I received a phone call from Liz, our Crockett Librarian. She had talked to the nephew of a 90 year old New Mexico resident who has written a book about being in Crockett in the 1930s as a youngster of 15. Living in the Chicago area, he and some friends decided to "ride the rails" to California. He recounts his experiences hopping several freight trains at some peril to himself. He eventually arrives in Crockett and discovers that the WPA anticipated that young people would be part of the unemployed and had a camp set up. The young men stayed at the Union Hotel and worked part-time at Mare Island. After a time he met a high school girl and exchanged addresses. They lost contact with each other and he wanted to find out what happened to her. I was able to identify her family and provide the author with her school photo. She had passed away but now he knew something about her subsequent life.
We receive donations frequently. The other day a lady who had lived in Crockett in the 1920's brought in a trunkload of pictures, news clippings, and documents from their ownership of the Crockett Drug Company at 805 Loring. One of the donations was a bible printed in 1850 that had been the bible of one of her relatives who came to California as a Methodist minister/missionary. In the bible he had stored many items such as obituaries of relative, pictures and letters. She also gave us a couple items from the drug store that will be interesting exhibits such as a pint brandy bottle (empty of course) clearly labeled for medical use only. Remember, this was during the depression.
I plan on writing an article for the Signal Magazine with the details on these donations (names, places, bank accounts, report cards, etc.) and you will have a chance to see some of these.
Our Museum is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 10 to 3, admission free. Come visit.
