Regional Spotlight On Our Community

Asa Fippin, Joe Naglee, Bill Carney and Friend preparing for the Festival, 1964

The First “Pioneer Day”
By Kathy Smith

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting with Brian Naglee at his home in Yuba City. He told me that he had lived in Smartsville as a child and wanted to share the story of his Dad’s great Ghost Town Restoration Festival in Smartsville and Timbuctoo fifty years ago. He had a scrapbook full of correspondence and photographs and newspaper articles of the “first annual Ghost Town Restoration Festival” held in 1964 in Smartsville. At that time things had already changed greatly in Smartsville and Timbuctoo. There was concern that out-of-control development would not place sufficient value on the few remaining relics from the town’s heyday, and that they were in danger of being lost. The Restoration Festival was their way of doing something about it. Their goal was to preserve the Wells Fargo Building, The Community Church, The Catholic Church and even Rose Bar School which was still in use at the time.

Joe Naglee rallied some of the reigning old-timers -- Asa Fippin, George Rigby, Will Carney, and Bill Gruber -- and enlisted the help of local business people Forest Hetland and Minett Hallmark to organize a great festival. Joe put aside his own business for six months to plan an extravaganza to call attention to, and raise funds for, the restoration of Timbuctoo, Sucker Flat and Smartsville. It was extremely ambitious: there were stage coach rides, pony express races, a cowboy lasso contest, a gold nugget display with armed guards, a sixty-piece Navy band, demonstrations of gold panning, mine tours and more. Minet Hallmark gathered antique dealers to sell items and booths of all sorts were set up. Area organizations from all around participated, including the Grass Valley Ladies Relief Society and the Beale Air Force Base Public Relations office, the Boy Scouts, Mothers clubs and a number of schools and church groups.

Large corporations like Wells Fargo and Folger’s Coffee, Macy’s and Levis were involved. The Press was very supportive, including the Sacramento Bee and Sunset magazine. Television coverage was even garnered. From all accounts it was a huge success. The idea was to form a non-profit to continue the festival as an annual event to support the community rehabilitation but, but it was only done that one time. Unfortunately Joe suffered a heart attack and was not able to continue the organization.

It wasn’t until 1998 that the Smartsville Church Restoration Fund Inc. (SCRFI) a nonprofit organization was founded to take ownership of the former Catholic Church and restore it. Eight years ago we decided to plan an annual festival, the Smartsville & Timbuctoo Pioneer Day, to support the restoration efforts of SCRFI. When we set in motion Pioneer Day to call attention to our restoration project and to raise some funds to kick-start our slumbering non-profit organization, we didn’t realize we were reinventing the wheel. If we had only known what Joe started, we would have had a lot more to go on. I have used some of Joe’s ideas in this year’s planning and think they will add a lot to the festival. Some of his other ideas will inspire future planning. At this year’s event, we will have a display of some of the photos and articles from that 1964 festival, in addition to all the other great displays and activities.

The Pioneer Day committee strives to provide good representations of the towns’ historical past and hopes everyone learns something, while having a good time. We try to make it bigger and better each year, by adding something different. If you are able to volunteer, be a sponsor or have an idea for a booth or activity, please contact us. It would help us to achieve our goal and be a worthwhile contribution to your community. It is so much work: but when it is over we are happy we did it and start right up brainstorming for the next year. For more information WWW.Pioneerday.info