Who We Are
     The Ploughshare & Pruning Hook is published bi- monthly by the Winchester Historical Society of Pleasant Valley. The sole purpose is the let the community and others interested in preserving our history a glimpse into our past, present, and future history. We can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 69, Winchester, California 92596-0069 or by phone at (909) 926-4039. Donations to help support this newsletter and other activities are tax deductible as a gift to charity. We also accept gift writings about our local history and will publish them as space permits. Guest speakers and displays are available upon request.                                      E-mail gregg@koan.com
The historical societies web site is: http://www.homestead.com/ winchesterCAhistory/home. html
Another way to get to the site, which may be quicker for you, is to do the following:
1. Go to http://www.homestead.com/
2. In the Homestead Directory  click on Clubs & Organizations
3. Next click on Community Groups and look for "Winchester California History" and by clicking there you will reach our home page.

Museum Hours
Saturday                11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Sunday         11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Closed holiday weekends.


Whenever I see signs on roads that say, "End Construction",
I think to myself that the environmentalists have gone too far.
First Rummage Sale Planned for Museum
    October 2nd and 3rd will see the first rummage sale to help support the Patterson House Museum. We will be open from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. both Saturday and Sunday. If you have any donations bring them by the museum any weekend up to the day of the event. Set these two days aside and help come support your museum. Also being planned is a Christmas Gift Fair where you can buy goods for that special someone. Look for more news in our next issue.

Community and Museum Quick Notes
   Winchester - Domenigoni Park is moving forward nicely. The community center buildings exterior walls are nearly finished. Thanks to a quiet fire season the crew from the Bautista Creek Camp have been able to work at our park. The backstops for the three ball diamonds are up and the work on our new fire station has started. Drive by and take a look at our future.
   Domenigoni Valley Reservoir recreation area seems to have taken a heavy blow as far as a completion date. Seems someone forgot to seek the proper permits from the City of Hemet and the County of Riverside. Now maybe those two government agencies can somehow fast-track this so we have recreation when the water arrives.
   Museum Attendance has been very satisfying. Between fifteen and twenty five people have come by every weekend since we opened. What is nice to see is that many are from out of town. Relatives of Clarence and Lloyd Patterson have also dropped by to see our progress. We have enjoyed some of the stories that some of our locals have told us about there experience with the house while it was vacant. One lady mentioned that she and a girlfriend tried to camp out in the house but never quite made it all night. A couple of myths also have been mentioned that we wish to put away. The Patterson House was never a stage stop and never a "brothel."
     Wish List Update: Well we can eliminate the termite exterminator from our list but we are still in need of a good restoration or finish carpenter and a painter to paint the doors and windows that are finished. We also are in need of that $12,000 for the next phase of restoration. That is what it will cost for the plans to retrofit the house against an earthquake. A folding table has been purchased but we can still use five or six more and some lockable display cases.
    The chipper is no longer needed as Bob Domenigoni has taken the old fallen tree limbs and sent them to the local green waste recycling center. Thanks Bob. Also thanks goes to all of you who generously have donated on your visit to your community museum.

Museum Granted Exempt Status
   It's official!!!!!!! The State of California has just informed the society we no longer must pay property taxes on the Patterson House and adjoining property. In fact we may very well get some of what we have paid back so that we can put the money in restoring the house. We would like to thank the people in the County Assessors Office and the State Board of Equalization Office in their assistance in this matter.

Tidbits From Our Past
11/29/1894 R. W. Sweet, the creamery organizer, was in town the fore part of the week inspecting the Estudillo ranch across the river which he has leased for a term of years and intends stocking the ranch with fine dairy cattle. He will leave for Chicago next week for his family who will make the ranch their home.
11/29/1894 John McCool and "Menifee" Wilson have bonded forty acres of land in the Leon country southeast of Perris from Lafayette Gill, on which they will begin mining operations. The land has always been presumed to be farming land, but prospecting has developed the fact that it is rich in mineral, and a number of locations have been made. ----Perris Record
11/29/1894 Plowing has commenced in several parts of the valley.