From left, Kenny Clark, Franci Clark, Kylie Windley, Jayme Nevin, Andrea Bonham and Rosemary Johnson are excited about Ione's new community hub, Clark's Corner. Photo by: Scott Thomas Anderson

Andrea Bonham remembers a time when people in Ione loved to spend their mornings chatting with friends and neighbors in the comfort of a warm cafe. Now, as the town's faded Main Street continues to brighten with a vital new pulse, the councilwoman is helping open Clark's Corner - a stylish gathering hub that celebrates Ione's rich history while seeking to bolster a unique community spirit residents hope will usher them into the 21st century.

Growing up in Ione, Bonham has always carried a deep affection for the "old timers" - the ranching and farming families who have made the Jackson Valley their home for generations. Though she's spent some of her adult life away from the city, her return nine years ago culminated in becoming an active city council member and eventually the mayor. Bonham, like many residents of Ione, has noticed a bustling energy return to its streets in the form of revamped restaurants and hotels.

"I think we're heading in a good direction," she observed. "A lot of positive things are going on right now."

Yet even with Main Street showing signs of life and the Preston Castle Foundation taking strides in restoring that part of the city's history, Bonham and others felt something was still absent.

"When I was a kid, I saw how everyone here used to gather around tables and really talk to each other," she recalled. "That kind of interaction kept people in the town really connected; but for a long time we haven't had that."

Six months ago, a number of business owners began to feel the same way. Kenny and Franci Clark, along with Craig Clark - the owners of Images and More - approached Bonham with the idea of creating a new gathering place in Ione - something that would be a hybrid of a cafe, an art gallery, a performance venue and all-around community center. In mid-December, that vision became a reality when Clark's Corner opened its doors.

A spacious building with bold colors and ornate decor and trim, Clark's Corner has now joined the Ione Hotel as a historic front that's been restored to its original luster.

"The goal was to reflect a part of the area's legacy that I don't think people often realize," Bonham said. "Even though the people who came in to establishments like this were more on the rugged side - mostly cattlemen and miners - the establishments themselves were clean, nice places. In that respect, we wanted to make a place that was classy but casual."

The interior of the cafe is a kind of showroom of polished bricks and glossy sections of its original wallpaper from the 1920s. The sleek tables, bright paintings and hanging lights all add to the jazz-age atmosphere, while rustic hardwood floors and old planks burned with local cattle brands help keep the nuances of Ione's history in full view.

In addition to a stage for artists, musical performers and public speakers, Clark's Corner will soon feature computer databases for locals to immerse themselves in Ione's storied past. For Bonham, interest in the town's history presents a special avenue for the longtime residents and relative newcomers to form lasting bonds and a stronger sense of community.

"There was a time when there was a lack of cohesion between the people who'd grown up here and the folks who were newer who live in Castle Oaks," Bonham said. "But now we're starting to become one town. We're seeing a lot more involvement in local government from Castle Oaks. We're seeing a lot more involvement from that part of town in everything.

"I really believe teaching Ione's history plays a big role in that. When new residents learn about the history, they take pride in it just the same way the people who grew up here do. They become even more invested in the city."

Bonham added that the return of landmark phrases that have traditionally only been known to the oldest residents of Ione - such as referring to City Hall's parking lot as "between the meat and the market" - are proof that Ione's one-of-a-kind character is rebounding with help from new blood.

"When I hear people who have recently moved here use our sayings, I just love it," she said. "It shows that we're coming together over what's special about this place."