Page 15 The Ferndale (California) Enterprise

REP
(Continued frompage 2)
ndale Repertory Theatre
was born.
Our building has had
its share of shakes during
the frequent earthquakes
our area experiences, but
it still stands strong. Our
marquee, originally
updated during the
shooting of the movie
Outbreak and
revamped during the
filming of The Majestic,
has seen better days, so
we are in the process of
visualizing what is next
for our historic theatre.
You are invited to
donate to our Marquee
Fund located in the
ticket booth outside the
theatre.
Theatres traditionally
boast of their resident
ghoststhe shades of
actors who were simply
unable to leave behind the
magic that is theatre. The
rep is no different.
Affectionately known
as Bertha, this guardian
angel trods the boards
after the final curtain,
when the lights have gone
to black, the applause has
faded and the patrons and
cast returned home to
their other lives. Rumors
abound of misplaced
props, out-of-place set
pieces and unexplained
shadows in dusty corners.
Whether Bertha exists
only in creative imagina-
tions or whether she is
truly a presence fromthe
past is yet to be deter-
mined, but one thing is
certain: the rep has its
share of guardian angels.
Hundreds of Hum-
boldt County merchants
and thousands of indi-
viduals have donated to
the rep over the years to
help ensure that the magic
will continue.
Making magic is not
easy. The illusion does not
come without its stresses
and disappointments, but
the successes so far out-
weigh the failures, that
this thing we call theatre
is eternal. It began 4,000
years ago and will be a
part of our cultural her-
itage as long as we call
ourselves civilized. The
Rep will be eternal as long
as there are dreams to be
dreamt, tears to be cried,
and laughter to resound
fromthe aging rafters.
So, how is it that the
rep has succeeded to sur-
vive the vagaries of econ-
omy and changes in taste
when others have failed
to do the same?
In the more than 40
years that the rep has
been a mainstay on Main
Street in Ferndale, more
than 25,000 dedicated
directors, actors, design-
ers, technicians, builders,
stage crew, ushers, box
office personnel, and vol-
unteers from every walk
of life have called The Rep
home. Most have
returned again and again
to share their talent, their
passion and, most impor-
tantly, their time, in the
creation of works of art
that endure only in the
memories of those who
have participated and cre-
ated it.
to
at
Unlike a painting or
sculpture, theatre is tran-
sitory. When the curtain
falls on the final per-
formance and the
applause has faded, what
is left is simply the knowl-
edge that hundreds of our
neighbors and visitors
have been touched in
some way by what we
have done. And so, we
move on and the process
begins again. The stage is
the artists canvas and the
company creates its magic
again and again, year after
year.
Those who are truly
passionate about their
participation in the per-
forming arts often find it
difficult to articulate why
they will so readily devote
hundredsthousands!
of hours to the process
but on behalf of artists
and patrons the world
over, we thank them for
their passion. It enriches
our lives beyond measure.
The soul of a com-
munity is measured by its
interest in and support of
the arts. Ferndale has a lot
of soul. Give the theatre a
call, or stop by and say
hellothe rep staff will
be pleased to show you
around the old girl or
make reservations for one
of our many productions.
THE FERNDALE
REPERTORY THEATRE
447 Main Street, Ferndale
Tel. 707/786-5483
Production office
707/786-5484
ferndale-rep.org
Member FDIC
Contact
Samantha Surratt
Branch Manager
(707) 786-9522
www.novb.com 394 Main St. Ferndale, CA 95536
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
HISTORY
(Continued from page 1)
FAIR
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peace.
On July 12, 1862, a
weekly mail service was
established. Charles Bryant
undertook to carry the mail
between Ferndale and Eureka
each Saturday.
Centerville, just five
miles west of Ferndale, had
been a center of activity for
the southwest part of the Eel
River Valley. It could be
reached by a long slough nav-
igable by small or flat-bot-
tomed boats from the Eel
River.
Between 1852 and
around 1870, the Eel River
Valley was such a mass of
trees and willow brush, the
only practical route south was
in this direction, all of which
made Centerville a vital cen-
ter.
At first, a good part of
Ferndales acitvity was from
the ranches and dairies in the
coastal hills to the south. That
created a need for a route that
was more dependable than
the tidal beach near Center-
ville.
In July 1879, a trail was
blazed over these steep and
rugged hills, which later
became a wagon road with
the appropriate name, the
Wildcat. It is still the prin-
cipal route to the Bear River
and Mattole areas.
In May 1878, Ferndale
had a newspaper. The next
year, Roberts Hall, complete
with a rostrum, was finished.
A census, which presumably
included Centerville and Port
Kenyon together with Fern-
dale, reported: 1,050 native
born; 90 from Denmark; 111
from Switzerland; 72 from
Germany; 34 from Nova Sco-
tia (Blue Noses) and 34 from
Canada (not Nova Scotia).
Probably the first to come
in any number were the
Swiss. The Italians were
among the later arrivals at
the turn of the century. The
Portuguese began arriving
after 1900, mostly from the
Azores and a few from the
mainland. Like the Italians,
the Portuguese brought their
culture with them.
By 1884, Ferndale was
organizing a fire department.
By 1893, it was voting (89 to
47) to incorporate.
Jumping ahead to the
winter of 1955, disastrous
floods shook the area. Before
World War II, only redwood
and tanbark had been har-
vested. But after 1945, Dou-
glas fir and other conifers
were ruthlessly harvested.
In the absence of an ade-
quate forest management
plan, there were clogged
streams, unprotected
drainage slopes, and in the
winter of 1955, the worst
flood in Humboldts history.
The ranchers in the val-
ley had only partly recovered
in 1964 when an even worse
flood hit. I remember that
along Van Ness Avenue in
Ferndale, there was flood
water next to the higher pave-
ment of the road on the north
side, but no water had yet got-
ten into the fairgrounds.
Although Ferndale had
been spared, it had become a
ghost town. The dairy ranch-
ers who supported the town
had been all but ruined. Store
after store was empty. Build-
ings were for sale for almost
nothing. The old Red Front
Store, now Abraxas, sold for
less than $1,000!
But Ferndale recovered.
Within a few years, buildings
went for $10,000 to $12,000.
Artists discovered the town
and the available space.
(Ed.s note: Viola Russ
McBride (1906-96) was a
writer and artist who lived in
Ferndale virtually all her life.
She was also a well-known
rancher, logger, mother of
three and all-out supporter
of Main Street and the artists
in our community. A plaque,
next to the city parking lot on
Main Street, commemorates
her contributions to Fern-
dale.)
kitchen, serves as the pri-
mary event center in
town, hosting weddings,
receptions, graduations,
shows, exhibits, enter-
tainment events, ban-
quets and more. C.J.'s
Turf Club is a banquet
facility with kitchen, per-
fect for events of smaller
proportions, such as fam-
ily reunions, birthday
parties, pancake break-
fasts and service club
meetings.
The Association's live-
stock facilities include 200
horse stalls, as well as the
largest covered arena
north of Santa Rosa. The
arena hosts everything
from pleasure riding,
horse shows and packing
clinics, to high school
rodeos and team roping
competitions. And for
guests traveling to Fern-
dale for a day or two of rest
and relaxation, the fair's
R.V. facilities include 90
hook-ups that provide
water, electricity and
access to a lift station, all
within hearing distance of
the Pacific Ocean to the
west, walking distance
from downtown Ferndale
and with a view of the
Wildcat Mountains to the
south.
The annual Humboldt
County Fair in August is
the largest public event in
the area. The event is a
classic representation of
what a county fair is all
about, including carnival
rides and games, fairtime
food, commercial and
competitive exhibits, live-
stock shows and auctions
and featured entertain-
ment.
The highlight of the
fair, however, is the eight
day live horse racing pro-
gram, which draws people
from throughout Hum-
boldt County and north-
ern California.
Racing is conducted
on California's only half-
mile track and features
Thoroughbred and Ara-
bian horses, and even
mules. In addition to the
live races, the Association
also utilizes satellite tech-
nology to "import" races
from Saratoga, Del Mar,
and Golden Gate Fields,
providing fair patrons the
opportunity to wager on
over 50 races a day. Fern-
dale's racing program is
provided similar access to
the satellite network, with
local races being broadcast
to 30 off-track wagering
facilities throughout Cal-
ifornia and to dozens of
other facilities across the
United States.
The 2013 Humboldt
County Fair is scheduled
for August 14-25. Join us
as we pay Tribute to Agri-
culture A Tradition We
Treasure.
THE HUMBOLDT
COUNTY FAIR
1250 Fifth Street,
Ferndale
Tel. 707/786-9511
Fax 707/786-9450
humboldtcountyfair.org
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