NSGW Historical Preservation Foundation

Historical Preservation Foundation Update


If there was an appropriate song for the Historical Preservation Foundation it would probably be” On the Road

Again”. The last few months have been quite hectic traveling around the beautiful state of California. Visiting

Parlors north and south. Sharing the goals and objectives of the Historical Preservation Foundation. Travels have

included Los Banos Parlor, Observatory Parlor, Sonoma Parlor, Guadalupe Parlor, Amador Parlor, Dolores-

California Parlor, Redwood Parlor, Pebble Beach Parlor and Piedmont Parlor. During some of these trips it was a

great pleasure to be able to thank the Parlor and the members for their generous support to assist the Historical

Preservation Foundation to continue to promote the aims and goals of the Native Sons of the Golden West,

Education and Preservation of the history of California.

In the coming few months look for announcements from various Historical Preservation Foundation Directors, like

Vice Chairman Robert Bruno and his development team regarding a PowerPoint Presentation to share with

potential donors, or Director/Grand Trustee Brice Walker and his creation of “Historical Preservation Foundation

Awareness Month “. Or, the Board of Directors rolling out various awards for varying levels of donations. These will

include special buttons, pins, patches and challenge coins. Be on the lookout for how you can get your own HPF

award. These are just a few of the projects that the Historical Preservation Foundation Board of Directors are

working on to improve our effectiveness at supporting the Native Sons of the Golden West. The Historical

Preservation Foundation looks forward to discussing ideas for fundraising and worthy projects to showcase what

Native Sons of the Golden West are all about. Please feel free to reach out to your local Director of the HPF, as

listed below, if you have new ideas for fundraisers, or if you have a recommendation of a corporate or individual

donor that you feel we should approach, or information about a project that you feel should be investigated and

supported that will enhance California Historical Preservation and Education. We look forward to working hard for

each and every Native Son for the coming year. We appreciate the opportunity to assist the Native Sons of the

Golden West to prosper and grow. Please look at the Historical Preservation Foundations roster and find your local

Director to discuss how the HPF can help your Parlor with a future project. We always look forward to talking, and

working with the Brothers of the Native Sons of the Golden West.


Board of Directors 2023-2024


Greater San Francisco Area Directors

Marcia Skelton Redwood66ms@yahoo.com 650-787-8779

Robert Bruno Bigbobbruno@gmail.com 650-678-7641

George Adams Gafish64@gmail.com 707-481-4295

Gary Padgett Gpadg69699@yahoo.com 707-315-2017


Doug Love Doug1066@gmail.com 707-328-6177

Dan Ryan. Dano1888@yahoo.com 510-331-3355

Brice Walker Valk_man@yahoo.com 408-623-1014

Greater Southern California Area Directors

Alfred Jones Siraj5773@gmail.com 530-693-8089

Gold Country Area Directors and Liaison to Grand Parlor

Lee Adams Hangman@jps.net 530-289-3506

Jedidiah Watson I.Haas.food@gmail.com 816-352-5410

Ethan Phillips Jhonnyreb@hotmail.com 530-713-5997

Greater Northern California Area Directors

Carl von Bargen Orovillegolf@gmail.com 530-828-2039

Richard Cortez Nsgwrichardcortez@gmail.com 707-499-7843

Project Update

In June, the HPF awarded a grant to the Fiddletown Preservation Society to help with the preservation of the Fiddletown Schoolhouse.  On September 25, we received the following note from Elaine Zorbas, Director of the Fiddletown Preservation Society:


We wanted to share with you the results of the grant that we received this year from the NSGW HPF to improve the safety and appearance of Fiddletown’s one-room schoolhouse. As of August, the Schoolhouse now sports a structurally safe new walkway, rebuilt steps and new skirting boards beneath our front porch.  Your support was instrumental in helping us achieve the most critical elements of this project.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Cordially,

 

Elaine Zorbas

Director, Fiddletown Preservation Society




Project Update

On August 5, 2023, Pebble Beach Parlor hosted a calamari steak dinner as a fundraiser for the ongoing restoration of their building, a historic Methodist Church in Pescadero.  Several Grand Officers and and Grand President George Adams were in attendance.

Summer Updates

Beyond the grants to relocate the Centerville Cross in Ferndale and to the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation for interpretive signage, the HPF has also approved grants to:

Currently, the Board of Directors has talen the month of July off and out next meeting is scheduled for August.  After that, check here for updates!

Check Presentations

The work of the HPF continues.  Grand Trustee and HPF Director Richard Cortez presented a $6000 check to Ferndale Parlor #93 to help fund the relocation of the Centerville Cross and Grand Trustee and HPF Treasurer Douglas Love presented a $5000 check to the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation for interpretive signage for the USS Mariano G. Vallejo Memorial. Pictured with Richard Cortez are the Brothers of Ferndale Parlor.  Pictured with Douglas Love are Brother Mike Kollar and his wife Dorothy, Brother Mike Steinberger and his wife Geraldine, of Vallejo Parlor #77, NSGW, MIHP Foundation Directors Bruce Christensen, Lynn Anderson, Dennis Kelly, and President Kent Fortner.

Thank You!

On behalf of the directors of the HPF, I wish to thank all of the Brothers who participated in the Special Fundraiser this year.  Your generosity resulted in a net of $3905.91 for the HPF and I can assure you that those funds will be put to use helping to preserve California's History for future generations.

Thank You, my Brothers!


Douglas Love

Grand Trustee

Treasurer- HPF

Napa Parlor #62


Project Update!

June 14, 2023

Last year, the Historical Preservation Foundation helped fund a Gold Rush Exhibit at the Benicia Historical Museum.  The exhibit is open and features a replica Miner's Tent, rockers, sluice boxes and artifacts from the 1840's and 1850's along with interpretive signage.    The museum may be asking for further funding in the near future.  Thanks to Executive Director Jen Roger, from Placerville #9, for some of the pictures and to her staff for such a fine exhibit!  You can visit the museum's website at: https://beniciahistoricalmuseum.org/

Legacy Day at Donner Memorial Park

On June 10, 2023 Members of the HPF were invited to take part in "Legacy Day" at the Donner Memorial State Park.  Chairman Carl von Bargen, Grand 3rd Vice President Kris Nelson, Vice-Chairman Robert Bruno, and Treasurer Douglas Love attended the event and manned the NSGW booth.  We were able to see, first hand the restoration of the monument and the further plans for landscaping and beautifying the area.  The Native Sons were the original owners of the park, the builders of the monument and the original concessionaire organization.  We are proud of our continuing relationship with the Sierra State Parks Foundation and look forward to the final completion of the Donner project.  To find out more about the Sierra State Parks Foundation, please visit:

https://sierrastateparks.org/


146th Grand Parlor

During the week of May 14th through May 19th, the Foundation had a hospitality room open in South Lake Tahoe.  Chairman Carl von Bargen and the Board of Directors wish to thank the volunteers who staffed the room, especially Sean and Lisa Roden, Karen von Bargen, and Bree Aichele.  Finally, we wish to thank all of the donors for their generosity and support, without all of you, we could not continue to fulfill our mission of preserving California's rich history for future generations.

Thank you.

442nd Regimental Combat Team Dedication

While some members of the HPF were in Smartsville for Pioneer Day, others were taking part in a historic joint plaque dedication at the 442nd 1combat Infantry Team Memorial in Roseville with member of the Native Sons and the Japanese American Citizen's League.




Pioneer Day in Smartsville

Members of the HPF barbequed tri-tip on April 29 as a fundraiser for the restoration of Church of the Immaculate Conception in Smartsville during the Pioneer Day Celebration.  Thank you Director Brice Walker and Grand Trustee Richard Cortez for the photos.

Join The HPF at Pioneer Day in Smartsville!!!!!      April 29, 2023

We will be selling Tri-tip at this event. Come by and Say Hi and find out what great projects we are working on.


Hope to see you There!!!!!!


Event Information Found Here!!!!

Pioneer Day (smartsvillehistoricchurch.org) 



Spring is here!! (Sort of...)

Pebble Beach Update

Work continues on Pebble Beach Parlor's meeting hall.  The photos below are courtesy of Frank Vento.


Project Update

Pebble Beach Parlor continues it's restoration of it's hall which is the historic 1890 Methodist-Episcopalian Church in Pescadero.  New windows are being installed and new siding is going on to make sure the building is preserved for future generations.  Photo Credit: Frank Vento, Pebble Beach Parlor #230



Benicia Historical Museum Grant

One of the more recent grants made by the HPF was a $2500 matching grant to the Benicia Historical Museum to begin work in a new Gold Rush exhibit.






Pebble Beach Parlor Restoration

Another of our ongoing projects is the restoration of the building used as a meeting place by Pebble Beach Parlor #230 of the Native Sons of the Golden West.  This historic building began life in 1890 as the Methodist-Episcopal Church in Pescadero.  After the 1906 Earthquake, the building served as a school house and community center.  From 1927-1941, it served as the Japanese Community Center.  In 1941, the Native Sons and Native daughters purchased the building and jointly owned it until 1999.  The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  In 2000, the Native Sons and the Pescadero History Project began to jointly restore the hall and operate it on behalf of the community as a community center.  In 2020, Pebble Beach acquired sole ownership of the building and continue to restore it and use it as a meeting place and community center.

Photo Credit: Frank Vento, Pebble Beach #230

2022-2023 Directors

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 Board of Directors.

  Gary Padgett

  Richard Cortez