News for the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association

Contents: Home About NAQCPA, Membership, Donations News Newsletters Almaden Quicksilver Park Info Mining Museum, Museum Archives, Outdoor Museum Pioneer Days, New Almaden Days Media, Pictures Events Links _____________ Webmaster Contact	News: News Archive: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Old pictures of Kitty Monahan Pictures and videos of Kitty's Celebration of Life 2023 2024 News: Jump to the latest news. Starting in 2024, Tere Johnson will be passing on the reins of the NAQCPA presidency to Veronica Jordan. She has been a member of the NAQCPA board of directors for many years. Her roots are in New Almaden. Members of her family worked in the mines. She is a board member of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County and manages the Hacienda Cemetery in New Almaden. The picture above is Veronica speaking at Pioneer Day 2022. She also spoke about the Hacienda Cemetery at Pioneer Day 2023. 2/16/24: The Calcine Removal Project has been completed along Deep Gulch. (See 7/8/23 above.) This is along the Mine Hill Trail above Deep Gulch. Calcines have been removed from the hillside. Vegetation and trees had to be removed to reach the calcines. New trees and bushes have been planted to replace the ones removed. Netting and wattles have been placed on the hillsides to prevent erosion. March 2024: Kick off Women’s History Month by discovering great pioneering women of New Almaden during crafternoons at the mining museum all March long! Follow in 19th century artist and writer Mary Halleck Foote’s footsteps by becoming an amateur journalist (3/1-31). Create a nourishing meal like the women of the Barraza family by sewing together a pretend pasty (3/8-31). Protect the great outdoors like 21st century preservationist Kitty Monahan by making an artistic rendition of a park (3/15-31).This is a free drop-in event. No registration required. Address: 21350 Almaden Rd, San Jose, CA 95120 The County Parks have a new challenge program, called "Hike the Hundred." It is a scavenger hunt on 13 trails in 12 parks. You get points for finding and taking pictures objects in the parks, following prescribed trail routes. When you accumulate 100 points, you get a T-shirt or bandana. The challenge runs until July 30,2024. One of those trail routes is in Almaden Quicksilver. Here's the map. It follows the Wood Road Trail to the Mine Hill Rotary Furnace. It wraps around Mine Hill on the Castillero and Mine Hill Trail On 5/17/24, the 3rd Annual Preservation Awards Night was held at History San Jose Park. It was organized by the Santa Clara County Preservation Alliance (SCCPA), which is a coalition of preservation organizations in Santa Clara County. "The intent of the SCCPA Awards Night is: To recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations in the community who have made outstanding contributions to historic preservation. To showcase exemplary preservation throughout the community that may serve as inspiration for future preservation. To encourage preservation of historic homes or buildings that may prevent future demolition of historic properties. To educate the community on the merits of historic architecture and preservation. To share ideas and projects various preservation groups throughout the county." One of the awards was to "Michael and Dorene Boulland for decades of untiring dedication to south Santa Clara County historic education and preservation." Here are pictures of the awards night. Here's a video of Mike and Dorene's acceptance speech. On 7/13/24, Play Like a Miner was held at the Casa Grande. Here are pictures of the event. Hundreds of people attended. It is typically the largest event at the museum. NAQCPA had a table there, staffed by Dorene Boulland. There were NAQCPA shopping bags, newsletters, and flyers. Next to the table was Mike Cox's display of California rocks. New this year was an indoor mine tunnel, setup by park staff on the bottom floor of the Casa Grande. Here are pictures of the tunnel. Here are pictures of volunteers, staff, and exhibitors. At Play Like a Miner, there was the above poster memorializing Jim Beseau, who had passed away 2 weeks earlier. Accompanying the pictures was this tribute: In Honor of Jim Beseau Jim Beseau's contributions to Santa Clara County Parks were immeasurable. As a dedicated volunteer and a master woodworker, he shared his time and talents generously. Jim had a unique gift for making people feel comfortable and welcomed. His dedication to his craft was unmatched, and his ability to visualize and create wooden masterpieces was truly special. Among his many contributions, Jim created and donated thousands of wooden toys for Play Like a Miner, Living History Days, Fall Fest and other park events. He also crafted a detailed Huttner-Scott Furnace model and a stunning mining diorama, both proudly displayed in the museum today. Jim's presence, often alongside his wife Kathy, brought warmth and joy to every park event. His legacy will continue to inspire, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Julie Lee, Volunteer Program Manager, sent this message to County Parks volunteers on August 7, 2024: "It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Ann Laverty’s passing last week, after a battle with cancer. As many of you may know, Ann had a long county career as an emergency dispatcher through County Communications. Many of us “oldies” remember Ann’s confident voice on the radio walking us through a myriad of critical incidents and mutual aid requests. She was a calm and cool head and had an intrinsic love for parks so was particularly helpful with navigating our complex park jurisdictional boundaries. Following her retirement, Ann became involved as a volunteer with County Parks as a way to continue giving back to her community. She initially began volunteering at Casa Grande as a Lead Archives volunteer when I was stationed there in the early 2010’s and was instrumental in not only helping catalog the tens of thousands of archival records in that collection, but also led and oversaw the student intern project that made that information accessible to the general public through our archives website that currently houses the Casa Grande, Martial Cottle, and Joseph D. Grant collections. This website still brings interest to this day and helps people connect to the fascinating history of Santa Clara County. https://sccparks.pastperfectonline.com/ Ann also volunteered as a Visitor Host and Docent at Joseph D. Grant, and Anderson Lake County Parks, where she connected with park visitors and created a support network for park staff to engage the public through a variety of special events and activities. For those of you that knew Ann, you probably also were aware of her passion for baking. She never showed up empty handed to one of her shifts and was always generous in sharing her delicious baked goods with staff and volunteers alike. For several years, Ann served as our lead volunteer for the FOL drive through event, for the entire month of December. She showed up every night, rain or shine, with baked goodies for all the staff and volunteers to enjoy and bring a little holiday warmth and cheer. Ann was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Award in 2022 for her achievements and went on to accumulate a total of over 5,500 volunteer service hours during her 12+ years of volunteering. Ann was a constant fixture in our parks family, a treasured friend, and will be greatly missed." Above is a picture of Ann receiving her Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Award at the Volunteers Recognition event at Hellyer County Park on 4/23/22. Julie Lee (left) is announcing the award. Blair Pagano (right) is holding a letter of congratulations from the President. Julie Lee also sent this message to County Parks volunteers on August 7, 2024 about long-time NAQCPA member Dennis Moran: "I wanted to make sure you were all aware of the recent passing last week of volunteer Dennis Moran after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Dennis and his wife, Mary, were long-time dedicated volunteers at Casa Grande and in the town of New Almaden. Both were accomplished artists, teachers, and had a love for history and engaging the community in learning, history, and fun. Dennis was so much fun to have around and always had a smile and a corny joke to share. He and Mary leave a distinct imprint on the history of New Almaden and the historic Casa Grande building and I wanted to make sure they were acknowledged for their efforts. They also supported several other park events and community engagement opportunities such as Play Like a Miner, Family Fandango (now La Fuente), and others. I appreciated Dennis so much for his positivity, his friendship, and his impact on the community. I hope you are able to continue enjoying some of the many contributions he gave to County Parks." Here's his obituary. Here's his obituary in the San Jose Mercury News. There was a Celebration of Life for him on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at The Episcopal Church in Almaden. Here are pictures of Dennis at County Parks award ceremonies, events at Almaden Quicksilver, and at NAQCPA Pioneer Days and parties. Dennis loved to entertain. Above is a picture of him at Pioneer Day in 2011, leading a sing-along at the dedication of the Outdoor Mining Museum. From Michael Cox: "Pioneer Day is just around the corner! Oct 12th at the New Almaden Community Club. Be sure to reserve your spot by e-mailing info@naqcpa.org ASAP. Let us know how many are coming. The admission ticket of $15 includes lunch (hotdogs, burgers, and beverage). There will be a fantastic raffle and brief talks about the early mine and mining by the indigenous people." Copyright © New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association Visit our Facebook group. For more information about the organization and activities, send us an email at info@naqcpa.com. For questions about the website, contact our webmaster, Ron Horii. Updated 9/20/24.

News:

News Archive:

2023

2024 News:

Starting in 2024, Tere Johnson will be passing on the reins of the NAQCPA presidency to Veronica Jordan. She has been a member of the NAQCPA board of directors for many years. Her roots are in New Almaden. Members of her family worked in the mines. She is a board member of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County and manages the Hacienda Cemetery in New Almaden. The picture above is Veronica speaking at Pioneer Day 2022. She also spoke about the Hacienda Cemetery at Pioneer Day 2023.

2/16/24: The Calcine Removal Project has been completed along Deep Gulch. (See 7/8/23 above.) This is along the Mine Hill Trail above Deep Gulch. Calcines have been removed from the hillside. Vegetation and trees had to be removed to reach the calcines. New trees and bushes have been planted to replace the ones removed. Netting and wattles have been placed on the hillsides to prevent erosion.

Women's History Month Crafternoons at the Casa Grande, 3/24

March 2024: Kick off Women’s History Month by discovering great pioneering women of New Almaden during crafternoons at the mining museum all March long! Follow in 19th century artist and writer Mary Halleck Foote’s footsteps by becoming an amateur journalist (3/1-31). Create a nourishing meal like the women of the Barraza family by sewing together a pretend pasty (3/8-31). Protect the great outdoors like 21st century preservationist Kitty Monahan by making an artistic rendition of a park (3/15-31).This is a free drop-in event. No registration required. Address: 21350 Almaden Rd, San Jose, CA 95120

The County Parks have a new challenge program, called "Hike the Hundred." It is a scavenger hunt on 13 trails in 12 parks. You get points for finding and taking pictures objects in the parks, following prescribed trail routes. When you accumulate 100 points, you get a T-shirt or bandana. The challenge runs until July 30,2024. One of those trail routes is in Almaden Quicksilver. Here's the map. It follows the Wood Road Trail to the Mine Hill Rotary Furnace. It wraps around Mine Hill on the Castillero and Mine Hill Trail

Mike and Dorene Boulland with their awards

On 5/17/24, the 3rd Annual Preservation Awards Night was held at History San Jose Park. It was organized by the Santa Clara County Preservation Alliance (SCCPA), which is a coalition of preservation organizations in Santa Clara County. "The intent of the SCCPA Awards Night is: To recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations in the community who have made outstanding contributions to historic preservation. To showcase exemplary preservation throughout the community that may serve as inspiration for future preservation. To encourage preservation of historic homes or buildings that may prevent future demolition of historic properties. To educate the community on the merits of historic architecture and preservation. To share ideas and projects various preservation groups throughout the county." One of the awards was to "Michael and Dorene Boulland for decades of untiring dedication to south Santa Clara County historic education and preservation." Here are pictures of the awards night. Here's a video of Mike and Dorene's acceptance speech.

NAQCPA table at Play Like a Miner, 7/13/24

On 7/13/24, Play Like a Miner was held at the Casa Grande. Here are pictures of the event. Hundreds of people attended. It is typically the largest event at the museum. NAQCPA had a table there, staffed by Dorene Boulland. There were NAQCPA shopping bags, newsletters, and flyers. Next to the table was Mike Cox's display of California rocks. New this year was an indoor mine tunnel, setup by park staff on the bottom floor of the Casa Grande. Here are pictures of the tunnel. Here are pictures of volunteers, staff, and exhibitors.

At Play Like a Miner, there was the above poster memorializing Jim Beseau, who had passed away 2 weeks earlier. Accompanying the pictures was this tribute:

In Honor of Jim Beseau

Jim Beseau's contributions to Santa Clara County Parks were immeasurable. As a dedicated volunteer and a master woodworker, he shared his time and talents generously. Jim had a unique gift for making people feel comfortable and welcomed. His dedication to his craft was unmatched, and his ability to visualize and create wooden masterpieces was truly special.

Among his many contributions, Jim created and donated thousands of wooden toys for Play Like a Miner, Living History Days, Fall Fest and other park events. He also crafted a detailed Huttner-Scott Furnace model and a stunning mining diorama, both proudly displayed in the museum today.

Jim's presence, often alongside his wife Kathy, brought warmth and joy to every park event. His legacy will continue to inspire, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Julie Lee, Volunteer Program Manager, sent this message to County Parks volunteers on August 7, 2024: "It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Ann Laverty’s passing last week, after a battle with cancer. As many of you may know, Ann had a long county career as an emergency dispatcher through County Communications. Many of us “oldies” remember Ann’s confident voice on the radio walking us through a myriad of critical incidents and mutual aid requests. She was a calm and cool head and had an intrinsic love for parks so was particularly helpful with navigating our complex park jurisdictional boundaries.

Following her retirement, Ann became involved as a volunteer with County Parks as a way to continue giving back to her community. She initially began volunteering at Casa Grande as a Lead Archives volunteer when I was stationed there in the early 2010’s and was instrumental in not only helping catalog the tens of thousands of archival records in that collection, but also led and oversaw the student intern project that made that information accessible to the general public through our archives website that currently houses the Casa Grande, Martial Cottle, and Joseph D. Grant collections. This website still brings interest to this day and helps people connect to the fascinating history of Santa Clara County. https://sccparks.pastperfectonline.com/

Ann also volunteered as a Visitor Host and Docent at Joseph D. Grant, and Anderson Lake County Parks, where she connected with park visitors and created a support network for park staff to engage the public through a variety of special events and activities. For those of you that knew Ann, you probably also were aware of her passion for baking. She never showed up empty handed to one of her shifts and was always generous in sharing her delicious baked goods with staff and volunteers alike. For several years, Ann served as our lead volunteer for the FOL drive through event, for the entire month of December. She showed up every night, rain or shine, with baked goodies for all the staff and volunteers to enjoy and bring a little holiday warmth and cheer.

Ann was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Award in 2022 for her achievements and went on to accumulate a total of over 5,500 volunteer service hours during her 12+ years of volunteering. Ann was a constant fixture in our parks family, a treasured friend, and will be greatly missed."

Above is a picture of Ann receiving her Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Award at the Volunteers Recognition event at Hellyer County Park on 4/23/22. Julie Lee (left) is announcing the award. Blair Pagano (right) is holding a letter of congratulations from the President.

Julie Lee also sent this message to County Parks volunteers on August 7, 2024 about long-time NAQCPA member Dennis Moran: "I wanted to make sure you were all aware of the recent passing last week of volunteer Dennis Moran after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Dennis and his wife, Mary, were long-time dedicated volunteers at Casa Grande and in the town of New Almaden. Both were accomplished artists, teachers, and had a love for history and engaging the community in learning, history, and fun. Dennis was so much fun to have around and always had a smile and a corny joke to share. He and Mary leave a distinct imprint on the history of New Almaden and the historic Casa Grande building and I wanted to make sure they were acknowledged for their efforts. They also supported several other park events and community engagement opportunities such as Play Like a Miner, Family Fandango (now La Fuente), and others. I appreciated Dennis so much for his positivity, his friendship, and his impact on the community. I hope you are able to continue enjoying some of the many contributions he gave to County Parks."

Here's his obituary. Here's his obituary in the San Jose Mercury News. There was a Celebration of Life for him on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at The Episcopal Church in Almaden. Here are pictures of Dennis at County Parks award ceremonies, events at Almaden Quicksilver, and at NAQCPA Pioneer Days and parties. Dennis loved to entertain. Above is a picture of him at Pioneer Day in 2011, leading a sing-along at the dedication of the Outdoor Mining Museum.

From Michael Cox: "Pioneer Day is just around the corner! Oct 12th at the New Almaden Community Club. Be sure to reserve your spot by e-mailing info@naqcpa.org ASAP. Let us know how many are coming. The admission ticket of $15 includes lunch (hotdogs, burgers, and beverage). There will be a fantastic raffle and brief talks about the early mine and mining by the indigenous people."