Save The Dates

Saturday, July 24, the Cowboy Capital of the World will be celebrating the National Day of the American Cowboy with a Rancher’s Day competition at the Oakdale Rodeo Grounds beginning at 9am. Events include a rope & sort, sorting, calf branding and a working dog class, to name a few. There will also be a BBQ with lots of cold drinks! C’mon out and join us. Entery Forms will be up soon for download.







In addition, on Saturday evening July 17, the Cowboy Museum will sponsor a movie night at Cottles Wood Park, part of the “Movies Under the Stars” program with the Oakdale Parks & Rec. This is a FREE family night and everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy the fun. BYOC…Bring your own chairs and relax with us. The movie starts at dusk!! For more information, please call the Cowboy Museum.

Tom Orvis Joins Board

At the end of December, the Cowboy Museum said goodbye to three directors who completed their board term; Liza Gilbert-Cotton, Ron Grohl, & David Zwald. We welcome new board members Dave Brown, Doug Murdock and Tom Orvis who began their terms on January 1.We will introduce you to these gentlemen in the next few issues.
New Director Tom Orvis, is the Governmental Affairs Director for the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau in Modesto, CA. He has been involved in Farm Bureau for over 12 years as an officer, director and now a staff member. Tom covers all areas of governmental relations from the local level to the national level and has been involved in many natural resource issues covering air, water, land and endangered species. He also is very involved in Farm Bureau rural crime and political action activities and is frequently contacted regarding Agricultural Mitigation issues.
Tom was raised on a family cattle ranching operation located in northeastern Stanislaus and western Calaveras counties. His family has been on their ranch for over 137 years and Tom is part of the 5th generation to operate the Snow Ranch, established by his Great-Great-Grandfather William Snow in 1873. Tom is a graduate of Oakdale High School and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. While at Cal Poly, he majored in Agribusiness with degree concentrations in Sales & Marketing and Agricultural Policy.
Following Tom’s graduation from Cal Poly in 1990, Tom started his career in agriculture with ConAgra/Butterball Turkey Company in Turlock, CA. Tom has experience in production agriculture management in poultry and beef. He also has extensive experience in sales and marketing of nutrition and animal genetics in the dairy industry. Tom joined SCFB in 2008 following three years at the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation as Program Director.
“I’m excited to serve on the Cowboy Museum board and look forward to educating not only the public, but he children about the ranching traditions of our area and how this all ties into their food supply. Food doesn’t come from the supermarket it starts on a farm or ranch.”

2010 Scholarship Program Deadline

The Cowboy Museum is proud to announce that our 2010 Scholarship Program will offer four $1000 scholarships. Three that will be given to graduating seniors in Stanislaus County and one will be given to a graduating senior whose family is a member of the Cowboy Museum. Deadline for Scholarship Applications is February 26th. Scholarship and membership applications can be found on our website at www.oakdalecowboymuseum.org or by calling the Cowboy Museum. at (209) 847-7049.

Cowboy Museum Gets More Hands On

For the past two years the Cowboy Museum has been laying the groundwork to provide an entertaining way for visitors to experience our local western lifestyle but in a new age way. “We have embraced technology wholeheartedly and what we’re about to unveil is very impressive” said Executive Director, Christie Camarillo. On September 19, during the Annual Dinner and Auction Fundraiser, the Cowboy Museum will unveil a new interactive Computerized Touch Tour. This device will allow us to store information digitally and be available at the touch of a button. Similar to kiosks at many museums, the touch screen will enable visitors to search for people or ranches that are currently displayed in the Museum’s Collection and be able to read and see more detail or listen to a narrator.
“The mission of the Cowboy Museum is to inform, entertain and educate. We have taken that mission and put it all together with photos, videos, audio and games in a hands on way that everyone will understand and want to interact with.” said Kevin Fox, who has been designing the Touch Tour for the last two years.
“We’re really running out of space, says Camarillo so the Touchscreen Computer now gives us much more room to expand. Children will enjoy the special pages created especially for them too!” This new way of learning will assist Museum docents to give personal tours about our unique ranching and rodeo history. We see this as a way to enhance our Museum and offer something to a whole new age of visitors, said Bill Sanguinetti, President of the Cowboy Museum Board. What we’ll be introducing at the dinner is no way finished – it’s just the beginning. We are still seeking information on many ranches, ranches and rodeo cowboys that we would like to include in this project. We’re very excited.”

Colin Harvey Annual Dinner & Auction Memorial Recognition Recipient

The Oakdale Cowboy Museum is proud to announce the honorees for our 2009 Dinner & Auction Fundraiser, which will take place on Saturday, September 19, at Rocha’s Valley Enterprises. Our memorial recognition will be Colin Harvey, a long time Oakdale resident and local rancher. Our special tribute for the evening will be the Rosasco Ranch and Family of Jamestown. In the next two issues of our monthly newsletter, you’ll learn more about our honorees.
Colin Harvey was born on Sept 15, 1909 in Sonora, California. He lived off of Wards Ferry Road on his father’s 150 acre ranch. He worked for his father in the Sonora area until age 13, when shortly after that he left home to work in the mountains tending sheep and cattle. He worked for many local ranchers such as Ellenwood, Woods and Sanguinetti. When he turned 15, he and Curly Sardella quit working for Joe Sanguinetti and hired on with the government, shooting deer during an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease. There are stories told of shoot outs between Curly and Colin. The two also roped a bear. Colin had the bear snubbed up to his horse, when Curly poked the bear with a stick. The bear jumped and Colin’s horse bucked him off. At which point she kept bucking until she bucked off the cliff.
In the 1930’ and early 40’s Colin had a pack station and riding stable in Pinecrest. He would pack fishermen and deer hunters into the Emigrant Basin country. He was also one of the first to pack trout, and stock some of the lakes in the back country.
On July 2, 1941, Colin married Jean Sundborg of Sonora. Miss Sundborg was a graduate of Sonora High and San Francisco State, where she earned her teaching degree in 1937. She later became a teacher at Sonora Grammar schools. Colin and Jean had three children. Bill was born on April 22, 1943 in a military hospital in Monterey, CA. John was born December 22, 1944 in Sonora, and daughter, Judy was born January 17, 1951 in Oakdale.
When WWII broke, Colin was called up and had six months to sell his pack outfit. He served as a sergeant in the signal corps. During the invasion of Attu in the Aleutian Islands, he was shot in the belly by a Japanese Sniper. After he recuperated the Army made him a teacher in the Signal Corps.
Colin returned from the war in 1945, and he and Jean bought a small ranch in the Oakdale area where he worked for the H. Moffat Company.
In the 1950’s he leased the Barnett ranch and started running cattle. He partnered with Phil Stadtler and ran yearlings and also partnered with Bill Rodden and Bill Cook.
In 1968, at the ripe age of 60, he returned to his beloved mountains where he started another pack station and riding stable in the Bear Valley area, eventually turning over his leases and pack station to his sons in the early 70’s.
As a young man Colin entered many local rodeos entering the saddle bronc riding or anything that bucked. He also entered the wild cow milking and team roping. He roped with local cowboys such as Tony Amaral, Johnnie Bonavia, and George Lake. He was also a member of the Sonoma County Trail Blazers.
Colin’s favorite hang out was at the H-B with good friend and owner, “grandpa” Dave Bachi. “They were pretty good friends said, Mike Bacigalupi and they had some pretty good times. There were a lot of cattle deals that were made in here.”
Colin passed away July 1982. His wife Jean passed away October 31, 2005.

Sign of the Times

Visitors entering Oakdale from the South entrance will notice a new welcome sign that is scheduled to debut by mid July. The sign will be at the same location as the original sign – on South Yosemite near the Oakdale Recycling Center. The Cowboy Museum received many suggestions following the Cowboy Capital of the World Contest last year stating that Oakdale should have a sign indicating that we’re (still) the Cowboy Capital of the World. A committee was formed and in February of this year, Director/Chair Lana Casey started meeting with City Officials, Booster Club members, and various service organizations to learn more about the ownership and upkeep of the current sign. After reviewing sign design and costs the Cowboy Museum Board of Directors unanimously approved the project at the June board meeting. Signs by Randy will construct the sign. “This is something that we feel the community wanted to see after winning the contest, said President Bill Sanguinetti. It will be a beautiful sign and it will be installed just in time for our 5th Annual celebration of the National Day of the American Cowboy on July 25.”

Beefman Passes

The Oakdale Cowboy Museum would like to acknowledge the passing of Tom Connelley of Belle Fouche, SD. It was a little over one year ago that we started our conversations with the “Beefman,” about donating beef to the winners of the Cowboy Capital of the World Contest last year between Oakdale and Stephenville, TX. Why was a cattleman from South Dakota so interested in participating in a contest that wasn’t even in his state you ask? Other than being a generous (non bias) cattleman, Tom was emphatic about consumers knowing where their beef originated. He felt the contest grand prize of a side of beef to the winners would bring additional exposure to beef and the US cattle producing nation. That it did.
Born on Feb 24, 1946 at age 63, Tom “The Beefman Connelley,” suffered a severe heart attack while branding at a friends ranch in Montana and died on June 15, 2009, doing one of the many things he enjoyed.
While we never met personally, we exchanged quite a few conversations last year during the contest. He had a big voice, a big laugh and a kindhearted direct delivery. He had me referring to his website so every press release was stated correctly. “I want to assure all customers of South Dakota Beefman that I strive to produce the Very Best Beef Products available for my customers. I know my cattle and I know what it takes to produce the very best beef product available anywhere. I will do my very best to meet my customers needs. I will provide a consistently tender quality product.”
He is survived by his wife Dorothy, five children and 10 grandchilden.
Godspeed Beefman! I’m glad our trails crossed.