2010 Riverside Ave. Paso Robles, CA 93446 Open Thurs. - Sun. 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. 805 239-4556

The Museum's Roof  As you can most likely surmise, the Museum was built in stages over the last 40 years. Things wear out in life and this time, it is the museum’s roof. At approximately 12,000 sq. ft. of roof, it is old, the skylights are beginning to fail and we have had many leaks that have been patched. But that is not a cure-all solution—unfortunately. Paso’s unique temperatures and winds have caused us to absolutely need to replace the entire roof. This project is way at the top of the infrastructure list. Multiple contractors with multiple proposals and ideas have been brought in for consultation, brainstorming and proposals. It is not an easy fix and therefore it is not an in-expensive one either. However, we are now confident in knowing what needs to be done. To do the project the right way, the tasks are: remove and replace all the metal with new sheeting, replace all the skylights and eliminate a few, remove the cupolas, cut off all the protruding poles and cap them, re-flash everything to sustain against the winds and rain, and add more insulation in selected areas. We Need Your Help! The City of Paso is requiring stringent requirements and to meet them, we need $115,000. Yes, a huge gulp but together with everyone’s help, we can get there. Please do what you can to dig deep and know that your donations are going directly to protect the history of your community. Please send a check now, as it would be magnificent to do this in November! Thank you and of course, acknowledgments of your donations and mountains of thanks will be administered promptly for you and your tax records. From Our Board President - October 2011     The end of October already and the unofficial beginning of the holiday season is here. Wow! Since I wrote to you the last time, only two words can express my thoughts. THANK YOU! You have been wonderful to us in so many ways. First and foremost, the compliments and words of encouragement about what we are doing at YOUR MUSEUM shifted us into overdrive. Our thrust is to be “One of the Best in the West” and with you along side of us, it’s happening! There is rarely a day that the parking lot doesn’t have cars in it. These cars bring volunteers, donations, new visitors, tradesmen, and new docents who are all pitching in to make 2010 Riverside an increasingly “must-see” destination. Literally, hundreds of visitors came through the property for the very successful Rockhounds show and that was followed up by the largest-ever Pioneer Day attendance. Over and over we heard how you liked the fresh new paint both inside and out, the well-marked exhibits, new lighting, and the completely revamped fossil and agriculture displays. We’re still beaming from your kudos and taking to heart your suggestions on even more ways to improve.     Next, thank you for your donations of tools for the workshop, old local photos and even one yearbook! We are always looking for those yearbooks from the 50’s on. When you are tired of them sitting in the closet bring ’em our way! Allow Pioneer Museum to preserve and show unique items from your family history.     This semester’s Cuesta College history students have been busy. For Pioneer Day, they created a blacksmith shop display in the front lobby. Folks got to see what that work was like. Now they have begun to totally redo the dairy/creamery display area across from the Smith Sporting Goods area. When finished, it will be a true learning opportunity wrapped around the artifacts of dairying and butter making that were so prevalent in the Paso-Cambria area.     In memory of our friend, Les Hoffman, who passed away a year ago, we have received a donation that is enabling us to re-do our sound system throughout the facility. In a nutshell, background music from CD’s will be available to blend into various functions that would be enhanced by music.     Pioneer Museum was the recipient of some display cabinets as well.  As our collections grow, so does the need to have ways to showcase them for the visitors. A real post office cabinet now holds mail carriers’ uniforms; another one holds paper goods for use during events; another one has a new base to make it tall and easier to see the artifacts inside. More are in the planning stages.      Besides needing copies of your local photos and family memories of Paso days, Pioneer Museum relies on monetary donations. We can only do for you and keep up the quality you expect when we have funds to use. The absolute best way is to become a Friend of Pioneer Museum by filling in the form on this newsletter and send it in. Do it now so you won’t forget! Consider including the museum in your will and bequeaths and memorials as well.      If it’s been even just a few months since you visited, come back and be amazed at the changes. Ask your docent to show you around and ask lots of questions! Have a wonderful and spirit-filled Christmas Season! Be safe, hug often and thank you for keeping Pioneer Museum as a part of your lives!                          ~ Chuck Desmond ~ From Our Board President - September 2011 Hard to believe that it’s September already, isn’t it? From all of us on the Board, we hope you have had a safe and fun summer; one that also includes bringing family and friends to your Museum! As usual, Pioneer Museum is a busy place and I’d like to share some thoughts on the activity since our last newsletter. Pioneer Pearls, our second dinner-dance-auction in April, was a great success with almost two hundred tickets sold. Everything was first rate and so were the results. I believe everyone had a GREAT time. With yet again renewed energy, the Display Committee and the Construction Crew continue to astound us all with creativity and projects being finished while new ones are underway and still others are on the drawing board. Here are just a few of the finished things you’ll see if it’s been a few months since your last visit. Paso’s first traffic light is operating in Transportation Hall, along with quite a history of what was going on at the corner of 13th and Spring in the late 1940s. Under the leadership of one of our board members, a group of dedicated Cuesta College students has finished the agricultural display; very interesting indeed! Our bank and old office machines display has some beautiful old and original front bank doors securely in place to welcome you into the display. A substantially huge project of building 40′ of virtually floor-to-ceiling cabinets, shelves and drawers for our Archive/Storage Room is finished. Such a relief to properly store items as they are categorized. Another Cuesta student ran a couple hundred feet of Internet cable between halls and DSL is now alive and operational at multiple locations. The parlor display was dismantled and everything was cleaned and then re-arranged as items were put back in. We think you’ll see a very visible difference in shininess throughout the museum during your next visit as well. Bags of rags, cleaners and wood oil have been elbow-greased onto lots of the wood that adorns cabinets. For example, the post office glistens like it was brand new and new artifacts and lighting were added. And, there is plenty in-progress too. The 100-year-old grain spreader that was falling apart and up on jacks for years, is restored. Signage is always ongoing as we are able to identify more and more items. Mobile bases are being added to many of the display cabinets so they can be moved which, in some cases, has been years because of their weight. Excitingly, the first two neon signs are lit! The original Busi’s Lounge and Restaurant and the Taylor Boot (shoe and boot sales and repair) are mounted and working. Think your Museum people are busy? You bet!—and we are so proud of everyone who pitches in! Mostly of course, besides your comments and physical help, we need financial donations. Memorials, bequeaths and the new Friends of Pioneer Museum annual pledge. Sign up on the form linked below and send it in to us. Once a year we’ll ask you to renew your pledge. Simple and easy and tax deductible.  Please come by and visit again soon. We’d love to see you! Thank you as always and God bless! ~ Chuck Desmond ~     The Geneseo Schoolhouse Dedication October 8, 2005 After the 2005 Pioneer Day parade,  the Paso Robles Pioneer Museum hosted its annual Open House. This tradition was started in 1975 when the first building  was constructed on the Museum grounds. A large number of activities took place, including lots of hands-on things for kids to enjoy, like Buckaroo branding, roping and an archeological dig. At 2 p.m. the restored Geneseo Schoolhouse was dedicated. Please click on the picture to see some photos and commentary of this wonderful event.   Spotlight on Keith Tarwater The jerk-line team (above), a pencil drawing, by Keith Tarwater appears in the museum’s 1998 publication,  The Pioneer Pages.  Keith, a native of San Luis Obispo County, has always been interested in drawing and  painting. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Keith worked  for the City of Paso Robles, beginning in the street department and ending up in the police department.  He retired after 30+ years with the City. He volunteers  as a docent at the museum, served on the board of  directors and helps when and where needed.   The Pioneer Museum has copies of the 32-page  booklets, The Pioneer Pages, which were published from  1998 through 2002. They are available for $5 each (plus postage and handling). Each issue contains a variety  of articles about Paso Robles area history, including agriculture, blacksmiths, bridges, churches, charcoal industry, outlaws, roads, telephones. For more information on The Pioneer Pages click on  Gift Shop link.

       

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