OUTSIDE THE OLD FIRE HOUSE, school visitors are encouraged to participate in games typical of the 1929’s time period.
By Elaine Burdick
Artesia Historical Society
June 13, 2022~After more than two years of inactivity due to covid 19 protocols, the docents of the Artesia Historical Society were thrilled to welcome a school tour back to the local museums.
As soon as the ABC Unified School Board of Education approved a return to off-campus field trips, Luther Burbank 3rd grade teacher Ranida Myers scheduled a visit for her class and the class of 3rd-grade teacher Patricia Minnehan.
On May 11, 2022, the forty-some students, along with their teachers and adult chaperones, walked to the Artesia Museums to enjoy a “step back in time.”
During their fun-filled morning, all students toured the 1929 house, taking time to view the Spanish architecture, vintage kitchen items, an antique wall telephone, an early ice box (with the brand name “Refrigerator”), a working typewriter, a telegraph key, and a vintage Singer treadle sewing machine.
One highlight of the house tour is the “hands-on” display, which allows the students to handle and take a close-up view of items such as wooden shoes, flat irons, and vintage roller skates.
A new addition to the artifacts is a collection of “Festa” gowns and crowns on loan from the local Portuguese community.
These items were used as part of the annual Festa do Divino Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit), which honors Queen Saint Isabella for offering her crown to the church in return for an end to a terrible famine in Portugal.
While still in the house, visitors gather in the parlor to create a craft. Each student is guided to create a fan-fold post card detailing a brief history of the greater Artesia-Cerritos area. Beginning with the local Native American peoples, a series of captioned pictures include the nearest mission, the 1875 founding of Artesia’s first school, a reference to the dairy business, and the Artesia Water Tower, among others.
In addition to their time at the House Museum, visitors are escorted just around the corner to Old Fire House 30. Inside the Old Fire House they may view a collection of fire prevention-related materials. In the truck bay, a favorite item is the 1941 restored Fire truck, complete with ladder and siren. Historical photos, collections, and military memorabilia are also on display. Other rooms house items of local interest . In the kitchen, the hand painted menu from the long-time local café “Hank’s” is popular. Students are always intrigued by the 1960’s prices. Memorabilia from the Artesia Dairyland Fair and parade, vintage farm implements, and items from the medical office of Dr. Pliny Fisk Haskell are among the items on view in the dormitory.
Outside the Old Fire House, school visitors are encouraged to participate in games typical of the 1929’s time period. As an introduction, docents will note that children of the past typically played outside (they did not have video games and/or television), and they often created their own games. Visitors may play horseshoes, drop the clothespin in the bottle, ring toss, or beanbag toss. Games area ALWAYS a favorite of the students!
The school tours are an integral part of the mission of the Artesia Historical Society, which includes the goals of preserving and sharing past elements of the local area with the current community. This tour was structure specifically to fulfill part of the State of California curriculum for social studies in the third grade, which requires that all third-grade students be instructed in local history.
The Artesia Historical Society is pleased to be able to provide all local schools with this opportunity.
All Society members are volunteers, and events such as school tours could not occur without school docents’ commitment. At the May 11 tour those included Elaine Burdick, Pam Crawley, Bill Morey, Marian Rusting, and Ed Ware. Volunteer docents are always welcome, and training is available. Interested parties may contact Ed Ware at 1-562-400-9581.
The Burbank Elementary tour was the last and only tour arranged for this school year. It was viewed as the culmination of the current school year, and also as preparation for a robust, active school tours program for the 2022-23 school year. At this time, the public is welcome to visit both museums free of charge on the second Saturday of each month from 1p.m. to 3 p.m.
The museums are located at 18644 Alburtis Avenue, Artesia, CA (House Museum) and 18611 Corby Avenue, Artesia, CA (Old Fire Station #30). The Artesia Historical
Society is Back… Like
It Never Left!
By Elaine Burdick,
Artesia Historical Society
After more than two years of inactivity due to covid 19 protocols, the docents of the Artesia Historical Society were thrilled to welcome a school tour back to the local museums.
As soon as the ABC Unified School Board of Education approved a return to off-campus field trips, Luther Burbank 3rd grade teacher Ranida Myers scheduled a visit for her class and the class of 3rd-grade teacher Patricia Minnehan.
On May 11, 2022, the forty-some students, along with their teachers and adult chaperones, walked to the Artesia Museums to enjoy a “step back in time.”
During their fun-filled morning, all students toured the 1929 house, taking time to view the Spanish architecture, vintage kitchen items, an antique wall telephone, an early ice box (with the brand name “Refrigerator”), a working typewriter, a telegraph key, and a vintage Singer treadle sewing machine.
One highlight of the house tour is the “hands-on” display, which allows the students to handle and take a close-up view of items such as wooden shoes, flat irons, and vintage roller skates.
A new addition to the artifacts is a collection of “Festa” gowns and crowns on loan from the local Portuguese community.
These items were used as part of the annual Festa do Divino Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit), which honors Queen Saint Isabella for offering her crown to the church in return for an end to a terrible famine in Portugal.
While still in the house, visitors gather in the parlor to create a craft. Each student is guided to create a fan-fold post card detailing a brief history of the greater Artesia-Cerritos area. Beginning with the local Native American peoples, a series of captioned pictures include the nearest mission, the 1875 founding of Artesia’s first school, a reference to the dairy business, and the Artesia Water Tower, among others.
In addition to their time at the House Museum, visitors are escorted just around the corner to Old Fire House 30. Inside the Old Fire House they may view a collection of fire prevention-related materials. In the truck bay, a favorite item is the 1941 restored Fire truck, complete with ladder and siren. Historical photos, collections, and military memorabilia are also on display. Other rooms house items of local interest . In the kitchen, the hand painted menu from the long-time local café “Hank’s” is popular. Students are always intrigued by the 1960’s prices. Memorabilia from the Artesia Dairyland Fair and parade, vintage farm implements, and items from the medical office of Dr. Pliny Fisk Haskell are among the items on view in the dormitory.
Outside the Old Fire House, school visitors are encouraged to participate in games typical of the 1929’s time period. As an introduction, docents will note that children of the past typically played outside (they did not have video games and/or television), and they often created their own games. Visitors may play horseshoes, drop the clothespin in the bottle, ring toss, or beanbag toss. Games area ALWAYS a favorite of the students!
The school tours are an integral part of the mission of the Artesia Historical Society, which includes the goals of preserving and sharing past elements of the local area with the current community. This tour was structure specifically to fulfill part of the State of California curriculum for social studies in the third grade, which requires that all third-grade students be instructed in local history.
The Artesia Historical Society is pleased to be able to provide all local schools with this opportunity.
All Society members are volunteers, and events such as school tours could not occur without school docents’ commitment. At the May 11 tour those included Elaine Burdick, Pam Crawley, Bill Morey, Marian Rusting, and Ed Ware. Volunteer docents are always welcome, and training is available. Interested parties may contact Ed Ware at 1-562-400-9581.
The Burbank Elementary tour was the last and only tour arranged for this school year. It was viewed as the culmination of the current school year, and also as preparation for a robust, active school tours program for the 2022-23 school year. At this time, the public is welcome to visit both museums free of charge on the second Saturday of each month from 1p.m. to 3 p.m.
The museums are located at 18644 Alburtis Avenue, Artesia, CA (House Museum) and 18611 Corby Avenue, Artesia, CA (Old Fire Station #30).
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