"Refuge" Showcases Artifacts of Fresno's Armenian
Heritage
By Jacqueline Arikian
Hidden in the special collections section of the Henry Madden Library
at Fresno State, exists a display of Armenians in America: Fresno as "Refuge."
It is in the side room of the fourth floor where one can walk through Little
Armenia and grasp a taste of Armenian life.
In this exhibit lies the stories of those who first stepped foot in
the agricultural area of Fresno. Displayed books tell the story of Hagop
Seropian and his brothers who came to Fresno in 1881 and started a grocery
business. Shortly after their arrival, they wrote letters to their families
in Armenia and in 1883, forty five families arrived from Marsovan to begin
a new life in Fresno, California.
Other books tell the story of William Saroyan, an infamous Armenian
writer to one and all. On display are pictures of the author and copies
of some of the books which he has written.
In addition to all the stories, one can also see the lyrics and musical
notations of old Armenian folk songs. These songs were passed down through
generations and were sang as a means of entertainment.
In this display also lies the core importance of Armenian life, the
church. Pictures and manuscripts express the religious customs and beliefs
of the Armenian people.
In this presentation, one can also see the detail of illuminated manuscripts,
the reproduction of carved wooden crosses, hand made table decors created
through needlework, and slippers that were once used in public bath houses.
This wonderful display of Armenian life was put together through the
help of Dr. Dikran Kouyumjian, Dr. Isabel Kaprelian and her friends Meline
and Sarkis Kalfayan, Barlow DerMegredechian, and the special collections
department of Fresno State.
The showcase was inspired by a display which can be experienced at
the Chinatown Art and Education Art Gallery. It is there that one may see
photos of the impressive work of Lawrence Cone (Condragian), the first
Armenian architect in Fresno. This display was essentially the inspiration
for the Armenian showcase at Fresno State. "It was a nice tie in with
what we wanted to do," says Tammy Lau, one of the coordinators at
the special collections department.
This display is unique in the sense that it truly captures a wholistic
view and representation of Armenian life, what it was once was, and in
similar ways, still is. It also takes one back into time, guiding him through
the history of a people who struggled to create a new life for themselves
in the Little Armenia of Fresno.
It was because of Rueben Minassian, the first Armenian visitor to the
San Joaquin Valley, and Melkon Markarian and Stephen Shahamirian, the first
Armenian settlers in the Valley, that Armenians today have residence in
Fresno and the surrounding valleys.
Not a day goes by in this Valley and in the city of Fresno, that one
does not run into an Armenian. It is then that one begins to learn the
history of each others' family and discover the intertwining involvement
of Armenians.
For those who do not have a piece of this depiction, he can obtain
it through the eloquent display at Fresno State.
