Class of 1957 Reunion at the Museum October 20th

The Isleton Grammar School eighth grade class of 1957 held their reunion at the museum on 203 Second Street. When this class was in eighth grade in 1957, 203 Second Street was the Gardiner Improvement Company hardware and general merchandise store. IBAHS treasurer Sharon Fong is in this class. Pictures of this event are displayed in the Gallery link on this site. Here is the class photo in 1957. Instructions for viewing pictures in the Gallery Link to view captions and descriptions: Click on the picture in the Gallery and picture will move to the left of the screen as another box with text appears next to picture. There will be a link called "view larger image." Click on the link and the picture will enlarge. The full description of the picture will be above the enlarged picture.

The September 2007 issue of the Old Town News of the IBAHS has been released.
Original copy of the newsletter created, edited, and printed by board member Karen Franscioni on MS Works and scanned to Acrobat document by IBAHS staff. You can view the newsletter by clicking this link:
OldTownNewsSep2007.PDF

Pioneer Day and General Meeting October 6th

The Pioneer Day and third general meeting for 2007 was held Saturday, October 6th during regular museum hours at 203 Second Street, this time in the upstairs meeting room. Discussing Isleton in earlier times are Carl Hennige, Nick Catanio, and Kenny Silva.
Carl Hennige's mother Alice Himebauch was the first Isleton Asparagus Queen and the museum has an exhibit noting this. Nick Catanio recently exhibited a family photo display at an Isleton gathering in August. Kenny Silva is a lifelong Isleton-area resident. Carl described being able to ride the Delta Queen as a child and his parents' and grandparents' community service in Isleton.
Nick Catanio discussed life on Sherman Island, attending school on Sherman and Twitchell Islands, and farming activities. Nick said that horses and not tractors were widely used on the farms when he was growing up.
Kenny Silva talked about activities on Isleton Main Street, attending school in town and working on the farms to help his family after his father's death. Approximately twenty attendees listened to the presentation.
Tea available at the event was provided by Victoria's Teas and Treasures of Isleton's Main Street.
The next Pioneer Day for 2007 will be scheduled soon with another set of guest speakers to discuss earlier times in Isleton and its surrounding region.

Collectibles & White Elephant Sale Has Been Moved to October 13, 2007

Joani Johnson of My Favorite Things at 15 Main Street is the chair for the Collectibles and White Elephant Sale now rescheduled for a third time for Saturday, October 13, 2007 due to wet conditions at the sale venue on the 22nd and short notice for the 29th. This is a community-wide yard sale. For those residents that want to host their own yard sale, please notify us of the address of the sale and the times which the sale is held. The main venue for the sale has also been changed. It is now at the Isleton Community Center on Jackson Boulevard.
Please visit Joani at her store or contact Charlene at (916) 777-5186, Ed at (916) 777-4426, or email at info@isletonhistory.org.

Pioneer Day July 28th

The second Pioneer Day and general meeting for 2007 were held on Saturday, July 28 from 12PM to 4PM at the Museum on 203 Second Street, also known over the years as the Gardiner Improvement Building, The Big Red Building, and the Isleton. Scheduled guest speakers for the afternoon were Betty Fujimoto Kashiwagi and Bea Rogers Morgan discussing earlier times in Isleton. Rogers Morgan, who is part of the Valine family in Isleton, talked about the Del Rio Hotel when her father Manuel and brother Bob built the 1949 structure. Fujimoto Kashiwagi talked about life in Isleton up until she was fourteen and her family was sent to internment camps at Walerga in North Highlands and later on to Arkansas. The next Pioneer Day will be announced later this fall. If you are a former or present long-time resident and want to participate please call Curator at (916) 777-4426, President at (916) 777-5186 or email info@isletonhistory.org.

Reminder of regularly scheduled meetings

Board meetings are now held on the the third Thursday monthly effective June 21, 2007. The time of 6PM and location of Delta Daze Inn on 20 Main Street remain the same. Any questions concerning this please email info@isletonhistory.org.

Board Meeting Day changed

Board meeting days have now been changed to the Third Thursday monthly instead of the Third Wednesday. Workshops, which were originally the first Wednesday monthly, will now be scheduled as needed. This is effective starting with the June 21 meeting. Meeting time of 6PM and location of Delta Daze Inn at 20 Main Street remain the same.

Isleton Pioneer Day and General Meeting

The next Pioneer Day and general meeting will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2007 during regular Museum operating hours. Another set of area residents will talk about life in Isleton and surrounding region. Please email info@isletonhistory.org for more information.

Isleton School Reunion

The 1957 eighth grade class of Isleton Union Grammar School is in the initial stages of planning for their fiftieth class reunion this year. Tentative date is Saturday, October 20th, 2007. Place and time for the reunion to be announced shortly. Please contact Sharon at fongsrae@yahoo.com for more information.

Author to speak at Museum Saturday, April 21st

Author Peter Jamero will be the guest speaker during regular Museum hours, 1 to 4 PM, on Saturday, April 21st at the Isleton Brannan Andrus Museum, 203 Second Street. Peter's wife, the former Teresa Romero, is an alumna of Isleton Grammar School and Rio Vista High School. Peter, currently an Atwater resident, will be discussing his 2006 autobiography published by the University of Washington Press.

Old Town News of the IBAHS Newsletter is available!

The latest issue of the Old Town News of the IBAHS is out! You can see it here:
C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5Cbulmap%5CMy%20Documents%5COldTown.pdf
Original copy of the newsletter created and printed by board member Karen Franscioni on MS Works and scanned to Acrobat document by IBAHS staff.

General Meeting Sunday, March 4th

The first general meeting for 2007 has been timed to coincide with the Museum resuming opening hours after the winter break. The Museum will be open from 1PM to 4PM weekends starting March 3rd.

The general meeting will be on Sunday, March 4 at 1PM. Scheduled guest speaker is architect Roger Chinn, who grew up on Main Street Isleton. Museum is located in "The Isleton" also known to oldtimers as the Gardiner Improvement or Big Red Building on 203 Second Street.

For more information please email info@isletonhistory.org or call the Curator at (916) 777-4426.

The Newsletter Has A Name!

The IBAHS newsletter has a name and it is announced in this link to the newsletter! Click the link below to find out!

newsletterIBAHS.pdf

The newsletter is created and printed by board member Karen Franscioni in MS Works and scanned to Acrobat document by the IBAHS staff.

Officers for 2006-2007

Due to Former Treasurer Cookie Stait-Gardner moving away from Isleton, here are the IBAHS Officers for 2006-2007:
President: Charlene Andersson
Vice-President: Ligaya Apalit
Secretary: Pamela Bulahan
Treasurer: Sharon Fong

A distinctive fact about the current officers' lineup is that each of the above IBAHS officers and Board Member/Curator Ed Concepcion are all Isleton Grammar School/Isleton Elementary School alumni.

IBAHS Museum Hours

The IBAHS Museum, which is located at 203 Second Street in a beautiful structure that over the years has been known as the Gardiner Improvement Building, The Big Red Building, and now "The Isleton", has announced that it is mostly closed for the winter with the exception of special events and appointments.
The Museum Committee requests volunteers to participate as museum docents. Contact Curator Ed Concepcion at (916) 777-4426 for more information on how you can help with the Museum. To request an appointment to view museum exhibits please call Curator at (916) 777-4426 a minimum of one week in advance of the appointment.

Mural Celebration at the Tong

Mural panels painted by Isleton Elementary School students are now installed in front of the first floor of the Bing Kong Tong Building. The mural installation celebration on Main Street was emceed by IBAHS Vice-President Ligaya Apalit and guest speakers included past Isleton Mayor John Perez, present Mayor Christopher Stokes, and mural project manager Carolyn Schneider. The mural is a colorful and exciting addition to the scenes on Main Street!

The 1938 Isleton Elementary School Track Team

The latest featured subject are two pictures of the Isleton Elementary School track team from 1938. These pictures were taken in front of two different school buildings. The first picture with numerous students was taken in front of the building where just prior to the 1972 flood was used as the seventh and eighth grade classrooms.
When this particular building was first constructed it was the classroom building for the "Oriental" children.
The second picture where there are nine members of the track team sitting on the steps was in front of the building that was under the water tower. Over the years before the building was razed for the school parking lot, it housed the Isleton Boy Scouts, the band room for the award-winning Isleton Elementary School band, and a doctor's office. Some of its classrooms were also used as scenes in the 1976 Hal Ashby-directed motion picture "Bound For Glory" which filmed in Isleton late in the summer of 1975. "Bound for Glory" featured David Carradine of the 1970s television series "Kung Fu" portraying 1930s folk singer Woody Guthrie during the Great Depression. Carradine was at the height of his "Kung Fu" popularity when he starred in the biopic. "Bound for Glory" was also nominated for a Best Picture Oscar at the 1977 Academy Awards.
If you can identify any of these track team members/Isleton Elementary School students, please submit a comment at the end of this post or email pam@isletonhistory.org.

HISTORIES OF BUILDINGS AND PAST RESIDENTS

We are in search of the histories of the historical buildings in town. This includes buildings no longer there, such as the canneries. We are looking for stories and photos. If you know who lived in certain buildings in the past or have old photos we would be very grateful if you would share them with us. All photos will be returned. If you have stories we are interested in those also.

History Essay Contest for Students

The IBAHS is promoting a History Essay Contest for the eighth graders attending Isleton Elementary School and also for the Rio Vista High School students. The Eighth Grade winner will receive a fifty-dollar ($50.00) savings bond and the High School student will receive a monetary prize towards their education. IBAHS Vice-President Ligaya Apalit is the Chairperson and will be coordinating this project with the schools.

Name that Newsletter Contest Prizes

The lucky winner of the Name that Newsletter Contest will be given a free night at the Delta Daze Inn Bed and Breakfast at 20 Main Street in Isleton. If you are the winner, you may even have your pick of the theme rooms. Included is a scrumptious breakfast in the sunny breakfast dining area. This offer is for any Sunday through Thursday when rooms are available. The winner also receives dinner for two at the River's Edge Cafe at 7 Main Street in Isleton. Please check the schedules of both businesses beforehand. These prizes do not have to be collected on the same day; for example, you can stay at the Delta Daze on one occasion and dine at the River's Edge on another occasion.