Sarah Lim: New year is reminder of key Merced County events

With the new year underway, it is time to consider the important events in Merced County history that are reaching milestones this year.

Organized in 1855, Merced County is turning 160 this year. Originally part of Mariposa County – “Mother of Counties” – Merced County was created with an act passed and approved by the California Legislature on April 19, 1855. On the second Monday of the following month, citizens of this new county held an election to form a county government with G.H. Murray, W. J. Barfield and S.L. Kelley who represented the first Board of Supervisors. The board membership increased from three to the current number of five in 1884 as the population of the county grew dramatically from about 500 in 1855 to more than 5,600 in 1880.

When the county was organized, the temporary county seat was located on the ranch of Turner and Osborn on Mariposa Creek, and the first court proceedings were held there as well under several big oak trees. In 2005, the Merced County Board of Supervisors, Merced County Historical Society and Sheriff’s Department celebrated the county’s sesquicentennial with a parade and festivities in Courthouse Park and a sesquicentennial history display in the Courthouse Museum. “Merced County 150th Anniversary: Prosperity through Diversity” was the theme.

The oldest building in the city of Merced, our historic courthouse, was constructed 140 years ago. When the new town of Merced was established in 1872, an election was held that November and Merced was chosen as the new county seat. This led to the construction of a new courthouse. At the courthouse dedication ceremony on May 5, 1875, Samuel C. Bates presented the Courthouse Inspection Report to the Board of Supervisors which reads, “… the building is complete in all its details and reflects much credit on the Architect A.A. Bennett Esq. of Sacramento, its Contractor A. W. Burrell of Oakland … and we as tax payers of Merced County.” (Board of Supervisors Minutes, May 5, 1875)

A century later, this historic courthouse went through an extensive renovation before it was reopened as a history museum in June 1983.

Merced County’s first high school was established 120 years ago in 1895. It was temporarily housed in the old Academy Building on 23rd Street near Canal Street until a permanent high school building was completed in 1897 on M Street in Courthouse Park. The new building was designed by Lewis Stone and built by John Miller in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It is still standing as the second-oldest public building in Merced.

As a collaborative effort between Merced County and the Merced County Historical Society and under the leadership of former county Supervisor Kathleen Crookham and former Society Board Member Sherrie Spendlove, significant funds were raised in the early 2000s to preserve this historic building. As a result, a new metal roof was installed and windows were boarded up to prevent further deterioration. The old high school, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, still waits for a complete renovation so it can return to its former glory.

One hundred years ago, three major events took place. Because they are important to the development and growth of our county, three exhibits will be presented this year in the Courthouse Museum to commemorate them.

▪ This year is the centennial of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. More than 18 million visitors attended this world fair from February to December 1915. Like many counties in California, Merced used this opportunity to promote itself to potential settlers through the publication of an engaging illustrated booklet. This booklet is the source of the “Promoting Merced: A County of Many Resources” exhibit. The exhibit will open on March 19 because March 19, 1915, was the “Merced-Mariposa Counties Day” at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

▪ Following the exposition exhibit will be another titled “Centennial Celebrations: El Nido School and Gustine City,” which will open on July 30 and run through Sept. 27. Completed in 1915, the old El Nido Schoolhouse has served as the heart and soul of this little farming community for a century. Over on the West Side, the city of Gustine, incorporated on Nov. 11, 1915, continues to be the dairy center of Merced County as its city seal illustrates. The exhibit will chronicle the history of the dairy city of Gustine and the unincorporated town of El Nido.

▪ Now fast-forward to the 21st century. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the 10th UC campus. Yes, the University of California, Merced, is turning 10 years old this fall. Rising from the rangeland of this bountiful Valley, UC Merced in a short time has not only increased the prominence of Merced but also brought and fostered all sorts of development in our agricultural-based community. To celebrate this milestone, the history students from UC Merced will collaborate with the museum to compile the history of this young campus and assess its presence in the San Joaquin Valley. The exhibit titled “UC Merced: A Decade of Building and Growing” will open on Oct. 15 at the Courthouse Museum.

The museum is recruiting new volunteers. If you like history and meeting people, please attend our annual docent training on Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Courthouse Museum. If you have not made a new year’s resolution, this could be it – serving the community through the promotion of history.

This story was originally published January 16, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Sarah Lim: New year is reminder of key Merced County events."