Title: St. Helena gets new book
Author: John Lindblom
Publisher: The Weekly Calistogan
Date: 3/6/2010
The formal release of a new history book on St. Helena on March 14 at Charles Krug Winery's Carriage House will, in itself, be an historic occasion of sorts. The book, co-authored by Mariam Hansen and Susanne Salvestrin, is the most comprehensive study of the town's past to date.
Its simple name, "Images of America: St. Helena," and the fact that it is just but one of 3,000 books in an Arcadia Publishing (Charleston, S.C.) series of books about U.S. communities (including Calistoga) do not subtract from its significance.
"They (Arcadia) have been looking for some time to do a book on St. Helena. They knew that we are the heart of the wine country and that this would be a book that people would be interested in," said Hansen.
It could be that the book will be a hot commodity, given St. Helena's position as the wine-tasting Mecca to people from everywhere.
"Yes, and I think the publisher knew that and that's one of the reasons why (Arcadia) pushed it," Hansen said. "They really wanted to do this book."
The release party for the book, from 2 to 4 p.m., will be a gala event celebrating the period from the 1880s to the 1960s in St. Helena. The book's project team will be introduced and a presentation tracing the town's history from its founding will be complemented by a vintage photo slideshow.
Like the Calistoga book, which was researched and written by John Waters Jr., editor of The Weekly Calistogan, the St. Helena publication will provide an historical picture overview.
"We were limited to 18,000 words in the text and I think we got to 17,950," said Hansen. "We tried to pack in as much history as we could."
"Images of America: St. Helena" ($21.99) became available on the Arcadia Web site on Monday of this week. (It's also available from Amazon.com.)
Other point of purchase locations are being established, but on March 14 it will become available through the St. Helena Historical Society, 967-5502.
Title: Kernbergers' photographs critical to St. Helena book
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: St. Helena Star
Date: 3/25/10
As sales for its "Images of America: St. Helena" book surpassed the 200 mark this past week, members of the St. Helena Historical Society recalled the contributions of the late historian Kathy Kernberger and her husband David.
Although Kathy Kernberger died in 2008, she was vital to the conceptual stages of the book, historian Mariam Hansen said. Hansen met with the Kernbergers at their home to view their extensive collection historical photographs of St. Helena.
Many of the photographs came from the Elite Photo Studio, owned by Edwin F. Cooper. The studio operated from 1908 to 1934.
Kathy Kernberger's illness prevented her from helping with the book, but gratitude is expressed on page 4 for the inspiration she provided to book team members.
Historic Photo Publishers, owned by David Kernberger, donated numerous photographs that were among the most significant in the book, which is a pictorial history of St. Helena. David and his daughter, Heather McKenzie, were recognized during the March 14 book launch at Charles Krug Winery's Carriage House.
"Images of America St. Helena" can be purchased by calling the Historical Society at 967-5502. The book is also available at Main Street Books and other stores in town.
Title: Hundreds attend signing gala for St. Helena book
Author: John Lindblom
Publisher: St. Helenda Star
Date: 3/18/2010
St. Helena's past was much on display — and much in demand — on Sunday when the book, "Images of America St. Helena," was introduced at a gala book signing at the Charles Krug Carriage House.
The event attracted more than 200 history buffs, 165 of whom purchased the St. Helena Historical Society-authored publication at $24 a copy. Overall, said Historical Society member Robyn Orsini, more than 200 books have already been sold.
"In terms of a continuous history, it's really not," said Historical Society president Skip Lane. "It's not meant to be a comprehensive history, but I found it very hard to put down once I picked it up and started thumbing through it.
"I think lots of people who live here, or even those who are new here don't know about all the stuff in the book," Lane added. "They know there are wineries here but that's about the extent of it. There's a real flavor of the past, the Harvest Festival and the Pet Parade as we know them today."
Annette Smith, an elementary school teacher and reading specialist, said she is a third-generation St. Helenan, said, "I'm buying a book for each of my children, who are the fourth. It's exciting to have this book.
"It's going to sell like hotcakes all over the country," she predicted.
"St. Helena is a picturesque little town and when you've lived here a while you realize every street is named after settlers here. In that sense, this book is particularly vibrant," said Chris Kidwell, membership committee chair for the Historical Society.
Several attendees praised Mariam Hansen, Susanne Salvestrin and Kim Farmer, the St. Helena Historical Society members who collected the photos and information.
Their collection ranged from Lily Paulson, Queen of the 1914 Vintage Festival, to Wesley "Jinks" Jennings, a lifelong St. Helenan who left only to fight in World War I. Jennings, an African American, is believed to have built the town's first radio so he and his cohorts could listen to baseball games. Elvis Presley and then-gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan are also in the book.
Hansen said the most difficult photos to obtain were those of Mexican Americans, even though she went to school with several of them, and of Chinese Americans who built much of the pre-20th century wine industry infrastructure (caves, walls, etc.) before their St. Helena's "Chinatown" burned to the ground.
Like virtually every town, St. Helena has its "skeletons in the closet," but these will have to wait to be told in the next history book.
One is a lynching that occurred in 1888.
"It was a young man named John Wright," Hansen said. "A member of a prominent family was harassing one of the prostitutes who happened to be Wright's sister. He came to her defense and a shooting took place.
"The constable came and took him off to jail and a group of local citizens was able to get the keys. John Wright ended up hanging from a bridge over a creek near Beringer's."
"Images of America St. Helena" can be purchased by calling the Historical Society at 967-5502. The book is also available at Main Street Books and other stores in town.
