{"id":245081,"date":"2026-03-31T13:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/245081\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:53:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:53:13","slug":"may-woolsey-trunk-sparks-curiosity-in-sacramento-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/245081\/","title":{"rendered":"May Woolsey trunk sparks curiosity in Sacramento students"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the third floor of the Sacramento History Museum<\/a> in Old Sacramento, one of the smallest exhibits has made the biggest impact on young Sacramentans.<\/p>\n

The story of May Woolsey, a young girl who lived in Sacramento in the 1860s and 1870s, is enshrined in a prominent space in the history museum after an unexpected find nearly 50 years ago made it possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still get chills because it\u2019s so important that we were able to find that discovery,\u201d said Delta Mello, the executive director of the Sacramento History Museum. \u201cIt\u2019s just wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woolsey\u2019s story has educated young Sacramento students on the city\u2019s history and has enraptured history enthusiasts with its chance discovery as it lives on in perpetuity at the Old Sacramento Waterfront.<\/p>\n

\"A A portrait of May Woolsey is on display along with a time capsule of her belongings on March 27 in Sacramento. Woolsey, who died in 1879 at age 12, is featured in an interactive exhibit that offers insight into her life and the history of that period. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com The story of May Woolsey<\/p>\n

Woolsey was born Nov. 13, 1866 to Luther and Mary Woolsey, who lived in what is now downtown Sacramento.<\/p>\n

In September 1879, the girl died of viral encephalitis<\/a> \u2014 presumed to have been transmitted by a mosquito \u2014 just weeks before her 13th birthday.<\/p>\n

Not much was known about Woolsey\u2019s life and what happened with her family following her death, for about 100 years. In 1979, the newest homeowner of the Woolseys\u2019s 916 E St. home, Ed Duffy, was renovating, and he discovered an old trunk inside the walls.<\/p>\n

In the trunk was more than 500 items that appeared to belong to a young Victorian-era girl. A city historian helped piece together information to identify the girl, according to Mello, and the city\u2019s quest to learn more about Woolsey was underway.<\/p>\n

\"A A chest containing items belonging to May Woolsey, who died in 1879 at age 12, is on display at the Sacramento History Museum on March 27, offering insight into her life and the history of that time period. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Sacramento Bee articles from the time requested anyone with information about the family reach out to Duffy so he could \u201crestore (the house\u2019s) facade accurately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woolsey\u2019s trunk \u2014 which historians have yet to confirm why it was hidden within the house \u2014 contained toys, Woolsey\u2019s childhood artwork and writings, daily personal affects, an ornate hand fan, a railroad cap from her father\u2019s time working at the rail yards, portraits, books and many more items that defined a prepubescent girl in the late 1800s.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, she died when she was only 12 years old, and that would have been the end of it except for the fact that (her) trunk was discovered, and all of a sudden, we were opened up to what her life was like,\u201d Mello said. \u201cIt\u2019s just wonderful to learn about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pictures Pictures of May Woolsey\u2019s family are on display at the Sacramento History Museum on March 27. Woolsey died in 1879 at age 12 in Sacramento, and a time capsule chest of her belongings is also on display to help educate students about her life and the history of that time period. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com Keeping Woolsey alive, nearly 150 years later<\/p>\n

Woolsey\u2019s story has been in the Sacramento History Museum since it was built in 1985, according to Mello. Though most of the hundreds of historic items are held and preserved by the Center for Sacramento History, a small handful are regularly rotated out in the museum\u2019s highly popular exhibit.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite items are probably her writings,\u201d Mello said. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate there\u2019s no full diary … but there\u2019s some pages from it, so somebody though that was important enough to put in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her writings, Woolsey recounted what her life was like and what mattered to her in the 12 short years she lived. Around the time she was alive, the Transcontinental Railroad was in its first years operating and the U.S. celebrated its centennial, which both made appearances in her journaling, Mello said.<\/p>\n

\"Roger Roger Smithson and his wife, Beth, of Carmel, listen to narration at a tactile interactive exhibit about May Woolsey at the Sacramento History Museum on March 27. They said they had just taken a ghost tour in Old Sacramento, learned about her, and wanted to visit the museum to learn more. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

In addition to the original trunk and items on display, the Center for Sacramento History and the history museum created a mock trunk inspired by the original for school programs throughout the region.<\/p>\n

According to Mello, the program focuses on the concept of a time capsule, asking current students approaching Woolsey\u2019s age what would be important for them to include. Students also learn about what Sacramento was like during Woolsey\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put them into groups (and ask) \u2018What do you think it is? What do you think it was used for? Why do you think it\u2019s there?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so fun to hear what they say because they make connections that adults don\u2019t make.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Students Students walk past an interactive exhibit about May Woolsey, who died in 1879 at age 12, at the Sacramento History Museum on March 27. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com Expanding the exhibit<\/p>\n

As one of the cornerstone exhibits in the Sacramento History Museum, the Woolsey display has housed new upgrades and technologies the museum hoped to check out.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the history museum implemented a new interactive feature to the exhibit, a tactile and audio-based feature that gives vision-impaired visitors a chance to hear about Woolsey while touching a raised image of the exhibit\u2019s items. Mello said the museum worked with the Society For The Blind<\/a> to guide the concept.<\/p>\n

A plastic board is embedded with buttons, braille writing and large tactile images with small metal sensors. When touched, the buttons and sensors trigger recorded audio descriptions available in English and Spanish, which share Woolsey\u2019s story and describe physical elements like the girl\u2019s long hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime you improve accessibility … the residual effect is that you improve it for everyone,\u201d Mello said. \u201cNow I get to hear the voice as well. Now I can run my fingers over it and feel the features of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Delta Delta Mello, executive director of the Sacramento History Museum, demonstrates a tactile interactive exhibit in Sacramento that plays audio about May Woolsey, who died in 1879 at age 12, on Friday, March 27, 2026. She hopes to expand the exhibit as an educational tool to help students learn about life and history during that period. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

In the coming years, Mello said her team is looking to expand Woolsey\u2019s reach even further by renovating an area of the museum \u2014 which currently displays historic agricultural equipment \u2014 to be a child-centric exhibit combining the history of Sacramento children with play and interaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes some really creative people that know how to make interactive things that you can do that connect with whatever that learning objective is,\u201d Mello said. \u201cWe want to have a place where adults and children are learning together, because adults are fascinated by this just as much as kids are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plans for this expansion are still in the earliest stages, but the executive director said her team is working on determining big-picture aspects, such as the expansion\u2019s estimated cost. Mello said she expects the museum will do some community fundraising to support the revamped area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Sacramento story, and that\u2019s what\u2019s so wonderful about it for us here in Sacramento,\u201d Mello said.<\/p>\n

\"Items Items belonging to May Woolsey, who died in 1879 at age 12 in Sacramento, are on display at the Sacramento History Museum on March 27 providing insight into her life and the history of that period. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Follow More of Our Reporting on Uniquely<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Camila Pedrosa<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master\u2019s degree in mass communication.\n <\/p>\n