Posted by: Charity_Maness on 09/14/2010 04:20 PM
Updated by: Granger_Hamilton on 09/15/2010 09:29 PM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
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A Pictorial History of Calaveras Big Trees by Author Carol Kramer, with Stories of Those that Lived There ~ By, Charity Maness
Carol Kramer, author of Calaveras Big Trees, began her writing career, armed with a degree in journalism, as a newspaper reporter, though quickly transitioning to PR and communications for a major corporation. After 10 years of working in the corporate field Carol put out her own shingle and opened a PR and Communication business of her own in ’91 offering her services as a freelance writer completing press releases, business manuals, annual reports, and web site copy for multiple companies....
Cover of Calaveras Big Trees book
After venturing into the ‘other’ side of writing by taking a creative writing course, Carol was hooked and needed to find a niche with where to launch her newfound interest. She did not wait long. Marcy Crawford, President of The Calaveras Big Trees Association, a group of people that volunteer their time to raise funds for interpretive and educational programs within the park, was looking for an author to co-author a book specifically about the history of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. With her “combined love of history, talent for research and writing” Carol, when offered the opportunity, jumped at the chance.
With the help of Bruce Thompsen and Steve Stocking she managed to complete archival research that would have had any researchers head spinning, though with those two by her side the research road was made much smoother. She also had the help of Wendy Harrison, an interpreter at Big Trees, who carefully proofread her manuscript. But Carol pointed out the book would never have been as complete a history, as accurate a retelling, without a certain treasure she found during her research.
Carol learned of an amateur historian by the name of Frances Bishop that was among the crowd of people that personally attended the dedication of the Big Trees State Park in 1931. Frances had moved to the area in the early 60’s, though her aunt and uncle had grazing land just above Cottage Springs so was a frequent visitor in her younger years. Being an avid history buff, Frances kept meticulous records of the comings and goings at the park, the art work and photography of the times, and detailed stories of the people who lived and or visited the area all of which were donated to the park in 1988 after her passing. The most fascinating find was an unpublished manuscript written by Frances on the history of the park that was found in her donated collection amid the archives. This manuscript enlightened many of the photos that without any background, made little or no sense. For instance, there is a picture of a German Shepherd dog tied to the front porch of the hotel with a deer tied right next to her. Odd as this photo may seem, Frances’s manuscript explains that evidently one of the many caretakers of the hotel had adopted an orphan fawn and the fawn had taken an instant liking to the German Shepherd, becoming fast friends.
While researching Carol also found a photo of a man standing near the old Hotel who she thought she may have recognized. After some more research she found that the photo of the gentleman was none other than James Mason Hutchings, the man that led the first documented trip of tourists into the Yosemite Valley in 1855. Searching through Frances’s notes and her records from the Federal Government she found that Hutchings was not a visitor at the Calaveras Big Tree Grove Hotel, he was actually the manager and by default, the local postmaster until 1902.
Carol became more exuberant as the interview continued telling more stories and more anecdotes from her many pages of research. However, to tell you more would certainly ruin the surprise. This book is literally a walk through the history of the Big Trees as told through the eyes of those that lived, worked, and visited there. A must read.
For more information on the Calaveras Big Trees Association visit www.bigtrees.org.
Carol will be signing copies of her book “Calaveras Big Trees”
Saturday, Sept. 25, 9 to 10 a.m. & Noon to 1 p.m., at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Jack Hall 795-3840.
Also,
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2:30 to 4 p.m., at Sustenance Books, 416 Main Street, Murphys
209-728-2200
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