Cornville Historical Society Annual Meeting Set for March 21

The Cornville Historical Society will hold its annual membership meeting from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at the First Southern Baptist Church, 11340 Circle Drive, in Cornville.

The program will feature Don and Chris Godard discussing the “History of Cement & the Clarkdale Cement Plant.” The program will also include a slideshow presentation of photos taken at the cement plant.

The business meeting will include the annual progress report, financial report, budget approval, and election of board members. Candidates for re-election to two-year terms Janet Cassagio, Nita Rinehart, Diana Stipek and Don Welcome. Continuing board members are Cheryl Chamberlain, Veronica Moody and Cindy Snyder. Nominations will be welcome at the annual meeting and vacancies will exist, so please consider volunteering for our Board or for one of our committees.  Refreshments will be served.

The Board members meet five times each year, the 2nd Wednesday of the month in October, November, January and February and immediately following the annual meeting in March. They take the summer off.  From Fall through Spring, they work on projects like research, publications, post office restoration, fundraisers and community events.  New members are always welcome to join and participate. 

This meeting is free and open to the public. For information, call Muffy Vallely at 639-9558 or go to www.cornville-historical-society.org.  

 

HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER EVENT DECEMBER 17, DONE!

 

The Society's Annual Holiday Fundraiser Event took place at Apache Maid Ranch (the Lower Apache Maid Headquarters), at 500 E. Cornville Road from 1 to 4 pm, on Sunday, December 17, 2017. Last minute weather conditions amended the event to a short visit to the ranch at 1:00 pm, followed by a history presentation by Janet Cassagio, Historical Society researcher and board member, the Society’s popular raffle of holiday gift baskets and refreshments at Oak Creek School. 

 

The event was attended by more than 120 people and was well-recieved by all we heard from. Attendees got to visit the ranch and see what so many of us wonder about as we pass by the gate on Cornville Road. The presentation explained the history of the ranch from the 1870s to the current day, including the changing boundaries and ownership.

 

The Society wishes to thank all the attendees for their wonderful support and for their patience with the last minute program changes. We also want to thank all those members who provided help with the preparation, setup and clean up for the event and those who donated the wonderful gift baskets we raffled off. Contributors to the gift baskets included Up the Creek Bistro, Blazin' M Ranch, Verde Canyon Railway, Harry's Hideaway, Verde Santa Fe Golf Course, Page Springs Vineyards, Oak Creek Winery, Cornville Mercantile, Javelina Leap, DA Ranch, Coyote Trails Golf Course, Canyon Mesa Country Club, Val Chanda, Salon West and Windmill Gardens. Thank you all for making this event a success.

 

 

 

Cornville’s Wandering Post Office is Back Home Again and after 4.5 Years, the Dedication Took Place on June 24, 2017

 

The Old Cornville Post Office & Store was a community landmark for eighty years, from the time it was built in 1909 until it was moved away in 1989. Now, after surviving four moves, the original post office and store was returned in the middle of the night on December 3, 2012, right back to the site where it was first constructed over 100 years ago. Restoration is ongoing and we appreciate the historic landmark agreement we made with Bob and Cindy Snyder, owners of Windmill Gardens; and the Cornville Historical Society. 

After more than 4 years, the outside renovations are just about complete. We hope to have the inside done by Spring 2018. The Society is continuing a campaign to raise funds to cover restoration costs. So far, over $14,000 has been raised, which has covered the move and renovation costs; but more is needed to restore and interpret the history of the structure. YOU CAN HELP. All funds received will be used solely for preservation and interpretation of the old post office as a historic landmark. For information, contact Janet Cassagio at 649-1426 or janetcassagio@me.com. 

The dedication for the exterior of the post office took place at 10:00 am on June 24, 2017, at 9550 E. Cornville Rd., Windmill Gardens, to dedicate this icon of Cornville history. Guest speakers included Tom Thurman, Yavapai County Supervisor and Judith A. Miller, Past-President and Board Member of the Cornville Historical Society. Honorary guest included Chick family descendants; Yavapai County Supervisor Randy Garrison; the Thumb Butte and Yavapai Questers; Bob and Cindy Snyder, owners of Windmill Gardens; past and present U.S. Post Office employees; those involved with the actual move and the numerous volunteers and supporters of this project. Public tours and light refreshments preceded and followed the ceremony. A special postmark commemorating the event was available. Thank you all attendees!

 

    

Cindi & Bob Snyder in front of their new Historic Landmark, December 2012
Old Post Office, June 24, 2017

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News & Events

CHS BOARD GONE FOR THE SUMMER

 

2018 ANNUAL MEETING MARCH 21 AT FIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH

 

PROGRESS ON POST OFFICE RESTORATION

 

LOCAL RESIDENT & AUTHOR NEEDS HELP

 

POSTCARD AVAILABLE