White Sulphur Springs Ranch
Living History School Days
White Sulphur Springs Ranch
Living History School Days Program
The program was conceived in 2012 when volunteers Janet Reihsen and Janice Cross visited the Bernhard Museum in Auburn, CA. The museum complex features the historic building, Travelers Rest, which was built in 1851. The house is decorated in Victorian style and costumed interpreters give tours of the site. Janet and Janice studied the set up at the Museum and agreed that it was important to develop a program in Plumas County for 3rd graders that taught them about California living history.
Our first event was held at historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR) in September of 2012, when 50 students from C.R. Carmichael Elementary School in Portola came to the Ranch. While there, students participated in hands-on activities learning about life on the ranch in the 1850's. Students learned about blacksmithing and how important that skill was in maintaining ranch property. They also performed laundry activities, engaged in leather repairs, built wooden fruit boxes, played games, learned about native Americans that lived in the Mohawk Valley in the 1800's and learned about the environment on the ranch that is still rich today. Except for the two pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, School Days has been a yearly tradition at WSSR.
Participation has expanded to include students from Quincy and also includes a more diverse list of ranch activities. The program has been extremely successful and is consistent with one of our most important MVSC goals.
"To promote healthy lifestyles, connect people with nature, and cultivate community engagement through providing a community gathering place, recreation and environmental education center at historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch. "
2024
Posted 11-3-24 Article by John Lullo Photos by Linda Cooley
LIVING HISTORY SCHOOL DAYS
AT WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS RANCH
The volunteers at White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR) hosted 3rd graders from Quincy and Portola, on two successive days, October 23 and 24, at the historic ranch site in Clio. On Wednesday the group from Quincy Elementary toured the site. On Thursday it was the students from C. Roy Carmichael Elementary in Portola. A total of 95 kids, accompanied by 5 teachers and 20 parent chaperones, gave the children a look at what life was like in Plumas County in the 1800’s.
Students rotated through 5 learning stations. First, they were treated to a tour of the historic ranch house by docents in period costume. Then they were rotated through 4 outdoor stations that dealt with homestead cooking and washing, branding, Maidu life and fruit box building. The activities ended at about 1:00 PM with a group picture on the new deck that overlooks the Mohawk Valley.
Some highlights included the discovery of new Maidu grinding stones. In the course of preparing for the students' arrival, Hillary and Bob Hughes moved some brush, scraped off some dirt and uncovered grinding holes that hadn’t be seen in years. At the fruit box station children could make miniature fruit boxes by nailing wood slats together and gluing on labels to illustrate the activities of the old fruit exchange in Graeagle. In 1919 the California Fruit Company purchased land along Graeagle creek in order to cut and mill lumber for fruit boxes they provided to growers across the State. The noise of dozens of hammers pounding nails caused a volunteer’s Apple Watch to declare an emergency. One of the kids at the fruit box station had such a good time he asked Tim Buckhout to shake his little hand….it was a highlight of the day for WSSR volunteers. The kids got to take the boxes they had put together home with them along with wooden plaques that had brands burned into them at Jan Tew’s livestock branding station. The homestead cooking and washing station was presented by Cathy Danielson and Janine Wolcott. Brian Martinez managed the fruit box station.
Living History School Days is partially funded by a grant from the Safeway Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to bettering the lives of people in the neighborhoods and WSSR is very fortunate to have their support. Thank you, Safeway, for your years of support.
The organizer for this year’s event was Jim Maul. School Days is an important outreach of the Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council, stewards of WSSR. A veteran schoolteacher remarked that this year’s event was the best field trip she had experienced in her 25 years of teaching.
Successful restoration depends on fundraisers, contributions and grants.
2023
Posted 10-7-23 Article by John Lullo Photos by Linda Cooley
KIDS ENJOY THE DAY AT WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS RANCH
It’s called Living History School Days at White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR). It happens in September and involves 3rd graders from Portola and Quincy. They learn about the history of the historic property and what it was like to live in Plumas County back in the 1800’s.
A total of 82 children participated this year. On the first day, September 20th, kids came from Quincy Elementary School came. On the next day, Thursday, it was Portola’s C. R. Carmichael’s school that turned out. A total of 22 teachers and chaperones attended and 18 WSSR volunteers guided the kids through the various activities. On each day they were organized in groups and introduced to the newly decorated ranch house before starting on a tour of 4 different outdoor stations. The children experienced frontier cooking, shepherding, Maidu life and fruit box making. It was a day of fun, life and learning.
Living History School Days is partially funded by a grant from the Safeway Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to bettering the lives of people in the neighborhoods and WSSR is very fortunate to have their support.
The organizer for this year’s event was Jim Maul. School Days is an important outreach of the Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC), stewards of White Sulphur Springs Ranch. The goal is to completely restore the old property for use by the community. It depends on fundraisers, contributions and grants. There are over 300 members and a large group of active volunteers. Interested parties should check the website at www.WhiteSulphurSpringsRanch.com.
The kids loved getting out of the classroom for a day and getting hands on experience of a day in old Plumas County. There were many happy faces and the feedback from teachers was very positive. The dedicated volunteers at WSSR look forward to School Days 2024.
2022
Posted 10-3-22 Article by John Lullo Photos by Linda Cooley
After a two year Covid layoff, the kids came back to White Sulphur Springs Ranch in 2022. The previous School Days was in 2019, which was the last one in an unbroken string stretching back eight previous years to September of 2009. Unlike in previous years which only welcomed students from Portola, this year 3rd graders from two different schools stepped back in time. Over 100 kids from Quincy and Portola participated, helped by 16 teachers and 20 volunteers from each community.
Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) volunteers showed what the ranch and the community was like in the old days. The event was organized by a five member planning committee. Six different educational stations were coordinated by Cathy Danielson and directed each day by Jim Maul.
Each day began with a group welcome and introduction by Bob Hughes. The kids were then broken down into small groups to begin their tour of six different stations. First one was a tour of the old ranch house given by docent and volunteer chairman Judy Porep-Lullo, in period costume. The kids then proceeded to 5 different educational stations. There was frontier cooking, shepherding, Maidu life, fruit box construction and washboard laundry.
The pioneer cooking station was manned by Cathy and Bob Danielson. The kids ate Johnny cakes and made homemade butter. They learned about the daily life of a pioneer child. The next stop was “shepherding” with real live sheep! Anna Harvey and her crew from Harvey Farms showed the many products we get from sheep and the kids were allowed to see these animals close up. In station number four Janice Cross and Hillary Hughes led the kids up a local trail to show them Maidu Indian grinding rocks and local artifacts. At station number five Janet and Leo Reihsen, with a bunch of volunteer “carpenters”, showed them how to make miniature wooden fruit boxes. In 1919 the California Fruit Company purchased the land along Graeagle Creek in order to cut and mill lumber to build shipping boxes for fruit which they provided to growers throughout the State. The old fruit exchange still stands in Graeagle and the blue anchor California fruit logo can be seen on this stone building. The students got to keep the wooden boxes they produced. At the final station Janine Wolcott showed them how the laundry was done in the old days. The kids hauled water and used old fashioned washboards. Each day ended with the classes assembling on the deck for a group photo taken by Linda Cooley.
Living History School Days 2022 was partially funded by the Safeway Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to bettering the lives of people in the neighborhoods. In a letter dated May 23. 2022, Wendy Gutshall of the Foundation’s Northern California Division, sent a check for $2500 to Janet Reihsen of the MVSC. The MVSC depends on support like this to complete the work of restoration at the historic ranch site. It is especially welcomed because this grant specifically supports the School Days program for 3rd graders in Portola and Quincy schools.
The mission of the MVSC is to serve as a community gathering place and a center for living history. The many hardworking volunteers hope that these students will be future supporters of White Sulphur Springs Ranch and that their children will be able to come here one day to enjoy the site and learn about the proud history of the Mohawk and Sierra Valleys.
Interested parties that would like to be a part of the restoration of WSSR should e-mail Volunteer@WhiteSulphurSpringsRanch.com
2018
Posted 9-25-18 Photos by Linda Cooley
Third grade students from C. Roy Carmichael stepped back in time again by attending the 5th annual “School Days at White Sulphur Springs Ranch” field trip. Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) volunteers showed what it was like at the Ranch in 1858 when it was a stage coach stop on the way to Quincy. Teachers Alex Cone and Tenaya Kooynan used the trip as an opportunity to inject a little local flavor into their California history curriculum for the 44 - 3rd graders in attendance. The MVSC hosted the field trip as a part of its community outreach effort. The day was organized by Karen Fraser and assisted by a dozen volunteers manning six stations where hands on demonstrations were conducted.
A highlight of the day was a lunchtime music fest led by Ranger Pat O’Reilly who played the guitar and was accompanied by kids banging on washboards, string bases and other improvised instruments.
All in all it was a great day for the kids and for the MVSC volunteers who were delighted to experience the energy and enthusiasm of the C. Roy Carmichael 3rd graders.
2016
Posted 9-25-16 Photos by Linda Cooley
OUR LARGEST CLASS OF 3rd. GRADERS EVER with 58 students attending this years White Sulphur Springs Ranch "Living History School Days program", on September 15th.
2015
Posted 10-6-15 Article by John Lullo Photos by Linda Cooley
KIDS LEARN ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY... White Sulphur Springs Ranch hosted its fourth annual Living History School Days on Friday, September 18. It was a busy day of great fun and learning for the 3rd grade classes at C. Roy Carmichael Elementary School. A series of six stations run by White Sulphur Springs Ranch volunteers gave the children a look at life on the Ranch in 1858 when it was a stagecoach stop. Prior to the settlers, only Native Americans gathered here and some of the activities dealt with how they did things. The day included bits of local California history to fit the curriculum for teachers Tenaya Kooyman and Kim Williamson.
White Sulphur Springs Ranch hosted the field trip as part of its community outreach. Janice Cross, retired 3rd grade teacher from C. Roy Carmichael, organized the event. The 55 kids rotated in groups around six stations manned by teaching volunteers. Bill and Sally Tantau showed kids the old fashioned way to haul water and wash clothes. Annie Fischer demonstrated kids playtime back then by using marbles and she helped the kids craft dolls from scraps of fabric. Patrick O’Reilly, a ranger at Plumas Eureka State Park, taught the kids how to play music with washtubs, wash boards and other everyday items. Janice Cross showed how Native Americans, who gathered in the Valley, used plants, animals and stone tools for all their needs. She pointed out the grinding holes where they worked. Janet and Leo Reihsen, with several helpers, helped the kids to construct miniature fruit boxes, complete with labels, to illustrate the activities of the old fruit exchange in Graeagle. The final station was manned by John Work, a volunteer at Plumas Eureka State Park, who demonstrated how a blacksmith made metal items for the horses and wagons that stopped at the Ranch in its early history.
At the end of the day, the kids took home the items they had made along with a lot of enthusiasm about what they learned. New this year, thanks to an idea by volunteer Tim Buckhout, each student received a certificate awarding them a calendar year membership in the Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council with the title of “Ranch Apprentice”. Beginning in October, each student will receive the first part of a three part series on the history of the Ranch. The series will tell about contributions White Sulphur Springs Ranch has made to Plumas County and California history.
2014
Posted 10-19-14 Article by John Lullo Photos by Linda Cooley
A Step Back in Time... 2014 marks the third annual White Sulphur Springs Ranch Annual School Days where 47 3rd grade students from C.R. Carmichael Elementary School in Portola participated in a "Living History" of life on the Ranch in the 1850's. Program Coordinator Janice Cross, a retired 3rd grade teacher from C.R. Carmichael School organized the day. Upon their arrival students were taken into the historic ranch house for a brief history lesson on life in 1858. From there they participated in six living history activities which included, blacksmithing, laundry, indian lore, making fruit boxes, leather crafting and play time where students played games, played musical instruments they made and worked on crafts like kids did in 1858. The day was fun for everyone and a great learning experience for the kids.
Many thanks to Janice Cross for organizing the day and to Bill and Sally Tantau, Leo and Janet Reihsen, Dave and Dink Rife, Kathy Hall, Dennis Black, Annie Fischer, Patrick O'Reilly and others for operating their living history activities. A special thanks goes to 3rd grade teachers Katie Dollard and Tenaya Kooyman and their students for all the hard work they did to prepare for this important day.
2013
2012
School Days "Outdoor Ed" - Portola Reporter 9/26/2012 (in pdf)
Member comments and photos from School Days (in pdf)
