HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE KRV HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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1967 &
1968: President: James Valdez · Curator: Carl Palmrose · 95
Charter Members · Dues: $3/individual; $4/family; $25/Life
1968 - 1969: President: Twilla
Bartlett · Curator: Carl Palmrose · Incorporation papers filed
2/29/68
1969 - 1970: President:
Twilla Bartlett · Curator: Carl Palmrose
1970: President: Ortho Clark · Curator: Carl Palmrose
· Membership: 25 - 35
1971:
President: Ron Zimmerman · Membership: 35 - 45
1972: President: Clarence Wilson · Activities: Ground
breaking for KVCC building w/ museum wing · Installation Dinner: 76
members and guests
1973 - 1974:
President Stewart Vaughan · Program Chair: Bob Powers · Meeting
Program: Bob Powers "History of the Valley"
1975: President: Stewart Vaughan · Curator: Ardis Walker
· Membership: 122 · Activities: New Museum at KVCC building ready
to open. Opened in December.
1976 -
1977: President: Bill Cade · Membership: 30 - 40 · Activities:
Very little occurred this year.
1977 -
1978: President: Vern Blount · Curator: Ardis Walker ·
Installation dinner at Ewings on May 9th.
1978 - 1979: President: Gayle Walker · Curator: Bob
Merriam · Saddlebag begins with Gayle Walker as Editor.
1979 - 1980: President: Gayle Walker
· Curator: Bob Merriam · Membership: 200 (1/1979); 221 (8/1979)
· Bob Powers received NEW Plaque for Board Service · 5 year
report of visitors, by Rose Merriam; 1,000/year.
1980 - 1981: President: Pat Sanders · Curator: Bob
Merriam · Membership: 225; 260 by 1/1981. Jan. meeting, 118 in
attendance; Feb. meeting, 136. Both are records! · Curator not elected,
but appointed. · Work parties begin restoration of A. Brown Mill.
1981 - 1982: President: Pat Sanders
· Membership: 245 to 265. Dues raised to $5. · Bob Merriam put
old Kernville School Bell on storage Building. Now mounted on 1996 Museum.
· Gus & Gertrude Suhre, 51st anniversary. · 13 committees
established. · 1081 visitors at museum in 1981. · Liability
Insurance instituted.
1982 - 1983:
President: Luke Hopkins · Membership: 264, Oct. 1982 · Docents
hard to find! 172 members served in 1981. Rose Merriam Docent coordinator.
· Society begins dismantling of the A. Brown Store. Project halted due
to property in escrow. Owner, Mr. Prince, has been unhappy with the society
ever since! · Ice Cream Social at Scodie Park. · A. Brown Mill
being reviewed for Historical Site designation. · Vets Hall under
remodeling; Meetings held at So. Fork Elem. School. · Due to Vandalism
and Toxic waste problems at A. Brown Store, moving was halted.
1983 (July to Dec.): President: Ed
Hurley · Membership: 219 · A. Brown Mill work continues. ·
Bylaws change: Elect in November, install in December. · Installation
Dinner at So. Fork School on May 24th; $5.50/person. · 988 visitors in
1982. · Saddlebag Editor: Gayle Walker. Typist: Eleanor Campbell.
· Letter written supporting the naming of Mt. Jenkins after Jim Jenkins
(Son of Bill and Ruby Jenkins who was killed in an auto accident).
1984: President: Ed Hurley ·
Meetings back at Vets Hall. · Society leases 22 acres of the A. Brown
Mill site. Bridge constructed for access to the Mill. · Installation
Dinner: Vets Hall on January 24th. · Ice Cream Social at Riverside Park.
· Saddlebag Editor and Typist: Eleanor Campbell. · New Docent
Chairperson: Barbara Opperman · $100 donation to Native Americans to
help them gain recognition.
1985:
President: Fred Opperman · Membership: 305 · 1926 Graham Truck
donated by Audrey Fluhart. Indian Weather bundle purchased for $1,500. ·
Installation Dinner: At the Elks with 77 attending. · Society's Whiskey
Flat Day float won Sweepstake Award. · Mt. Jenkins dedication ceremony
on May 4th at Kernville School. 230 in attendance. · Eleanor Campbell
applauded for Saddlebag. · Virginia Kelley's book "Original Kernville
Homes" is finished and published. · Opening Devotional Prayer, at
meetings, replaced by Inspirational reading.
1986: President: Fred Opperman · Curator: Bob Merriam.
Asst. Curator: Barbara Billings. · Installation Dinner: Eagles Lodge on
January 20th. · 890 visitors in 1985. · 52 Docents. ·
First discussion concerning the enlargement of the museum.
1987:
President: Clyde Kelley · Membership: Dues $5/family; $3/single.
· Work on the A. Brown Mill and the Graham truck. Not much going on.
· Ethel Pollock & Carol Heffner killed in lower Kern canyon. Dave
was injured. · Installation: Elks Lodge.
1988: President:
Farrell Smith · Membership: Dues raised to $8/family; $150 Life. First
change since 1967. · Members vote to purchased 5 acres at A. Brown Mill
site for $10,000. Purchased cancelled. Land was not suitable for building nor
moving structures. · Gayle Walker dies. · Visitors: 1155 in 1987.
1989: President: Fred Opperman · Curator: Bob Merriam ·
A. Brown Mill site restoration DEAD! · New Museum property purchased.
Bill Jenkins will chair a 17 member planning committee to remodel medical
building. · Plans drawn to expand museum, June-October. Board votes to
abandon the idea and search for a new site. · Bill Jenkins organizes a
consortium to manage the Walker House. USC agrees to take ownership of the
property (willed by Ardis & Gayle Walker in 1983). The Society owns all the
contents of the house as long as the society exists. · Society placed
3rd in Valley Trash Pickup Day. · Gus Suhre dies at 99. Charter Member;
22 years as a member; Treasurer for 8 years. · Death of Past President,
Ed Hurley. · 1218 visitors in
1989. 1990: President: Bill
Jenkins · Membership: 340 - 722; 600 by May from 340 in Dec. 1989.
· Open House dedication for new Museum. · Major Bylaw changes
· High School Scholarships begins. · Installation Dinner: Senior
Hall, $8/person. · Bob Merriam resigns as Curator. Bill Couch appointed
to replace him. Bill will organize the new museum. · Docent teams
established. · Received parcel of land from Bill Joughin in South Lake.
· Saddlebag will be published on a monthly basis, beginning in
September.
1991: President: Bill
Jenkins. · Membership: 800 in March; Board has 17 people. · Dues:
Increase to $15/family; Corporation, $100. · Joe Nelson completes his
"Ardis Walker Biography" and is published by the society. · A. Brown
Mill lease cancelled; Futile effort! · Mayflower and Flying Eagle cabins
acquired. · Death of Ardis Walker, 89. · Death of Homer Bradley.
· Bob Powers appointed Asst. Curator and Bob Merriam Curator Emeritus.
· Acquired Walker Library and House contents. $175,000 endowment to
maintain property.
1992: President:
Lee Rupel · Curator: Bill Couch, Bob Merriam, Bob Powers ·
Membership: 825; BOD, 18. · Mortgage for new museum, Paid Off! $151,000
Total property and Interest. · Installation Dinner: Ewings · Rod
Middleworth appointed to Board. · Death of Stewart Vaughan, Past
President - 1973 to 1975. · Financial Committee formed. · Many
grants were received.
1993: President:
Lee Rupel · Curators: Bill Couch · VP position created to manage
museum · Installation Dinner: Moose Lodge · 17 Board members
establish Goals and Objectives.
1994:
President: Fred Nelson · Curator: Bill Couch; Asst. Curator, Jack
Robson. · Membership: 826 in February · Cook Book Project
initiated by Rod & Vicki Middleworth. · Historical Highlights sign
initiated by Bill Jenkins and installed at the front of the museum. ·
Dick Campbell prepares new plans for museum expansion. · Installation
Dinner: Moose Lodge. · 900 visitors at Whiskey Flat Days weekend.
· Museum Management policy adopted. · Historic Granite Station
destroyed by fire.
1995: President:
Fred Nelson · Curator: Bill Couch, Jack Robson · Membership: 912,
a new record! · Museum Fund raising continues. Goal: $40,000. ·
Grants prepared by Bill Jenkins and Rod Middleworth. · Memorial for Rose
Merriam. · Installation Dinner: Moose Lodge.
1996: President: Rod Middleworth · Curator: Bill Couch,
Jack Robson, Bob Powers. · Membership: 892 peak; BOD 20 members.
· Museum Funds at $85,000 in February 1996. Decision to commence
construction by July. Groundbreaking for new museum on June 22nd. Bill Jenkins
chairs a 14 member committee to oversee the construction. · Rod
Middleworth is the "Prime Mover" for the museum project. · BOD planning
History Week and Museum dedication in May 1997. · Installation Dinner:
Vets Hall, catered. Ann Litz coordinates. · The $110,000 goal reached
for museum.
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