power. Grow taller than a passing cloud, have many trunks, sometimes meltin' together makin' a slab of wood eight, ten foot across. 'Course, the wood is next to worthless for buildin', but burns real hot in stoves. That's where these-here civil type folks put the trees. Can't have an official city with trees killin' the unwary. That would be untoward. (there's a 25 cent word for ya')

Guess I should explain: The California sycamore takes real pleasure in splittin' in two and comin' down without prior warnin'. Happens mostly in summer when its branches are suckin' up all the river water. Then, they get plenty heavy. I've seen 'em come down and take out a deluxe two-hole privy. (Big family.)

Before ya' can shout "When's lunch?" the slightest breeze will bring 'em on down. WHAM!!

A book was run in all the saloons where you picked a date for a crash and ya' put your money down, and a fallin' branch meant somebody in town was a few dollars richer. Saloons are now gone, as well as those trees on this side of the river. But those roughnecks on the other side can still enjoy the excitement of life among the California sycamores.

Your Museum at Work

On June 12, the Museum hosted the California Retired Teacher's Association luncheon. As always, it was a pleasant event for the teachers, and a profitable one for the Museum, which provided salads, drinks, and other lunchables.

On May 20th, the Museum observed Archaeology Month by inviting Professor Greg White, the Director of the Archaeological Research Program at CSU, Chico, to give a talk about an excavation of Native American rockshelters at Payne's Creek. He presented an excellent slide-show about the excavation, and the geologic history of the area.

On July 2, the Museum participated in the City of Tehama's Centennial Celebration, which included food, music and a horseshoe tournament.

We had a great number of people, many of them first-time visitors, who came inside to tour the Museum. Many thanks to E Clampus Vitus for cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs, and to the City of Tehama for its generous support of the Museum on this occasion.

Dairyville Orchard Festival

The usual crew will be back again at this year's Dairyville Orchard Festival on October 21. The Museum will be selling its famous "36 lady" prune cake to the crowd, and it's usually quite a fun time for all. Anyone who is interested in baking up both large and small loaves of the cake should contact Ruth Britt at 385-1057.

Curator's Corner

Every artifact has a story to be told, to illustrate that point I will share the story of Pokey Pete's Shoes. They were donated by Lillian Hornby, which included a short biography of Edward O'Brien aka "Pokey Pete" I have included excerpts of that biography below.

Pokey Pete's real name was Edward P. O'Brien Mr. O'Brien was born in the year 1866 in the state of Iowa. After leaving the Middle West, and before coming to Red Bluff, Mr. O'Brien became an expert wool grader. For a time he was occupied as a rug salesman in Salt Lake City, Utah. After coming to Red Bluff, he farmed his little acreage, raised some chickens and did gardening

Edward O'Brien was an eccentric old recluse who lived in Red Bluff for forty-five years. He was a resident of California for approximately fifty years. He was a very modern man, a sort of modern day hippie. Mr. O'Brien never shaved or cut his hair and often wore a straw hat. He was exceptionally friendly and always had a deep respect for women and children, even though he never married. Edward O'Brien was exceedingly well known for neighborliness in his community, his honesty and kindness to little children. Mr.O'Brien once compiled a book of poetry, which had some fifty poems that he had printed and sold over 2000 copies. His book of poems was filled with homely philosophy that vividly portrayed the serene character of the man himself.

Pokey Pete never wore shoes. Instead he took board planks, a pencil and drew lines around his feet then he had somebody cut out the boards. After having the planks cut in the shape of his foot he ran straps of leather across the planks and made sandals. Coming down a paved street he was very noticeable because of the "clip-clop" sound of his homemade sandals.

Pokey Pete lived in a shack about one and one half miles south of Red Bluff. The shack was made of railroad ties and was only about 12 feet square. His shack had only one door and one small window. Pokey Pete had a lock on the door and at night, to help prevent burglaries, he put a small stool against the door.

The following is the statement of the Superior Court Judge, The Honorable E.F. Lennon. The Superior Court's statement is a summary history of the crime of which Floyd Louis Davis was convicted, and the facts and circumstances involved:

"It appears there was a rumor that the complainant in this case was possessed with considerable wealth, and being a recluse, such wealth was supposed to have been about his little cabin, which is located on a tract of very poor land about a mile south of Red Bluff. This rumor was brought very particularly to the attention of the Defendant, Davis by his father, who in passing this place last summer in the company of his son made the statement that the old gentleman living there had a large amount of money secreted there some place. It appears that the three defendants were rooming at the Cone Tavern in Red Bluff for a few weeks prior to the crime and were constant companions. On the 15th of December the Defendants, Davis, Lorden and Van Sant, with a colored man who was not apprehended, went to the complainant's cabin, broke in the door, and were met by the old man, who showed fright. Whereby they grappled with him and threw him down, one holding his head on the stone steps and another holding a rifle on him, and they beat him about the head until blood flowed freely. At the same time they demanded that he tell them where he had his money, threatening to kill him. Van Sant, on hearing the old man's cries, ran to the road a short distance away. Whether in fear of the outcry, or as an outlook we could not determine. The other two, with the colored man, were successful in securing only about four dollars from the trousers of the old man, and ran away. They were arrested within about an hour after the commission of the offense and confessed. They also confessed that they went a short time before this crime to a place four miles north of Red Bluff and robbed an old man of sandals. Coming down a paved street he was very noticeable because of the "clip-clop" sound of his homemade sandals.

Pokey Pete lived in a shack about one and one half miles south of Red Bluff. The shack was made of railroad ties and was only about 12 feet square. His shack had only one door and one small window. Pokey Pete had a lock on the door and at night, to help prevent burglaries, he put a small stool against the door.

The following is the statement of the Superior Court Judge, The Honorable E.F. Lennon. The Superior Court's statement is a summary history of the crime of which Floyd Louis Davis was convicted, and the facts and circumstances involved:

"It appears there was a rumor that the complainant in this case was possessed with considerable wealth, and being a recluse, such wealth was supposed to have been about his little cabin, which is located on a tract of very poor land about a mile south of Red Bluff. This rumor was brought very particularly to the attention of the Defendant, Davis by his father, who in passing this place last summer in the company of his son made the statement that the old gentleman living there had a large amount of money secreted there some place. It appears that the three defendants were rooming at the Cone Tavern in Red Bluff for a few weeks prior to the crime and were constant companions. On the 15th of December the Defendants, Davis, Lorden and Van Sant, with a colored man who was not apprehended, went to the complainant's cabin, broke in the door, and were met by the old man, who showed fright. Whereby they grappled with him and threw him down, one holding his head on the stone steps and another holding a rifle on him, and they beat him about the head until blood flowed freely. At the same time they demanded that he tell them where he had his money, threatening to kill him. Van Sant, on hearing the old man's cries, ran to the road a short distance away. Whether in fear of the outcry, or as an outlook we could not determine. The other two, with the colored man, were successful in securing only about four dollars from the trousers of the old man, and ran away. They were arrested within about an hour after the commission of the offense and confessed. They also confessed that they went a short time before this crime to a place four miles north of Red Bluff and robbed an old man of twenty some odd dollars, and also attempted to rob a Chinaman in Willows."

Many times before and after Mr. O'Brien was robbed and beaten, by thieves searching for his hidden fortune. That is the kind of treatment that he got in return for his kindness and neighborliness.

On August 14, 1938 Edward P. O'Brien died. His death was at about eight a.m. and he died of heart disease and coronary thrombosis. The report of Mr. O'Brien's death was reported in the August 15, 1938 issue of the Red Bluff Daily News. His body was found on the evening of August 14th by A.J. Walton, who went to investigate after the old man was not seen all that day.

From the Red Bluff Daily News, August 15, 1938: "Mr. O'Brien was a self-educated man, and was generally credited with having obtained considerable knowledge of current affairs through his extensive reading. His views on socialism were said to have been well advanced."

After an effort was made to locate any of Mr. O'Brien's relatives, Fickert's Funeral Chapel announced funeral arrangements. Edward P. O'Brien was 72 years old when he died. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery on August 19, 1938. None of Mr. O'Brien's relatives were found or known to be living.

On Saturday, August 17, 1946, Ben Lowery discovered Pokey Pete's buried treasure. Early Saturday Mr. Lowery, who was working on an industrial site south of Red Bluff, uncovered the buried fortune. He was operating a scraper on a small knoll where Pokey Pete's shack was located, scraped off the earth surface about a foot's depth where Mr. Lowery was amazed to find two broken jars with coins oozing out of them onto the dusty ground. He jumped down from his scraper and filled his hat with the glittering coins before the other workers knew what had happened. The amount of money found was $213.78 dollars. Judge Wetter obtained two gold coins from Mr. Lowery. Head of the excavators, Archie Draper, was the man who counted the money. The oldest coin found in the cache was a silver dollar date 1878, while another silver "cartwheel" was minted as late 1928.

Red Bluff Daily News, August 15, 1938, Red Bluff, California, Monday evening edition: "Edward O'Brien sat by the side of the road as it

Tehama County Museum Foundation; P.O. Box 275; Tehama, CA 96090
(530) 384-2595