November 27, 2012 > Victorian Christmas Victorian Christmas By Al Minard The Shinn House, completed in 1876, will be decorated as it may have been in 1890. The house, once the home of James and Lucy Shinn and three generations of the Shinn family, will be open for public tours with no reservations required beginning Friday, November 30. James, Lucy and their son Charles came to California from Texas in 1856. On a tour of this historic house, visitors will learn about the accomplishments of the Shinn family: Milicent Shinn, editor and publisher of the prestigious Overland Monthly Magazine and the first woman to get a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley; Charles Howard Shinn the first forest ranger in the Sierra National Forest and roommate of Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of the United States and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919; and Joseph Shinn who helped to found the Alameda County Water District, the first publicly owned water district in California. Christmas decorations, typical of a middle class farming family in 1890, make this a unique opportunity for visitors to step back in time and enjoy an old fashioned holiday atmosphere. Victorian Christmas House Tour Friday, Nov 30, Dec 7 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec 1 & Sunday, Dec 2 12 Noon - 4 p.m. Shinn House 1251 Peralta Blvd., Fremont Adults: $5; Children 7-13: $2.50