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Thanks for visiting Historic Happenings! If you are not on the email list, 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 never share your email address with anyone without your permission.
Nice work Jaime! Jaime Hitchcock
was the first person to correctly identify the mystery spot as the old Boy
Scout building now housing Ameriprise at 221 No. Encina (Oak and Encina.) The
glass blocks were the obvious giveaway and are clearly a unique feature of this
building. The majority of you that correctly identified it remembered the
building as the Visalia Boy Scout office of some years ago.
Now for the next mystery spot.
Here are your clues:
1.
This building seems out of place in the downtown area.
2.
It dates back to about 1923.
3.
There are more than one of these in Visalia.
4.
It is located near the street that was named for the family of the builder.
Where is this building? Good
luck.
I received this information from
Bill Adair. Roeben Road or Street as it is called now is named for William
"Bill" Roeben. He was born in Germany and settled in Texas. He
married Antonia Vogelsang and the couple moved to Visalia in 1903 and farmed
west of town.
Visalia Theater Sign in Pizza Parlor
Patrick Barszcz recently sent me
this picture. He saw it on display at the Planing Mill Pizza Shop at 514 E.
Main Street and apparently the sign came from the old Visalia Theater which
opened in 1949. Is this the old original theater sign? Maybe a replica was put
up when the Enchanted
Visalia Recreation Band Photograph Appears
Recently I was presented with
this photograph. As you can see printed above the band members is Visalia
Recreation Band. The band members and band director are unnamed. Surely this
circa 1955 photograph has recognizable people. Can anyone help?
No Wilting of Peter Perkins'
Flowers
Several of you recently
mentioned to me Peter Perkins Flower Shop. First of all Peter Perkins was an
actual man. He opened his flower shop at 116 No. Court Street on October 17,
1914. The business is still operating in Visalia, although it has changed
locations several times over the years and has a different owner. Next year Peter
Perkins flowers will celebrate its 100th year in business. Quite an accomplishment!
The first photo shows a Peter Perkins advertising display at the 1920 Visalia
Fair. The second one shows the flower shop when it was located at Floral and
Willow streets. I would love to hear some Peter Perkins Flower stories. Anyone
know anything about Peter Perkins himself?
Interesting Old Court Street
Photograph
Recently I received a photograph,
circa 1900, that shows Court Street with a view looking south near Oak. On the
immediate right you can see the Templar's Hall building (balcony posts) with
the Palace Hotel annex on the left in the foreground. Next to it is the actual
Palace Hotel. The Harrell Building can be seen behind the Palace Hotel. On the
right is the City Stable and the Visalia
Times newspaper office. The man in the foreground looking back is
unidentified. This photographic view is pretty rare. The second image is a
current view from the same vantage point. 
***I recently wrote a story about
downtown Visalia which included Ken Schelling, an important personality in
downtown history. Ken's insight into downtown is remarkable and very
interesting. You can read the article in the April 2013 Lifestyle Magazine. It's a beautiful magazine and can also be found
online at http://issuu.com/lifestylemagazine/docs/ls1304 The article is on
page 40.
*** Regarding Robbin's Music
store. Many of you remembered Robbins but remembered it at 300 So. Locust
Street. Apparently it started on Main and later moved to Locust.
***I received this inquiry
recently from a person who shared the following: "My family settled in the
Visalia/Hanford area in the 1920s. My grandfather James Sweeney is in the
biographical history. My grandfather Dilbeck worked in the Dodge garage on
Main. I am trying to find the early Swedish owned bakery in Visalia It was
owned and run by a Swedish family but I can't find early history including
businesses. Bothof's website doesn't include history so not sure if that would
be it." Can anyone help this person?
***Chad Holman also had an
inquiry and asked about a so-called Visalia "hanging tree." According
to the story he heard, the tree was used to "lynch" African Americans
when Visalia had an active Ku Klux Klan. Anyone have any information about this
hanging tree?
***J. C. Hickman, retired
reporter and editor of the Visalia Times
Delta inquired about the brass or bronze plaque that had been on the L. J.
Williams Theater identifying the building as the original Montgomery
Auditorium. I mentioned to him that I had seen the plaque several years ago,
but he asked me to check to see if it was still there. I did, and found that
the L. J. Williams Theater no longer had the plaque. I asked a school employee
about it and they said it had been stolen several years ago, apparently a
victim of metal thievery.
***In the last HH I mentioned
the Visalia Vapor Trailers and indicated I heard that a history was being
written about the organization. Anyone have a good "sand cast"
aluminum window plaque? I'd love to share it with the rest of the HH readers. I
am certain some still exists.
***Joseph Vicenti asked if
anyone knew where the huge old Hyde Ranch Dairy milk bottle went after the
dairy disappeared. The bottle weighed just over 1 ton!
***Visalia Heritage, Inc. wants
everyone to visit their new blogsite and sign up for periodic postings. It sure
looks nice. Check it out at www.visaliaheritage.blogspot.com
***I'm glad several of you were
able to identify relatives in the old track photo that was in last HH. Always
fun to see recognizable faces in old photographs.
“The plan of giving nickel dances will be followed at the
Steuben hall hereafter on Saturday nights. That each dance will cost the
gentlemen a 5-cent piece, and he can dance but once or as often as he pleases,
provided he has a sufficient number of 'five centses.' This plan has been
followed with much success elsewhere.” Visalia Morning Delta, April 7, 1909