History Mystery #97, Chinchilla Ranches and Mystery Signs in the Madera County Mountain Communities Prepared by Andy Brooks, Raymond Museum volunteer The Chinchilla ranch industry, though short lived by most history standards, had a favorable economic impact on the Madera County mountain area communities. How many ranches were there? What other businesses were created from the Chinchilla ranch industry? Who ...

By Sal Maccarone The word utilitarian refers to something that is useful, or serves a function. Utilitarian art is something that has function as its main priority, but is at the same time aesthetically pleasing. Like many other artists, I like to think of my own work as utilitarian art. The fact is, many important architectural wonders can be considered ...

Submitted by Connie Popelish, North Fork History Group  The people of North Fork have always been big on community spirit! In this 1969 image of participants in the Loggers Jamboree Parade, the Volunteer Fire Station is in the background. The location of the Fire House was Main Street, North Fork, where the library is today. The North Fork History Group ...

By Sal Maccarone A finished piece of sculpture can take many forms. The sculptural process is loosely defined as: The art of carving, modeling, or otherwise producing works of art which are three dimensional, such as would be a relief, an intaglio, or a sculpture-in-the-round. Breaking this definition down, a relief gives the impression that an image has been raised ...

By Sal Maccarone Historians study architectural style because it closely reflects the ideals and beliefs of the builders. Distinctive and identifiable artistic form in architecture also helps us to understand the mood of an era. The particular styles of a past culture, or an artistic movement speak volumes about the individuals involved. Styles evolve, and change because circumstances evolve, and ...

This is one of the most recent donations to the Coarsegold museum. We are hoping to get more information about this item for our records. Stories about how it is used, or families that had one on their ranch or in their yard. Thank you for your participation in the History Mystery project. Our museum is closed at this time, ...

By Sal Maccarone Artists have been experimenting with animation for thousands of years. During the first century, China’s Imperial Dynasty developed a contraption that created the illusion of motion through a rapid succession of pictures. Later on, the Victorian era “Zoetrope”, a revolving cylinder viewed from the outside, was a big hit in the 1890’s. And, of course, there are ...

Hiking with the 1883 Topographic Map, I followed the old wagon and stagecoach roads above Nipinnawasee through 1880’s era homesteads as I tried to figure out the routes of travel, neighbor relationships and a few stories from back in the day. Distance: 13.12 Miles (but you can go shorter or longer)Difficulty: ModerateElevation Range: 3,417′ to 5,038′Date: December 24, 2020CALTOPO: Worman’s ...

What could I discover if I tried to walk the old wagon and stagecoach roads above Worman’s Mill armed with the 1883 Topographic Map to guide me? Many of the roads had changed but I bet if I pay attention, I can spot them. The area above Nipinnawasee was a happening spot back in the 1880s, when logging, homesteading and ...

By Sal Maccarone It is always entertaining to try and imagine what the world will be like a century from now. Even though it is impossible to fully comprehend what the future has to hold, we need only to look at the strides taken during the past one hundred years to get some clues. For instance, my grandparents were born ...