Goodbye, Professor Ivey

Well, I would say goodbye, but what would be the point in that? I intend to continue with my blog for at least one or two more entries, and perhaps beyond that. Just because my class has come to an end does not mean that my blog entries will. I want to continue to work with the Livermore Heritage Guild on this project, and perhaps other projects, as well. But I will say goodbye to Professor Ivey. I would also like to thank her for this opportunity and the wonderful way that she structured her class. This blog has been far more interesting to me than reading out of some old textbook with some historian telling me what to think. I got the opportunity to be the historian and uncover a previously unexplored period in Concannon history. Oh, and I still intend to post the interview I had with Jim Concannon as soon as I get the paperwork signed.

Perhaps once I get this era covered, I will move on to another. Reading over the Concannon table book that Jim was nice enough to give me, I learned that the first female winemaker in California was hired in 1950 at the Concannon winery. Her name was Katherine Vajda. There is so much more explore in Concannon’s history. Or even in the history of Livermore during Prohibition. The era just has that certain pull that makes me say, “What on Earth were they thinking?” and “How did people truly feel about this and how can I make it come to life for others?” I hope that I have made this small piece of Concannon history come alive for all of my readers. Though, I am aware that there aren’t that many. I would really like to see this format of history project done by high schoolers. So many students hate history with a passion, and if I ever teach high school or middle school history, I would like to try this format with them in a test run. And if that works, then I can develop the program further.

As for what needs to be done within this very specific subject, I think that the most important thing that needs to be researched is how all of the wineries in Livermore did. Professor Ivey talks about looking at local history in the context of the bigger picture of what is going on in the country and statewide at the time. For this particular topic, I focused heavily on one vineyard, and I believe that looking at the entire industry of wine making in Livermore would be a worthwhile project.

Prohibition. My favorite era in American history. And yet, I had a shortage of information. Not necessarily because it wasn’t there, but because of time constraints and not knowing what to look for until I was at the end of my research. So much of my time was spent figuring out how to research this topic and look for keywords that weren’t necessarily in the index of the Livermore Herald at the Livermore Heritage Guild. This story is one of a family and community coming together and finding ways to get through the hardships, with a focus on the governmental side of things that impacted both family and community.

So, what should you walk away thinking about?
How did Prohibition affect the Livermore valley?
How would I feel if I was part of the Concannon family during Prohibition?
To what extent did Prohibition negatively affect the people of Livermore and the country. Wine was not the only industry that took a huge hit during Prohibition. Many people lost their jobs and their way of life, before the Great Depression began.
What impact did Prohibition have on the Great Depression?

Potential

So, this week’s assignment (and week is used very loosely, since this was supposed to be done a few weeks ago) is to come up with an idea for a fun, interactive exhibit for our topic. I find that my creativity likes to come and go. So with ample time for preparation, I am still unsatisfied with the ideas I have come up with for bringing Concannon during prohibition to life. So I thought I would focus on a bigger picture: Livermore during prohibition. Obviously, through my research I have learned about more than just Concannon winery, but I would still need to learn more about the rest of the town.

Set the scene: You knock on an old run down door and give the bodiless voice that greets you a password that you have received. After checking around to see if the cops are around, he opens the door, continually looking out for potential cops. Once inside you glance around, captivated by what you come to realize is the setting of a real life speakeasy right here in Livermore. Once you sit down, a young woman comes over to ask what you would like.

I would like to recreate a speakeasy in Livermore. Just when everyone starts to get comfortable, the cops come in and start uncapping all of the bottles of alcohol, just as I read about in an article from the Livermore Herald. The bartender/owner would come back and recap them or complain about how much it cost him to lose that much of his supply.

From the speakeasy, guests would receive a little background information about prohibition. I would include this afterward, so they can make their own inferences, and be caught as off guard as possible so that they can retain more of the experience.

Though alcohol is not necessarily a family friendly topic to everyone, it would be for educational purposes and would not include the making or tasting of any alcohol for anyone.

Through a virtual tour of the only winery to stay open during Prohibition, Concannon, they could gain a feel for the hardships that people were going through, as well as what hardships they were going through. Prohibition was a tough time for Livermore, due to its history of vineyards. At an outdoor location, there would be a station that goes over the different things that can be done with grapes, and the options wineries had during the era of prohibition in order to stay open:
Church/alter wine
Illegally sold alcohol
Raisins
Table grapes
Livestock (Wente)
Selling land
Bankruptcy

A miniature (small enough to fit on a table) grape press could be brought in, and people could crank the press in order to show how grape juice and wine are made by these machines (generally in a much larger scale).