Roseville historian collects a century of memories

Dan King
CNS Staff Writer

Every centennial celebration needs someone like Roseville historian Leonard “Duke” Davis.

Davis, who has collected local lore for much of his 82 years, wrote an update version of his history of Roseville, Milestones & Memories: The Story of Roseville, California 1850-2009, especially for this month’s 100th birthday bash.

“More has happened in the last ten years than the fifty years proceeding that,” Davis said. “So this was a good time to update it and rewrite some of the stuff and put in another chapter we call ‘the rest of the story.’”

Davis looks much younger than he is. He tends to talk and walk quickly, and stand tall and straight. He hasn’t lost the bearing of an English instructor, his profession for 44 years.

He lives in a little house near the footbridge that crosses Dry Creek. His residence is tidy, but contains his large collection of memorabilia from Placer County’s past. He built his collection by noting obituaries of old-time residents and asking their families if he could look through their photographs and papers.

Davis is one of those old-time residents. He was born and raised not far from where he now lives. He went to Roseville High School, graduating in 1944 just in time to be drafted in World War II and see action at the final battle of Okinawa.

“I started college on the GI Bill, and thank God for that,” Davis said. He went to Placer College when it was in Auburn and then to Sacramento State, majoring in education and history.

His master’s thesis was on the history of Auburn; that sparked his interest in his own city’s history.

Davis spent 44 years teaching at junior and senior highs and community colleges in and around Roseville.

“As a teacher, in the summer I would always travel all around the world. I always come back here,” he said.

Rather than retiring to the golf course, he kept writing local histories.

“Everyone calls me the town historian. I guess it’s because I am the only one. I just take it grudgingly,” he said.

Roseville has changed from a small town where everyone knows everyone else to a city of more than 110,000 people. But Davis is one of many longtime residents who have chosen to stay in Roseville, helping retain some of that village feel.

Originally published for Roseville’s 90th birthday celebration, Milestones & Memories, was out of print until the new version was released last Saturday as part of the city’s birthday celebration. The release was at the new Turn the Page Bookstore, which had a line out the door before the 2 p.m. release.

“The book signing was just phenomenal,” said Andrew Bos, manager of the Vernon Street bookstore.

He said Davis sold and signed 61 copies of his book during the one-hour event.

Most of the people in line at the book signing were older residents, bringing previous books and pamphlets written by Davis to be signed.

“I think the average age of the people in line for the signing was easily past 60,” Bos said.

Davis added new appendixes, including the history of city budgets and a list of Roseville parks and bike trails.

“It is going to be a great resource for us in the city government,” said Julia Burrows, deputy city manager. “If we need to know what our budget was in 1964, we have it all right there.”

Roseville Councilman Jim Gray said he thinks the final chapter added a tremendous amount to the book.

“We just can’t give enough accolades to Duke for his hard work on the book,” Gray said. “He has been so involved in the centennial and he is a great fixture of our town.”

Burrows said during the first weekend, about 100 books of the initial publishing of 1,000 books were sold. They were also given out to the dignitaries who spoke out at the birthday party.

“We are so lucky to have Duke as part of our city,” Burrows said. “As a native of Roseville, he has been busy collecting our history most of his life.”

The book is now available for $25 from the City Clerk’s Office at 311 Vernon St. Profits benefit the Roseville Arts Center.