Lake City, on the road from Columbia Hill to North Bloomfield, increased it's population by one on August 1, 1872. The newest arrival to the town would attend the school at Columbia Hill until he reached the age of fourteen. Sixty-five years later he helped stage a great reunion at his old alma mater. After leaving school, he worked in numerous capacities, beginning as a deliveryman for a butcher at Cherokee and helping to run a butcher shop at North San Juan. After moving to Nevada City in 1892, he worked in the mines and then at the Miner's Foundry for more than 30 years, during which time he also branched off into civic labors.
Occupationally he also had a hand, with others, of operating movie theaters in both Nevada City and Grass Valley; was a silent partner in a Nevada City butcher shop; and was director of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad where he additionally served as receiver.
He served as a Nevada City fireman for more than 50 years and was chief in 1908. On May 5, 1913 he was nearly killed when run over by Nevada City's new fire truck during it's first response to a fire alarm at the Nevada City High School. While the alarm was actually a practice demonstration to test the chemicals carried on the truck, his injuries were none the less severe. His failed attempt to jump on the truck as it turned on Pine Street headed for Piety Hill, resulted in his falling beneath the vehicle and having the rear wheels pass over him, the vehicle was said to have weighed 10,000 pounds ... OUCH! Final outcome of the accident resulted in his right leg and ankle being crushed and broken, his left hip and shoulder were dislocated. This accident would leave him with an everlasting reminder by forevermore having to walk with a limp.
For more than four decades he was the one constant factor at the City Hall; first as councilman, then as clerk and city health officer, and for most of this time he also held the position of city assessor. Through his labors sprang forth the City Hall, for which he, during the dark depression days, arranged for the financing and building, in addition to WPA projects which resulted in two concrete bridges spanning Deer Creek. Highlights of his many other achievements were the city sewage disposal plant; the National Guard Armory south of the city; erecting the historical vehicle shelter at Pioneer Park; and a transformation of the Nevada County Historical Museum on Main Street, all pushed through to completion by his diligence.
Along with helping his community at City Hall, he also extended his hand toward business, churches and charities, provided generous gifts from his own pocket, found jobs for people in need and was often sought for good advice. To quote his obituary, "No one is ever going to tell the full story of all the good things (he) did for his town. No one person knows it fully."
On April 2, 1951 the people of Nevada City led by the County Historical Society gave a dinner at the Elks Club in his honor. On that day, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors proclaimed naming not only the day but renamed Broad Street for the occasion and bestowed him with the title of "Mr. Nevada City". But the honors didn't stop there, they went beyond the city, and beyond the county, as the State govenment sent an official pass asking people everywhere in the United States to extend him "every courtesy" because of his civic record. A record which was stated to sum up to around 200 years; were one to tally up all the years of service in all of the public positions he held. His modest response to the honors gratefully bestowed upon him was, "The town is giving me too much credit. Nevada City doesn't owe me a thing."
On July 21, 1951 he suffered a heart attack resulting in his being hospitalized for three weeks, but even yet, he somehow still managed to carry on his work for the city. Shortly after noon on Friday November 16, 1951 Nevada City heard the first plaintive tolling of the fire bell 10 additional mournful tolls would follow. The sound of which conveyed to all, the news of the sad passing of "Mr. Nevada City." The town had lost the man who got things done, it was said that the tolling of the bell from the firehouse in which he had so long served was very fitting. Following his death, Mayor Thomas H. Taylor issued a proclamation asking that all businesses close their doors until noon and ordered a day of rest for city employees on the day of his funeral. The day of his funeral community members saw the flags lowered at half mast, and mourners from every walk in life, who had filled St. Canice's Church beyond it's seating capacity, would follow his casket in a driving rain to his last resting place at Forest View Cemetery.
A most interesting quote from The Union taken from his obituary of Nov. 17, 1951 was something we who live in areas of historical import should all embrace, "Looked Forward and Back ~ As the sound of the bell rolled out across the town it floated over many other projects that Calanan had helped to initiate, or carry on, or expand, or restore and preserve. For Calanan, being able to look far ahead, was also conscious of the city's debt to its past."
The park which bears his name was an honorary tribute in memory of all that he did for his community. The mining artifacts within Calanan Park also fittingly symbolize every aspect of his early life.
Lake City, on the road from Columbia Hill to North Bloomfield, increased it's population by one on August 1, 1872. The newest arrival to the town would attend the school at Columbia Hill until he reached the age of fourteen. Sixty-five years later he helped stage a great reunion at his old alma mater. After leaving school, he worked in numerous capacities, beginning as a deliveryman for a butcher at Cherokee and helping to run a butcher shop at North San Juan. After moving to Nevada City in 1892, he worked in the mines and then at the Miner's Foundry for more than 30 years, during which time he also branched off into civic labors.
Occupationally he also had a hand, with others, of operating movie theaters in both Nevada City and Grass Valley; was a silent partner in a Nevada City butcher shop; and was director of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad where he additionally served as receiver.
He served as a Nevada City fireman for more than 50 years and was chief in 1908. On May 5, 1913 he was nearly killed when run over by Nevada City's new fire truck during it's first response to a fire alarm at the Nevada City High School. While the alarm was actually a practice demonstration to test the chemicals carried on the truck, his injuries were none the less severe. His failed attempt to jump on the truck as it turned on Pine Street headed for Piety Hill, resulted in his falling beneath the vehicle and having the rear wheels pass over him, the vehicle was said to have weighed 10,000 pounds ... OUCH! Final outcome of the accident resulted in his right leg and ankle being crushed and broken, his left hip and shoulder were dislocated. This accident would leave him with an everlasting reminder by forevermore having to walk with a limp.
For more than four decades he was the one constant factor at the City Hall; first as councilman, then as clerk and city health officer, and for most of this time he also held the position of city assessor. Through his labors sprang forth the City Hall, for which he, during the dark depression days, arranged for the financing and building, in addition to WPA projects which resulted in two concrete bridges spanning Deer Creek. Highlights of his many other achievements were the city sewage disposal plant; the National Guard Armory south of the city; erecting the historical vehicle shelter at Pioneer Park; and a transformation of the Nevada County Historical Museum on Main Street, all pushed through to completion by his diligence.
Along with helping his community at City Hall, he also extended his hand toward business, churches and charities, provided generous gifts from his own pocket, found jobs for people in need and was often sought for good advice. To quote his obituary, "No one is ever going to tell the full story of all the good things (he) did for his town. No one person knows it fully."
On April 2, 1951 the people of Nevada City led by the County Historical Society gave a dinner at the Elks Club in his honor. On that day, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors proclaimed naming not only the day but renamed Broad Street for the occasion and bestowed him with the title of "Mr. Nevada City". But the honors didn't stop there, they went beyond the city, and beyond the county, as the State govenment sent an official pass asking people everywhere in the United States to extend him "every courtesy" because of his civic record. A record which was stated to sum up to around 200 years; were one to tally up all the years of service in all of the public positions he held. His modest response to the honors gratefully bestowed upon him was, "The town is giving me too much credit. Nevada City doesn't owe me a thing."
On July 21, 1951 he suffered a heart attack resulting in his being hospitalized for three weeks, but even yet, he somehow still managed to carry on his work for the city. Shortly after noon on Friday November 16, 1951 Nevada City heard the first plaintive tolling of the fire bell 10 additional mournful tolls would follow. The sound of which conveyed to all, the news of the sad passing of "Mr. Nevada City." The town had lost the man who got things done, it was said that the tolling of the bell from the firehouse in which he had so long served was very fitting. Following his death, Mayor Thomas H. Taylor issued a proclamation asking that all businesses close their doors until noon and ordered a day of rest for city employees on the day of his funeral. The day of his funeral community members saw the flags lowered at half mast, and mourners from every walk in life, who had filled St. Canice's Church beyond it's seating capacity, would follow his casket in a driving rain to his last resting place at Forest View Cemetery.
A most interesting quote from The Union taken from his obituary of Nov. 17, 1951 was something we who live in areas of historical import should all embrace, "Looked Forward and Back ~ As the sound of the bell rolled out across the town it floated over many other projects that Calanan had helped to initiate, or carry on, or expand, or restore and preserve. For Calanan, being able to look far ahead, was also conscious of the city's debt to its past."
The park which bears his name was an honorary tribute in memory of all that he did for his community. The mining artifacts within Calanan Park also fittingly symbolize every aspect of his early life.
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