Sarah Nixon
I first heard of Sarah Nixon as a remarkable pioneer woman who went out to the gold mines in the hills around Humboldt County and helped collect gold dust, which was then used as a fund to start Arcata Presbyterian Church during Gold Rush Days.
After many days of searching in dozens of historical volumes and many other books in the Humboldt Room of Humboldt County Library, interviewing numerous "old timers", in the area, and traipsing around Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata with the wife of our State Assemblyman, Dan Hauser, I was unable to find one reference to the above feat.
However, we do know that the church grew out of a fund of $600 worth of gold dust. And we do know that Sarah was one of three people, who through her initiative, commitment and hard work organized the church. She later was instrumental in beginning its first women's society and a Sunday school for children.
I learned many amazing facts about Sarah, although almost nothing has been written about her personal life.
To begin with, she was blind. She lived in a true pioneer country, where Indian wars were a fact of life, where a plague of rattlesnakes was known as one of the great perils of the day, more even than the grizzly bears and the "wild lions of the hills". Drownings were a frequent occurrence in the Mad River, which had no bridges at that time.
Three members of Sarah's family were drowned in the often turbulent river including Sarah's husband, Capt. Isaac Nixon, and her fourteen-year-old grandson,William who had the misfortune to eat green apples and then try to ford the river with a friend. He developed cramps, and when his friend went to enlist the aid of nearby Indians, they refused to help, because the Indians at that time were unhappy about some treatment by the white men.
The Nixon story in Humboldt County began when Capt. Nixon was the leader of a mule pack train that crossed the plains in 1849, from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where Sarah and Isaac were members of the Tent Meeting House Church.
The discovery of gold at Sutter Creek was said to have made an empire out of a wilderness. At that time Arcata was flourishing as a supply depot for operations in the Trinity Mines, and for the many ranchers who followed the call of gold, and stayed to homestead the promising farming land in the Arcata Bottoms. By 1854, according to an assessor's report, there were 2500 acres under cultivation, with 320 horses, 360 mules, 412 milk cows and 1400 cattle.
What kind of a life did Capt. Isaac and Sarah Nixon have in those rough and boisterous times? We know they did their ranching and raised their five children on land along the Mad River, where the captain established and owned the first ferry boat, known as "Nixon's Ferry".
What was Uniontown, the county seat of Humboldt County, like then? We learned that the miners were not the old, weatherbeaten men often pictured, but rather strapping young men who had crossed the plains by ox cart or sailed around the Horn, to follow their dreams. The Mad River Indians were considered friendly most of the time. The name "Arcata" was given to Uniontown in 1860. At that time, a Mad River inn offered a week's lodging with meals for $4.50 and a single meal for .25. The killing of lusty characters in houses of ill repute were freely reported in newspapers of the day, with such quotations as "He was well and unfavorably known here" or "a woman who will leave her husband and children and lead a dissolute life is only a little better than a man who will be supported by the wages of her sin." There was even mention of the use of opium.
Coming into this frontier life the Nixons soon became active in growing their crops, acquiring and selling acreage, and finding a need for a place of worship that they missed from their life in Pennsylvania.
Sarah, particularly, must have missed her church, with their growing family of five children. One of three founders of the Arcata Presbysterian Church, dedicated in March, 1861, Sarah remained for many years an active member. She contributed in many ways to the church, which was rebuilt and enlarged in 1913, and stands in downtown Arcata, with Rev. Rich Fennig as its pastor. The church is home to many Arcata community services in addition to the worship, such as the Food Endeavor, a thrift shop, and many other activities that benefit the city. The parsonage, known as "Packers House" was named for a mule packer who kept his stock in the gulch east of the church during gold mining days. It is one of Arcata's historic sites.
In 1861 Sarah, living on a ranch on the Mad River, decided to move into town. She and her son, William, bought what is known as the Nixon House in Arcata. They paid the sum of 500 sacks of potatoes, grown on their farm, for the property. Potatoes then sold for $2.00 a sack. The property included the distinctive Gothic Revival one and one-half-story house, plus two city blocks of surrounding land, fruit trees, outbuildings, etc.
Members of the Nixon family occupied the house for 110 years, at one time building a tennis court that was complete with wooden floor. A beautiful old walnut tree on one corner of the property is one of the landmarks of Arcata today.
Assemblyman and Mrs. Hauser bought the property in 1971 and live there now. At this time, there are no known members of the Nixon family surviving.
On the day that Donna Hauser and I walked through the Greenwood Cemetery searching for graves, I couldn't help thinking "You can't take it with you". Then I thought of what Sarah Nixon has left for all of us by what she accomplished. She died June 12, 1884, at age 79.
Sarah Nixon, you overcame obstacles. You had the passion and the drive to weave a lasting tapestry of the best side of family life, with the present day church as a legacy. You helped establish a growing church that contiunues to enrich our lives in Humboldt County.
In a corner of the entrance to the church is a small bronze plaque which states:
"In Memory of George Danskin, Sara Nixon, Benjamin Wyman. Presented by the church members of this congregation."
Sarah, you have earned a place of honor in the annals of Humboldt County women.
Sarah, we thank you.
The Nixon House (left) and The Arcata Presbyterian Church(Right).
Elta Cartwright is a former Olympian and the first woman inducted into the Humboldt State University Hall of Fame. She had a spectacular track and field career while attending Humboldt State Teacherıs College. She won the national championship four times in the 50-yard dash, twice in the 100-yard dash and once in the broad jump (long jump as it is now known).
Her career reached its peak in 1928, when the United States was preparing to send its first Womenıs Track and Field Team to the Summer Olympic Games. She was the first woman to qualify for this first Olympic team. Elta became a national sports figure when she took the first place Gold in the 50-yard dash, 100-yard dash and the broad jump during the Olympic Trials at Newark, New Jersey.
During the five-day voyage to Amsterdam, site of the games, Elta became sick. Although she recovered enough to participate, she placed sixth which was extremely disappointing to her. She made no excuses after being eliminated, but watched her teammate, who had placed second during the trials, go on to win the 100-yard dash event and the Olympic Gold. This was her only event because the 50-yard dash and broad jump had not yet become part of the international competition for women.
Be that as it may, Elta was welcomed home with a parade through Eureka, complete with five marching bands. She had been nicknamed ³Cinder-Elta² because of her long hours spent on the cinder paths practicing for competitions.
After returning home Elta taught primary school in Petrolia, Orick and Arcata as well as marrying and raising three daughters. In later years, she ran her own business, Cinder-Eltaıs Imports in Eureka and Ferndale. Elta is now (1996) 88 years old and living at home in Ferndale.
Arlene graduated from HSU with a major in education and a minor in history. She has been employed for the last 30 years by the CA Department of Transportation (CALTRANS). Most of those years she has worked in the Personnel Department. It should be noted that Arlene was the first woman District Personnel Officer in the Eureka office. Between 1978 and 1984 she accomplished another first for the Eureka office as the first woman Affirmative Action Officer. She currently advises management and staff on a variety of personnel matters as the District Personnel Liaison Analyst. She also represents the Department in adverse action suits at state personnel board hearings.
Although Arlene is a member of some twenty organizations, including AAUW, she is most active in those groups which have something to do with Arlene's passion, history. She reports her interest in history encompasses local and California history as well as history of the British Isles and Ireland in particular. The latter is probably due to the influence of her husband, Bill, who hails from the Emerald Isle.
One of the most long-standing of her interests has been with the Humboldt County Historical Society which she joined in 1960. She has held a variety of offices in this organization including four years as President, and she is a permanent Board Member. She is currently trying to organize and develop a resource library for the Historical Society to be housed in their new office at the Gross-Wells-Barnum House. Once this task is completed, she plans to go through the collection at the Humboldt County Library to ensure that it is complete and contains duplicates of all the printed material collected at the Historical Society. When she is not busy organizing the library, she writes articles for the "Historian," the Society's bimonthly publication.
One of the other groups Arlene is active in is the Conference of CA Historical Societies which is an umbrella group composed of a variety of museums, interested individuals, and representatives from historical societies. The purpose of the group is to provide assistance to local historical societies. Arlene is currently as Assistant Delegate in this organization and as such, she attends three conferences a year and tries to bring back new ideas to implement as well as strives to bring in new converts to help share information.
Arlene manages to incorporate her passion of history into her job as well. Recently, she developed an exhibit at the Clarke Museum to celebrate the Caltrans Centennial. In conjunction with this she developed a slide show and script on the history and significance of Route 101 to Humboldt County which she shared with colleagues at Caltrans as well as with various community groups. She also provided this material to the school system.
Her underlying goal is to build and expand networks between libraries, geneology groups, historical societies, and museums so that information can be identified and shared. Once the reference materials at the Historical Society and County Library re organized to her satisfaction, she hopes to tackle the internet and the Smugglers' Bulletin Board in particular to expand the Historical Society's networking and to publicize their meetings.
Recently, while flying home to Eureka, June heard a voice ask her, "Are you June Speier"? To which she replied, "Why yes, I am, as a matter of fact". The individual then retorted, "I didn't know you with your clothes on". June Speier laughed jokingly and stated that this was not the first person to make such a comment.
June Speier moved to Humboldt County in 1948 with her husband Ted, and began teaching the Elementary School Swim Program, which included the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades in Eureka City Schools. She stated that Eureka City schools was one of only a few state-wide to offer the Red Cross Swimming Instruction year-round at the elementary level, because it had an indoor pool. June was asked to teach because she was one of only a few individuals in Humboldt Co. to have her American Red Cross Safety Instructor Certificate at that time. In 1964, due to damage to buildings from an earthquake, the program ended and they rebuilt four classrooms out of the gym, tore down the high school and the junior high was turned into the new high school. June continued to teach Adult Education classes in exercise and swimming, including "Teach Your Child" classes. In addition to this she is also fondly remembered for teaching the dance clubs for 5th and 6th grades, known as the "Frolic Club" in Eureka for about 20 years. She taught etiquette and party manners as part of the program along with the basics of ballroom dancing.
In addition, June has contributed greatly to the local community throughout the years, including her outstanding work in developing the Red Cross Special Fund Drive to keep services going in Eureka. Among the programs and services offered locally, are the annual "Swim Across", beginning in 1989, water safety, CPR training, first aid and service to military families, (SMF). According to June, almost every person in Humboldt County has been touched in a personal way by the Red Cross, through services, classes and activities.
June, with a trim figure, bright blue eyes and a wonderful smile along with a natural zest for life, love of people and a great sense of humor, has been a role model for several generations in this community. When asked what she thought was important to convey to others, she replied, "To have a dream and to go after it". June said that she didn't realize that she would be able to follow her own dream by teaching swimming and by living a healthy lifestyle in a beautiful area like Humboldt County. She then quipped, "it's been a real good wet life".
Born in Los Angeles, June grew up liking sports including swimming and baseball. She remembers fondly, taking swimming lessons on beautiful Catalina Island and receiving her Red Cross swimming instruction certificate in 1942. She was one of the first women in Los Angeles to be a lifeguard and work for the L.A. Playground and Recreation Department during World War 11. She also worked at the Beverly Hills municipal pool, lifeguarding and teaching swimming instruction. At night she remembers stringing racquets for a private tennis pro for such well known celebrities as: McDonald Cary, Ann Southern, Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, and Kent Taylor.
June, very much a family person, married her husband Ted on February 5, 1944 and since then have had three children: a daughter Teddie, who currently lives with her husband in England and is a physical education teacher at a U.S. air base; a son, Spencer, who lives in Utah and works for Delta Airlines, and a daughter Shannon, who lives with her family in Hawaii and works at the Hotel Hilton, as a camp director for the children of hotel guests. In addition, Shannon soon will be teaching Spanish at the High School level.
When asked about her outstanding memories, June reminisced about teaching Red Cross Water Safety to many youngsters. She recalled that one important lesson taught was to, "Row, Throw, Tow and Go", which she explain was based on the idea that persons who were inexperienced should not try to get involved themselves when trying to save someone from drowning. Instead they should learn to help from the sideline. She remembers a call from a mother whose son took her course and who helped to save a neighborhood child from drowning by remembering the techniques June had taught in one of the classes.
In her exercise and swim classes, June always had the firemen come in and teach artificial respiration with "Resusi-Annie". After one such class, another woman called June, and related how the training she had learned in one of her classes had enabled her to save her son. The stories told are only a couple from many that allow us to appreciate the contributions of this active and vibrant woman.
June Speier is a good example of a woman interested all her life in living and promoting a healthy life style, and in contributing over the years as a role model for young people and adults to be active and be involved in family and community life. When I met her for this interview, June's hair was damp, she calls it "the drowned rat look", for she had just finished swimming at the College of the Redwoods, free swim time. She ended our interview with a smile and a twinkle in her eye, asking, "and when am I going to see you at the pool? You know that you really need to keep exercising regularly." My case rests!
"In college and in your career, character, positive personal qualities, and a passion for your work are just as important as innate talent or intelligence."
With over twenty-five years of experience in higher education and success in a private business, Sharon Kay Ferrett demonstrates this philosophy in every aspect of her career.
Sharon was a professor of Speech and Communication and an Associate Dean of Instruction at Delta College in Michigan. She has been at Humboldt State University for almost twenty years serving as Dean of Continuing Education and currently as Academic Advisor for the Liberal Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies Majors. Sharon Ferrett is a small business owner, a management consultant, and a popular management speaker in areas such as teaching, retention, study skills, motivation, team building, performance reviews, communication, and job search skills.
Sharon Kay Ferrett received her B.A. and M.A. in Speech and Communication from Western Michigan University, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and her Ph.D. in Administration and Organizational Communication from Michigan State University. She also completed graduate coursework at the University of Edinburgh and the University of London.
Sharon has served on many community boards, including: past Chair of KEET, Chair, Humboldt County Commission on the Status of Women, Chair, Humboldt County Commission on Self-Esteem, and a member of the American Association of University Women and League of Women Voters.
Sharon Ferrett has published numerous articles and five textbooks, including: Peak Performance in College and in Life (Irwin 1994), Positive Attitudes at Work (Irwin 1994), Strategies for Getting and Keeping the Job You Want (Irwin 1995), and Connections: Study Skills for College and Job Success (Irwin 1996).
Sharon is married to Sam Pennisi and they own The Lady Anne Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inn in Arcata. They have two daughters, Jennifer Katerine and Sarah Angela.
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Last Updated 3/10/97
