Colusas history was celebrated Saturday at the inaugural Founders Day Festival – and plans are already underway for a bigger event next year.
Vintage tractors on the levee and a photo exhibit at the Colusa Arts Council gallery were the gems of the festival, which also included vendors in Memorial Park and two walking tours of Colusas downtown.
” It was a little hot…a little dry, but there was lots of cool iron,” said Sadie Boggs Ash, founder of the Farmers Daughter, the non-profit that hosted the Vintage Tractor Show on Main Street.
Although some of the tractor exhibitors pulled out because of the high heat, Ash said she was extremely happy with the turnout for the first event.
Exhibitors included Christopher Capaul, Doug Alhers, Robert and Kimber Facino, Greg Pullman, Dave Corriea, Wayne Stephens, and the Alfred Stegall family.
Most of the vintage tractors had been beautifully restored, Ash said.
A number of nonprofit groups participated in the first Founders Day Festival, which is intended to be an annual event every third Saturday in June to celebrate Colusas agricultural heritage, cultural diversity, and incorporation on June 16, 1868.
Karens House, a non-profit organization that provides domestic violence services, organized the vendors, which included crafters and gardeners.
Former Colusa Heritage Preservation Commissioner and Colusa County Historical Researcher John Morton returned from Woodland for the day, just to lead the tours of the downtown.
Morton had about 14 people in his first tour, which included Colusas downtown commercial structures, the Colusa County Hall of Records, Carnegie Library, and Colusa County Courthouse, most built between 1865 and 1911.
” I believe the tours went well and had lots of people interested and had lots of questions,” Morton said. ” We should do this again soon.
About a dozen or so people took off on their own, using the HPC guide to historic structures like Chinatown (on Main Street) and the Old City Hall, located on Market Street.
” Colusa is like a time capsule,” said Janis Remley. ” Until you actually look at the buildings, you dont realize how old they really are. They are really quite fabulous.
Remleys sister, Andrea Park, said Founders Day was a wonderful first event, and she was looking forward to next year, hoping for an even bigger festival.
” The tractor show was terrific, but I really enjoyed the photo exhibit,” Park said. ” Most of the photos I have never seen anywhere, and I didnt know Colusa even had a big water carnival in 1909. People certainly dressed up for the occasion.
While Colusa Councilman Tom Reishe played host at the Arts Council exhibit in Colusas historic IOOF hall, Morton’s second group of five people got a special tour upstairs by the buildings owner, former Superior Court Judge Bill Abel.
” As soon as we got in, we noticed new carpet on the stairs and a new chair lift to the top floor,” Morton said.
Morton said that while many modern improvements have been made to Colusas most ornate historic building, many of the buildings original features remain.
” The original stage was still there and another stage was also there in the original condition,” Morton said. ” One hallway has the original lights from 1892, but another new light was installed and a new ” safety light” as Bill called it, or a better name for it – a night light – was installed. There was one office door that still had U.W. Brown and Harmon Albery’s names on the door.
Albery (1884-1931) was the son of an early Colusa County Superior Judge and practiced law with Uriah W. Brown (1860-1952) inside the historic building, which was the location of a shootout between Colusa Town Marshal John T. Arnold and former District Attorney Dudley Shepardson in 1878. Arnold was killed. Shepardson was later acquitted of murder.
In addition to the Farmers Daughter and Karens House, the Pioneer Review Community Fund, a non-profit under the Community Foundation of Colusa County, the Colusa County Office of Education, and DFT Cornhole organized Founders Day events.
The Colusa County Chamber of Commerce was the primary sponsor, and had a booth on Market Street. Colusa Public Works staff provided portable restrooms and traffic control.
Now that pandemic conditions appear to be finally over, organizers plan to include a car show around the courthouse next year. Plans are also underway for a Dutch-oven or rib cook-off, a cornhole tournament, a childrens penny carnival, and other activities.
Also on Saturday, Colusa Strength and Conditioning hosted its first Battle of the Badge. The competition pitted teams of law enforcement against each other as a fundraiser for youth sports.
Four teams from the Colusa County Sheriffs Department and District Attorneys office sweeped the fitness competition.
The team of Det. Chris Doble and Deputy John Thomas were declared the winners and the ” most fit” in the county.
The Battle of the Badge is also intended to be an annual fundraising event, with plans next year to include more local first responders, organizers said.
The proceeds from the inaugural competition were donated to the Colusa Swim Team. Kent Boes was the master of ceremonies. –