​Happy Holidays from
​White Sulphur Springs Ranch!
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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives this year, but it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm, efforts, and generosity of the volunteers and members of the Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council, stewards of historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR)! We’ve had to bend to the times, cancelling our Summerfest concert and barbecue, holding meetings by Zoom, being cautious of safety protocols while working on projects, and so on, but we’ve continued to make good progress in preparing the ranch for community enjoyment.
Some of our major accomplishments on the historic ranch house include repairing the sagging foundation at the west (Hwy 89) side of the house, restoration of the main (north) entrance porch including the restoration and re-use of the original balusters on the porch railings, and restoration of the south porch. Outside the house we completed installation of electrical service to the deck/stage area, and laid 1800 feet of pipe which will soon connect the ranch house and new bath house to the septic leach field at the south end of the property.
Even the interior of the ranch house has seen some major improvements. WSSR volunteers put in many hours decorating the house with furniture items and heirlooms donated by local patrons. The volunteers then beautifully decorated it in the spirit of old-time Christmas in time for the Holidays. With such efforts the house was made ready for viewing by the community and guided tours were offered. Tours are still available, weather permitting, and may be arranged by calling Judy at 530-836-0254.
I want to take this moment to extend my most sincere thanks to all of our members, volunteers, and patrons who helped us make this, in the face of unprecedented headwinds, a successful year for WSSR!
I wish you all the peace of the season, and warm wishes for a healthy, prosperous (and normal!) 2021.
Mark Cowan
President, MVSC

The Clio Stove is Back Home

Posted 10/25/2020  by: John Lullo    Photos:  Linda Cooley
The old story is that while sitting around this old wood-burning stove, the prominent citizens of a town called “Wash”, decided that the name of their city was too often mistaken for the town of Washington, in Nevada County on the south fork of the Yuba river.  These citizens of Wash decided the new name of their community should be Clio, a name prominently cast into the door of the old stove they were looking at.
Clio is the name of one of the nine muses of Greek mythology.  She is the patron of history. The dictionary allows the pronunciation to be either Clee Oh or Cl-eye Oh, but the people in and around Plumas County know that the only correct pronunciation is the latter one, ie, Clio.
The stove was cast at the Bridge & Beach foundry in St. Louis, MO.  The company name changed a few times due to a change of owners, but this particular name first appeared circa 1857, which ties in well to the origins of White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR) ranch in 1852.  No reference could be found as to why the name Clio was boldly cast in the door of the stove.  Since the stove also has an identifying model number cast in (no 22), the name Clio had to be a specific brand within a complete line of this kind of stove.  This fact then adds credence to the belief that the name Clio, refers to the Greek muse mentioned above.
In 1974, the old stove was found, along with some other old furnishings, in the attic of the old ranch house at WSSR.  It was cleaned and put in one of the upstairs bathrooms.  It was then purchased by Molly’s Bed & Breakfast at the infamous auction of 2002. The owner graciously gave it back to the, Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) soon thereafter. 
During the restoration of the historic ranch house the stove was loaned to the owners of the Blackbird Inn which was then doing business in the building that was once the old general store in downtown Clio. As mentioned above, this was where the early citizens of Wash decided to change the name of their town to Clio. This building now contains the Ricochet restaurant. When most of the interior renovation of the old ranch house was complete, the stove was reclaimed by MVSC volunteers and put on display in the newly remodeled living room at WSSR.
Visitors are invited for a personal tour to see the old stove and the great progress that MVSC volunteers have made in restoring the old ranch house.  Call Judy at 530-836-0254 to make a tour appointment.     
Above: Clio Stove in the Living Room of the old ranch house.
Left: Close up of old Clio Stove (Circa 1852) believed to be the inspriation for changing the name of the community of "Wash" to Clio.

The Great Virtual Rummage Sale
Was a Big Success!

The pandemic has posed some major challenges to the fund raising activities of the volunteers at White Sulphur Springs Ranch (WSSR).  The annual rummage sale, usually held on site, had to be replaced this year by a virtual rummage sale where all purchases were made online.  The sale started on September 5th and ended on the 12th.  Buyers were directed to the sale through a link on this website.  Ten volunteers organized and presented over 100 items in 5 different categories; Art, lighting, furniture, jewelry and miscellaneous. There were 35 individual buyers and the proceeds exceeded $3000.   The most expensive item was a jeweled watch that sold for $700.  There were many items that sold for only $5.  The proceeds will allow at least some of the planned renovation to continue until better times arrive.
​
The Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) is in the midst of its annual membership drive.

You can become a Ranch or Business Member of White Sulphur Springs Ranch by clicking on the links below or by calling, Janet Reihsen at 530-836-2495 if you would like to join in the restoration of the historic WSSR.
This Bucherer Swiss watch sold for $700. It was a generous donation from a member of the MVSC.
Five of the ten MVSC rummage sale volunteers holding some sold artwork, in the newly decorated living room of the old ranch house.  From left to right they are; Judy Porep-Lullo, Janet Reihsen, Nancy Myers, Dink Rife and Yvonne Ware.

​RENOVATION CONTINUES AT
​WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS RANCH

The pandemic has slowed but not stopped Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) volunteers from the ongoing job of rehabilitation of the old ranch house.  On Wednesday, July 15, fifty four of the original balusters were painted in a homemade assembly line operation.  It took a lot of repair to get the balusters ready for painting. It was important that no reproductions but only the original pieces were used so volunteer Robert Ware glued, sanded and reassembled each of the hundred year old railing supports.  They will soon be installed on the North and South porches of the ranch house.
Covid-19 has dealt a serious blow to the fundraising efforts of the MVSC.  Both Summerfest and the rummage sale had to be canceled to protect the volunteers and the public.  The Board of Directors is asking the public to support membership drives and contribute directly to the MVSC when possible, so that basic expenses can be covered.  The MVSC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization so contributions are tax deductible. The mailing address is P.O. Box 25, Clio, CA, 96106-0025 

HISTORIC RANCH HOUSE
GETS SOME NEW OLD FURNISHINGS

Posted: 6/25/20    By: John Lullo
​
The old ranch house at White Sulphur Springs Ranch has received some wonderful period furniture from generous donors interested in preserving the original interior look.  The old structure was built in 1852 and has survived some serious and sometimes careless, remodeling down through the years. However, Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) volunteers have started to bring it back to life.  There is a living room, dining room kitchen and bath on the first floor plus five more rooms and a bath upstairs.  All these rooms have furniture, wall hangings and photos, donated from collections from as far back as the late 1800’s. Since June of 2019, heirloom items such as chandeliers, a roll top desk, a hand braided rug and brass candlesticks, have been received. 
MVSC volunteers are very proud of how the interior of the old ranch house has been restored;  so much so that they invite interested individuals to experience a personal tour.  Membership chairperson, Janet Reihsen and/or volunteer coordinator Judy Porep-Lullo, are available to guide these tours on request, and by appointment.  Call Janet at 530-836-2495, or Judy at 530-836-0254, to set up a time and date.
The MVSC continues to bring White Sulphur Springs Ranch back to where it belongs….an historic monument to the early days of Plumas County and the Mohawk Valley.
 
Photo Captions
Volunteer Chairwoman Judy Porep-Lullo stands behind the two vintage couches delivered to the ranch house by Mary Davey, manager of the O’Gara-Hayes house in Sierra City. These two pieces belonged to the Hayes family, who bought the Sierra Buttes Mine in Sierra City in 1899.

The upstairs nursery room at the old Ranch House complete with antique white iron crib and wicker bassinet previously owned by the Ghirardelli family of San Francisco.
 
The restored living room on the main floor of the old house at White Sulphur Springs Ranch reminds of the late 1800’s thanks to donations by local patrons.

SUMMERFEST 2020
is
Canceled

The annual fundraiser presented by the Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) is another public event cancellation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  This breaks the Plumas County tradition that began in 2009.  Summerfest is the major financial contributor to the rehabilitation of the historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch, at the head of the Mohawk Valley in Clio, CA.
The volunteers of the MVSC hope that the restrictions necessitated by the pandemic will be over by the late June date of the event, but current state and federal guidelines prevent the many meetings and work sessions necessary to adequately prepare for Summerfest.  The health and safety of the MVSC volunteers and members of the community, must be our highest priority.
Although this unfortunate situation will delay the work, the MVSC , with continued support from individuals and businesses, will proceed with the goal of restoring this historic property to community service.

Progress on the
Ranch House Roof
and
​Bath House

By: John Lullo  Posted: November 10, 2019           Link to Press Release
Travelers on highway 89 at the South end of the Mohawk Valley may have noticed a few changes at the historic ranch site.  On the first of October a major roof repair was completed on the ranch house by Kenny Davis Roofing in Quincy.

In addition, progress moved forward with the new bath house as siding, donated by Allura through Truckee-Tahoe Lumber was added to the structure by volunteers under the direction of project leader Tim Buckhout.  The final paint job was donated by Clio contractor Miles Huggins Painting.

A big thanks goes out to additional bath house contributors for this most recent phase of construction.  Those donating their time and expertise included: Jeff Miller, Kenny Davis Roofing, Wesley Boyd of WESFAB Construction in Portola, Bear Cub Industries, and Gumba's Family Pizza.

For a more complete description of our recent work, click on this link to the article in the Portola Reporter.

2019 Projects You Can Support

2019 is expected to be a great year for MVSC and White Sulphur Springs Ranch and we hope you can join us by making a donation to support our continued work.  Here are some of the major projects we are planning for 2019.

- CONTINUE WORK ON THE BATH HOUSE -
Install Commercial Steel Doors  (DONE!)
Complete all exterior trim  (DONE!)
Install Roofing  (DONE!)
Install Siding  (DONE!)
Paint the bath house exterior  (DONE!)
Install all electrical work
Complete Plumbing
WE STILL NEED MATERIAL DONATIONS OF:
Insulation & Sheetrock
Dressing/Toilet area partitions 
and LABOR DONATIONS FOR
Taping/Texturing & Interior Painting
If you can help with these resources, please call 925-321-3354

- CONSTRUCT A DECK FOR LIVING HISTORY SCHOOL DAYS -
This program supports 3rd graders and lets them experience and appreciate life on the ranch in the mid 1800's.  We still need to raise about $1000 for concrete work and another $2500 for surface decking material.  (DONE!)
If you can help with these resources, please call 925-321-3354

Gumbas and White Sulphur Springs Ranch
September 25th Fundraiser
to support restoration work on the ranch house
HUGE SUCCESS !!

Many thanks to Elizabeth & Matt Cruz and the whole crew at Gumba's for their support this year.  You guys are such wonderful community supporters.  Please know how much we appreciate your support of White Sulphur Springs Ranch and what it means to our community.

We also want to thank Michael Connelly, owner of The Brewers Cabinet in Reno, who donated a keg of their finest beer to our fundraiser. Thank you Michael for supporting what we do for our community and for supporting the many disabled children and veterans that will be helped by our work.

​Lastly, we want to extend a big thanks to our community for their support as well.  More of you attended the fundraiser this year over last year which helped us raise more money this year than last year.

Thanks to everyone for all your support!

Business Neighbors
Help Raise the Bath House
By: John Lullo  Posted: January 28, 2019
Link to Plumas News article, Click Here
On the two freezing days after Christmas, business members and Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council (MVSC) volunteers began construction of the new bath house at the White Sulphur Springs Ranch site (WSSR) in Clio.  The bath house is part of an overall restoration effort at WSSR and a major component of the planned community ADA swimming facility that will accommodate all users, including children and the disabled.
Businesses from Redding, Reno, Quincy and Clio all contributed the necessary building materials and labor to raise the new bath house. General contractor, Taylor Carr, owner of Artifex Homes in Clio donated the construction crew. Dave Little with Sierra Pacific Industries in Quincy donated the framing lumber and their Redding Division provided the windows.  Andrew Cross, general manager of the Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Company in Truckee donated all the paneling, roof sheathing and hardware.
The MVSC depends on the generosity of community businesses and individuals to achieve the goal of renovation of the historic Mohawk Valley site. Businesses as far away as Reno also helped.  Western Nevada Supply, Reno Truss, DHC Supplies and Titan Construction Supply were all major contributors.  The complete list of companies that contributed to the project are listed below.
Things are happening that locals and visitors alike can see from Highway 89 in the Mohawk Valley.  If you are already a member, Thank you.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the MVSC, select one of the green buttons to the right.
Photos by Linda Cooley

The Mohawk Valley Stewardship Council
Wishes to Thank the following Business Members
for Supporting Construction of the Bath House at
Historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch.
Your kindness will help support the Disabled and
Especially our Disabled Children and Veterans.


Allura
Artifex Homes
CreteCraft Concrete Construction
Current Electric & Alarm Co.
DHC Supplies, Inc
The Genesis Group
Gumba’s Family Pizza
Hanford Consulting, Inc.
Jefferson Supply Company
McGarr Construction
Payen-Tong Ranches
Pioneer Plumbing & Excavation
Reno Truss, Inc.
Richard D. Short Engineering
Sierra Pacific Industries
Steve’s Pump & Well Drilling, Inc.
Titan Construction Supply
Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co.
Western Nevada Supply
White Cap Concrete Mix, Inc.
YourH2O Pro
Significant Contributors added since first publishing this list
Glen Dimplex Americas
GAF Roofing
​GCP Applied Technologies
Graybar Electric
Grainger
CDF Commercial Doors
Hitachi Power Tools
Werner Ladders
Honeywell
GAF Roofing Products
​ABC Supply
Platt Electric
Tencate Geosynthetic Fabrics
Consolidated Electrical Distribution​ (CED)
​Micro-Matic
Lowe's
Home Depot
Edges Electric Supply
Square D
Reno-Carson Lumber
Ferguson Supply
Mountain Hardware & Sports
Plumas Ace Hardware
Joy Engineering
Waxie Janitorial Supply
Royal Wholesale Electric Supply
WEDCO Electric Supply
​Penhall
WesFab Construction
Miles Huggins Painting

There is More To Do
But . . .
Look What
Your Donations
Have Accomplished in 2018

2018 has been a remarkable year for progress at Historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch
Did You Know in 2018 Volunteers Contributed more than
21,644 hours and drove more than 14,286 miles

- January -
Marked the ground for the final locations of the pool and bath house.
- June -
Graded and set the proper elevations for the pool and bath house.
Painted and performed repairs to the rail fence along highway 89.
- July -
Installed French drains and surface drains to protect the future pool and bath house. 
- September -
 Penhall donated their time to core drill the almost three foot thick concrete wall at the back of the house to allow water and electrical access.
- October -
McGarr excavation installed the underground water system to supply water to the house, bath house and the pool.
- November -
David Recasens, Pioneer Plumbing and Excavation, installed bath house plumbing.
Volunteers trenched bath house footings and prepared the site to pour concrete.
White Cap Concrete and Crete Craft poured the concrete pad for the bath house.
Steve's Pumps & Well Drilling, installed a well pump and motor which will supply water to the house, pool and bath house and provide irrigation water to the entire property
- December -
Beginning the day after Christmas, Taylor Carr, owner of Artifex Homes, donated his time to frame and seal the bath house in 2-1/2 days. A remarkable accomplishment to end 2018 with.  Thank You Taylor.
It is important to acknowledge the contractors who have donated their services or provided services at a much reduced cost to help us accomplish work this season.  It is equally important to acknowledge the many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help prepare for each phase of the project.
     Many of these volunteers are retired but have donated their time and equipment and personally paid for thousands of dollars in materials to help us achieve our goals this season.

Thanks to Everyone for Your Help

Project Contractors
Kent Hanford Engineering (project manager), Richard Short Engineering, Western Nevada Plumbing, Jefferson Supply, Mountain Hardware & Sports-Blairsden, Steve's Pumps & Well Drilling, McGarr Excavation, CreteCraft, White Cap Concrete, Curtis Hartwig Construction, Plumas Ace Hardware, High Sierra Gas, Jimmy West Tree service, Penhall Company

Community Partners Raising the Bathhouse

Thank You
Gumba's
    A Big Thank You to Gumba's Family Pizza for hosting our first Gumba's Community Fundraiser, September 26, 2018, to raise the bathhouse.  Thank you Matt and Elizabeth for being such wonderful community supporters.  The picture below shows the staff that night at the fundraiser, however, two important people were not able to make it in the picture, Chefs Mike Gallup and Allen Crandall.
Thank you to the Safeway Foundation for your generous grant donation in support of our 2020 Living History School Days Program at White Sulphur Springs Ranch.

Your support will help us expand this important school program for 3rd graders to other parts of Plumas County and allow more children to experience the rich history of our early California residents in this region.

​Thank you again Safeway Foundation for being such great community supporters!
Help us build a Community Swimming Pool at White Sulphur Springs Ranch

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Stewards of Historic White Sulphur Springs Ranch