a black background, flies outside the shop. You’re bound to meet, too, Debbie Prisk Olsen of the musical Prisk family from Redruth. She works at Hooper and Weaver’s Mortuary, and long-established Cornish families here have felt the comfort of her kindness. Downtown you can meet plenty of Cornish folk. One is life-long Grass Valleyan David George, of the extended George family, rooted here for six generations. His numerous uncles, aunts and cousins prospected for gold, led the town band, taught in the schools and sold new cars. His cousin Harold J. George led the carol choir for forty years. His ancestor William George, a prominent grocer, became Grass Valley’s first Cornish-born mayor in 1893. Further along the street we might run into Patti Ingram, a recent mayor whose Cornish ancestors published our local newspaper. Walking through town we’re likely to meet another native, Jerry Angove. His ancestor, Michael An Gof the blacksmith, led a failed rebellion against the English in 1597. Having lived more peaceably, Jerry has avoided being drawn-and-quartered like his famous forebearer. After earning degrees at Stanford and USC, he came home to become president of Sierra College and establish its Grass Valley campus. If you drive to the campus, you’ll find visitors’ parking beside the Angove building.
reputation for clannishness, but they shared the secrets of their trade with mining students like Herbert “Bert” Hoover, later the 30th president. When young Bert graduated from mucker to miner, his Cornish coworkers threw a pasty feast. My own father, after marrying a Cornish girl, was accepted as a “galvanized” Cousin Jack. If you want to join Cornish descendants in their fun, come to the annual St. Piran’s Day pasty toss in March — “Everyone’s Cornish today!” You don’t have to have an old family recipe to enter the Cornish bake off but be warned — there’s stiff competition. Last year’s winner, disease researcher Emily Pascoe from UC Davis, speaks the Cornish brogue, being a daughter of Helston, Cornwall. If you want to learn more, enroll in my Cornish history and culture class at Sierra College. Those who graduate — and everyone does — become eligible for “Cornish naturalization.” Hang around Grass Valley a while and we’ll be calling you “Cousin.” Gage McKinney is past president of the California Cornish Cousins, a Cornish bard and author of When Miners Sang and other books. He lives two-and-one-half blocks from the nearest pasty shop in downtown Grass Valley. Visit www.gagemckinney.com.
When I introduce endodontist Steve Murphy, don’t let his Irish surname mislead you. His grandfather was John Hollow, native of St. Just, Cornwall, who became president of the Grass Valley Carol Choir. Since 1876 the choir has sung Cornish carols on the streets of Grass Valley – you won’t hear them in a shopping mall! Every season Steve, and his daughter Maddie, sing with the choir at Cornish Christmas. Other singing Cornish descendants include Rich Johns, Jack Pascoe and me. Choir director Eleanor Kentizer is a Cornish bard. I run into Cornish descendants wherever I go in Grass Valley, including at meetings of the Native Sons of the Golden West — we’re proud Californians now! There I greet our president Mike Kochis of the Davy family from near Launceston, Cornwall. At Searls Historic Research Library, you might not recognize volunteer Brita Rozynski as Cornish, unless I tell you her maiden name was Berryman and her father ran the machine shop at the rich Idaho Maryland mine. Even when Cornish families move away, they stay connected. Pete Edwards came to Grass Valley from Pendeen, Cornwall when a boy. His father was pumpman at the Empire mine. Pete made his career in the Bay Area but returns for high school reunions and to preside at gatherings of the California Cornish Cousins. Others staying in touch are the Best family from far off Marin and yet benefactors of the Nevada County Historical Society. When they dominated the town, the Cornish had a DESTINATION Nevada County
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