Museum is now closed due to Covid safety concerns and State and County requirements.
Southern Tuolumne County History Society
Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum
After-Christmas Sale: Groveland Big Oak Flat History Book
STCHS's new book, Groveland Big Oak Flat, is on sale for 2021. For only $3 shipping, you can send the best of local history straight to yourself or someone you know. With 200+ vintage photos, it's the perfect glimpse into our area's colorful history. Buy online, or send your order form by e-mail.
GAMBLE - WELLS FARGO WINTER SPRUCE UP
Cleaning Inside
Tending the 100 year old garden
Tending the 100 year old garden
On Saturday, Jan. 23, a group of STCHS Board volunteers cleaned and tidied up the furniture, walls, curtains, and windows of the Gamble - Wells Fargo building in Big Oak Flat. President Harriet Codegilia (pictured left) and Kathy Brown donned their masks and dusted, vacuumed, and generally made the place sparkle. Hundreds of spiders and dustbunnies lost their homes!
Tending the 100 year old garden
Tending the 100 year old garden
Tending the 100 year old garden
BOARD member Joe Hopkins, a professional landscaper prior to coming to Groveland, applied his expertise to pruning the bushes around the porch. It is estimated that the rose bushes could date from the early days of the building - about 100 years. With Joe's care, we expect them to last another 100 years!
COVID CLOSURE
Due to recent worsening in state Covid incidence and by order of the State of California, all museums, including our Groveland Museum, are closed to the public until further notice. We're sorry for the closure and hope to re-open safely as soon as possible.
MYSTERY SOLVED! THANKS TO OUR READERS
Groveland Museum's Mystery for 2021
On Jan. 9, we posted a request for assistance in identifying a "mystery artifact" (pictured above), one of many items from the Reid family donated by Jo Hayden.
Within just a few hours we had the answer. Mystery solved! Mike McEvoy and Calisbad Hobbes both identified the item as a "sailmaker's palm." It is used to repair sails when pushing a needle and thread through the thick material of a sail. It is analogous to a "thimble" that helps push a needle through ordinary fabric. The sailor's thumb goes through the hole in the leather while the metal piece rests against the palm. The metal piece is able to apply needed force against the needle. The leather straps help hold the item in the hand.
Many thanks to our sailing experts, Mike and Calisbad!