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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list yet, and would like to be notified via email when a new posting of this newsletter is made, please email Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.

Congratulations go out to Art Browning who was first to get the last mystery spot challenge correct. Located on the southeast corner of School and Court streets (506 No. Court St) the Christian Faith Fellowship Church sits on the site of the old Methodist-Episcopal Church South. It’s a beautiful old Visalia building. Good job, Art.

Now the new mystery spot. Where is this building? Here are the clues:
1) The building containing this cornerstone is art-deco in design.
2) It has a basement.
3) The business conducted here is important for our country’s commerce and personal networking.
4) The cornerstone ceremony included the Visalia Union High School Band.

The Ghosts of the Old Cinema
Monica Gutierrez recently asked me about the triplex theater that was located behind the Sequoia Mall. She called it Cinema 1-2-3. She said she grew up in Visalia, but is not living here now, and has heard ghost stories about the old cinema. She would like to know more about the stories. She said that the theater is referenced in a song called the Ghost of Bardsley Road and when she does internet searching for hauntings in Visalia, Cinema 1-2-3 comes up as being one of the haunted locations in Visalia. She says one of the “incidents” allegedly involved a boy being thrown off of a roof there and she wonders if there is any truth to that. So anyone with any stories about the haunting of Cinema 1-2-3 please share them. By the way if ghosts occupied the old theater, they are not occupying it now, as the building was demolished a few months ago. But do ghosts still occupy the site? Look for orbs in this photograph of the site.

Stage Robber Black Bart Last Seen in Visalia
An out of the area visitor to HH inquired about Charles E. Boles aka Black Bart and his connection to Visalia. This famous stagecoach robber started his crime spree in 1875 up in the mother lode country of California and focused his thefts on Wells Fargo strongboxes. He committed his last stagecoach robbery in 1883, was caught, convicted and began his 6-year term in San Quentin the same year. Justice was faster in those days. He was released on January 21, 1888 and his whereabouts after his release has been a mystery. It is said that in March of 1888 he was seen in Visalia at the Visalia House. No one seems to know where he went from here. Can anyone help out with this?

Main Street
When Visalia was first laid out, Mill Street was the major east/west thoroughfare through town. It was first called Mill Street named for the grist mill that was located at the east end of town, where Santa Fe and Main Street would be today. Mill Street gradually gave way to the name Main Street, but it wasn’t until November 17, 1890 that the official name became Main Street.

A Piece of Visalia in the Yukon
Nancy Barnes, received this picture from a friend who was RVing in Canada. This photo was taken in the town of Watson Lake in the Yukon. On the left hand side you’ll see a Visalia city limits sign among many other signs. Watson Lake’s “signpost forest” is quite a tourist spot. You’ll notice the sign for Visalia says population 30,600. In 1972 Visalia’s population was listed as exactly that, so I would assume the sign is from that era. Nancy tells us that the collection of signs started in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska-Canada highway and now there are about 67,000 signs at this popular and famous Watson Lake landmark. Nancy would like to know who placed the Visalia sign there. Good question! Does anyone know?

Old Electric Stove Found Stored for 60 Years!
Peter Cowper recently uncovered a family treasure that had been stored in the back of his garage since 1949. He believes it was shipped to Visalia in late 1948 probably from New York to his grandfather here. His grandfather’s home in Visalia did not have 220 electrical service, so it was never used. Peter is curious as to how old it might be. Can anyone help? By the way it’s a Roberts & Mander Model #336E labeled “Electric Quality Range.” Come on admit it, some of you used a stove much like this one!

St. Johns River—Named After an Early Judge
Recently, HH subscriber David Lacy, asked about how the St. Johns River got its name. It is actually named for an early pioneer named Loomis St. John. St. John was one of the first judges in the Tulare County Court of Sessions. The river took on this name early in our history. I have seen it listed as early as 1882 on a map and the river is almost always spelled without an apostrophe “s” (St. Johns rather than St. John’s). In early records it is sometimes referred to as the St. Johns Channel of the Kaweah River.

Dance Halls Were Popular Hangouts
Earldean Mayfield asked about some early dancehalls recently and mentioned a few that were very prominent in and around Visalia and really all of Tulare County. There was one called the Rocky Mountain Dancehall that was located about where the SPCA is now south of the airport. During the 1950s, these dancehalls and others were very popular hotspots with interesting names like The Pine Burr, Sierra Dancehall ( by the way this dancehall building is still standing near Bridge and Willow Sts in Visalia ), and Happy Go Lucky. Makes you wonder, 60 years later, what happened to them. They were such an important social outlet in their day. Pictured here is Print Stokes (far left) and his Rocky Mountain Cowboys. They were a very popular dancehall band.

***Back in May of this year, Kate Gibson-Cates mentioned that she received an old Mooney bottle from her grandmother who apparently recovered it during a demolition of a theater. At the time, I didn’t connect this demolition project, but in 1969 or so the old Grand Theater was demolished. It stood next to the Hotel Johnson on Main St. and in its early years it was known as the Bijou. Kate, could this have been the theater in which the old Mooney bottle was recovered?

*** Randy Groom, a name I’m sure you’re familiar with, is now the City Administrator of the City of Exeter. Unfortunately, for many of you, he will remain an HH subscriber and continue to be a formidable competitor in identifying future mystery spots. Congratulations Randy on your new career move and good luck.

***Robert, an HH reader, found an old monogrammed serving spoon (1880) with the initials T.O.M. He found it in the attic of the home he believes belonged to a Corolyn Mooney. He’d like to know if the initials T.O.M. might be initials to a Mooney family member. Anyone able to help Robert out on this? I checked with Bill Allen, local Mooney family biographer about this, and he was uncertain as to a Mooney family member with those initials.

“Visalia, the county seat has in the last few years showed a marked increase in business and extensive building has been done. That portion of the city south of Main street, a few years ago had but very few dwelling houses while at the present time it would be a hard matter to purchase a vacant lot.” Daily Visalia Delta, January 27, 1906

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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list yet, and would like to be notified via email when a new posting of this newsletter is made, please email Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.

Well, we have a new winner in our latest Mystery Spot. Steve Gerrard, a regular in the Mystery Spot feature, was the first to get the location correct. Good job Steve! Yes it is the Woman’s Club building on the southeast corner of Johnson and Center. Obviously, it was built in 1952.

Now for the new one – ready, set, go!
1) This feature is on a building that sits on a corner.
2) Sunday the building seems to be quite popular
3) It is about a block away from the old Tulare County Courthouse site.
4) Many seniors live nearby
Good Luck!

Local Stage Robber Leads Life of Crime
Parker Anderson recently refreshed my memory on a Visalia bad man who eventually found, no got justice in Colorado. His name was Allen Downen and he had a history of crime starting in 1873 with the robbery of a Visalia to Tulare stage. He was arrested, tried, and found guilty. Downen went to San Quentin State Prison but escaped. He later led a life of crime throughout the west including murder in Colorado and narrowly avoided capital punishment in that state. Parker mentioned that there is a biographical book about this outlaw called Star of Blood, but is hard to find, but he mentioned that the full text of the book can be found in within another book called “Silver Dollar Tabor: A Leaf in the Storm” by Evelyn Furman. Thanks Parker, for passing this along.

Visalia Blacksmith Leaves Town and Ends Up In, Well….
Recently, Shelly contacted me and indicated she is doing some genealogical work and is on the hunt for information on a Visalia blacksmith named Burlin Pierce. According to information it looks like he was a blacksmith in Visalia during the 1850s on what is now E. Main Street (which is at the far end of the street in this photo). Apparently he left Visalia about 1861 and was found in 1880 with his throat cut and his body at the bottom of a well in Clay City, Illinois. Shelly would appreciate any more information about his Visalia blacksmithing days.

Packwood Photo Surfaces
Some time back Dan Hogan shared a copy of a photograph he had of Elisha Packwood and his wife Paulina. I had not seen the photo before, so I was thrilled to get it. The Packwood name goes back to very early Tulare County. The Packwoods lived southeast of Visalia in the 1850s. The Butterfield Overland Stage changing station stop, located within just a few miles of Visalia, took the Packwood name. The exact location for Packwood Station has never been found. The Packwoods were a prominent family in Tulare County.
Dan has quite a bit of information about the family and is willing to share. Thanks Dan

***Alan George tells me that Visalia artist Sam Pena is working on a replacement statue that would be placed on the pedestal that now sets empty at the entrance to Mooney Grove Park. Now just the base remains where the old Pioneer once stood. Sure would be nice to see something occupy that site again.

***Paul Fry, manager of the Fox Theatre, and several Fox supporters have been working on balcony bathroom upgrades at the old theater. When they are finished with the upgrades it should “relieve” a lot of bathroom pressure in the future.

***Michael Lewis of http://www.screenradio.com/ here in Visalia shared a couple of old local newspapers. One was the Visalia Times Delta from 1969 and the headline read, “Moon—Small Step for Man…Giant Leap for Mankind.” The other a Tulare Advance Register newspaper from 1949 and it featured on the front page Tulare’s own Bob Mathias. A couple of good ones Michael, and thanks.

“A very dangerous practice is indulged in here—that of breaking wild mustangs in the streets, thereby endangering the lives of pedestrians, children, etc.” Visalia Delta, October 29, 1859

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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list yet, and would like to be notified via email when a new posting of this newsletter is made, please email Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.


Well, Marian Shippey Cote was Johnny on the Spot and the first to get the last mystery spot correct. Good job, Marion. It obviously was the little landing, with wrought iron on the top section of the Fox Theatre. So many of you got it right!

Maybe it was too easy but just in case, here’s another easy one for you. Where is this building? Here are the clues:
1) This building at one time was the temporary church for Christ Lutheran Church.
2) The Women’s Club sold the building in 1998.
3) It is now home to some good food—much of it is on the go.
4) Sylvia Johns led the fundraising effort to build and furnish this building.
Where is it? Good Luck.


Mooney Bottle Dug Up and Passed On
Kate Gibson-Cates tells me she inherited a great old Visalia bottle. According to what was told to her by her grandmother who actually found it, it came from “underneath the stage of a theater that was being demolished,” presumably in Visalia. I don’t know but maybe it was the old Theatre Visalia on the northeast corner of Court and Acequia. These old Mooney bottles are very rare and highly prized. They were used by Michael Mooney (pictured here) in his brewery operated in the late 1800s. They are aqua in color and have raised lettering that says M. Mooney Visalia. It is kind of squatty and stands only about 7” high. It’s really a nice piece of Visalia history. Kate, you’ve got a good one here, so keep it safe.

Wingfields Probably on Hudgins Wagon Train
Jill Graham has been in contact with me, and she believes some relatives of hers that traveled West were with John Hudgins…on a wagon train that headed west from Missouri in 1849 and has been mentioned in the last few issues of HH. Jill lives in Washington State and enjoys family genealogy. She is writing a short biography of Charles R. Wingfield, one of her relatives, and who was very likely on the Hudgins Wagon Train. Here, he is pictured on the right with J. Tatman on the left, and P. Parker in the center. By the way, Charles Wingfield was the Tulare County Sheriff from 1873-1877. A great old photograph here, and Jill believes she acquired it from Laura Heberling. Looking forward to your Wingfield biography, Jill.

Old Photograph Came Out of the Wall
As you know the buildings on the north side of Main between Bridge and Santa Fe are being demolished. Losing our old buildings is painful, but unfortunately these old timers have been structurally damaged and compromised over the years by unstable ground. The Mangano Co. owns the property and has some exciting plans for the old block, hopefully that will include some historical component. Craig Mangano shared that during their work on the site they found this old unmarked photograph in the wall of the old Larson Hotel, which by the way was called the Ramona early on. No one pictured here is identified nor is there any identification as to where it was taken. Recognize anyone? There’s got to be a story here. Thanks, Craig, for sharing.

Old House Found On Old Photograph
In the May 2010 issue of Direct Magazine, I wrote an article about the Visalia Volunteer Fire Department. It can be found in the magazines regular local history section called From Out of the Tules. The article called “Visalia Fire Volunteers Lose Their Jobs” drew Alan George’s attention. The article contained a photograph (circa 1908) showing the old firehouse which was located on the southeast corner of Church and Acequia, with firemen standing in front. On the right side of the photograph, you can see a white house setting on the southwest corner of Church of Acequia, directly across the street from the engine house. Alan contacted me and said that the house in the picture is still in Visalia but had been moved to 1307 W. Center. I went by the address (now Jazz Productions-Day Spa) and boy, it sure does look like the same house. Apparently, it was moved in the 1960s to make way for the Visalia convention center. Lisa Surroz, the current owner of this old Victorian home and business, was pleased to get a copy of the photograph showing her house by the old firehouse. She had heard the house was built in about 1890. It is a beautiful building both inside and out, and it proudly displays a brass preservation plaque on the front. Thanks Alan for adding another piece to our understanding of Visalia’s past. If you would like to read the Volunteer fire department article from Direct Magazine, go to: http://www.historicvisalia.blogspot.com/m/

Visalia Water Works and the California Water Service
Phil Mirwald, Manager of the California Water Service in Visalia, shared some Cal Water history recently. Some of the documents indicate that Visalia Water Works sold their operation to California Water Service in 1927. I’d sure like to confirm that date Phil, can you help? Visalia had had a number of early residential water systems during the years prior to that, some starting very early. Early pumping stations were located throughout the city. This 1897 photograph, shows the Visalia Water Works headquarters on the left. Located on the northeast corner of Santa Fe and Main streets, and the early water company can be seen next to the ice plant.


Goshen Avenue is obviously named after the little community of Goshen just a few miles west of Visalia. The town was established in 1872 by the Southern and Central Pacific Railroads after they laid track from the north and from the south. Basically, where they met, the town of Goshen was established. Negotiations to get the railroad to go through Visalia failed, so Goshen was established. The name has a Biblical origin and generally has come to mean “land of plenty.” Goshen Avenue, by the way, follows the railroad spur line that connects Visalia and Goshen.


***Susan Mangini says she has had several offers of a new home for her old musical instrument that was highlighted in the last HH. Now how do you choose just one?

***George Reece recently shared some old family photographs and documents. The focus on the collection was on members of the Pennebaker family. George is really connected to early Visalia families.

***Kim Gunter is wondering about the rock or stone base that sets empty near the entrance to Mooney Grove Park. On that base once stood The Pioneer statue and she wonders if there will ever be a statue there again. The base has been without The Pioneer for about 30 years. Anybody ideas for a new statue on this base?


“Women who love their husbands are happy and at rest. Those who do not are disturbed and restless; they are always seeking for some means of killing time; they are ready to flirt at any moment; their children are, according to their means, either hidden in nurseries under the care of French bonnes, or handed over to Sally, the slatternly nurse, to shake, to slap, and stuff with sugar, as her wisdom dictates, while society and amusements of all sorts occupy the mother’s time.” Visalia Weekly Delta, March 17, 1882

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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list yet, and would like to be notified via email when a new posting of this newsletter is made, please email Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.


Congratulations go out to Carl Switzer who was the first to correctly identify the location of the fire department marker. This marker was taken from one of the old fire department buildings and now is mounted near the site of the old fire station near Church and Acequia. The nice old marker has been preserved over the years and now is on a wall of the Convention Center near the old fire station site.

For those of you ready to tackle a new mystery spot, here is a much easier one. You probably don’t need many clues, but I’m going to provide some just in case. On what building can this architectural feature be found?
1) The building fronts a street that was once called Cottonwood Street
2) The building’s architectural style is called Spanish Colonial Revival
3) The building is located across the street from the site of the old Carnegie Library.
4) There is a large herd of elephants inside this building.

Old Home Photograph Disappears
Melanie Nelson owns a Victorian home at 614 S Court Street and passed along that some years ago she obtained an old photograph of her house taken in the horse and buggy days. She proudly framed the photograph and displayed it on a shelf in her front porch. Recently, she discovered the old photograph was missing—apparently someone had taken it. She put a note on the front gate encouraging the person who took it to return it to her, but no luck, so now she’s asking if by any chance anyone has another old copy of her house photograph. She knows it is a long shot but she is proud of her home and would like to get another copy. Email me, if you can help and I will pass it along to her. The photograph shown here is one taken out of the Visalia Heritage book when the house was photographed about 20 or so years ago.

Home Needed for Old Musical Instrument
Susan Mangini, recently mentioned her grandfather, Glenn A. Stanton, who was the leader of the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps in Lindsay, and her father, Glenn Jr., a member of the Corps. They passed down this instrument to her. She calls it a xylophone and she is looking for a home for it. Her hopes are to place it in a school or museum or with some musical instrument buff that appreciates this type of instrument. If you have an idea for it, please contact Susan directly at s.stanton-mailto:s.stanton-mangini@att.net Susan wonders if this could have been used on a wheeled cart and played in a marching band. If that’s the case, maybe it even rolled along Main Street in Visalia, who knows? Or maybe, just maybe, Professor Harold Hill used this when he was organizing the River City Boy’s Band. (I added this for all of you Music Man fans?)

Feast Your Eyes on this Beauty
JM and Peggy Bragg surprised me the other day with a real treat. They had an original TAD’s menu. TAD’s as you know turned into Mearles. TAD’s, a name formed from the first initials of the 3 brothers who opened the famous restaurant in 1940. Ted, Abe, and Dick Beshwate owned the restaurant until about 1946, then it became “D’s”. So this menu dates back to that period. Take a look, New York steak dinners $1.35 or a milkshake for 20 cents. Amazing keepsake here. Thanks to the Braggs for being such packrats and sharing the loot with all of us.


Eleanor Bergthold recently shared that her grandfather, Orlando Moore, was one of the early residents of the area just north of Tulare Ave and Giddings. Orlando obviously owned considerable property in the area and as the streets developed he was given naming rights on at least one existing street. Raymon was one of Orlando’s sons, became the namesake for the Visalia street named Raymon. It is a short street, 2 blocks long, and runs east off of Giddings to Sowell. By the way, when Raymon was born there was discussion within the family as to whether his name should have a “d” on the end. Orlando thought that by leaving the “d” off, it would “save a lot of writing over the years.”

Historic Visalia Walking Trail Brochure
In 2005, Edmund “Eddy” Gubler completed his Eagle Scout project called the “Historic Visalia Walking Trail.” He identified many of Visalia’s historic locations, marked and described them, then created a self-guided brochure, allowing Visalians as well as visitors a way to enjoy Visalia’s historic points of interest. Jostens did a very professional job of printing the brochure and the supply of brochures was quickly exhausted. Now Leslie Caviglia, Visalia Deputy City Manager, has announced the good news, “Jostens recently reprinted the Historical Walking Tour that Ed Gubler did. We have some at our office [ Visalia City Hall ], and the Downtown Visalians have some. It’s a great brochure and I wanted to let you know that it’s available again. Ed is coming to the May 17 council meeting to announce that it has been reissued.” That is good news and those of you who don’t have a copy, make sure you stop by and get one. I’m sure they will have them at the council meeting on the 17th, so stop by then and you can get Ed’s autograph on it at the same time.


***Speaking of the Visalia Airport during World II, and by the way we have been doing a lot of that in the last postings of HH, but its all interesting and Carl Switzer shared the following: “I was about 11 years old and my father had the contract to deliver gas and oil to the contractor that built the air base and the large dirt areas where they housed the planes. The planes were night fighters. I used to ride on the gasoline truck with father as they had to deliver oil and gas to keep the big carry alls and bulldozers running twenty-four hours a day as they were in a hurry to complete the project and get the airbase operational. It was during the winter and the guards at the gate were cold as they had to stand duty around the clock. The guards dug a hole in the ground and my dad would give them some stove oil that they would pour in the hole, then toss a match in, and they would have a warm fire for a few hours. I believe Gordon Ball was the construction company.”

***Also about the airport, Dana Lubich shared a website that lists all the aircraft that flew out of the Visalia Airport during the war. Other interesting information also. Here is the website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visalia_Municipal_Airport


“H. Sumida & Co., General Merchandise—Center & Bridge sts. Wood, General Fuel Supplies—explosives a specialty—Call Main 217 prompt delivery.” Advertisement in the Visalia Morning Delta, February 5, 1915. (Editorial comment: You just don’t find outlets for explosives that much anymore!)

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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list yet, and would like to be notified via email when a new posting of this newsletter is made, please email Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.

Congratulations go out to, yes, you guessed it, Randy Groom who was the first to correctly identify the last mystery spot as the water tank on the top of the old Bank of Italy building. Many of you incorrectly guessed the Fox Theatre. Good try but incorrect; many of you also identified the mystery spot correctly.

Now here is the new mystery spot. Should be much easier if you know your local history. Identify which building this original stone marker is mounted on right now. Here are the clues:
1) It is mounted very close to the old fire department location.
2) This is the third building this old marker has been on.
3) This building is across the street from the old Visalia Municipal Auditorium.
4) At one time this building was on the site of the old Visalia City Hall.
Good luck.

Ralston Purina Made the Checkerboard Famous—and Mickey Phillips Happy!
Located on the southeast corner of Santa Fe and Main streets, Ralston Purina was one of the many grain mills that occupied the site since 1853 when the Matthews family first set up their grist mill there. Purina bought the mill in 1946 and operate there until it burned in August 1967. Mickey Phillips started working there in 1952 and right before the devastating fire, he received his 15-year anniversary gold watch. Now the site is the medical office of Drs. Wlasichuk & Sharma. Here Mickey can be seen at the site proudly holding his watch.

Visalia Airport During World War II
With help from the federal government, Visalia was able to expand its airport right before the US entered WWII. During the war, the airport was used by the military for national defense purposes. Alan George, a decorated WWII vet, thought P-61 Night Fighters flew out of the airport, and Dick Curtiss, also WWII vet, said he was in charge of an army radar unit at what is now Plaza Park. Dick has no memory of the type of planes at the airport, but he does believe that the runway was used for military training. He believes the B-25s did “touch and go” exercises on the short airport runway. Leonard Coté said there were revetments at the airport which were used to protect the aircraft stationed there. He believes one of the “bunkers” is now part of the old rodeo grounds. I recently found an article that indicated that after the war the federal government gave $40,000 to the airport to remove the revetments and restore the facility for civilian use.

Hudgins Diary—An 1849 Wagon Train
A few HH issues back I mentioned that Sue Hudgins-Hodes had the diary of John Hudgins. In that diary he documented his 1849 wagon train trip to California. She was kind enough to supply a copy of that diary and it’s a fascinating read. In that wagon caravan was the Wallace Family including infant W. B. Wallace who settled here and became a superior court judge. John Wood was on the wagon train also and a year later (1850) he and a work party returned to the Kaweah River, where they had crossed previously, and his plan was to build a toll bridge across the river. As you may recall in 1850 John Wood and his party was killed by the local Native Americans and the incident is well known in Tulare County history. It happened about 7 miles east of Visalia. The diary really sheds new light, at least for me, on why Wood and his party were at the Kaweah River and the document reinforces the hardships these wagon train travelers experienced.

Floyd Byrnes—A Small Town Guy
For many years while doing research, I have seen what appeared to be a regular column in the Visalia Times Delta called Small Town Guy. It was written by Floyd Byrnes and it was a biographical account of himself and his family. Written in the 1950s and I believe some column even earlier, the columns were well written and he documents his memories of early Visalia. What makes them historically important is that the Brynes Family, especially Floyd and his father M. J. Byrnes, were prominent in the community occupying positions of influence like captain of the National Guard, postmaster, newspaperman, manager of the Visalia Opera House, etc. As a result Floyd’s “Small Town Guy” gives a perspective on local events that can be found nowhere else. Floyd’s daughter, Beverly Hofvendahl, recently sent me a bound 231 page book filled with his “Small Town Guy” stories. Floyd knew his subject matter because he or members of his family had been involved in each of the column stories he wrote about. Truly an amazing collection of local history.

I try not to do this, but sometimes I can’t resist the obvious. I’ve not found verifiable evidence that would explain the origin of the name Acequia Ave, but there is good circumstantial evidence that gives us a clue. The word “acequia” in Spanish means irrigation canal or ditch. Wiley Watson had an irrigation ditch that ran along Acequia to his property and in 1888, Visalia’s Tulare County Times newspaper reported, “The water ditch passing through the town on Acequia street has been abandoned by the proprietor, Wiley Watson, and the property owners along its line are being requested to fill it in. This ditch has been a great nuisance to the people living on or traveling through Acequia street, and its abandonment is a matter to rejoice over. Every summer large pools of still water were allowed to stand at places in its bottom, and becoming impure, the wind scattered the stench arising far and wide. It was the water in this ditch that caused the cellars along Main Street to cave in and fill with water. Thanks to the Common Council [City Council], who are ever engaged in the good work of improving the town, the ditch is a thing of the past.” Sure sounds like all of this explains the name Acequia, but for a time the street was named “Sakie.” Now how do we explain that one?

***Stephen Watts, a new subscriber to HH, passed along that he was born and raised in Visalia. He said, “As a teenager, I worked at Dick Parker Shoes and John Richard Men’s Wear. Many times I have sat down for a soda with many of Main Street’s store owners…Greely Togni, Pete Jungworth, Ken Schilling, Brent Ensign, Glen Mar, Mr. Pryor (Bonnell’s dad), Jack Stoebig, Dick Parker, Dick Mackie, Louie Giannandrea, Luke Bianco…Oh, what stories they could tell! Now I’m 48, but those good ‘ol days seemed just like yesterday.”
Now that is a Visalia “who’s who” list!

***Samantha Du Toit noticed recently the tiny numbered rooms inside the courtyard by the alley behind Pauline’s Collection (Main and Court). She asked what the little rooms were. This is the 1876 Palace Hotel building and we believe those little rooms were bathrooms for early hotel guests. These rooms are behind a grated door and not open to the public. This courtyard area is a very interesting part of that old building, and I’m sure holds many secrets. .

***In the last HH, Clement Renzi was mentioned and several of you mentioned his artistic talent and that his statuary is throughout Visalia and elsewhere. Bill Allen and Jay Belt shared some thoughts on this very talented man who died in 2009.

***Is there something happening with Mearle’s? Do I hear the malt machine spinning?

“A Visalia boy who went fishing a few days since and caught several speckled trout, did not like their looks and threw them away. He said they looked too much like frogs for him to eat. There are boys in this part of the country whose knowledge of pisciculture is somewhat limited.” Visalia Weekly Delta, May 21, 1880