Hardluck Lin, teller of tales, keeper of history,
One of the many things we are blessed with here in Tuolumne County has been the gift of historical appreciation and interpretation. Since the very beginning, there seems to have been a keen awareness of the importance of documenting the lives and events that took place here.
From the tales of the first gold seekers in a wild and lawless land to the rising of permanent towns and communities, the stories were gathered by pen or memory and passed along from one generation to the next. As we entered the 20th century, the storytelling reached the level of interpretation.
Columbia had been in full storytelling swing for quite some time, even before it became a state park. Colorful locals would dress up in attire from the past and tell tales of how it used to be. The spectacular centennial pageants that had elaborate stages and dramatic reenactments, which employed the talents of roughly half the county residents, were a smashing success. We had local writers for the newspapers that told their stories both as passed down accounts and firsthand memories, and they were told in many ways and styles.
From the hardcore fact and statistics type to the sweetly reminiscent or comical, they have all played an important role. And here is the story of one of them, Linda Clark,
known to many as Hardluck Lin.
My first official meeting of Hardluck Lin came the day I volunteered as a trailer for the Historical Downtown Sonora 4thgrade tours. I was doing my duties when suddenly, a platinum blonde powerhouse in vintage men’s mining duds was barreling up the street with a herd of kids struggling to keep up behind her. Her vest was flapping in the breeze, her gnarled walking stick creating a fast and steady clackety-clack as she only picked up more speed.
I quickly stepped off the sidewalk into the gutter weighing the odds of
survival from the impact of a car versus this power-walker extraordinaire, when she suddenly came to a screeching halt and began to tell her tales. I was mesmerized. She told the history lesson in full character, never once breaking from it. Her dialogue was filled with facts, but told in such a fun and humorous way that her group of kids were learning history whether they realized it or not. It not only left a lasting impression on the kids, but me as well. I had just become a fan, and later her friend.
My first official meeting of Linda Clark came a few years ago when she became part of the committee to create and participate in our fundraising event When Shadows Whisper. The slender blonde arrived much slower than her alter-ego Hardluck Lin, but there was no mistaking that smile and enthusiasm. She could talk history like a pro, and we soon formed a friendship with our mutual love of old things and forgotten times.
So, who is Linda Clark? Proudly born and raised on a farm in Minnesota, she would earn her bachelor’s degree from Mankato State University in 1972 with a concentration on education and library. Always up for a new adventure, she would accept a teaching job at a private school in California
and a year later was teaching at Valley Christian High School in San Jose.
By 1978, Clark was joined by her youngest brother and — needing a bigger apartment now — would leave teaching. She would spend the next two years building car engines at the Ford Motor Plant in Milpitas.
After the plant closed its doors, Clark began working on her master’s degree in marriage, child and family counseling at San Jose State University. But there were still plenty of adventures left out there, and for the next 20 years she would wear the badge and uniform of the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office. There she would meet and marry the love of her life and eventually give birth to the second love of her life. When the couple retired from law enforcement in 1999, they would settle here where her husband had fond family vacation memories and she could indulge her love of the Old West.
Clark may have been retired, but she was far from settling down. She decided to take some classes at Columbia College and also joined the docent program in Columbia State Historic Park to further educate herself on her lifelong love of the American West. She credits Professor Dick Dyer and then Park Superintendent Sherrin Grout for sharing all their knowledge and teaching her the skills of interpretation. It was in this group of wonderful docents and their programs that the twangy, high-strung and always ready to spin a yarn character Hardluck Lin was born.
The next two decades were full and busy, just the way both Clark and Hardluck liked it. For Clark, there would be graduations, a wedding and grandchildren, and she would also start out to write a short story that would become a 550-page novel titled “The Small Window: The Story of Hardluck’s Beginnings.” The title was derived from an old proverb: God does not shut a door, but what He opens a window. Hardluck would tell the listener that that may well be true, but no one mentioned how small that window might be!
Hardluck Lin would continue to grow in popularity and demand. From personal appearances and book signings to cable TV interviews and both private and school tours, she has been a presence in the town and surrounding areas.
But life changes, and it is time for Hardluck Lin to hang up her dusty hat and for Linda Clark to move on to a new phase of life in a new town. We will miss you. I will miss you. But you will never be forgotten for your talent and dedication to the town that you love and loves you back. Happy trails, my friend.
In closing, I asked Clark what her best moment was here, and here is her answer in her own words:
“One summer, a local camp asked me to offer a series of short lessons that Hardluck Lin learned along her journey. One of the days, I related the story told to Hardluck by the wagon scout, which was based on an old Cherokee legend. The story told of two warring wolves who live within each person. One was named Evil and he was consumed with anger, jealousy, self-pity, false pride, lies, superiority, and guilt. The other wolf was named Good and this wolf was full of joy, peace, hope, humility, kindness, and love. When asked which wolf won the daily inner battle, the scout replied, ‘The one you feed the most.’ Several months later, the father of a 4th grader who had attended that camp sent me an email. He told of the rough, miserable day his son had recently experienced. At bedtime, before nightly prayers, the father asked his son about the day. Why had it been so rough? The father said his son replied, ‘Dad, I’ve been feeding the wrong wolf!’
“My heart soared!”