Dreams for a Yuba museum

Built in 1908, the impressive Parker building at 12th and F streets in Marysville has seen a lot of history, from its origin as a manufacturing plant for mining dredges to later being a place of employment for the first female machinist in the state.

If Richard Neault gets his way, it'll eventually be home to a whole lot more.

Neault, a Yuba City resident who grew up in Marysville, is working toward establishing a museum for Yuba County in the building, which would pay homage to its Gold Rush origins, the establishment of Beale in the mid-20th century, and the contributions of various ethnic groups to its history and culture.

"We're trying to make this a community-wide effort," said Neault, 43, who recently got nonprofit status for the Yuba County Museum and has also established a board of directors. "Today, most people here don't learn about our local history." If he can raise $750,000 — or less if it's part of an ongoing funding stream — Neault said he could buy the building and do some renovations to establish a museum in at least part of it, most likely the office portion added in the 1930s and facing 12th Street.

As envisioned by Neault, an accountant for the State of California, the museum would have displays created and maintained by history-minded community groups, such as Friends of the Bok Kai Temple and Friends for the Preservation of Yuba County History.

Billie Single, president of Friends of the Bok Kai Temple, said her group supports the idea. But the challenges are financial, she said.

"That is a historic property, and we certainly do not want to lose it," she wrote in an e-mail. "In these critical economic times, raising money, even for worthwhile causes, is not easy."

The building's former manufacturing warehouse, now used by a fencing company for storage, could be home to larger displays, such as a vintage firetruck owned by the Marysville Fire Department, Neault said.

He got a boost last week when Teichert Materials expressed interest in putting a model of a dredge — built in the factory under the Yuba Construction Co. banner — and other artifacts in the museum.

Alberto Ramirez, who works in business development for Teichert out of Marysville and Sacramento, said the museum might fit with the company's long-standing goal to have its dredge model back in Yuba County.

"It's part of the history of Yuba County," Ramirez said, adding the dredge is now at a museum in Nevada County. "I know our director wants it to be here."

Built of steel and concrete, the original building is still very sturdy, said owner Steven Markham. Total space is more than 30,000 square feet.

"I'd love to see it for a museum," said Markham, who points out various existing features, such as rail tracks down the center, wood mezzanines above the main floor, and an overhead crane still in working condition. "There's so much history in it."

Neault said he envisions the museum as a multiphase project in which different aspects and portions could be introduced as more money is available.

Ideally, he'd like to start an endowment to support it financially. Though he'd welcome help from Yuba County or the city of Marysville, he said, he'd prefer the museum remain a separate entity.

"They key thing is to get it going," he said, "We don't have the large corporations here that could underwrite us."

The newfound interest from Teichert, though, could be beneficial, he added. Ramirez asked Neault to write a letter of intent about the museum for Teichert's charitable foundation.

Sue Cejner-Moyers, president of Friends for the Preservation of Yuba County History, said it's a project worth supporting.

"We totally support Rich's endeavor," she said. "We don't know where it will be, but it would be perfect for what we do."

Though the Parker building is his first choice, Neault said, he's willing to go elsewhere in the county if it works better.

What he's not willing to do, he said, is quit.

"The money doesn't stop us from our goal," he said. "We're going to do this."

Contact reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvander meer@appealdemocrat.com. For more Yuba County news, see his blog, "Yuba County Insider," at appealdemocrat.com.

To contact Richard Neault: call 788-3292; or write to P.O. Box 5098, Marysville, CA 95901