Newsletter

Fall 2006

Emma’s: HPL’s Request Denied by   The Historic District Commission

At their August 16th meeting, the Historic District Commission voted 5-1 to keep the structure known as “Emma’s” on the City’s Cultural Resources list.

The Heritage Preservation League of Folsom had requested that it be removed. It was our position that because the structure was moved a great distance from its original location, it was no longer locally significant.

Before it was moved, the structure was located within one block of the original location. It was HPL’s position that the historical significance of the structure was in the fact that it was the last surviving 19th century structure north of Leidesdorff Street in the Old Negro Bar/Chinatown District of Folsom.  According to the National Register Bulletin on evaluating the integrity of a property, “except is rare cases, the relationship between a property and its historic associations is destroyed if the property is moved.”

Adding to this argument is the fact that once the structure is remodeled, it will bear very little resemblance to the original structure.  The HPL Board also felt that the association with Emma Spenser is also “lost” because of the change in location. 

The Commission and City staff believed that the building still qualified to be on the list under criteria B—the building is “associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.”

HPL has decided not to appeal their decision.

The Latest on the Railroad Block...

A final decision on the Railroad Block Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) has been delayed again. 

Scheduled for the August 22 City Council meeting, the Folsom Railroad Block Developers requested a continuance until the October 24th City Council meeting. The main reasons stated for their request is the change in the property lines and sizes of the parcels that resulted from the Council’s decision in June to leave the Interpretive Area the size it is now and not require that the Carriage House be moved 35 feet.

Also in that decision was the elimination of diagonal parking on the Sutter Street frontage, thus preserving the size of the SP Depot grounds. The two buildings facing Sutter Street will now be closer to the street. These changes have required them to redo the Basic Concept Drawings for the buildings which is a part of the DDA document.

Members of the City Council were upset that they were being asked to again extend a final decision.  Most of them felt that the developer has had ample time to make the necessary changes. Council member Eric King suggested that if a continuance was granted, other developers should also be allowed to submit applications to develop the parcels. He stated that he is starting to lose confidence that the Railroad Block Partners are willing to get the job done.

After a heated discussion of the Council members with the developer, Council member Miklos made a motion to give the Railroad Block Partners until noon on October 3rd to submit a final DDA and the necessary Concept Drawings to the City so that a final decision can be made at the October 10th City Council meeting.  If that is not done, the Council will ask that a request for proposal go out to other interested developers and negotiations with the Railroad Block Partners will end. That motion was approved 5-0.

The good news for the Folsom Historical Society and the Interpretive Area docents is that the Interpretive Area will remain the same size. The HPL issue of what will happen to the railroad cars located there that are a part of the SP Depot National Register listing is still to be resolved. 

‘Calisphere’ puts Ca. History Just  a click away

A virtual treasure trove of California history can now be found on the Web thanks to a newly posted Web site, www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu.

Calisphere is a public service effort by the California Digital Project. It is the University of California's free public gateway to a world of primary sources. More than 150,000 digitized items—including photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts—can now be accessed.

Designed primarily for classroom use, this is a Web site history buffs will enjoy, allowing them to access more than 300 UC Web sites.

A Miner’s Sunday in Coloma Was a Lively Affair Back in 1849

The following is taken from an 1849-50 account published in The Writers California Journal. You can relive the Old Coloma days this Oct. 14 & 15 during Coloma Gold Rush Live.

“The principal street of Coloma was alive with crowds of moving men, passing and repassing, laughing, talking, and all appearing in the best of humor. …

“It was a scene that no other country could ever imitate. Antipodes of color, race, religion, language, government, condition, size, capability, strength and morals were there, within that small village in the mountains of California, all impressed with but one purpose, impelled with but one desire. … The street was one continuous din. Thimble-riggers, French Monte dealers, or string-game tricksters were shouting aloud at every corner:  … ‘Three ounces no man can turn up the jack!’ ’Bet on the jack, the jack’s the winning card’ … But rising above all this ceaseless clamor was the shrill voice of a down-east auctioneer, who perched on a large box in front of a very small canvas booth, was disposing of the various articles in the shebang behind him. …

“Suddenly there was a great noise of shouting and hurrahing away up the street and, the crowd heaving and separating  upon either side, on came a dozen half-wild, bearded miners, fine, wiry, strapping fellows, on foaming horses, lashing them to the utmost, and giving the piercing scalp-halloo of the Comanche's! They suddenly halted in front of Winter’s hotel, and while the greater number dismounted and tumultuously entered the barroom for refreshment a few of the remainder made themselves conspicuous by acts of daring horsemanship. …Passing up the street, I came to a large unfinished frame-house, the … doorway crowded with a motley crew … After a little crowding, I looked over the numberless heads in front and saw a preacher, as ragged and hairy as myself. … He spoke well … and closed with a benediction prefaced by: ‘There will be a divine service in this house next Sabbath — if, in the meantime, I hear of no new digging’s!’ ”

Hinkle Creek Nature Area Development Plan

At the August 22 City Council meeting, final approval was given to the Hinkle Creek Nature Area Development Plan.

Per the staff report, “this nature area and center is intended to be a unique and dynamic facility with the inclusion of indoor and/or outdoor recreational program activities. The design acknowledges the importance of education and preservation of the biological and cultural resources in the area.”

When the plan was presented to the City Council on April 25, HPL requested that the unique and possible California Historical Register-eligible mining site discovered by the consultant during the EIR process be listed on the City’s Cultural Resources list and also that an application for listing be filed with the State.

At the Aug. 22 meeting, HPL asked if this had been done. Staff replied that it had not and the Council directed them to do the necessary work to get the site listed