Monthly news & updates
May 1, 2021
A Message from the President

Dear Friends, Supporters and Members,
So many things are traditionally honored in May - in fact, there are actually 31 named “celebrations'' throughout the month. In addition to the well-known May Day (today), Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) and Mother’s Day (second Sunday), nature, food and taking a break from the daily grind are all recurrent themes! May 4th is Bird Day; May 16th is Love a Tree Day and World Turtle Day is May 23rd. National Truffle Day is May 2nd – the sweet ones, not those found in the forest, May 6th is International No-Diet Day, Hummus Day reigns on May 13th, National Walnut Day is May 17th, and there are two highly-enjoyed favorites – Chocolate Chip Day on May 15th and National Devil’s Food Cake Day on May 19th. There is even National Wine Day on May 25th and National Blueberry Cheesecake Day on May 26th. Especially exciting to some would be National No Dirty Dishes Day on May 18th and Learn About Composting Day on May 29th.
This May, we are all (seemingly) breathing just a bit easier in relation to COVID-19 and whatever our “new-normal” will be is beginning to form. This same thought keeps running through my mind: “There is Much to Remember and Reflect on this Memorial Day….” While it is certainly true that Memorial Day is a day to remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our nation, somehow, there just feels a need to expand that in our hearts to encompass those who also lost their lives in such an unexpected manner over the past 14 months. While we may be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in this regard, clearly, if you watch the news at all, other countries are deep in the throes of despair. And, let’s be honest, even here at home, there are deep issues separating us that show few signs of immediate resolution.

It was during a time of ultimate divide in the United States that Decoration Day, the forerunner of Memorial Day, was conceived. The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in our history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there.
Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.

By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.
A little-known fact is that one of the first documented Decoration Day ceremonies was held by freed slaves. As the Civil War neared its end, thousands of Union soldiers, held as prisoners of war, were herded into a series of hastily assembled camps in Charleston, South Carolina. Conditions at one camp, a former racetrack near the city’s Citadel, were so bad that more than 250 prisoners died from disease or exposure.         
                                                                                                  
Three weeks after the Confederate surrender, an unusual procession entered the former camp: On May 1, 1865, more than 1,000 recently freed slaves, accompanied by regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops (including the Massachusetts 54th Infantry) and a handful of white Charlestonians, gathered in the camp to consecrate a new, proper burial site for the Union dead. The group sang hymns, gave readings and distributed flowers around the cemetery, which they dedicated to the “Martyrs of the Race Course” were buried in a mass grave behind the track’s grandstand. 
Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 pm local time and visits to cemeteries are common. Memorial Day originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I, the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War IIThe Vietnam WarThe Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Here in the San Joaquin Valley, Memorial Day is considered the beginning of the summer-fun season since it is usually already so warm. Picnics, swimming and trips to the lake abound. But in 2021, maybe we can just remind ourselves that, like Veterans Day in November, these 24-hour periods are more than an extra day off. Remember not to greet those who have served in the military with “Happy Memorial Day.” Each of them knows far too many brave men and women who are no longer here to enjoy a hot dog on the beach or to watch their grandchildren learn to catch the ball. Those are the ones we need to keep in our hearts and minds on this May 31st.
Memorial Day Poem from World War I  “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
                                    
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Warmest regards,
Elizabeth Laval
President, Fresno County Historical Society
The Evolution of Ladies’ Fashion from 1900 to the 1930s
Much like the 1800s, the turn of the century did not afford women the luxury of comfort, even in their sleepwear. This era was dominated by restrictive, S-bend corsets. It thrust the hips backwards and forced the chest forward into a fashionable pouter-pigeon shape, emphasized with puffed, frilly blouses that were often embellished with decorations like lace collars and broad ribbon ties. Separates were popular, with skirts fitted over the hip and fluted towards the hem. Hair was worn in a center parting, often looped around pads and false hair to create a wide “brim” of hair around the hairline. This hairstyle was worn under vast, broad-brim hats with low crowns and adorned all over with flowers, lace, ribbons and feathers.

From 1910-1919…
Fashion in the 1910s, like the decade itself, may be divided into two periods: before the war and during the war. World War I had a profound effect on society and culture as a whole and fashion was no exception.
The S-curve softened in the early part of the decade but still relied on the top-heavy look. As this S-shape began to disappear altogether, skirts began to taper towards the bottom and a completely new style, that of a revived empire waist, emerged as well.
During this decade, frilly, puffed blouses and fluted skirts continued to be popular. A slightly high waistline was fashionable, as was a long tunic-like top worn over an ankle length A-line or “hobble” skirt) which narrowed so much at the bottom of the skirt that it made it difficult for women to walk. During World War I (1914–18), women adopted practical, working clothes and they sometimes wore uniform, overalls and trousers. Towards the end of the decade, younger women sported short bobs.

One noticeable adjustment was the ankle which was actually allowed to be seen in the latter styles of this time period. As you look through our store window display images, note the difference between clothing of 1914 and that of 1918. Of course, this was a very subtle change considering what was just around the corner!
The Roaring ‘20s
At the dawn of the 1920s, the world was still reeling from World War I. The conflict, which ended just over a year before the new decade began, had a fundamental and irreversible effect on society, culture and fashion. Essential to these new styles was a simplicity that had not previously been seen in women’s fashion. At the very beginning of the 1920s, it was fashionable for women to wear high-waisted, rather barrel-shaped outfits, and tunic-style tops were prevalent. However, between 1920 and 1922, waistlines dropped to hip level, obscuring natural curves for a tubular, androgynous look. Young, very fashionable “flappers” wore their hems at knee level, with neutral-colored stockings and colorful garters. Hemlines drifted between ankle and mid-calf for the duration of the decade. Jewelry was prominent, including large brooches and long strings of pearls. Hair was worn bobbed, sometimes close to the head, and the distinctive cloche hat (a close fitting, bell-shaped hat) was very popular.

Evening dresses sometimes still nearly reached the ground, though many of the popular styles followed the hemline trends of daywear. While simplicity in construction was key to both daywear and eveningwear, the latter benefited from glamorous, ornate decoration: beadwork, sequins and embroidery.

Another trend for women that enjoyed massive popularity in the twenties was that of sportswear worn as daywear. Sportswear had long been an acceptable form of casual wear for men, but in the 1920s, it also became acceptable for women. 
Fashion Continued to Evolve During the Depression Years…
The drop-waist androgyny of the previous decade gave way to a slinky femininity in the 1930s. Parisian couturiers introduced the bias-cut into their designs, which caused the fabric to skim over the body’s curves. Long, simple and clinging evening gowns, made of satin were popular. Often the dresses had low scooping backs. During the day, wool suits with shoulder pads, and fluted knee-length skirts were worn. Fox fur stoles and collars were popular, as were small hats embellished with decorative feather or floral details, worn at an angle. Hair was set short and close to the head, often with gentle “finger waves” at the hairline. Sports and beachwear influenced fashionable dress, and the suntan was coveted for the first time.
Visit the Kearney Mansion Museum and Gallery to view the Fashionable Fresno Exhibition featuring photos and historic clothing from 1910 through the 1930s. The exhibit is on view through June 30th and is included in the Kearney Mansion Tour. Don't miss it!
ROOTS OF THE VALLEY:
DIRIGIBLE THRILLS FRESNANS AS IT CIRCLES OVER CITY
May 18, 1932
Akron Is As Long As Two City Blocks
The huge U.S. Navy airship. Akron, is 785 feet in length, the navy officials tell us. To most of us these figures are just three more numerals, but here’s what officials of the department of public works tell me about it in comparative dimensions.

If the Akron should decide to come down in Fresno’s downtown district and picked out one of the east and west cross streets, with its nose in the middle of Van Ness Avenue, the tip of its tail would be in the middle of Broadway. 

Business Halts as Huge Air Leviathan Circles About City
Crowds Throng Streets and Building Tops as Akron Swings Majestically Through Hazy Atmosphere; Great Gas Bag Seen by Thousands. The eyes of Fresno were turned upward today as the mighty Akron, queen of the skies, sailed leisurely over the city to give Fresnans one of the biggest thrills in a lifetime. 
The huge dirigible, the largest lighter-than-air craft in the world, arrived over the downtown district at 11:30 A.M. after a cruise over various South San Joaquin Valley cities.

Business came to a standstill and classwork was halted in the schools throughout the city while thousands upon thousands of eager Fresnans gazed into the overcast sky to observe the maneuvers of the pride of the United States Navy. She flew at an elevation of approximately 2,000 feet.
The silver-colored craft presented an awe-inspiring picture as is cruised about the city to the delight of Fresnans who ran into the streets, scrambled stop the roofs or leaned out of the windows of downtown office buildings to obtain view.

The unusual sight bright delight to the thousands who had waited for days in the hope that the Akron would fly over Fresno during its stay in California. 

The dirigible was first sighted by a few keen-eyed Fresnans as it passed over the West Side shortly after 10 o’clock on its way to Coalinga and the oil field districts. It then passed from view and was again sighted here around 11 o’clock as it headed for Fresno from the Kerman and Riverdale area.
The huge ship appeared no larger than a football as it came out of the West, still miles away from the city. Its bulk grew larger and larger as it drew nearer to the city and finally loomed into full view in all its glory as it arrived over the downtown section.
Fresnans were fortunate in that cool weather prevailed in the valley, permitting the Akron to fly at such a low altitude as to make its gondola and motors plainly visible. Had the weather been warn, the buoyancy of the craft, due to the rapid expansion of helium gas by the hear, would have necessitated its flying at a high altitude.  
                              
With Lew Hogg, Bee and Republican staff cameraman aboard, Jack Schneider of the Schneider Aero Service followed the Akron on its tour of the West Side. When the ship came near a schoolhouse, Schneider flew low to attract attention of the school children and they trooped out to see the majesty of the sky.

Fire Sirens Sound Warning
With the arrival of the airship over the city, the fire department turned on its sirens as a signal to those who had not learned of the craft’s appearance that the Akron was cruising over Fresno.
Pays Nocturnal Visit
Its motors running smoothly, the moonlight gleaming from its silver sides, the Akron passed over Fresno twice last night, drawing into the streets and back yards thousands of Fresnans who were warned of the approach of the ship through The Fresno Bee Radio.

Through the medium of The Fresno Bee radio, thousands of persons received news of the Akron’s flight over the valley and its arrival over Fresno and were thereby enabled to reach points of vantage from which to watch the huge craft circle about the city.    

It was first sighted approximately three miles to the north of the city as it glided southward, its red, green and white lights blinking from its port and starboard side sides. The nose and tail were by brilliant lights, while a long line of lights streamed from its portholes in the bottom of the ship.
At it nosed its way over the city, the lights blinked a warning to other aircraft, but the vast ship was easily discernable in the brilliant moonlight, even without lights. 

The appearance of the Akron over the city to-day was its second visit here, the craft have having passed over Fresno shortly after 11 o’clock last night enroute to Bakersfield, where it arrived at 7:50 o’clock this morning.

From the Archives of The Fresno Bee newspaper – May 18, 1932
Postscript – Tragically, less than a year after her triumphant visit to the Valley, the Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash.
NEW WALKING TOUR OF KEARNEY PARK STARTING TODAY
The Fresno County Historical Society's tour guides are now offering a new tour option on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 PM starting today. This tour will guide visitors through Kearney Park on a trip back in time to the Fruit Vale Estate founded by M. Theo Kearney himself and operated on the site until the 1949. Visitors will learn about the many structures that stood on the Estate and will gain a glimpse into the life of the workers and Colony Farm families that lived there. Bring your walking shoes for this fascinating, hour-long tour.
MARK YOUR CALENDERS
FOR THESE GREAT EVENTS
MOTHER'S DAY TEA PARTY
Please plan to celebrate Mom on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at the Kearney Mansion Museum with a traditional tea party. The planned event is scheduled to be held on the Mansion's veranda with tables well-spaced apart. The event offers two seating times for tea at 11:00 AM (sold out) and 3:00 PM. Very few tickets remain available for the last seating.

Don't miss this special day. Ticket includes traditional tea service, a tour of Kearney Mansion, passes to view the current exhibition in the new Museum Gallery and a 10% discount coupon for use in the Museum Store.
VIRTUAL TIME TRAVELERS
Join us anytime online for a trip to Fresno County from 1856 to 1910 at out Virtual Time Travelers event. The experience offers 12 immersive and unique lessons will take students on a journey to the America of the late 1800s and will share the story of Fresno County in the 19th century through activities, video presentations and historic images. You will meet Fresno County's first doctor, first teacher and early pioneers. Tour a general store, learn about turn-of-the-century medicine, visit Fresno's colorful Chinatown and see what daily life was like during this historic time. Each lesson includes a discussion guide along with a video or photo gallery and narratives.
This project has been made possible by: Educational Employees Credit Union, Clovis Unified School District, Fresno Unified School District, Assemi Group Inc, The Smittcamp Family Foundation, The Bonner Family Foundation and California Bank and Trust, with additional support from the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools and Bank of America.