The Havilah Herald

Official Publication of the Havilah Centennial Group, Inc.

aka The Havilah Historical Society and Museum

Havilah California – September 2023

A recognized 501 C 3 Historical Organization (all donations are 100% tax-

deductible)  Dedicated to the preservation of the history of Havilah,

the first County Seat of Kern County, CA

Our Purpose:

The purpose of this corporation is educational.  The organization has been formed and is maintained to research, document, preserve, and share the historic legacy of the town of Havilah, California, and of Kern County, California.  Included in this purpose is the objective to provide for the advancement of education about the history of Havilah and early Kern County to the local community at large and to any and all visitors to the community.

Prez Says

September 2023

We are still short docents for two days in September – Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th.   I can’t fill in due to my high school reunion on that weekend.  Please call Lana if you can cover either one or both of those days.

We only have one more month of docenting, but we still need to do some work in the “off” season.  There are some pending projects such as organizing the storage rooms in both buildings, and possibly redesigning the back corner to make space for a more complete assay display.

Another Old Cowboy’s Advice:  “The best sermons are lived, not preached. “

Roy Fluhart, Prez

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED where the heavy-duty concrete tables came from that are situated between the Courthouse and Schoolhouse?  Following is part of an article published in the Kern Valley Sun on May 27, 1992.  It was submitted by the Havilah Centennial Group regarding a recent meeting:..Glenn Brazeal gave a report on our concrete tables.  At this time they are still being worked on.  Charlie White is in charge of that project.  We are making plans in the fall to raffle off two of these tables.

Our secretary was absent so her husband stood in her place and did a very good job.  We thank him.  Bert and Betty Eaton are good assets to our group.

We gave three lifetime honorary memberships to long-standing residents Ethel Kutzner, Weldon Schar and Mr. and Mrs. Close.

…Bob Porter was named chairman of a committee to repair the porch and sidewalk.  After that is finished hopefully the school house will be finished on the inside and available for use as a meeting hall.

Our picnic area at Havilah is looking good.  The tables are constructed in one piece with concrete, rebar, and steel reinforcing.  On Saturday, May 16, three of the tables arrived after a six hour trip from the CDF Camp where they were assembled.  Each table weighs nineteen hundred pounds.

We have Charlie White to thank for these tables.  He is retired from the California Division of Forestry.  As a favor to Charlie, the CDF allowed him to use their space to put together these tables.  Our group paid for the supplies and Charlie donated his man hours (which were many).

The remainder of the tables will have to wait for finishing until Charlie recovers from surgery.  We all wish him will.

At our work day to set up the tables were Rudy Montoya, Vice President of the Havilah Centennial Group; Charlie White, Gary Anderson who brought his tractor and bucket to set the tables in place, and  Glenn Brazeal.  Carol Triplett took pictures. President Wynne Taylor also attended.

We invite everyone to come and see the new tables, and bring a picnic lunch!

*                                  *                                  *                                  *                               *

THE UNCOOKED TRUTH

A hungry customer studied the menu a few minutes then asked the waiter, ‘How do you prepare your chicken?

The waiter looked at her and said, ‘We tell them straight up that they’re not going to make it.

So I Asked Myself …. “What Ever Happens in September?”

Al Price, N6ALP

What happens in the month of September?  There’s a little for everyone, and here are the important days you should want to know all about.  Straight from the ***es mouth (and I didn’t say horse.)  Info gathered off the Internet, the real internet, not Wikipedia.

September, in Old England, was called Haervest-monath (Harvest Month). This was the time to gather up the rest of the harvest and prepare for the long winter months.

The Merry Month of September:

September’s name comes from the Latin word septem, meaning “seven.”  This month had originally been the seventh month of the early Roman calendar (which had only 10 months, and 304 days, and didn’t have a January or February yet.  So the new year began each March until around 64 AD, OK, OK, some folks say, “That ain’t quite correct; it wasn’t until Julius and August Caesar were granted months – i.e., July and August, and January and February were already there — but at the end of the year!”)

September Calendar

  • September 4—the first Monday of the month—is Labor Day. Canadians also observe Labour Day.
  • September 11is Patriot Day, held in honor and remembrance of those who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
  • September 11is also Grandparents Day this year. Honor your grandparents today—and every day!
  • September 15starts Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish holiday that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year.
  • September 17is Constitution Day. This day celebrates the adoption of the S. Constitution, which occurred on September 17, 1787.
  • September 21is recognized as the annual International Day of Peace. Observances range from a moment of silence at noon to events such as peace walks, concerts, and volunteering in the community.
  • September 23marks the start of fall! This year’s Autumnal Equinox occurs at 2:50 M. EDT on Saturday, September 23. On this date, there are approximately equal hours of daylight and darkness.
  • September 24marks the start of Yom Kippur, at sundown.
  • September 26 is Johnny Appleseed Day, celebrating John Chapman and everything apple!
  • September 29is Michaelmas. Michaelmas is an ancient Celtic “Quarter Day” which marked the end of the harvesting season and was steeped in folklore.

“Just for Fun” Days

Have fun with these other strange celebrations this month!

  • All September is National Happy Cat Month
  • September 11: National Hug Your Hound Day
  • September 13: Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
  • September 19: International “Talk Like a Pirate Day”
  • September 24: National Pay Attention to Your Punctuation Day

Another September Holiday Tradition in China:

Known as the Moon Festival, this holiday has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years and is said to be the second-largest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. Observed on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, it can occur in either September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.

This autumn festival occurs during the full Moon nearest the fall equinox, which is traditionally said that the moon is the brightest and roundest at that time.  Local festivities might involve brightly colored lanterns, dances, games, and other entertainment. Families and friends celebrate into the evening to give thanks for the harvest, and for being together, offering each other wishes for happiness and long life and remembering loved ones who live far away.

Celebrants may make offerings to the Moon goddess “Chang’e” or share traditional moon-cakes by moonlight.  These round pastries, which symbolize the full Moon and reunion, are often filled with red bean or lotus seed paste surrounding a salted egg yolk in the center.

Just SOME interesting things that have happened in September:

September 1, 1752 – The Liberty Bell arrives in Philadelphia.

September 13, 1788 – New York City becomes the Capitol of the United States. (I bet you didn’t know that!)

September 3, 1813 – The image of “Uncle Sam,” a symbol of America, was first used.

September 9, 1947 – Computer scientist Grace Hopper reports the first computer bug.  In this case, it was an actual bug… a moth.

 

President –                               Roy Fluhart

Vice President –                      Larry Grafius

Secretary –                               Vicki Porter

Treasurer –                              Jayne-Hotchkiss-Price

Directors:                                Lana Grafius

Wes Kutzner

Immediate Past President       Jayne Hotchkiss-Price

Newsletter Editor –                 Janet Kutzner

 

Website:  www.havilahmuseum.org

 

Annual membership is $25.00 per individual or family when monthly newsletter is emailed.  If newsletter is snail-mailed the membership fee is $35.00.  The membership year is from January 1 to December 31.  The Courthouse Museum and Schoolhouse are open from April 1 through Sep. 30 on weekends from 11 am until 3 pm, and by appointment.  They are located at 6789 Caliente-Bodfish Road, Havilah, CA 93518.  Admission to the museum is FREE, but donations are cheerfully accepted (and 100% tax-deductible!).  The monthly general meeting is at 3 pm the second Saturday of each month at the Havilah Schoolhouse.