Wendell Hammon, 88, ran acclaimed artifacts shop
By Julie Patel
Mercury News
Wendell P. Hammon's passion for artifacts and collectibles was fueled by his family's own rich history in California. Mr. Hammon, a fifth-generation Californian who ran a storied artifacts shop in Old Sacramento, descended from a line of gold miners.

``People would ask him, `Why didn't you go into mining?' '' said his son Walter Hammon. ``Collecting mining materials was his way of doing that.''

Mr. Hammon died in Sacramento on Dec. 6 of heart failure. He was 88.

His great-great-grandfather was one of the original 49ers, and his grandfather W.P. Hammon was called the ``Gold Rush King'' for operating 21 gold dredges in 1901. As a boy, Hammon collected rocks such as turquoise and cinnabar given to him by his grandfather and dad, who was also a miner.

After attending the prestigious Montezuma Mountain School for Boys, which no longer exists, Hammon served in the U.S. Navy and briefly worked in the real estate and insurance industry.

He turned his hobby of collecting artifacts such as campaign buttons and old railroad maps and timetables into a business when he started Hammon's Archives & Artifacts in 1975. When mining and oil companies were doing research they'd often go to Hammond looking for old mining maps or out-of-print guidebooks. Mr. Hammon's expertise in California history, mining and the railroads grew over time and customers began visiting his shop periodically to chat with him and get a history lesson, said Walter Hammon.

Mr. Hammon also started working as an appraiser of old historical documents and books, helping appraise texts donated to universities and museums. Some of the important works he helped appraise include court materials from the Patty Hearst trial.

An active Republican for much of his life, Mr. Hammon was appointed to various state commissions by Gov. Ronald Reagan about 35 years ago. Locally, he helped the campaign to bring a hospital to the West Valley area, he was a founding member of the Santa Clara County Economic Opportunity Commission and he was part of a group that helped create the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

A favorite hobby was loading up his family in the car and taking ``rockhounding'' trips to scour Nevada, Arizona and California for unusual and collectible rocks.

Mr. Hammon's son Wendell describes him as a gentleman who would walk around a car to open the door for women, a comedian who loved telling jokes and doing magic tricks and an explorer who traveled to Japan, Australia and most recently to New York state to enjoy the fall colors.

Wendell Hammon said if he was in Sacramento, he'd visit the shop and would be surprised to find his dad napping with all his receipts on the counter.

``Or, the door would be wide open and he wouldn't be there. He'd be back in five or 10 minutes,'' he said. ``He was a very kind, trusting person.''

Wendell Philucius Hammon

Born: Nov. 18, 1918, San Francisco

Died: Dec. 6, 2006, Sacramento

Survivors: Sons, Walter P. Hammon of San Jose and Wendell K. Hammon of Merced; brothers, John of Oroville, Bruce of Canada and David of Walnut Creek; and nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Services: Saint Andrews Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. Jan. 6, 2007, and California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2007.

Memorial: Donations in Hammon's name can be made to the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, 1034 Bennett Way, San Jose, Calif. 95125, or the California State Railroad Museum's Library Fund, 111 I Street, Sacramento, Calif. 95814.