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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 to Virginia Strawser who got the Mystery Spot location about 45 minutes after the last HH was posted. She was the first, and then over 30 people correctly identified the Odell-Mor apartment building, located directly across from Taylor’s Hot Dog stand on Encina. The Odell-Mor was built in 1914. No one seems to know how it got its name. Some say Mrs. Mamie Roach built it and other documentation shows at least she managed it, so it’s possible she was owner and manager. Jane Higgins Nash told me her parents, Decatur “Dick” and Mabel Higgins were the first occupants of the apartments. It was considered the “nicest place in Visalia” when it opened.

A New One For You
The photo that you see here is an old door in an old building. Where is the building? Here are the clues:
1) The building was designed to keep cold in and hot out.
2) The restoration plans for this old Visalia landmark building were a collaborative volunteer effort by architects Jay Moring, Rick Mangini and Mike Kreps.
3) The old structure was restored in 1976 and “hams” can often be found there.
4) William Shakespeare had a famous quote that went like this:
“All the world is a __________?”
Where is this building?

Become Part of the Historic 2010 Calendar and Win!
It’s that time of year again. The Visalia Community Bank, through the efforts of Kay Connley, is preparing for their 2010 historic photograph calendar. The new calendar will be released on December 8, 2009. As in the past, the bank wants to see your photographs and give you a chance to win a spot in next year’s calendar. Anyone interested can submit photos for consideration. What an honor it would be to have your photograph chosen! Not only is the historic photograph calendar useable, it is a good way to add to your local old photo collection. Any questions, call Kay at 625-8733 or email her at kconnley@vcb.com

A Birder’s Unexpected Stop in Visalia in 1906---Interesting Description of Visalia
Rob Hansen recently shared a great historic quote describing Visalia. He found it in a publication from a man named Mr. Ray who was traveling south from Northern California by auto in 1906 and had a mechanical breakdown at Goshen. He stayed in Visalia from May 14-21, and wrote about what he saw while here. Keep in mind he was a “birdwatcher” and spent much of his time around Mill Creek and the St. Johns River. This excerpted quote gives a wonderful description of Visalia: “Visalia lies in a open forest of oaks through which glides the broad St. Johns River besides a host of minor streams. While the banks of the river and some of streams were heavily wooded, others were only fringed with a low growth of willows overhung with blackberry vines. Almost everywhere the air rang with birdsong and the longer we remain, the less we regretted our enforced stay. At 7:00 one morning, I noticed a pair of [blue grosbeaks] which were carrying the initial stems to a weed clump along Mill Creek. My favorite grounds were in the cool shades along the St. Johns River for the thermometer has an awkward habit here of running up as high 114 degrees on summer days which we found very destructive to ambition. One morning by the river I was agreeably surprised to see eyeing me over the edge of a twig structure about 40 feet up in an oak, a majestic female red-tailed hawk.” Thanks Rob for sharing this great account. If you’d like the entire quote, I’d be happy to provide it to you and give you the citation. The accompanying photo is an early photo of Mill Creek but has nothing to do with Mr. Ray’s visit here.

Steam Tractor to be Displayed
Well, the Tulare County Museum of Farm Labor and Agriculture has received a wonderful exhibit piece. The Bragg family, J. M. (left) and Peggy (not shown) along with their 2 son Mike (middle) and Greg (right) has offered, on a long-term loan basis, an antique Gaar-Scott steam tractor. This century old workhorse was delivered to the museum on September 24, 2009 and it is shown here with part of the Bragg family in front of it. The tractor is scheduled to be displayed in the main exhibit area of the new building. What a thoughtful gesture on the part of the Braggs of Visalia. I guess this gives them “Bragging” rights. OK I’ll stop now!

Gist Ave
Gist Avenue is a very short street parallel with and just south of State Route 198. It is one block long and runs between Linda Vista and Verde Vista. It is in a subdivision called College Acres which was created in 1946. The property was owned by Lloyd R. Gist. Early maps called the street Gist Drive.
In 1946, the 34-acre College Acres subdivision was started and included 82 lots with the smallest being 80’ by 165’. This development fronted Mineral King and extended east to the west boundary of Visalia Jr. College. The property was at the time in the city limits of Visalia and was owned by Lloyd R. Gist. J. J. (Phil) Philippe was the real estate agent handling the sales. Before the development, the area I believe, was mostly open ground as can be seen in this Cowper photograph. Thanks Peter for the photo, and to you too Jason, for asking the question.
Help Needed: If you know the origin of a street name in Visalia, I would very much like to include it in a future edition of HH. Please call or email me if you have one.

A Reader Wants To Know!
Jason Ford, a new subscriber to HH, asked about the housing development to the west of the College of Sequoias campus. He was wondering what the area looked like before the current homes were built. Peter Cowper, had a photo/slide taken, he believes, from the 2100 block of West Tulare Ave looking in a northwesterly direction around that period of time and here is his photo.
In 1946, the 34-acre College Acres subdivision was started and included 82 lots with the smallest being 80’ by 165’. This development fronted Mineral King and extended east to the west boundary of Visalia Jr. College. The property was at the time in the city limits of Visalia and was owned by Lloyd R. Gist. J. J. (Phil) Philippe was the real estate agent handling the sales. Before the development, the area I believe, was mostly open ground as can be seen in this Cowper photograph. Thanks Peter for the photo, and to you too Jason, for asking the question.

**J. C. Hickman, a reporter and later managing editor for the Visalia Times Delta in the 1960s and 1970s and now living in Washington, had a mint copy of the 1974 Visalia Times Delta Centennial Edition and wanted it back home. He also had a very complete file full of documents on the End of the Trail statue and those documents are now in Tulare County as well. J.C., we appreciate your willingness to share this material from your Visalia days.

**Regarding Taylor’s Hot Dog Stand, John Slaven told me that in the early 1980s he was employed as the only architect for Quad Consultants and one of his jobs as architect was to create the new Taylor’s Hot Dog Stand. When asked the architectural style of the new stand, he indicated he didn’t think there was a name for it. He said his goal was to be “true” to the old stand.

**I will be going to French Camp in the next few days to scout it out. I need to see the community that very well may be older than Visalia, and I will report more on this hopefully in the next HH.

**Jay Belt is moving forward on the restoration of the last known buggy step in Visalia. He has talked to city officials and will be working with the city (it is on city right-of-way) to restore it back to its original glory. A presentation was made before the Visalia Historic Preservation Committee and this has all the makings of a very nice historical project for Visalia. What a great way to promote and educate all of us to our wonderful local history. Thanks again Jay for tackling this one!

**Helen Jones, the HH subscriber, who owns “The Visalian” dollhouse that was reported back in March 2009, has indicated she is still trying to get the miniature house back to Visalia. It is about 4’x4’x4’ and is somewhat fragile so we are still looking for a way to get it from Temecula to Visalia. Any ideas? We’d love to hear from you.

**Last chance to get items into the Santa Fe overcrossing time capsule. What an opportunity to show people 50 to 100 years from now, what life was like in Visalia in 2009. If you have any items, please call Nancy Loliva asap at the City of Visalia 713-4535 or email her at nloliva@ci.visalia.ca.us

**Don’t forget the big Mooney Grove Park birthday celebration on Saturday, October 17th. The park is 100 years old and to help celebrate there is free admission to the park and lots of activities planned for the entire family. It is going to be a big event. Any questions, call Mila at 624-7222.


"Officer DeVall wishes it stated that the young boys who for some time past have been carrying twenty-two rifles and shooting people’s chickens, living in the outskirts of the city, will be tolerated no longer. 'This mischief has got to be stopped,' said officer DeVall, 'and any young boys caught carrying a rifle from this [time] on will be dealt with as the marshal sees fit.'” Daily Visalia Delta, January 7, 1906.

Click on any photo for a larger view.



Mysterious Sign Revealed – Billboard?

Some of you may remember the old barns along the road advertising “Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco”. Well, it seems Visalia has its own version of that billboard. No, it isn’t “mail pouch”, but instead “L. Guggenhime Dealer in Wagons, Farming Implements & Grain”. These words were discovered recently on a building wall that is believed to have been the old Pioneer Warehouse. When the building to the east was torn down on the northwest corner of Willis and School, the sign was revealed. Miles Shuper, a longtime reporter for the Valley Voice, wrote about it as did Lew Griswold, a veteran reporter for the Fresno Bee. The faded sign is somewhat mysterious because I have not found the name Guggenhime ever in Visalia history. My belief is that the wall was used as a billboard for the L. Guggenhime Co., perhaps out of San Francisco. A Historic Happenings (HH) subscriber, Brian Stone, who lives in San Francisco found the name L. Guggenhime in the 1890 San Francisco Directory at 1119 Post. Another subscriber, Patrick Barszcz, found that L. Guggenhime was a partner in a gold mine. But the mystery of the sign remains. Why was the ad in Visalia and why on this building? As always, any help would be appreciated.



Mooney Grove Park is 100 Years Old

In 1909, the Mooney family sold the land that is now Mooney Grove Park to the County of Tulare for a bargain price on the condition it would become and remain a park. It did and it has, and now this famous hangout is celebrating its centennial. Mila Magana, Tulare County Donations Coordinator, is working on a suitable event to celebrate. More information will follow on the centennial activity as it becomes available. One more thing: Recently I found a newspaper article from 1893 announcing a picnic at Mooney’s Grove, a full 16 years before it became a county park!



More Tunnels!!!!

Recently, a subscriber to HH asked for help. He indicated that he had looked “down the hatch” in the foyer of L. J. Williams Theatre some time back and there appeared to be doorway structures at both ends of the basement. He indicated that the doorways appeared to be filled with sand, dirt and debris, perhaps covering what may have been passageways or tunnels. He couldn’t see beyond the doorways, but is curious to know if there were passage ways or tunnels beyond those doorways. Is there anyone who might know about possible tunnels? As some of you know, the building that is now L. J. Williams Theatre was originally the Montgomery Auditorium and it was built in 1932. In 1972, the building was refurbished into the L. J. Williams. The site on which the theater sets has been part of a high school campus since 1910. Any information on these mysterious passageways would be appreciated.



Another Celebration –70 Years
in Recreation

John Bradley, Recreation Supervisor for the City of Visalia has informed me that the Parks & Recreation Dept is celebrating its 70th Anniversary. Starting in 1939, the department has operated under many names, but they have always been the lead agency providing recreation activities to the community. Their responsibility is broad, but the most visible part of their duties is the care of 42 parks and 249 acres of developed parkland. John is looking for any historical park photographs to add to the photo archives of the department. If you are willing to share, please contact him at 713-4585. More Parks and Recreation history can be found at http://www.ci.visalia.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=6640




Assorted



{{}} It looks like the fundraising goal for the Robin Fountain at the Tulare County Library in Visalia has been reached. Now we just need to find a vendor who can install the pump/ filtration system. It is anticipated that there will be a re-dedication of this interesting piece of art in April, the date to be announced.

{{}} Ground has been broken and construction has begun for the new agricultural museum at Mooney Grove Park. Just south of the existing museum grounds, you can see dirt flying.

{{}} I have contacted the only known relative of Celia Miller in Arizona and am still waiting to hear from her family to see if it’s okay to publish the Miller story in Arizona. I’ll keep you posted.

{{}} A couple of weeks ago I heard from John Bianco, an HH subscriber, who said he happened to be watching TV and a commercial came on for “Carhill.” As he watched, the commercial flashed photographs of old time diners and one of them was Mearle’s Drive-In. The old 1940 drive-in may be idle now, but it continues to be symbolic of an earlier age. Thanks John, for the heads up.

Dogs—Our town is overrun with that most intolerable nuisance—a surplus of dog flesh. We are the friend of intelligent, respectable canines, but as for these “curs of low degree,” we are decidedly down on them, and hope that some philanthropic individual will devise a speedy and effectual plan to abbreviate their sojourn with us. September 7, 1862, Visalia Equal Rights Expositor

Please click on any photo for a larger view.



Just in time for Christmas

A new historical railroad book is about to hit the stores, just in time for Christmas. Local train historian, John Bergman, has written The Southern San Joaquin Valley: A Railroad History. In it he outlines the history of the railroads between Bakersfield and Fresno and includes 250 photos. Visalia trains and railroads are included. John is offering a very good pre-publication price if you purchase before November 30, 2008. For questions or to purchase, contact John at JBergman@valleybusinessbank.net or at (559) 627-3291.


Speaking of books, there will be a local authors gathering at Costco coming up.
On Saturday, December 13, 2008 from 11:00am to 4:00pm at the Visalia Costco, the following authors will be present to sign and autograph their books:

John Bergman, The Southern San Joaquin Valley: A Railroad History
Chris Brewer, Official Historical Atlas Map of Tulare County
Ron Hughart, The Place Beyond the Dust Bowl
Jay O’Connell, Train Robber’s Daughter: The Melodramatic Life of Eva Evans
Robin Michael Roberts, Images of Hanford 1900-2000
William B. Secrest, Day of the Grizzly: The Tragic Story of the Mighty California Grizzly

Come by and pick up one or more of these books and get it autographed by the author—a great opportunity. A signed history book is always a great gift!



Historic Block in Escrow

Rumors have been flying about a pending sale for the last couple of weeks, and then the Valley Voice reported on it November 6, 2008. The 400 block of E. Main Street is now in escrow and the sale may happen as soon as January 2009. It is a historic block which at one time contained an old Chinese laundry, the California Hotel, Ramona Hotel, Automotive Parts Co., Dodge Brothers automobile dealership, Army Surplus, Wilson’s Cyclery, and Santa Fe Liquor to name just a few. The Mangano Co. is the buyer and according to Steve Peck, a company spokesman, the two-story brick building has severe structural problems. But when I talked to him about that, he indicated a more detailed inspection will be done. It’s certainly a historic area of Visalia and is one of the few remaining untouched brick structures in downtown. Most of them were removed in the 1960s and early 1970s as part of a revitalization effort. If you have any interesting anecdotes about any of the businesses that occupied that block or stories about the buildings themselves, please share them with us. As downtown moves east, I hope we can preserve the history of this historic block.



The Mystery Post—Need Help on This One

Visalia historian Joseph Vicenti recently passed along an interesting mystery. There is a concrete post embedded in the sidewalk near the curb on the northeast corner of E. Main Street and Liberty, directly across the street from the Uhl Tire Co. It stands a little over 4’ high and has “1948” stamped at the top. It must have served a purpose at one time, but what that was, no one seems to know. Joseph needs help on this one and it is a rather curious feature rising from the sidewalk. Drive by and take a look and if anyone knows something about this mystery post, please pass it on to us.

1936 Boy Scout Log Cabin Dedicated

On November 8, 2008, the Boy Scout cabin that stood on the south bank of Mill Creek near Sierra Vista School for many decades was given an official dedication at its new home in Mooney Grove Park. The restoration took close to a decade to complete, but it was worth the wait. Glen Drake, Jim Royall and Bob Ludekins deserve the lion’s share of the credit for this huge undertaking, however many were involved. It stands as a showcase for what can be done. The Boy Scouts have a right to be proud, Visalia does too. Thanks to Sandy Newman for this great event photograph.




New Agricultural Museum About to Get Underway

Bids are out and hopefully in a few short weeks ground will be broken for the new agricultural museum at Mooney Grove Park. Scheduled to be finished in 2009, the building will contain 10,000 square feet of useable feet, expandable to 17,000 square feet. It will house exhibits related to agriculture and farm labor history. The building will be built adjacent to the existing museum, but on the other side of Cameron Creek. It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate county for an ag museum than Tulare County. The project will cost over $3 million.




Assorted

{{}} The Grubstake Restaurant building on Walnut Ave just east of Mooney has been demolished and the materials hauled off.

{{}} I am told the much anticipated 2009 Visalia Community Bank historic photo calendar will be available to the public on about December 8th. Thanks to this civic minded organization for a great gift to the community.

{{}} The Annie R. Mitchell History Room at the Tulare County Library is open after about a 6-month remodel project. Come up – it’s bigger and better. Hours are 1:00-5:00pm Monday thru Thursday.



The man who took the stovepipe from the brick church is requested to bring it back. If not returned in a few days we will naturally conclude that he intends to steal it. Tulare Times, December 21, 1872.

LATEST HISTORIC HAPPENINGS

A BIG BANG COMES TO MOONEY GROVE PARK

On October 11, 2008, the Tulare County Historical Society hosted a 38 vehicle caravan retracing the 1858 Butterfield Overland Stage route through Tulare County. The tour finished at the Tulare County Museum at Mooney Grove Park and ended with a bang! An anvil salute was demonstrated to our tour participants and it was the same type of salute that greeted the first stage that came through Visalia in 1858. It was a way for the old timers to celebrate something exciting and it was re-created for us thanks to Bill Bennett. The salute consisted of two 100 pound plus anvils stacked one on top of the other, with black powder in between them. The black power was ignited and the explosion that resulted was thundering as it launched the anvil on the top into the air. Thanks to the photography of Dallas Pattee who captured the moment, we see the results of the explosion. All who witnessed the anvil salute at historic Mooney Grove came away with a great appreciation for the power of black powder. Folks don’t try this at home!



WHO SAID HISTORY IS NOT EXCITING?

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from Visalia native Art Browning. He was very excited and told me he had been reading Jay O’Connell’s latest book Train Robber’s Daughter. As he read the part about the shootout in the 1890s at the Evans place near Houston Ave., he remembered as a young boy he found an old rusted 45-caliber pistol near his home also by Houston Ave. He wondered, “Could that old gun have been connected to Chris Evans or the lawmen hunting them down?” Hum, I wonder!




MORE ON FORT VISALIA

Susan and Rick Mangini were invited recently to attend a Visalia Heritage meeting and word has it there was lots of excitement in group about doing something in support of the re-creation of the fort. I haven’t heard anything recently about the Fort Visalia block . Anyone hear anything? What’s the status of the sale?




VISALIA FAIR MALL – GOTTSCHALKS' ESCALATOR

After reading in Historic Happenings some time back about the history of the Visalia Fair Mall, I received an email from Russ Dahler who shared that Visalia’s Gottschalks had the first and only escalator in Tulare County in 1964. He said a visit to it “was a must-do fieldtrip for Visalia Unified Schools.” at the time. Russ worked for Gottschalks at the time and remembers the excitement created around the escalator.


COURTHOUSE TOUR

Thanks to Supervisor Phil Cox, County Director of Tourism Eric Coyne, and TulareWorks Supervisor Marlene Cardoza, many of us had a nice guided tour of the old 1935 art deco courthouse building. It contained nice wood trim and features plus beautiful old art deco light fixtures. We all got to see the “secret” old tunnel access door, too. It was a great tour of this neat old solid building and all the tourists are appreciative of all who made it happen. Recently I received an email from David Weinstein who is a member of the Art Deco Society and he encouraged preservation of the old courthouse as he indicated Ernest Kump, the courthouse architect, was well known and that he was regarded as one of California’s most important architects.




MEARLE’S PARKING LOT IS PACKED

Recently I drove past the old Mearle’s Drive-In and it looked like the glory days at the old eatery. The parking lot was jammed with cars and it looked like they were open for business. But, unfortunately it was not open and was not serving great food. The cars parked in the parking lot were just occupying space, while the drivers were in class at COS. Other than the packed parking lot , not much else seems to be happening there. But the building seems to be aging rather quickly. How long can/should this go on??





MOONEY BOOK UPDATE

I received a couple of emails regarding the precise date that Bill Allen’s book on Michael Mooney will be re-printed and available for purchase. I contacted him recently and he indicated it looks like it will be available for purchase about November 15, 2008, just in time for Christmas. The Tulare County Historical Society will be offering it for sale and when it is available you will be notified in Historic Happenings.



GRUBSTAKE DRIVE-IN COMING DOWN


Recently, I drove by the old hamburger stand that was the Grubestake for many years. It looks like the old building is getting ready to be demolished. As you recall it was the hamburger stand on Walnut Ave, just east of Mooney Blvd. The building has been vacant for years, and according to reliable sources, it will be leveled and will be a bare lot until a master plan is developed for the sight. A lot of nostalgia there. Anyone know who last ran this fast food business there? I do.



Dakota Sioux tribal wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, dismount.

Historic Happenings Newsletter Under Construction

Great News! Rare Michael Mooney book is going to be reprinted!

With all the attention being focused on Mooney Grove Park, now and in the near future, it is great to hear local historian and author, Bill Allen will be reprinting the Michel Mooney history book. The first edition in 2002 is sold out (only 200 copies were printed) and the very good news is that Bill is going to reprint it and provide all the copies to the Tulare County Historical Society for sale. Thanks for your generosity Bill. History in more hands is good!


Famous Visalian Remembered

Michael Smith of Tulare has initiated the replacement of a headstone on the grave of African American pioneer Edmund Wysinger at the Visalia Cemetery. He is buried there in an unmarked grave, so with funds from Michael and other contributors a new headstone will be placed on the grave. Ironically, while checking the cemetery grounds around the Wysinger grave, cemetery personnel found a piece of the previous Wysinger headstone. That piece had the Wysinger name on it and has been incorporated into the new headstone. The placing of the headstone will happen Thursday, September 11th at 10:00am. Arthur, Wysinger’s son, was refused entrance into Visalia High School because of his race. His father protested and carried the case all the way to the California Supreme Court and won. Thanks Michael for preserving this important part of Visalia history.


Another Visalia First?

Deputy City Manager Leslie Caviglia was recently told that the Visalia Fair Mall, may well have been the first enclosed shopping mall in California. The Visalia Fair Mall officially opened February 25, 1964. Other enclosed malls in the state opened about that same time. Anyone know if this is another Visalia first?


Join the Caravan! Join the Fun!

In 1858 the Butterfield Overland Stage rumbled through Tulare County and made history. All the way from St. Louis, Missouri, it passed through our county on its 2,700-mile journey to San Francisco. On Saturday, October 11, 2008, the Tulare County Historical Society as part of the Butterfield sesquicentennial celebration is retracing the Tulare County route. It is going to be historic, informative and fun. Surprises await those who join in this free event. The caravanning and event ends in Visalia in the afternoon.

Stranger Slips In and Out of Visalia

A few days ago a stranger from Prescott, Arizona named Parker Anderson slipped into town. He was looking for information on a Visalia bad man named Fleming Parker. Fleming was born and reared in Visalia in the 1800s and later went to Arizona where he was hanged in 1898 for crimes committed there. Parker Anderson is writing a book on the bad man which will include his early crimes in Visalia. Visalia has its share of old west characters.


More on Fort Visalia

Recently I received an email from Eleanor Moore Bergthold regarding Fort Visalia. She gave me permission to distribute this to everyone:

“My dad, 101 year old Visalia resident Ralph Moore, shared your recent article on Fort Visalia with me yesterday when we were in Visalia. The Ed Reynolds you mentioned in your article was a first cousin to our early grandfather James Reynolds, who led a 15 wagon party to Visalia in 1853. Unfortunately, James died one day two years later at age 23 while returning to Fort Visalia. A couple of years later his widow, Nancy, married another early resident, Dr. John Cutler. From that union came the entire Cutler clan, Cutler Park, etc. John cutler also helped raise Nancy and James’ two young daughters. My dad’s grandfather, Henry Moore, who arrived in Visalia in 1863, later married one of those daughters, Amelia Reynolds.

I would strongly urge the City of Visalia, the Tulare County Historical Society and others to jump on the golden opportunity to purchase the historic Fort Visalia block that is now up for sale. What a great chance to preserve such an important piece of Visalia’s history! The location is also well-suited since it is within walking distance of downtown, the convention center, the Chamber of Commerce, and Visalia’s transportation hub.

I will be watching this unique situation with interest.”