October

THE POPPY PAPER
Official Monthly Publication of the
Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
A Non-Profit Organization
October 2010
Connections to Mexico in Early San Diego
by Victor A. Walsh, San Diego Coast District Historian
In 1825, the newly appointed governor, José María
Echeandia, decided to make San Diego, where he had
been the commandant of the presidio, his official
residence. Until this time, Monterey had been the
official capital. He was the first Mexican governor to
reside outside of Monterey. From 1825 until 1831,
when his term ended, San Diego was the ―territorial
capital‖ of Alta California.
The governor was a committed Republican who sought
to develop stronger economic and cultural ties to the
Mexican homeland. He envisioned San Diego as a
major port of trade and future rival to Monterey.
One example of this was his order that the people of
San Diego celebrate their first Mexican Independence
day. On September 16, 1827, the presidio fired 16
cannon shots, Mexican flags were displayed at the
presidio, and a formal ceremony took place on the
plaza at 9:30 a.m. A procession to Mission San Diego
de Alcalá’s church and a fiesta hosted by Echeandia
followed.1
________
Photo courtesy of Joe Vasquez
Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821
after a decade of bloodshed. Independence brought
inevitable changes — new political loyalties, a decline
in support for the presidio, and economic freedom
from Spain’s restrictive trade regulations — even in
far-off, remote outposts like San Diego.
Fiestas Patrias 2010 Parade
Led by Dave La Torre on Apache
and Alfred Viruegas on Atlas
BOOT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
BOOT Store:
Membership:
Historian:
Jeanne Ferrell
(619) 543-9057
Gary Turton
(619) 222-0047
Zulema Franco
Deanna Turton
(619) 222-0047
Mary Jones
Shirlee Rodriguez
Bob Wohl
Poppy Paper
Editor:
Ruth French
(858) 583-1269
ruthfrench@earthlink.net
Board Members:
Mary Ellen Young
Tom Young
Cindy Furlong
Bob Jones
http://boostersofoldtown.com/
1
Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of California (San Francisco, 1886), vol. III
(1825-1840), pp. 32-33; Benjamin Hayes, San Diego Index of Archives, MSS C-E
69, p. 14; Hayes, Emigrant Notes, MSS C-E 62, pp. 114, 597, Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley, CA; Robert Ryal Miller, ―Entertainment in
Hispanic California, 1769-1848,‖ Southern California Quarterly, vol. 86, #2
(Summer 2004), pp. 102-103.
Website:
pg. 1
President’s Notes
by Jeanne Ferrell
September has been a busy time for the State Park. You could say it is a ―Park of many uses.‖
The Old Town San Diego Chamber of Commerce and Fiesta de Reyes teamed up with the ―Spirits of
Mexico‖ event for an afternoon of Food, Spirits and Fun. This event was a great example of the
cooperation and communication within the Old Town Community. Thanks to Chuck Ross and Richard
Stegner for their hard work to make this event a success.
We wish to thank Bethany Jordan for working with an intern in the creation and presentation of a concept
Logo for BOOT. It was apparent that a considerable amount of thought went into the presentation.
BOOT has been busy; our BOOT volunteers have completed the work installing new cupboards,
countertop and a sink in the break room upstairs in the Robinson Rose Visitor’s Center. Thanks to Bob
Jones, Gary Turton and Chuck Ferrell.
The Park and the Community have begun working on a Dia de los Muertos event. Once again, this will be
a community wide celebration. If you are interested in helping the community, please let me know.
I saved the best till last; our newest Board Member is Zulema Franco. Many of us have known her since
she was in charge of the 4th Grade School Program in Old Town for the San Diego Unified School
District. We are fortunate to have someone of her talents and expertise. Welcome aboard, Zulema!
Photo courtesy of Rich Dennison
Park Aide Rita Connaty and Volunteer Patt Seitas
Volunteer Becky Halliburton (with Rita)
The Old Town Historic Quilt Guild attended the 29th Annual
San Diego Quilt Show on September 16-18, 2010 with
assistance from BOOT.
It was a great opportunity for staff and volunteers in period
attire to discuss the Juana Machado quilt, the State Historic
Park, living history, the guild, and volunteer opportunities.
pg. 2
Treasurer’s Notes
By Deanna Turton
It is hard to believe that autumn is already knocking on the door and Halloween is right around the
corner! It seems like summer sneaked out the back door while I was at jury service for two and a half
weeks! But the trial was interesting and I surely learned a lot about buying and selling race horses!!
More than I ever expected to know!
There was another lesson learned, however. The civil trial could have easily been prevented if the
parties involved had been more precise with their agreements and records. It was surely a good lesson
for us members of non-profit organizations who served as alternates on the jury. While we were waiting
for the "real jury" to deliberate, we had to wait in the juror's lounge until the verdict was reached. On
the last day, we both agreed to bring the lessons we had learned from this trial to our respective boards.
Basically, be sure you have good records, be careful what you agree to do, and make sure you always
maintain the very highest of standards in handling the non-profit's monies. I am pleased to say that
BOOT does well in those areas of concern but you can be sure that will be my mantra at the next BOOT
board meeting anyway!
August was a VERY good month for BOOT. Overall, we took in $6,684.64 and spent $3,353.80! Since
income from tours is low during the summer months, almost all of these earnings came from sales in the
BOOT Store, with many days showing over $200 in sales! Many thanks to the volunteer storekeepers
and park aides who helped make August a great month. There is one exception, however. Todd Caffo,
our blacksmith, sold $150 worth of excess equipment which was an unexpected windfall for our
treasury. Another unexpected gain was a $100 refund from our insurance company for having a good
track record all year.
On the expense side of the ledger, the only spending categories over $200 were as follows:
BOOT Store - $1483.25, Poppy Paper - $236.98. After returning from Alaska, Mary Jones is reordering
from many wholesalers. Be prepared for more large expenses in next month's report.
And finally, the daily average in the Park's donation boxes continues to hold steady at $64.55 a day.
With the fiscal year nearing the fourth quarter, soon it will be time to do the end of year balancing again
in preparation for filing tax forms for 2010. Where does the time go?
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS!
pg. 3
Getting Ready for Christmas!?!?
The ladies of the Craft Committee spent the second Friday of September working hard getting products
ready for the BOOT Store. However, this time of year, we also have to start getting ready for Christmas.
So, just like children when school starts, most of us took home sacks of various supplies for homework!
Winnie Adams – took home gourds to stain and make "pumpkins, apples, snowmen and Santas." She
also made a special trip over to Deanna’s house to pick up additional leather dye, which had been
purchased at the leather store in Ocean Beach.
Madeleine Marietti – took home herbs to strip and grind up, and car fresheners which needed to be sewn
shut.
Zulema Franco - promised to help Deanna organize things in the BOOT shed, and to make labels for the
BOOT Store. Zulema also helped Deanna stuff the crocheted hearts that are filled with potpourri.
Mary Jones - promised to design a new construction paper holder for our herb samplers, as well as the
new tea samplers that we will sell in the near future.
And finally, Deanna promised to place several orders on the internet so we had enough supplies for
upcoming months. As of this writing, one big box has arrived from the Woodworks Store, and two other
boxes are expected next week.
We also welcomed Judy Parent, Jeanne Ferrell, Bob Jones, and Gary Turton at the September meeting.
Both ladies worked very hard doing whatever Deanna asked of them. Although Judy is a regular member
of the Craft Committee, Jeanne was a new member and promised to come back next month! Gary was
drafted to cut leather strips for more bookmarks. He routinely gets drafted to handle things that require
power tools and/or precision cuts. Although Bob had to leave early to help Chuck Ferrell repair a
cupboard for the Robinson Rose kitchen, he was there long enough for Deanna to draft him into coloring
some leather bookmarks.
MANY THANKS TO EVERYONE who helps to keep the BOOT Store stocked with handmade
products!!!!!
The Fourth Annual Conference on Early San Diego Regional History will be held on
Saturday, November 6, 2010 from 8:30 am to 4 pm, at the Old Town Cultural and
Historical Program Campus, 3939 Conde Street, San Diego.
The conference will be brought to you by the Early San Diego Regional History
Collaborative (ESDRHC), the SDUSD Old Town Program, and local historical parks. The
theme of the event is - El Pueblo Perdido: The Lost Heritage of Early San Diego -Focusing on 1769-1848 and Beyond - with sessions for both children and adults.
Please register by calling: (619) 423-7248, or sending an e-mail to: kshiminski@sandi.net.
pg. 4
Fiestas Patrias
200 Mexican Independence Celebration!
th
by Joe Vasquez
On September 11, 2010 enthusiastic volunteers and staff celebrated the 200th anniversary of the
beginning of Mexico’s independence from Spain, ―Fiestas Patrias.‖ In my 25 years with State Parks, I
have never witnessed so much dedication and teamwork among a diverse group of individuals to make
Fiestas Patrias memorable for visitors. History does repeat itself, and the event captured the generous
spirit and Californio hospitality that Fiestas Patrias exudes, especially during the reception hosted by
―Governor Jose Maria Echeandia‖ (portrayed by descendant and actor Victor Contreras). There are
many people to be commended for making this event a success:
Fundraising and planning: Connie Puente Miller, Angela Garcia-Sims, Celia Moody Sotomayor,
Elena Orozco, Karen Mastaglio, Fran Stevens, Marsha Lyon, Sally Schofield, Estela Mora, Jon
Schmid, Marya Ahmad and Paul Donaldson.
The FIRST EVER Fiestas Patrias Parade: Marsha Lyon, Frances McMeeken, Sally Schofield,
Judy Randlett and Amber, Dave La Torre and Alfred Viruegas with their beautiful horses; and the
Escaramuza Las Golondrinas.
The Grito Contest: Master of Ceremony William Virchis.
Children’s Games: Kyle Connor, Patt Sietas and Catalina Leon-Jimenez.
Pinata: Dick Miller, Camilo Marquez and Maria Ezhevskaya.
Craft Booths (corn husk dolls, cascarones and paper flowers): Kim Baldwin, Laura-Lee Bisball,
Mary Drobnis, Charlyn Earp, Shirlee Rodriguez and Becky Halliburton.
Information Booth: Susan Cohen, Roseann Cook, Gloria Fimbres, Celia Moody, Mary Ellen
Young and Tom Young.
Entertainment: Los Bailadores under Lucy Thorpe’s leadership with accompaniment by Los
Californios; Teatro Mascara Magica theater group performing ―The Bells of Dona Josefa.‖
Decorations: Mayela Cervantes, Frances Stevens and their maintenance staff.
Refreshments: Zulema Franco and her team.
Photo courtesy of Joe Vasquez
There are other people who made a
difference such as Karen Mastaglio and
her PR team; Doug Zimmer and Michael
Relph for stage setup and PA system;
Nancy Tobar, Trudi Brown, Ray Tafoya
and Minnie Tafoya for behind the scenes
and public contact; Bert Randlett and Sally
Schofield for guest services at the
Estudillo.
Connie Puente Miller and Cita Obregon, a
dignitary, were acknowledged during the
beautiful reception at the Estudillo.
I appreciate all who kept their focus on
promoting the rich early San Diego history
through their support of Fiestas Patrias.
Fiestas Patrias 2010 Craft Booth
staffed by Mary Drobnis and Laura Lee Bisbal
pg. 5
Thanks to the Gardeners!
San Pasqual
October dates to remember!
Please join us!
By Deanna Turton
Many thanks to the gardening team for taking such
good care of the gardens while I was on jury service.
Adrian Fernandes, Don Mayfield, Nelda Harris, Sergia
Castellanos, and JP Gendron kept the weeds pulled and
plants watered in fine style. Now, it will be my turn to
return the favor because JP will be going to China at
the end of the month. When he gets back, we plan to
ask Chuck Ferrell and Bob Jones to bring us some more
mulch and compost!
We also harvested our pitiful crop of purple corn. One
ear had ten kernels and another mini ear had purple
kernels with large white spots. JP said the kernels
were pretty, but Deanna insisted that next year we are
going back to raising strawberry popcorn!
If anyone would like to join us in caring for the
gardens, we work on Monday mornings between the
hours of 10 am and 1 pm.
 Sunday, Oct 3 Living History. Cannon firing at


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11:30 and 1:30
Saturday, Oct 16 Annual Meeting and Lunch,
Noon, Speaker from the new Mormon Battalion
Museum, SPBVA office, RSVP to Ellen by Oct
13 858.459-7759 or ELSweet@gmail.com
Tuesday, Oct 19 History Discussion, How
States Got Their Shapes, 3:30pm, Escondido
Public LIbrary, 2nd floor conference room
Friday, Oct 22 Board Meeting, 11 am;
Battlelines deadline for Nov/Dec issue
Saturday, Oct 23 Cannon firing safety class, 10
am, park. Please let Tom Vilicich know if
interested. Trooper284@aol.com or
951.674.0185. Cost of class is one pound of
powder, 1F or 2F. Class time at least 2 hours.
From the Editor’s Desk…
Fall is in the air, the kids are back in school, pumpkins and gourds have replaced the
watermelons in the grocery store, sweaters are coming out of the closet…
Thanks to all contributors this month who met the Poppy Paper deadline. Please remember,
you can always send your submissions EARLY!!! Last month, Archaeologist Therese
Muranaka graced us with an article; and this month Historian Victor Walsh wrote a great
piece on Fiestas Patrias! Makes me feel like our ―little‖ newsletter is ―growing up!‖
Happy Fall and Happy Reading!
POPPY PAPER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Park Aides: Submit to rdennison@parks.ca.gov
Volunteers: Submit to jvasquez@parks.ca.gov
ALL OTHER SUBMISSIONS may be sent directly to the editor: ruthfrench@earthlink.net
DEADLINE: 25th of each month (handwritten deadline is the 20 th-in my volunteer folder in the RobinsonRose Bldg.)
If you do not desire any editing of your article, adherence to the following is mandatory:
FONT TYPE AND SIZE: Times New Roman (12)
STYLE: single spaced with a double space between paragraphs (not indented)
LENGTH: 400 words or less
NOTE: Submissions that exceed 400 words are likely to be edited for length and clarity.
Exceedingly longer articles may be divided and published in consecutive editions of the Paper.
Inclusion of articles is on a space-available, first-come basis and at the editor's discretion.
pg. 6
pg. 7
BOOSTERS OF OLD TOWN
San Diego State Historic Park
4002 Wallace Street
San Diego, CA 92110
NOTICE: If you have a friend who would like to learn more about San Diego History, enjoys meeting
people, and likes to have a good time, give him/her this application form to fill out and send in. New
members are always welcome. And, if you have forgotten to renew your membership…it’s never too late
to send it in. We miss you!
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
____$ 20.00 – Single Supporting Member
____$ 35.00 – Family (2 or more individuals)
____$ 15.00 – Senior (62+ years)/Student Single
____$ 25.00 – Senior Couple (62+ years
____$150.00 – Life Member (62+ years)
____$ 50.00 – Corporate Membership
(includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper
and on our website for one month)
____$125.00 – Enhanced Corporate Membership*
(includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper
and on our website for 12 months)
____ I am also interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact me!
NAME(S) ________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _______________________________________________________
CITY ________________________ __STATE _______ ZIP________________
PHONE ______________________E-MAIL ____________________________
I belong to the following group(s): Docent___ Military___ Descendants ___ Californios ___
Make your check out to ―BOOT” and mail to:
BOOT Membership Chairperson, Shirlee Rodriguez, P.O. Box 152676, San Diego, CA 92195
pg. 8