About Woodland Parlor 30
The mission. N.S.G.W. Woodland Parlor No. 30 promotes the history of Woodland and Yolo County through preservation and outreach.
Woodland Parlor No. 30 began in 1884. It is one of 73 local chapters of the statewide Native Sons of the Golden West. There are over 6,000 members. Founded in 1875, the N.S.G.W. mission is to preserve California’s rich history, support local education and serve the community. The NSGW is a 501(c)8 organization – a fraternal society operating under the lodge system that devotes its earnings to charitable, educational, literary and other benevolent purposes. The NSGW includes the Historical Preservation Foundation and the Native Sons Charitable Foundation (Cleft Palate Fund), both 501(c)3 organizations.
Our projects. Parlor 30 has four major projects that are ongoing:
• TILLYfest – Fundraiser for downtown Woodland museum
• Fiscal receiver for Woodland Art Center / Dead Cat Alley
9 Lives Project
• Union Church of Dunnigan Restoration with UCoD Trustees
• Yolo County Fair Museum with Yolo County Historical Society
Our goals for 2022. We are launching TILLYfest – Bluegrass Woodland to raise funds for a unique museum that will be Woodland’s next must-see venue. The recruitment of members and working with other historical groups are keys to this goal. The group also selects historic sites to create markers that will enhance the experience of all visitors to downtown… and… we offer historical tours, including Dead Cat Alley presentations during our Woodland History Tours events. We will continue to participate in First Friday Art & History Walks and the annual Stroll Through History.
About Native Sons of the Golden West
Gold and “Newcomers” both have played a big part in the history of the state of California, and both of them played a big role in the formation of the Native Sons of the Golden West.
What is a Native Son of the Golden West? To answer that, we must go back in history to the California Gold Rush, which was one of the unmatched marvels of American history. In 1848, California was a tranquil wilderness where the population density was so low that, on average, only one human being dwelt per each 528 square miles. But after President James K. Polk made the official announcement on Dec. 5, 1848 that gold had been discovered, things ramped up very quickly.
Gold seekers (mostly young men) came in droves from all corners of the
earth. Within a short time, 100,000 people were living in California.
They were industrious, civic-minded people. They held a Constitutional
Convention, and activated a state government on Dec. 20, 1849. They
acted so rapidly that it took Congress almost a year to catch up.
Partially because California was not officially declared a state until
Sept. 9, 1850.
It was an unparalleled phenomenon. No other American state has been organized in such “can-do” circumstances. But by the mid-1870s, many more new residents were flooding into California.
They were Civil War veterans seeking grants of public lands. There
were people who could enjoy the convenient transportation of the newly
completed transcontinental railroad.
Old-timers shook their heads and worried that, with the nature of
the population changing so rapidly. That it was only a matter of time
before the colorful history of the Gold Rush and early-day statehood
soon would be forgotten and neglected. So they hit upon an idea. Why not
form an organization of men who had been BORN in California. Whose
mission it would be to preserve the state’s history.
And that’s exactly what happened, causing the Native Sons of the Golden West to be formed on July 11, 1875.