Funding Gift Helps Museum Plan 70th Anniversary Spruce Up
Sonora, CA – One of the Mother Lode’s historical gems will be soon shining brighter thanks to a Sonora Area Foundation (SAF) grant award.
The Tuolumne City Memorial Museum’s office/research center is planning to use the $18,500 gift for improvements that include a technology update.
SAF officials explain that the bulk of the award came from an anonymous fund along with additional contributions from the Foundation’s Geer Family Fund, Black Oak Casino Resort Community Fund, and Vanier Family Fund. Doug Poe of Titan Technology also donated consultation services.
The museum, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, has tech upgrade plans that include installing televisions for historical video presentations, adding internet access and updating its website. Spruce ups at the office/research center in the works are new paint, shelving, and cabinetry for the new equipment.
A Showcase With A Signature Small Town Feel
“We’re excited about showcasing the museum’s seldom-seen collection of objects, publications, vintage photographs and video interviews in a new and entertaining way while still maintaining our signature small-town feel,” shares Rich Brandau, museum president.
Brandau says the museum’s focus continues to be the conservation, preservation, and interpretation of the town’s history. It’s a timeline that spans from the Me-Wuk era before the arrival of outside settlers through the Gold Rush, homesteading and ranching, an includes the West Side Lumber Company mill operations and narrow-gauge logging railroad.
In addition to its in-house displays and programs, the museum offers educational outreach programs to local students and assists those interested in researching local history.
Tuolumne City Memorial Museum, located at 18663 Carter Street in Tuolumne, is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. For more information about the museum, click here. For more about SAF, click here.
