1

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 5/23/19

 2

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 5/23/19

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 3
●Indigenous to El Dorado County and recorded in every Federal and Special
Indian Census between 1852 to today for El Dorado County

● Lineal descendants of the 1851 Treaty of Consumnes River

●Mentioned in John Sutter’s diaries and recorded in EDC ethnographic studies

during the early 1900’s

● Sacred sites through-out El Dorado County

●The general area of the Wopumnes’ Village

became the town of Shingle Springs in 1865

●The genealogical lineal “Successors in Interest”

to the 1935 Indian Reorganization Act Vote
for Shingle Springs Rancheria 4
RFP EVALUATION CRITERIA established by the City
The following criteria will be utilized for the purpose of determining
the most qualified non-profit Proposer:

1. The financial ability of the Proposer to Restore and Implement

the Reuse of the building = 20 Points

2. The proposed use of the Building = 40 Points

3. The long term viability of the proposed reuse = 20 Points

4. Positive affect on Historic Downtown Economy = 10 Points

5. Interview/Presentation = 10 Points
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 5/23/19 5
 El Dorado County Fire
The Wopumnes 501(c)3
Protection District,
is the proposer
(Indigenous Tribe est.1860. (“successor in interest”
to the Placerville Volunteer Fire Dept.
of El Dorado County)
previous deed holders) with
Sacramento Fire Museum/Pioneer
Mutual Hook and Ladder Society
501(c)3
Placerville Downtown
Association, 501(c)6
(Representing downtown
El Dorado County Historical
businesses, Street Events and
Fund raising) Society est. 1938, 501(c)3
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal (Building Preservation Committee ) 6
2. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE
PROPOSED REUSE INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
● a. Describe through text and diagram the proposed uses for each area of the
buildings (see attached floor plan). If only proposing for one building, show how that
use would or would not affect other areas of the two buildings given the current
connection.

● b. Describe how the use would affect the historic character of the buildings. Would
it maintain the historic character? Include descriptions and or drawings to show how
you would promote the historic character.

● c. Provide a description of how the uses will enhance the business climate in
Historic Downtown Placerville, including details regarding expected number of
visitors on a monthly, quarterly, and/or seasonal basis. Provide a detail of the
proposed hours of operation.
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 7
Describe how the use would affect the historic character of the buildings. Would it maintain the
historic character? Include descriptions and or drawings to show how you would promote the historic
character.

Image showing West ADA compliant Door and

Double glass carriage doors for Fire Truck and
wagon storage and display.
8
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 9
10
11
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
BERKELEY ● DAVIS ● IRVINE ● LOS ANGELES ● MERCED ● RIVERSIDE ● SAN DIEGO ● SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA ● SANTA CRUZ

DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY TELEPHONE: (530) 752-0745

ONE SHIELDS AVENUE FAX: (530) 752-8885
DAVIS, CALIFORNIA 95616-8522 EMAIL: wrhaas@ucdavis.edu
http://anthropology.ucdavis.edu http://anthropology.ucdavis.edu/people/wrhaas

23 May 2019

El Dorado County Wopumnes Niesenan-MeWuk Heritage Society

P.O. Box 1712
Shingle Springs, CA 95682

Dear Wopumnes Nisenan and MeWuk Heritage Society:

We write to affirm our support of the Wopumnes Nisenan and MeWuk Heritage Society (WNMHS)
proposal to restore and occupy the Confidence Hall and Emigrant Jane historic buildings—a proposal
submitted in response to the City of Placerville’s “Historic City Hall Reuse Request for Proposals.” We
are professors of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis. We specialize in the study of past
human behavior and history through the archaeological record with expertise that includes the
archaeology of California societies, cultures, and economies. We are also educators, providing
archaeological coursework and training to graduate and undergraduate students at UC Davis. In addition,
we are active committee members of the UC Davis Department of Anthropology Museum
(http://anthromuseum.ucdavis.edu/) whose mission is to share knowledge about past societies with the
public. We are therefore dedicated to the study and preservation of the past, providing training to students
of archaeology, working with descendent communities, and disseminating our knowledge and findings to
the public.
We have reviewed the WNMHS proposal, which would provide the tribe and its heritage society
with a base of operations as well as a venue for a visitor center and museum. These goals align with our
mission to share knowledge about California heritage, which leads us to enthusiastic support. We affirm
our interest in collaborating with the tribe and historic society in developing educational materials and
activities for the proposed visitor’s center. We are able to provide expertise in California archaeology and
education toward developing historically accurate, engaging, and professional museum displays and
exhibits. We recently collaborated with the tribe in conducting archaeological research on heritage
resources in the region, and we are eager to continue those collaborations, which would provide unique
educational and outreach opportunities to Placerville community members and visitors of the proposed
visitor’s center and museum. Finally, the UC Davis Department of Anthropology Museum could provide
artifact loans for museum displays as well as permanent artifact storage in climate controlled facilities for
any archaeological materials recovered during collaborative work with the tribe. The Museum is a
federally recognized repository charged with caring for archaeological collections under 36 CFR 79, the
regulations mandating the Curation of Federally Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections.
We are excited about the WNMHS’s proposal to restore the Confidence Hall and Emigrant Jane
historic buildings and their plan to operate a visitor’s center and museum from the buildings. We offer our
collaborative support in our capacity as archaeologists and educators. Please feel free to contact us with
any questions.

Sincerely,

Randy Haas Jelmer Eerkens

Assistant Professor Professor
12
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 5/23/19 13
1. Fun, easily accessible, educational resource for students, teachers,
locals, visitors and tour buses.

2. Interesting themes: Native Culture, Fire and Public Safety, Old West,
Community Growth, Evolving Technologies, Arts and Crafts and more.

3. Easily increases downtown business exposure

(Feet on the Street, heads in beds).

4. Increased Tourism is measureable over time.

5. Full-time Paid Docents give life to the downtown.

6. Increased tourism brings more jobs to downtown businesses. 14

3. HOW WILL THE USES ENHANCE THE
BUSINESS CLIMATE IN HISTORIC
DOWNTOWN PLACERVILLE?
● PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE USES WILL ENHANCE THE
BUSINESS CLIMATE IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLACERVILLE.

Photo by Sandy Powell

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 15
Let’s take a look at the “sister” attractions within 50 miles.

What defines a “sister” attraction?

●Period of history for point of interest?

●Theme of architecture?
●Types of businesses?
●What visitors seem to talk about the most?

What do all these attractions have in common?

Visitors curious about the old west. They want to get a feel for what that was like.
16
~4.4 million+
visitors annually
“Old Sacramento is the city’s largest visitor
destination, attracting more than 4.4 million
visitors annually. The 6-block historic
waterfront district is home to Sacramento’s top
museums including the California History
Museum and California State Railroad
Museum. Old Sacramento is attractive to
retailers looking for unique ground floor retail
spaces as well as small and mid-sized firms https://www.downtownsac.org/learn-about-downtown/districts/old-
looking for office space with character.” sacramento/
17
~130k+ visitors
annually
“Stuff about daily visits, school buses of
kids, visitors from around the world,
interpretive center, museum etc.”
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/485/files/SF2015Restora
tionEffortsNewsReleaseFINAL_06_22_15.pdf

18
~70k+ visitors
annually
Sutter’s Mill, town of Coloma, 1848

“Stuffabout daily visits, school

buses of kids, visitors from
around the world, interpretive
center, museum etc.”
Link

19
~65k+ visitors
over its four day
run each June.
Wikipedia

20
~8,500+ visitors
annually

Link

21
estimate ~23k+ school
kids per year
65 people in a visiting group = $500 in
entry fees
[2 loaded school buses a day for every day
open (~180 days) = $180k]

These numbers do not include Tour

buses, tourists and return visits by
families and teachers or gift shop sales. 22
Because the City of Placerville, the Chamber
and EDCounty do not publish on their
websites: monthly, quarterly or seasonal
visitor statistics for Downtown Placerville…
we extrapolated visitor interest from
surrounding area Attractions, Traffic Counts
and Face Book.
23
 ~4.4
Million/yr
~130k
~70 yr
k
~65
/yr
k
~23 /yr
k
/yr
~9
k
/yr Marshall Sutter’s Fort
EDC Fair Gold & Native Old Sac
4 days Discovery Museum Historic District
Gold Bug State State Park
City Park
Park
EDC
24
Museum
25
 9,648
members

Est. total
population of
Placerville:
~11,000 26
27
28
• High percentage of historic buildings, still in tact,
dating back to the days of the Gold Rush.

• Majority of the buildings on Main Street are on a

historic resource list.

• Unique cultural mix of local businesses showing a wide

variety of arts, passions and talents unique to
Placerville.

• Welcoming and engaging community members 29

 This does not discount the events.
● Court House? Currently there is no landing place for visitors to get
their bearings and then tour the downtown.
● Hangman?
Starting their walk at the Visitor’s Center can quickly
educate and peak their interest to spend more time in
● Bell Tower? Downtown. Students and Teachers visit during the
week then return with families after school and on
● Community? weekends. Tourists and Tour buses have a starting
point.
● … Creating: Casual Infrequent Visitors,
Loyal Visitors, and Passionate Visitors

30
~87k (ahead+back)
peak at Bedford and
Highway 50 (2016
CalTrans)
900k+ season ski passes sold for
one ski resort

http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/census/docs/2016_
aadt_volumes.pdf
https://ltva.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/161104-Lake-
Tahoe-Visitors-Authority-2016_5.0.final_.pdf

31
Downstairs:
● Interpretive Center brings Downtown History to life
7 days a week 9-5 and participates in street events
● Confidence Firehouse Museum and Public Safety
Education Center
● Wopumnes Nisenan-Mewuk Heritage Center in
collaboration with UC Davis
● Wiser Stagecoach & Hangtown Marshals Office
● Peabody Research Center (Spill-over for El Dorado
Museum)
● ASSEMBLY ROOM AND ENTIRE VENUE RENTABLE
32
Upstairs Offices and conference room:
• Wopumnes Tribal Administration Office

• Placerville Downtown Association Office

• Hangtown Marshalls Interpretive (Theatrical)

• Placerville Volunteer Firefighters Brigade

• Other historical, cultural and civic organizations 33

 …City has an RFP for re-use of Mustard and Ketchup
Applicant A: VS. Applicant B: EDAC
1. 9-5, 7 days a week for Tourists and Students 1) 4 apartments and an
2. Costumed Docent run Visitor’s and Cultural 2) Art Gallery
Center (Marshals, Fire Brigade, Tribe)
“REHABILITATE” ?
3. Fire House Museum with Public Safety
Education Center, Native Heritage & Folk Arts
Removing its internal
4. Upstairs Offices (rentable)
historical character.
“BOTH BUILDINGS RESTORED!” 34
35
Collected in 1 week

Lets poke!

36
37
 Georgetow
n Preservati
on Society

Georgetown
, CA
Phone: 916-6 95634
98-1480
R.Sheckler@
comcast.net

TO: Place
rville City Co
Wopumnes N uncil on be
half of the
isenan-Mew
uk of El Dor
FM: Rona ado County C
ld Sheckler, P alifornia He
resident ritage Prese
Georgetown rvation Soc
Preservatio iety
n Society
RE: Confi
dence Hall an
d Emigrant Ja
ne Visitor Ce
The George nter
town Preser
Society was r vation Societ
ecently brief y represent
We voted to ed on the p s the George
unanimously roposed re-u town Divide
museum, a to support t se of propos . The George
Nise his effort an al of Confide town Preser
the weekend nan Native Heritage Ce d have an int
erest in Confi
nce and Em
igrant Jane B
vation
s where the H nt er as well as uildings.
turn into a an gtown Mars be coming a re dence Hall ho
wonderful as ha ls can doc al W elcome Cen us ing a fir
set for El Dor
ado County a ent for visitors coming ter open to t e history
The George nd downtown to Placervil he public o
town Preser Placerville. le. We thin n
welcomes a vation Societ k it will
ny continuing y appreciate
dialogue reg s the opportu
arding this nit y to be a pa
Regarding th proposal. rt of these d
e Wopumne iscussions an
dating befo s Nisenan-M d
re the Gold ewuk Tribe
County, Comm Ru sh. The Tribe : T he Wopum
unity and E re ne s h as had a long
Placerville an nvironment. gularly docents at Colo hi story in El Do
d El Dorado C Their propos ma
ounty. al will provid State Park and has a re rado Count
y
e a much n verence for
Regarding Su eeded featu the
e Taylor Des re to down
over the las igns: I perso town
t 4 years. I ha nally have ha
I have perso ve been un d the pleasu
der the tute re
has supervis
nally seen as
finished m lage of Sue Ta and opportunity to w
ed. What I ore than two ylor for thos ork with Su
amazing pe have learned dozen stru e years and I e Taylor
rception of most from ctures and w am in awe o
taken as ou the t her is orks under h f the work
r motto of “p rue value to future gen not the technical aspe istoric resto
ration Sue
reserving ou erations of h cts of her p
r past to pro istorical pre rojects but o
Again we re-e tect our fut servations. In f the
mphasise tha ure”. Georgetown
Mewuk of El t Georgeto we have
Dorado Cou wn Preserva
Confidence H nty Californ tion Society i
all and Emigra ia Heritage P s fully suppo
historical su nt Jane Visit reservation S rtive of the W
pport and m or Center. ociety 501(c) opumnes N
Sincerely, ining and o Georgetown 3 #83-2671 isenan-
ther period m Preservatio 897 proposa
emorabilia fo n Society can l for the
r future disp potentially
lay on a rotating pr ovide
basis.
Ronald Shec
kler, Presid
Georgetown ent
Preservatio
n Society

38
39
40
41
1. Placerville Downtown Association
501(c)6
2. El Dorado County Fire Protection
District
3. El Dorado County Historical Society
501(c)3
4. Sacramento Regional Fire Museum
5. Pioneer Mutual Hook & Ladder Society
6. Kit Carson Mountain Men of Amador
County
7. Georgetown Preservation Society
8. The Hangtown Marshals
9. Doc Wiser and Friends Stage Coach
10. El Dorado Canal Preservation Society
11. Grand Grove of the United Ancient
Order of Druids
12. Gold Rush Fire Brigade
13. Native Sons of the Golden West
14. Newtown Preservation Society
15. UC Davis, Dept of Anthropology
16. Friends of Historic Hangtown
42
43
 Garage style
Sheet-rocked walls

Cracking masonry

Fire damage

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 5/23/19 44

Plywood floor
 Confidence
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal Intact storage closet in Jane 5/23/19 45
46
47
48
49
Let’s say money is in the bank and everything ready to go:
Estimates based on the 2015 Burne Engineering Report –
Option 1 (Least costly) Restore Jane to accommodate
Wopumnes Native Heritage Center,
Immediately secure 3 Marshals first floor greeting center, spill
Work on structure,
and support building, over from El Dorado museum,
electrical, plumbing etc.
re-enforce it (make it Presentation/Media lab and upstairs
while roof is off then >
safe for workers) 1 offices
replace Roof 5

~4-6 months to completion!

2 4
Replace bricks, footings Address ADA compliance. Restore
etc. as described in Stage and rotate exhibits, 6
interior of Firehouse from pictures or
Engineering Report to other sources replicating period contributions from around the
make building safe for roof craftsmanship, equipment, décor, County and state colleges
removal. gingerbread, etc. 50
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 51
The only appropriate place for an
El Dorado Fire Museum is a restored
Confidence Engine Company No. 1!

52
1. UC Davis will provide
Native Artifacts from 60 sites
around EDC
2. Local EDC Nisenan-Mewuk Art
and works from other locals
3. Exploratorium
Style
Rotating
exhibits 53
54
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 55
Visit ~1-1.5 hrs:
1. Kids get dropped off in front
and greeted by Marshals, Volunteer Firefighters or
other dressed docents…
2. Hands on Tour of Confidence Firehouse /
Emigrant Jane Wopumnes Cultural Center,
3. and then a history walk /scavenger hunt down
Main Street guided by Docents. 56
School buses can drop kids off in front of court
house and then park at the Mosquito Train Station
4 minutes away…

EDCT can run

shuttle buses for
overflow parking.
57
4. Financial Capability:
Funding Improvements and Maintenance:
● a) Provide a detailed description of how the required
structural improvements and proposed tenant improvements
would be financed. These could include grants, private
donations, loans or public private partnerships.

● b) Provide a timeline for your project regarding necessary

fundraising activities and building improvements.

● c) Provide a description of how on-going maintenance and

operations of the facilities will be funded. 58
 4. FINANCIAL CAPABILITY STATEMENT:
Financial Capability: A demonstrated financial ability of the organization as
evidenced by submittal of:
● a. A two (2) year historical financial profit and loss statement:
● b. A two (2) year historical balance sheet;
● c. A cash flow statement; and
● d. The most recent three (3) years of federal tax returns.(if applicable)

The Wopumnes’ 501(c)3 is too new to be able to provide records

of cash flow but is properly registered in the Sam.gov and
Grants.gov system along with many other government
procurement systems.

Fiscal Sponsorship will be provided by their Community Support

Partners 501(c)3’s to qualify for this proposal.
59
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 60
https://www.sjfiremuseum.org/

“Our goal is to restore this

beautiful historic Old Fire Station
One, and make it a destination in
Downtown San Jose.”
61
“ Firehouse No. 1 is
perhaps the most-
photographed building
in Nevada City. It was
built in 1861 to house
Nevada Hose Company
No. 1 ...

Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 62

• Power of the Firefighters and their families to raise money

• Specially designed pledge gifts made by local Main Street

Artisans and the Wopumnes Tribe

• Street Music and events

• Special Tax incentives for donating to

a Tribe and Historical Preservation

• Joint Application with City for “Our Town”

Grants and Awards
63
While waiting for the Confidence and Jane buildings to be restored we
can set up an interim visitor’s center in an available building ready to lease
on Main Street:

1. Temporary base of operations for construction of Confidence & Jane Visitors

Center.

2. Use as Visitor’s Center proof of concept and invite local schools to visit and
participate

3. Set up a base of operations for the Hangtown Marshals, Wopumnes Heritage

Center and Fire museum

4. Would help promote community fund raising, grant and award raising
5. Stage and rotate exhibits, contributions from around
the County and state colleges 64
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 65
2 buses (@$400ea) x 150 days = $120,000 / yr
does not include:
other visitors and tourist donations
Gift shop sales
Venue rental for special events (Yes we do birthdays!)
Office Space Rental (upstairs)
Yearly Federal, State, Local and private Grants and Awards for:
Community and Economic Revitalization, Tourism, Re-enactment
Interpretation, Museum, Library Heritage Preservation and
Improvement, Native American Heritage Education, Sacred sites and
Cemeteries protection, Entertainment Industry and Arts, Fire Safety
Education, Business Entrepreneurship, Special Traveling Exhibits, Forestry
66
Management, Local Agriculture and much more…
5. Building Ownership:
● The Volunteer Fire Fighters built Confidence and were the
original deed holders.

● The Tribe and Fire District is looking to leave the liability with
the City during the restoration phase, due to the need for
rescuing the buildings from the City’s lack of maintenance.

● Upon completion of restoration, the Fire District would like

the Confidence building deeded back to them along with
Jane.
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 67
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 68
A farm family in San Jose built Frontier
Village in 1961.

The Old West park and surrounding farms

lasted for 20 years

Was torn down to build condominiums.

Their farms went away too. Today They miss their
San Jose is Condominiums, tract homes
shopping centers, concrete freeways,
Frontier Village and
and tilt-ups with over million people… their farms …so they visit
El Dorado.
69
Wopumnes - Confidence and Jane proposal 70
71