Cover story: What's the future of Menlo Park's history? Cover story: What's the future of Menlo Park's history? (September 15, 2004)

With an aging membership, Menlo Park Historical Association stalwarts know they need new blood to survive

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

If you long to tunnel into the past without the intrusions of the present, the Menlo Park Historical Association is just the place.

Down in the library basement, the group's home is a prime place for immersing oneself in sepia faces, World War I medals, and menus listing all-you-can-drink coffee for 15 cents. With scores of books but no windows, it's quiet and secluded.

Which is part of the problem.

History buffs know where to find the association. Library staff sometimes steer curious readers or project-perplexed students downstairs. But many in the community either think the group is a small knot of old-timers or haven't heard of it at all.

True to stereotype, the members are all generally ages 50 and up, says association secretary Frank Helfrich, 75, who has been involved since 1984. The office is only open a few hours a week. And Mr. Helfrich and other members concur that the group, which is not a city committee but its own entity, has been insular and hasn't made major efforts to woo new people.

With the years rolling on, that will have to change. There's still a dedicated core of volunteers, but association stalwarts are retiring, and some are passing away.

The association's newsletter, the Gate Post, has a regular obituary section for members. In the spring, its front-page story mourned the loss of longtime president Roger Seccombe, who died at 84 after an illness.

Currently, there are about 200 members, but most aren't very active, just making a donation and receiving the newsletter. Quite a few live out of the area.

The group has a handful of events each year, including an ice cream social and a Chinese dinner, but "we've been lax on making the public aware of these functions," president Dick Angus says during an interview in the association office.

Behind a table of newspapers softened with age and an antiquated computer with a plastic cover, he sighs. "It's the same people over and over," he says. "If we don't do something about shoring up our membership, it will disappear."

Too much fame

About five years ago, everyone had heard of the historical association -- much to its members' chagrin.

A controversy raged over a book commissioned by the group, a history of Menlo Park that was initially killed after some association board members tried to purge it of ethnic references and some local scandals. With the flap drawing national attention, two board members quit.

The new board ultimately agreed to have the book tell "the truth about Menlo Park's past episodes -- be they favorable or unfavorable." The book, "Menlo Park: Beyond the Gate," came out in 2000.

Some 3,500 copies have sold, giving the association a comfortable budget and the ability to award an annual scholarship to a Menlo-Atherton High School student. A professional archivist, Kathy Restaino, works in the office for a few hours each week.

In addition, the group doesn't have to worry about rent, as the city allows it to use the library space for free.

"We're not seeking revenue; we're seeking people to become involved and interested," member Bill Weseloh says.

In hopes of drawing new members -- and more positive attention -- group members are considering doing a reprinting of "Menlo Park: Beyond the Gate," or perhaps even a new book. They hope real estate agents might use the books as welcome gifts for new residents.

Members have also been working with the city and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District to fulfill a dream of transforming a little old firehouse building at the main station into a museum. But they have yet to find a site.

Big projects such as these are an excellent way to spark enthusiasm for local history, launching it into the public eye, says Maggie Kimball, the university archivist for Stanford University and a board member of the Stanford Historical Society.

For example, the September 3 reopening of the renovated Courtroom A at the historic Redwood City courthouse drew a packed house -- especially with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on hand.

Groups can also plan events around important days, such as the centennial of the 1906 earthquake, as the Stanford Historical Society is doing; or the birthday of an important Menlo Park person, she says.

Stanford's historical society has also had difficulty finding new members, "and I'm not sure that we're out of the woods," she says. "It was felt that people could only really participate if they were retired (due to time constraints). But by the time they're retired, they want to travel or do other things."

In Woodside, longtime History Committee member Thalia Lubin also says her group has "trouble motivating people." Hiring an archivist has helped, along with the committee's visible work on preserving old buildings in town, she says.

Seeking recognition

For other ideas, Menlo Park's association might look north.

In Redwood City, there is not one historical group but four. There's the Redwood City Heritage Association in the old Lathrop House downtown; a group dedicated to the city's 19th-century Union Cemetery; and an archives committee with an archivist.

Redwood City also has something Menlo Park does not: an official city committee dedicated to preserving the past.

The Historic Resources Advisory Committee works to protect landmark buildings and foster civic pride and knowledge, chair Kenneth Rolandelli says. One of its seven members is a planning commissioner, and there's a city liaison in the planning department.

That city support is notably helpful in attracting members; when there's a vacancy, the city advertises it on its Web site and in newspapers, Mr. Rolandelli says. His committee has one member in her 90s, but others are as young as their 40s, he says.

"There's definitely a mindset in Redwood City towards preservation," he says. When his group got started in the mid-1970s, it hit resistance from property owners who worried about restrictions on their buildings and land, but that has ebbed, Mr. Rolandelli says. The group had to build credibility and show it would work flexibly with property owners, he adds.

Menlo Park's history buffs say they'd also love to preserve old buildings, but that they don't have enough members. They also say they'd like to forge a stronger link with the city, perhaps through a staff liaison and mentions in the city newsletter. There used to be a city historian, but that position disappeared years ago.

"We're not asking for money," Mr. Angus says in the association's office. "We're asking for --"

"Recognition," Mr. Weseloh cuts in.

"Recognition," Mr. Angus agrees.

At least one city official says she's already thinking about how to help the association. City Councilwoman Mickie Winkler says she'd like to include the group in city events such as the summer concerts in Fremont Park downtown.

"Maybe there could be a table with someone from the association showing pictures of what the concerts used to look like. Something that...might capture the imagination of the younger people," she says.

Ms. Winkler says she'd also like to see more students get to immerse themselves in history by exploring the association's collection.

"Bring some of the kids down there and let them open a box," she says. "Let them discover that stuff for themselves."

INFORMATION

The Menlo Park Historical Association is located in the basement of the Menlo Park Library at 800 Alma St. Open hours are noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information, call 330-2522.

How to help

Getting active in the Menlo Park Historical Association doesn't necessarily mean a huge time investment, says the group's president, Dick Angus. Here are three ways he says a volunteer could help out:
** Identify and archive pieces of the past -- photos, newspapers, even antique furniture.
** Help plan association events, such as dinners and ice cream socials.
** Assist in designing the group's newsletter, the Gate Post.

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