Lake County supervisors approve support letter for historical society’s carriage-collection grant

The Lake County Board of Supervisors approved a letter of support for the Lake County Historical Society’s application for grant funding and authorized the chair to sign the letter as amended. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

Dr. John Parker presented the request to the board, saying, “We got a donation this year of 17 beautiful horse drawn carriages,” and describing items that include “a 1906 original US Postal delivery wagon,” a sheepherder’s wagon, a freight wagon and several surreys. Parker told the board the collection is currently kept in a hangar at Lampson Field and the society is seeking funding to build a carriage-display house at the Eli Museum to store and display the pieces for public and educational use.

The donation came from Carol Biggs, Parker said, and includes a donor stipulation that “whenever she wants to bring over a horse and hook 1 up and take it out, she has the ability to do that.” Parker said the donor also requested the collection be kept together and protected so the items will “last as long as possible.” Parker told the board the society submitted a proposal to the Hobson Lucas Foundation and requested the county provide a support letter for that grant application.

Supervisors spoke in favor of the request and emphasized preservation and local economic benefits. One supervisor said the museum and its events help bring visitors to Lake County, describing the collection as an “amazing opportunity.” A correction to the society’s draft letter was requested by Supervisor Owen, who asked that a line reading “42 California counties” be changed to “42 California cities.”

Parker and other presenters described the historical society’s fundraising efforts, including a GoFundMe page, monthly Fiddler’s Jam events and a planned hoedown on June 7. Parker invited the public to visit the Eli Museum and attend events; a member of the public, Elaine Brown, suggested offering evening carriage rides in downtown Lakeport as a marketing idea.

The formal motion, made by Supervisor Pyska and seconded from the dais, asked the board to approve the letter of support and authorize the chair to sign as amended. The board voted 5-0 in favor. No other actions or conditions were adopted in the motion.

The approved letter and the society’s grant application seek to move the collection from its current storage to a protected, publicly accessible display at the Eli Museum, preserving the carriages and supporting the historical society’s educational and tourism goals.