Book marks building's centennial

Jeanette Maino's "One Hundred Years" was written to celebrate the city of Modesto's centennial. James McAndrews' Dec. 16 column explains that though delayed, it was worth the wait in 1970. This book is available in the McHenry Museum Store.

This summer the McHenry Museum celebrated another centennial — the birthday of the grand old edifice, built as the library in 1912, now our museum. The Historical Society honored this occasion with a Centennial Edition reprint of L.C. Branch's 1881 ""History of Stanislaus County." The first 150 copies sold out as soon as they arrived, and a reorder of 100 copies is for sale in the museum store.

This coffee-table-sized book covers the history of the entire county and has detailed histories of the families and farms, as well as sections on agriculture, geology, schools, and the government of our region. The black-and- white lithographs of the farms and the handsome replica of the original cover make this a unique collector's item — and a great Christmas gift for appreciators of regional history.

The two centennial books are worth a visit to the museum. Come in and see the Snow Babies exhibit and browse in the store.

GWEN LARSEN

Modesto