This family-friendly celebration will begin with presentation of the colors by the Clear Lake Junior Horsemen Drill Team and the singing of the national anthem by Miss Lake County’s Outstanding Teen, Faith Hornby.
The program will include a reenactment of the signing of the act of incorporation that carved a section of northern Napa County to create Lake County, a reading of the proclamation of the commemoration by the Lake County Board of Supervisors, as well as the telling of several fascinating stories of Lake County’s past.
A 45-minute guided historic walking tour of downtown Lakeport will be offered at 6 p.m. Antique fire trucks will be on display from Lakeport Fire Protection District and Kelseyville Fire Protection District.
Musical entertainment during the evening will be provided by the Sweet Adelines and by Hilarie, Milton & Moe.
The Upper Lake 4-H Club will sell old-fashioned root beer floats and the Lake County Winery Association will be pouring a selection of Lake County wines.
Several Lake County historic groups, including the Lake County Historical Society, will present informative exhibits and displays. The Lake County Historic Courthouse Museum will be open during the event with docents on hand to answer questions.
A selection of 150th-logo’d merchandise will be available for sale with proceeds going to support the LC 150 effort.
This event kicks off the 150th celebration, which will continue through the summer and fall with a presence at several major annual events held in each community.
Residents, community groups, and business owners and associations are encouraged to sponsor an activity or event in their community. Those interested in doing so may contact the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092 for information about donations and sponsorship levels, in-kind needs, and volunteer opportunities.
The LC150 steering committee has been working for several months guiding the plans for the celebration and includes several community volunteers, as well as representatives from the Lake County Museum, Friends of the Lake County Museum, Lake County Genealogical Society, Lake County Historical Society, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program, Lakeport Main Street Association, Lake County Winery Association, and City of Lakeport.
The birth of Lake County
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln had taken office as president, the nation was on the brink of the Civil War, and Gold Fever continued to lure pioneers and prospectors to the state.
On May 20, 1861, nearly 11 years after California had become the 31st state in the Union, California Governor John D. Downey signed an Act of Incorporation into law and Lake County was born.
Called “The Clearlake Township of Napa County” and unofficially the “Hot Springs Section,” Lake County was carved from the northern section of Napa County.
The 1860 Census recorded 1,065 residents in this area, a population that doubled in 10 years. Who were they? Joining the Native American population were farmers and ranchers, gold prospectors, war conscription evaders, and pioneers moving west in search of a new life.
Over the years, many have been drawn to Lake County. Today, more than 65,000 people call Lake County home.
What has attracted these individuals to Lake County? For some, it may be the clean air, the wide open space, or the stunning lake or mountain vistas. For others, it may be opportunity, lifestyle, or family connection. For others still, it simply may be happenstance, luck, or serendipity.
Thus, Lake County has a long history of fascinating stories – stories of pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship, of agricultural traditions and recreational pursuits, of kindness and preservation, stories of heroes and visionaries, of traditions and family trees.
To discover more, go online to www.LC150.org for information about Lake County sesquicentennial activities and events and for a fascinating look at historical video vignettes of life in Lake County in the 1860s. This site is updated regularly, so check back often.
Families, businesses, and organizations also are encouraged to tell their own story and connect it to the greater Lake County story on Facebook. Check out the Lake County Sesquicentennial Facebook page at www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lake-County-Sesquicentennial/171845856177015. Follow the sesquicentennial celebration on Twitter, @LakeCo150.