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?