First in a series of windows into the Valley's everyday past.

From the Pleasanton Times, December 12, 1930

Old Clothes Day Is To Be Held By Students Friday
Parade Through City Is Planned For About Noontime

People of Pleasanton do not want to think that all the hoboes have come to town, or that we have returned to the gay nineties along about noon today when they see a conglomeration of young people parading Main St, for it will be only the annual Old Clothes Day celebration of the students of the Amador Valley High School.
     The students will be arrayed in the oldest and funniest costumes which they could procure. The parade will start from the high school at 11:45 o'clock and will follow a line of march thru the main streets of the city. The school band will lead the procession.
     After the return to the school the students will be the guests of the sophomores and freshmen at a bean feed.
     Immediately following the dinner there will be a grand march in the gymnasium at which time the faculty, acting as Judges, will select the best and funniest costumes.
     As an aftermath the athletic board will award the block A to members of the football [s]quad.
     Following there will be a Christmas program put on by the Girls' League. The entertainment will be as follows:
     Song: “Deck the Halls with Holly," by everyone; song: "Just an Old Woman," by Melva Madsen; short play: "Light House Tragedy," by six of the girls; a stunt by group of girls; a selection of Latin songs by the Latin class; a reading, "Three Wise Men," by Olive Tripp; song: "Hark the Heralds Angels Sing," by everyone; song: "Rendevous," by Mildred Enos; Christmas selections by the orchestra; presentation of a Christmas picture.

Who Knew?
This valley we live in is filled with historical surprises.
Did you know that this valley was called Valle de San Jose and it was the principal pasture for the Mission San Jose?
 
Over 30,000 head of cattle roamed the hills eating the grass.
The round up would take place in a valley called Tassajera (which meant bowl-shaped) once a year and the meat, hides, tallow and the bones from the cattle would brought to the Mission. There it would be processed and then taken to ships waiting in the Bay. The meat and other by-products were sent to many parts of the world.

Find out more about this intriguing valley by visiting the Museum on Main. See the exhibts and visit the books store to buy books that give you all kinds of history about where we live.

It's a drizzly day and you have toddlers running wild. What do you do to keep them happy and entertained?

Head to M.o.M's Reading Time!
Musueum on Main offers preschoolers and their families a free monthly reading program with crafts! This is blissful time where your little one is learning and creating, and you get a moment to breathe. 

The 2nd Wednesday of the month from 10-11 a.m. you can know that your kids are having the time of their life. Next event is November 14th, "Thank You, Veterans!"

Admission is free, although donations are always happily accepted.
No reservations are required unless you are a large group or playgroup, then please contact Museum on Main in advance at 925-462-2766.

Museum on Main brings you a lecture series like no other. In the past you could hear Mark Twain, Bonnie and Clyde, and even President Roosevelt speak at the An Evening With... events. But this event is for all the Bay Area locals that remember the TV show "Creature Feature."

Sponsored by Jack Harrington on Tuesday, October 9th at 7 p.m. John Stanley, the host of the Bay Area TV show, Creature Feature,  will be speaking about the monster movie boom of the 1950's. He'll also dish on the many TV star interviews he did as an entertainment writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.

You don't want to miss this lecture. Go to www.museumonmain to learn more about this event. Tickets are $10 for General Admission, $5 for Members and Seniors, and $3 for Students/Teachers with I.D.

Past An Evening With... DVD's are available for purchase that the Museum on Main gift shop.

    A couple days ago, in the afternoon hours, two tween gentlemen visited Museum on Main. I saw them step through the front door, not quite knowing what was to be expected of this adventure. It was a fairly busy afternoon since schools were out for the winter holiday break and is was a beautiful day to be in Downtown Pleasanton. The boys disappeared into the History Gallery for some time, perhaps to admire the decayed revolver in the Founding Father’s case or to secretly try their hand at working the old switchboard.
    I had forgotten about them until the moment I turned the corner into the Rail World exhibit area. By then, the boys were bounding from the room.  They stopped in their tracks when they saw me and one of the boys shouted to me with great surprise, “History is SO COOL!”
    I smiled and said, “Spread the word…”
    Have they told you yet?

The police were called to Museum on Main today!  28 Guests were enjoying M.o.M.'s Reading Time, a free early literacy program sponsored by Target, when in walked Retired Pleasanton Police Officer Roy Ficken and his adorable service dog, Gandalf II.  Ficken and his pint-sized dog were on hand to enjoy the Caldecott Award winning book Officer Buckle and Gloria...with an uncanny resemblance to Pleasanton's own retired officer and his sidekick dog.  Following the book and take home craft the children and parents were invited to a meet and pet with Gandalf.

Sunday, August 21st, Museum on Main Volunteers joined together at the Sports Park in Pleasanton to enjoy a lovely afternoon bbq and root beer float...   Here are some pics... enjoy!