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  • 65 people are interested
 

Share our local history? You can help in many ways!

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ORGANIZATION: Mission Peak Heritage Foundation

  • 65 people are interested
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Do you enjoy our local history? The Shinn family came to the area in 1856, after the Gold Rush and before the Transcontinental Railroad. The family had a nursery with plants imported from all over in the 1870s-1880s. Then until the 1950s the family had a fruit ranch. All the adult children of James and Lucy Shinn were among the earliest students to attend UC Berkeley. Milicent Shinn was the editor for the Overland Monthly in the 1880s and 1890s. In 1898 she was the first woman to receive a PhD from Berkeley in the field of child development. Charles Shinn was a writer, historian, horticulturalist, and ranger. Joseph Shinn was on the first board of the Alameda County Water District. Many of the Shinn family were accomplished artists.

We need help making exhibits, organizing the archives, making a list of books, taking inventories, researching history. We would like to develop class field trips and interactive exhibits. We welcome students and adults. We would like to create a finding aid so that researchers will find our unique archive. You can become a docent and give house tours twice a month or can help out during our events. Do you have video-editing skills? We are also looking for someone with military history interest who can help us refresh the Vice Admiral Allen Shinn exhibit.

More opportunities with Mission Peak Heritage Foundation

No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.

About Mission Peak Heritage Foundation

Location:

P.O. Box 3078, Fremont, CA 94539, US

Mission Statement

Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (MPHF) takes care of the Shinn House and Museum at Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum. Docents give tours twice a month and tell visitors about the Shinn family and about the house. MPHF also puts on several events during the year for the community. Shinn Park is a favorite location for weddings, baby showers, graduations, and other celebrations. The museum covers the period of 1856 to 1950.

Description

James and Lucy Shinn came to the Vallejo's Mill area (now the Niles district of Fremont) in 1856. They had a plant nursery in the 1870’s to 1880’s and sold fruit trees, roses, and ornamentals. Many historic trees were planted in this time - pecans, palms, ginkgo, Moreton bay fig, and other exotic trees. Eventually they shifted their focus to fruit ranching - pears, cherries, apricots, and more.
MPHF's goal is to tell people about the Shinn family and the history of our area.

CAUSE AREAS

Arts & Culture
Board Development
Community
Arts & Culture, Board Development, Community

WHEN

We'll work with your schedule.

WHERE

Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum1251 Peralta BlvdFremont, CA 94539

(37.565193,-121.98017)
 

SKILLS

  • Teaching / Instruction
  • Library Sciences
  • Visual Arts
  • Business Development
  • Market Research / Analysis
  • History

GOOD FOR

N/A

REQUIREMENTS

  • As much or as little time as you want. Research may be done on your own time at home. We will be meeting weekly in the museum.

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