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Publication Date: Friday, September 03, 2004 Stepping back in time
Stepping back in time
(September 03, 2004) Reminiscing '50s-'60s in Pleasanton
by Teresa C. Brown
The 1950s and '60s were a time of technology. The first computer to be mass-produced was created; the first satellite was launched; the first photocopying machine was built; and Disneyland, the first theme park in the world, opened.
But in Pleasanton, life was rural and uncomplicated, and an upcoming Museum On Main Street exhibit will take folks back through memory lane to that simple way of life.
"Pleasanton: The Wonder Years, 1950-60s" will be exhibited from Oct. 2 through March 20, 2005, said Joanie Fields of the museum board.
In the mid-1900s, Pleasanton was an agricultural area, surrounded by dairy cattle and corn, wheat and sugar beet fields, she said.
As people came to Pleasanton seeking a peaceful community, the town's population surged from 4,200 in 1960 to 64,000 in 2000, and life rapidly changed for the little East Bay town. The exhibit will bring back a piece of that earlier time in history.
The display will be a collection of historic mementos from the two-decade era, Fields said. The public is encouraged to contribute keepsakes or to write down their memories about life in Pleasanton during that time.
"We want to put in little things and ask people what they remember. Swimming at the gravel pits; rafting down the arroyo; different things like that," she said. "Things they think will be of interest."
The display, which will rotate exhibited mementos, kicks off with an Oct. 2 fundraising block party celebration that includes food, refreshments and ice cream. Admission to the party includes a preview of the exhibit, which opens to the general public the following day.
The celebration will close off Division Street from Main to Peters, which is adjacent to the museum, Fields said.
A local band of Amador Valley High School alumni, Tommy and the 4 Speeds, will provide the evening's musical entertainment.
As to the exhibit planned, Fields said historic landmarks from the era will be reproduced inside the museum's exhibition rooms. "In the chamber room, in the corner, you'll see Fisher's Drive-In."
The drive-through restaurant used to be where the current Mt. Diablo Bank is, on the corner of Main and Stanley Boulevard, and it was the hip spot for Pleasanton teens. "Everyone went there after school and got a Frostie or whatever," said Fields, an Amador Valley graduate from that era.
Another exhibit will feature keepsakes from school days, such as scrapbooks, sweaters and old trophies. "Pleasanton Elementary was the only (elementary school) in the 1950s," Fields recalled, adding that Alisal, Valley View and Walnut Grove followed.
Alisal opened its doors in 1956, followed by Valley View in 1960 and Walnut Grove in the 1968.
Two highlights of the exhibit will be local artists' work and area heritage families. The first family to be recognized will be the Moller family, Fields said. "Evelyn Moller died recently and she was one of the first board members of the (Amador Livermore Valley Historical) Society."
The family members will be the dynamic force for the displays, lending photographs and remembrances. "People will start getting a sense of what a heritage family is," Fields said.
The art exhibit will give a contemporary aspect to the exhibition. Pleasanton Art League members will display their Pleasanton-specific artwork, which will rotate every six weeks, Fields explained.
To help raise funds for the nonprofit museum, a specially created historic DVD will be available for purchase. The DVD, which will also be shown during the exhibit, will have a collage of interviews and photographs of people and places from Pleasanton's past.
With tomato, wheat and cornfields, sugar beets and dairy cattle, Pleasanton offered a different view 50 years ago for locals. It's a view that will be shared when the museum opens its doors, and steps back in memory lane, to Pleasanton's wonder years.
Wanted: Your memories
What are some of the things you remember best about growing up in Pleasanton? The Museum On Main Street, 603 Main St., would like to share your memories. For instance, do you remember:
¥ Walking to school or taking the bus
¥ Cruising Main Street
¥ Going to Pleasanton Elementary
¥ Fisher's Drive-In
¥ Favorite parking spot
¥ Racing cars on Black Avenue
¥ The Fair
¥ Swimming at the Berry Farm
¥ Reading comics at the Bus Depot
¥ Rafting down the Arroyo
¥ Was there a favorite event that you looked forward to when school began? How about buying your block sweater at Christesen? The big games against Livermore High? Basketball at the Fairgrounds building?
Party opens new exhibit
What: "Pleasanton: The Wonder Years, 1950-60s"
Where: Museum On Main Street, 603 Main St.
When: Opening night block party, 7 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, Oct. 2; display opens to public Sunday, Oct. 3
Tickets for party: $25 per person; tickets available at museum
Telephone: 462-2766
Daily admission: $2 donation
Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday and 1-4 p.m., Sunday
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