Photograph by Louise Webb
Lyn Johnston is chairwoman of archives and exhibits at the Saratoga Historical Museum.
Lyn Johnston surprised herself by saying yes when Louise Cooper, president of the Historical Foundation, asked her to be chairwoman of the archives and exhibits at the Historical Museum. Johnston is taking over the position formerly held by Sheila Heid, who did an outstanding job for many years. Her husband, Warren Heid, an architect, played an important role in refurbishing the Historical Museum building on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road.
Johnston has had the volunteer job at the museum for 312 years and loves it. She spends so many hours there that Bob Oliver accuses her of living there. Saratoga historian Willys Peck says she is the glue that keeps the museum together. Presently Johnston is immersed in sorting out heirloom treasures and documents that continually come from the Charlotte Cunningham estate in Connecticut. Charlotte Cunningham, aunt of Florence Cunningham, was the last direct descendent of Joseph Cunningham, fifth-generation American farmer and Saratoga pioneer.
Johnston gets excited when the museum mail is delivered. Recently infant clothes from the heirloom collection arrived from the Connecticut estate. Florence Cunningham, author of Saratoga's First One-Hundred Years, passed on a great many family antiques to the Saratoga Historical Foundation and set up a trust fund from the sale of personal property to help establish the museum. Johnston says the museum was Florence's inspiration and dream before her death in l965. She was instrumental in forming the Saratoga Historical Foundation in l960.
Johnston has learned so much about the Cunningham family that she feels as if she knows them. Earlier she was involved with Frank Farwell's diaries and learned that, as a trustee of the Madronia Cemetery Association, Farwell helped pick out a coffin one day, dug the grave the following morning and attended the funeral that afternoon.
The Saratoga Historical Museum was dedicated as a museum on July 4, l976, the result of an enthusiastic community effort. Among those at the dedication were Louise Cooper's mother, Emma Garrod, and former postmaster George Whalen. Peck says the museum gives us roots.
Mary Lou Kissel, Sheila Heid's former assistant at the museum, recalled the time Bob Whitlow donated some mannequins from his clothing store. Kissel and Heid dressed a mannequin as a farmer and put it by a fruit ladder. That night the sheriff called them. Someone had seen the mannequin in the window and thought they were being robbed!
Kissel points out that there are generations that have helped keep the museum alive. They include Melida Oden and her daughter, Mary Willamson, and Arch Brolly and Arch Brolly Jr.
Thousands of people have visited the museum from all corners of the globe. Last week, Les Landin drew cartoons at the museum depicting Saratoga's rich history for a group of French students who are attending Blue Hills School for three weeks.
The Historical Museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road. There is no admission charge.
Docents are on hand to answer questions. Historical materials for exhibits are drawn from the museum's archives. The current exhibit features old toys and items brought by the Cunninghams to California when they came by wagon across the plains in l863.
The Historical Foundation meets the third Monday in the months of November, March, May and June at the Saratoga Library Community Room and has programs of historical interest. Olivia de Havilland came several years ago as a fundraiser. Current officers are President Louise Cooper; Vice President Willys Peck; Corresponding Secretary Paul Bowlin; Secretary Hal Hodges; Treasurer Bob Oliver; Membership Chairman Liz Ansnes; and Lyn Johnston, archives and exhibits chairman. Other board members are Mary Holbrook and Warren Heid. New members are welcome. For information call 867-4311 during open hours.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, March 19, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.