Bringing history to life requires more than old photos and a good internet connection.
For dedicated historians like Mike and Julie Garofalo, of Colusa, it takes a lot of hands-on research as well.
About 60 people attended the annual Winter Meeting of the Colusi County Historical Society on Saturday in the Trinity Methodist Church Friendship Hall, in Colusa, to view the work the couple has done to identify the names and locations of Colusa’s late 19th and turn-of-the-20th century downtown businesses.
Mike Garofalo started a Facebook page “Colusa County Historic Photos” in 2015, specifically to share old photographs of the city that were taken between the 1880s and 1950s.
Photos of city scenes, railroads, steamships, churches, and structures were initially posted over the years at random, along with photos submitted by others.
“We are just now organizing the photos into specific albums,” said Julie Garafalo, who gave the presentation as the group enjoyed lunch.
In addition to posting photographs, the couple has been working to identify the names of businesses on Colusa’s old Sanborn Maps, which were created for cities in the 19th and 20th centuries to allow fire insurance companies to assess their total liability.
Because Colusa’s old Sanborn maps only identify the type of building material (wood, brick, etc.) and the type of business use, such as a saloon, hotel, or livery stable, the Garofalos are working to name business establishments between 1883 and 1918 map by matching the Sanborn Maps to advertisements in archived local newspapers.
“A lot of these ads didn’t have addresses; they would say next door to Bob’s shoe shop,” Julie Garofalo exampled. “Everybody knew where Bob’s shoe shop was.”
As the Garofalos continue to put Colusa’s history together like a puzzle, they welcome others to submit old photos and information to them.
Eventually, the Garofalos plan to establish a website in addition to using social media to preserve and share the information, Julie Garofalo said.
The Colusi County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that was founded 74 years ago to preserve the history of one of California’s 27 original counties formed in 1850.
Colusi, sometimes referred to as Coluse, was located in what is now the counties of Colusa, Glenn, and southern part of Tehama.
Some of the Society’s members are generational; Treasurer Jim Lambert, of Willows, is the son of one of the Society’s founders, Charles Lambert, who held the same position. Charles Yerxa, of Colusa, is president.
Longtime Director Gene Russell, of Orland, continues as the editor of the Society’s bi-annual publication, “Wagon Wheels.”
For more information or to become a member, visit the Historical Society’s website at colusi.com. Care Johnson, of Colusa, is the membership secretary.
“Anyone who also wants to be a director, they should see us,” Yerxa said. “The bylaws said we can have up to 15; we have less than that now. We always appreciate enthusiastic participation.” ■