The Blossom Festival -- Canceled!

Uh oh! Oh no the rain is coming. Blossom Festival is cancelled for April 13. It will be rescheduled.

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An Alaskan Adventure - a Story of Finding Gold in the Far North - 1894 to 1903

An Alaskan Adventure by Frederick James Currier is an adventure story about one man's quest for gold. Written by Frederick Currier, a Saratoga pioneer, it was edited by his daughter, Amy June Jorgensen and published in 2018. The story traces the adventure beginning in 1894 when Currier decided to detour from a trip to Oregon to buy an apple ranch to go to Alaska when he met two miners who convinced him to come along. The dream of gold nuggets as big as yellow pumpkins was a vision he couldn't resist. The talk will be given by Randy Zamke who spearheaded the publiciation of the book.

Zamke is a member of the Alaska Trappers Association and is on their board of directors. He is affiliated with the University of Alaska and has written several books on Alaska.

The talk will be at 1:30 on May 1, 2024 in the Saratoga Library Community Room. The library is located a 1350 Saratoga Avenue in Saratoga, CA. Admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Saratoga Historical Foundation.

For more information: 408-867-4311 or www.saratogahistory.com

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Strike While the Iron is Hot — new exhibit

Come see the new the new exhibit, “Strike While the Iron is Hot” and see how the role of the blacksmith helped shape the community. Blacksmiths were the “go-to” craftsperson in the 1800s for most any item made from metal. They made household items such as pots, pans, and sewing needles. If you needed tools, they made hammers, nails, axes, shovels and more. This exhibit will run until the end of February.

A new permanent building has been added to the Historic Park. The McWilliams blacksmith exhibit includes the tools of the blacksmiths of the 1800s. The blacksmith was a key part of the growth of new communities providing much needed skills and tools to the community. Combining film and real tools, the exhibit demonstrates the breadth of the blacksmith’s work.

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Currently on Exhibit

Currently on exhibit at the Saratoga History Museum is a crewel yarn stitchery made by Mrs. Robert Pelz. The stitchery of early day Saratoga was designed by Delvona Stadjuhar and framed by Laura Mitchell. The stitchery called, “Saratoga,” won several awards including first place at the Creative Needle Exhibition. The stitchery included the first post office, the Episcopal-Methodist church, Paul Mason winery, Cunningham house and many other structures. Mrs. Pelz estimated the stitchery took over 40 hours to complete and called it a “project of pleasure.”

Crewelwork and needlepoint embroidery are ancient techniques. Crewelwork uses 2-ply wool thread that is called crewel, which gives the embroidery its name. Crewelwork is typically done on fabric compared to needlepoint which is done on canvas with holes. Crewel needles are usually large and have sharp ends pointed, while needlepoint needles have blunt ends to pass through the canvas meshes easily. The sharp crewel needles allow the user to efficiently work through the fabric and penetrating through previous stitches’ wool. The colorful 5’ x3’ stitchery will be on display through February.

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Free Activities

Explore our Pioneer Living program for 3rd-5th grades, and take a walk around Saratoga to spot Bats and Other Wildlife using these pictures.

Pioneer Living.

Bats and Other Wildlife in Saratoga.

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Join or Renew your Membership Today! Or make a Donation!

Support local history and the museum today. The Saratoga Historical Foundation invites you to join, renew your membership or make a dontaion today.

Click on this link to complete your membership application on line.
Click on this link to make a donation on line.