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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 mailto:histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list. I will not share your email address with anyone without your permission.

Congratulations go to Aaron Collins who was the first to identify the Mystery Spot as the Ice House Theatre. He got it within a few short minutes, and over 25 of you followed with the correct answer. Congratulations to Aaron, and to all of you.

Okay, What About This New Mystery Spot?
This feature is on a building in Visalia. Here are your clues:
1) The building is known for its ornate interior.
2) Many people go here to stay in touch.
3) The building had its cornerstone ceremony held in December 1933.
4) At one time it was next door to the Yellow Cab Co.
What building? Good luck!

Visalia is Not the Oldest Town in the Valley Between Stockton and Los Angeles
Not too long ago I was in a meeting with a reporter named Marc Lutz who in Visalia representing “The Business Journal.” He was headquartered in Fresno so I was going to give him the normal historical summary about the history of Visalia. I proudly told him about Visalia being the oldest San Joaquin Valley town between Stockton and Los Angeles, by the way, something I’ve said probably hundreds of times. After my two minute speech, Marc asked if I knew about the town of French Camp, a small community just south of Stockton in San Joaquin County. I told him I’d heard of it but that was about it. He politely suggested that I check into its history as he had lived up there and believed it to be older than 1852, the founding year of Visalia. Wow, talk about knocking the wind out of you! But I checked it out and even made a trip up there. I talked with a San Joaquin County historian, consulted San Joaquin County history books, and sure enough, French Camp was an active community before Visalia even existed. In Thompson’s 1879 History of San Joaquin County book he says, “In the winters of 1851, 1852 and 1853 French Camp was a lively place. There were two hotels…four wholesale stores, two hay yards, and five restaurants.” French Camp is still a recognizable community and clearly predates Visalia. For the past 100 years or so, many Tulare County sources have claimed Visalia as the oldest town in the valley between Stockton and Los Angeles. I never challenged it; I took it at face value and was clearly wrong in doing so. Now when I summarize Visalia history, I say Visalia appears to be the oldest San Joaquin Valley town between Los Angeles and French Camp. Who knows if there many be another French Camp out there. This incident points out that new historical information is lurking out there everywhere and its revelation can change everything. Thanks Mark, for making us smarter.

Rawhide Baseball Broadcaster Hits a Homerun
Donny Baarns, Director of Broadcasting and the radio voice of Visalia Rawhide Baseball, has taken a big leap and the community has reaped the benefits. Donny has had an interest in baseball for a long time and he has really got hooked on Visalia’s wonderful baseball past. Now he has started to pen some of his baseball stories using a blog-type format to get them out to readers. I can sure see the makings of a Visalia baseball book. Check out his blog at__http://visaliabaseball.blogspot.com/2009/10/irish-eyes-and-two-orphans-how-baseball.htmll Need a service club speaker? I think he’d be interested and I know the audience would enjoy him. (Shown on the left is Tom Fowler of Mineral King fame who according to Donny was a big booster of local baseball.)

The Block Has Now Become the Focus
The north section of the 400 block of E. Main Street is now officially being discussed and preliminary development plans have been submitted to the city. The Mangano Co. of Visalia is the owner of the property and they call their new project “Main Street Promenade.” Stephen Peck, Vice President of the company, gave me a tour of all the buildings that make up that block. They are showing signs of structural problems, but I did find the old brick hotel building the best of the lot. But keep in mind, my assessment is not coming from someone with a construction background.

The main brick hotel building was early on the Ramona Hotel dating back at least to the early 1920s. Later it became the Nelson Hotel and then the Larsen.
The Santa Fe Liquor Store, was on the ground floor of that building for many years, at least from 1934, until a devastating fire of a few years ago forced it to close. The liquor establishment was operated by the well known Oliver Hinkle who operated it for many years. Stephen Peck tells me plan is remove all the buildings but to keep the facade of the old hotel preserved, or more likely the plan is to replicate the façade with new material.

The block in question is part of the original Visalia town site and it is my hope that whatever can be saved, will be. Visalia has some great examples of what can be done to preserve old historic structures and the Mangano Co. has been part of that. The old Ford building is a good example. Preserving our history and historic buildings are important goals and oftentimes, in these situations, if there’s a will there’s a way.

Watson Street
Wiley Watson was a well-respected, well-known man in early Visalia history. He was involved in many civic activities including serving as one of the first members of the Visalia School District Board in the early 1850s. He lived near what is now West Street and Mineral King. When the city extended West Street south from Mineral King, the name on that extension was called Watson in his honor.

Local Masonic Certificate Surfaces
Recently, HH subscriber George Pope told me about a great old local Masonic find. It seems Steve Parker, incoming Master of the Visalia, Mineral King Lodge #128, had acquired an 1879 Masonic certificate for a relative of his named George W. Smith. The framed certificate will now adorn the wall of the Masonic Temple in Visalia. Smith was a prominent pioneer in this area and served in several county positions in the 1800s. Thanks, George, for the heads up on this great old find, and thank you Steve for keeping this old certificate and now displaying it for others to enjoy.


Renewed Interest in the Old Courthouse Annex
According to reports in the Valley Voice, The County of Tulare is studying the feasibility of reoccupying the old courthouse annex building again with county workers. At the same time the study was being done, Miles Shuper, senior reporter for the Valley Voice received a letter from Joel Bertet, a self-identified real estate developer out of Los Angeles, who indicated an interest in the old building. He was given a personal tour of the landmark building by county officials. Bertet called the building an “historic gem” and inquired about a possible purchase. Evidently, he didn’t get a positive signal on his inquiry.

The old art deco annex was approved for construction in 1934 by the County of Tulare Whether the building is maintained by the county or whether it is sold to another developer, the building deserves a fair shake and a bright future. Let’s see what the study indicates.

** There are two people that deserve special thanks from me for consistently sharing historical tidbits. Peter Cowper and Art Browning both on a regular basis add to my knowledge of local history. Thanks to both of you for that extra effort.

** Jay Belt continues to work on the buggy step restoration project and is getting bids on the restoration of the damaged step. He received some good news in that the City of Visalia will waive any encroachment fees for the work on the buggy step. Thanks to the city for doing that.

** Congratulations to Annie and Doug Silveria for hosting the 50th anniversary party for Surplus City. They bought the business from Eddie and Geraldine Lopes a number of years ago and they had a great party celebrating the 50th anniversary of this landmark business in Visalia on October 3rd.
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“There was something doing at the Santa Fe depot this morning. The agent, the warehouse man, all of the telegraph operators, and even the baggage man, were jumping around and ejecting excited and incoherent sentences in a manner that would make the wooden actors in a puppet show ashamed of themselves. All the excitement was caused by the unexpected discovery of a young alligator in a refrigerator car.” Visalia’s Tulare County Times, April 18, 1912

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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.

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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.


Sandy Newman was all over the last mystery spot; she got it quickly. She had photographed the tool impressions in the sidewalk years ago, so she knew right where to look. The location is in the sidewalk in front of Café 225. If you haven’t seen them go by and take a look. Good job Sandy, and thanks to Harvey Hosman for sharing this interesting sidewalk fossil exhibit with me years ago. By the way, J. M. Nelson was known as the “original sidewalk man” in Visalia. He did many sidewalks in the early 1900s. You can find his “signed” sidewalk work in several locations in Visalia.

Here’s A New One For You
For those of you who enjoy a little detective work, here’s one. This one stands out like a sore thumb. Nothing secretive at all about this building. Obviously we know the building name, but do you know where it is? Here are some clues:
1) If you add the numbers of the address together they total 11.
2) In 1914, the Visalia Dailey Times reported, “New Apartment House is Open to the Public.”
3) It is between two eating establishments.
4) The street it is on was once known as Cottonwood.
Good luck.


Ralph Moore
On Tuesday morning I received several sad emails announcing the passing of Visalia’s beloved Ralph Moore. Even though his passing was inevitable, it is hard to imagine Visalia without this gentle man. He was a very modest man, but it is difficult to imagine anyone more justified in boasting. He had done so much in his 102 years but I think for most people his shining accomplishment was his work with roses. Known throughout the world as the father of the miniature rose, he had created hundreds of new varieties. There is so much that can and should be said about this native Tulare County resident. Ralph’s Visalia roots run deep as he was related to the Reynolds family that settled here when the town first began. He is gone from our midst, but he left us with lots of remembrances of his passion and his life.


Caldwell Ave
For many years the road that is now Caldwell Ave was just a country road between Visalia and Tulare. In 1875, George and Matilda Caldwell lived and ranched in the area that is now the intersection of Caldwell and Mooney. For years that intersection was called “Caldwell Corner” and the street was named for this early pioneering couple.



Buggy Step To Be Restored
Just a few weeks ago, Jay Belt offered up the buggy step on Court St. at NW 1st as a mystery spot. It was a tough one and only a few of you got it. This relic of an earlier time is probably the only one remaining in Visalia. It would be a shame to let this one fall into total disrepair and crumble. Jay has agreed to lead an effort to get it restored. In doing so the buggy step will continue to be enjoyed by future generations of Visalians and visitors alike. We look forward seeing this wonderful piece of our history restored and enjoyed.


Visalia May Not Be the Oldest Town in the San Joaquin Valley Between Stockton and Los Angeles
Tulare County and Visalia historians have for at least a century, probably longer proclaimed that Visalia was the oldest town between Stockton and Los Angeles. When I have used this popular claim to fame, I refined it somewhat by saying that Visalia was the oldest existing San Joaquin Valley town between Stockton and Los Angeles. Now it “appears” there may be an older town. If this is true, all of us who proudly made the statement were wrong. But before admitting the possible mistake, there are a few more facts I need to check and I will report more on it later. Have you ever heard of French Camp?


Taylor’s Hotdogs – Yum! Yum!
A few days ago Terry Akers passed along that he had discovered some reviews on the internet of the historic Taylor’s Hotdog Stand. He suggested that if we go to Google, click on Google “Images” and type Historic Visalia, we will see many comments and reviews on Taylor’s Hotdog Stand and other historic Visalia photographs. Terry remembers going there as a young boy, but the hotdog stand was on the other corner at the time. Its original location was on the northwest corner of Encina and Center where the concrete pad can still be seen. It opened there in 1952 and moved to the northeast corner in 1984 when a new building was built. The original neon sign was kept and placed on the new building. The stand is still in the Taylor family and they are known for their special recipe chili dogs. Terry, thanks for reminding us of our famous hot dog stand.


Civil War Veteran Photos Surface
Pat Hanson was kind enough to share a photo of his great-grandfather who lived in Visalia for some time in the early 1900s. Edwin A. Brown, born in 1846 in England, was a veteran of the Civil War and a member of the local Visalia chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic. According to family lore, Edwin ran away from his home in England and traveled to Philadelphia where he used a fictitious name and enlisted in Company A, 15th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. The portrait of Edwin shows him and his wife Emma and the other photo show the local members of the Grand Army of the Republic marching in a parade in Visalia. These photos are new ones, and thanks Pat for sharing them with us.


For many years buildings have used water tanks mounted on the roofs as a way to have water available for use in the case of fire. When Visalia’s Fox Theatre was completed in 1930 it was equipped with a 5,000 gallon water tank on the roof. That tank is still up there. (It sure doesn't look like a 5,000 gallon tank to me.) The William Fox organization boasted that the gravity pressure of the water from the tank could “shoot a stream of water over the top of the county courthouse.” That building is now gone but was about the height of the old Bank of America building at Church and Main Street (now Bank of the Sierra.) That’s some pressure! By the way, if you don’t have the two Visalia’s Fabulous Fox Theatre history books, the Fox is offering them at a great price of $20.00 for both books. Call either Lance or Paul at (559) 625-1369.


** After reading about the origin of the name of Bardo Lane or Bardo Street in the last Historic Happenings, Jim Drath shared that as a 10-year old boy (in about 1954), he worked for Mrs. Wiley caring for her 15 acres of walnuts near Bardo and Walnut avenues. His job was to take care of her irrigation system. For spending an entire Saturday there he would earn $4.00.

** Remember the name L. Guggenhime? It’s the name painted on the building wall near Willis and School streets. Guggenhime apparently had a fairly deep involvement in Tulare County, as I came across his name recently on a list of investors in the Mineral King mountain road project in the 1870s.

** The Historic Visalia Postcards collection is doing well with over 150 packs already sold. If you don’t have yours yet, you’d better hurry. There are some left, but at this pace they won’t last long. Remember they are a limited edition and very fine quality. Also remember that the proceeds of the sale go towards a new series of 8 postcards. You can contact me at histerry@comcast.net if you need a set and we can arrange to get one or more to you.


"Tom Patterson, a Fresno thug lately convicted of robbery, was brought to the Visalia Jail on Monday morning last for safe keeping, the jail at Fresno being in course of repair. Patterson is the toughest looking customer ever jailed here, and to insure finding him when wanted an Oregon boot was placed on him." From Visalia’s Tulare Co. Times, February 16, 1888

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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, me, Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list.

The day after the Evers oak mystery spot was posted, Sandy Newman identified it as being at the Visalia Cemetery. But a short time later, she confessed to me she had consulted with Mr. Oak Tree – Alan George, and with his help she actually got it. Jane Nash got it also and remembered the Evers family who lived near the plaqued oak. Jane remembered Mr. Evers grew flowers and vegetables there and Bill Nash said their daughter Clara was his teacher. This mystery spot was a tough one and thanks to the few of you that got it.

Here's the New One For You

When J. M. Nelson Construction Co. of Visalia laid sidewalk, either he or one of his workers decided to leave 4 permanent hand tool impressions in the wet concrete. The tools are a hammer, screwdriver, adjustable wrench and pliers. Here are the clues to help you find the spot:
1) This concrete sidewalk area was poured probably in 1910s or 1920s.
2) This popular street that this impression is on was originally called Mill Street
3) The side of the street where this can be found is the same direction usually found at the bottom of a map.
4) This spot is in front of a building that once was a Chevrolet auto dealership.
Where is this mystery spot? Good luck!

Bardo Street runs north and south connecting Walnut and Paradise, and lies just a short distance west of Court Street. Native Visalian, Laudine Oliphant told me recently how the street got its name. In the 1950s much of the land near what is now Bardo and Walnut was open land owned by Mrs. Wiley Dixon. Dixon sold the 15-acre or so parcel for subdividing and in the course of that sale she acquired street naming rights. She named the brand new street Bardo Lane, which later became Bardo Street. Mrs. Dixon’s daughter’s name was Barbara and her 2nd husband’s daughter’s name was Doris. Combine the two and it became Bardo. Thanks Laudine, for sharing.

Vintage photographs transformed into collectible postcards and available now – VERY LIMITED SUPPLY There are hundreds if not thousands of old Visalia photographs that are locked away in private hands. Needless to say, only a select few people get to see and enjoy them. Bill Dillberg and I have undertaken a project to fix that. We have found Visalia photographs, and turned them into beautiful high quality collectible postcards. Patterned after old postcards, they measure 3 ½” x 5 ½” and have a historical description on the back. They were professionally printed and are available in very limited quantities. Collect them and/ or mail them. Each sealed pack contains the following postcards:
1) Index card showing a thumbnail of each postcard in the pack
2) Rare Camp Babbitt Band (circa 1864)
3) Ringling Bros. Circus Parade on Main Street (circa 1903)
4) Southern California Edison truck in 1945 floodwaters at Main and Court streets.
5) Tulare County Health Center building at 1549 W. Main Street (circa 1925)
6) Visalia Fire Department with hose cart (circa 1882)
7) Palace Hotel building containing Mixter’s Drug Store at Main and Court (circa 1938)
8) Visalia Public School (circa 1885)
It’s a great collection of rare old Visalia images in postcard format and available for $4.99 per pack, tax included. If you want the packs shipped, add $1.00 for the first pack and 50 cents for each pack thereafter or you can arrange for pickup. You will love everything about these postcards. One more thing, if you have a photograph that you would like to share, let me know and we can possibly make it into a postcard. Marian Cote did, and it is her Edison Co. photo included in this pack. Come on, join the pack! Questions please call me at (559) 901-3227 or email me at histerry@comcast.net

Tulare County History Reference Book Available—But Hurry!
In 1892 Thomas H. Thompson published the classic Official Historical Atlas Map of Tulare County. In this amazing volume can be found important historical facts and names pertaining to our history, but before now, there was no index, so finding specific pieces of information was difficult. Now thanks to the Sequoia Genealogical Society, we have a 298-page comprehensive index that is bound in gorgeous burgundy hard cover. Only 100 copies were printed. Most of them were pre-sold so only a very few copies are available for purchase. Joseph Vicenti did most if not all of the indexing and he is good. Darned good! Cost is $24.50 plus tax and shipping. Questions? Please call (559) 685-2342 or email tuleroots@sbcglobal.net

Chimney Pot—No, Not Chamber Pot
Recently, Ann Shaw, an HH subscriber and antique expert, explained the term “chimney pot” to me. She showed me a clay one that she had in her backyard and explained that at least one Victorian era house in Visalia had one mounted on the top of its chimney. And just as she said, the house she directed me to had a “crown” type chimney pot. The house is located on the southeast corner of Tulare and Court Street. For centuries, these chimney pots served two purposes. First, they helped the “draw” of the fireplace and secondly they became an attractive design element for the house. We need to see if Visalia has more. If you spot another one, please let me know. Ann, we appreciate the lesson on chimney pots and now we know “What That's All About.”

** The carriage or buggy step looks like it is going to be restored. It doesn’t appear as if it is going to be a big job, and is certainly going to be worth the effort. The step at the Deveraux Law Firm could be the only remaining one in Visalia.

** Peter Cowper shared that as a 16-year old in about October 1964, he was one of the first employees at the Visalia Fair Mall. He worked at Woolworth’s part time and therefore was not entitled to free meals. But manager “Nellie Buck” would have no part of that, and she would conveniently announce “mistake on the grill” and deliver the burger and fries to Peter. No wonder Woolworth’s went out of business!

** Kathy and Harvey Hosman shared some great historical treasures. Kathy had a nice collection of 1955 flood photographs with most marked with exact locations, and Harvey shared keepsakes from his past as a Visalia Times Delta newspaperman. Thanks guys!

** Rosemary, who lives at Whidbey Island, Washington, recently came to Visalia and placed a bronze plaque near the homesite of her great grandfather, John Holmes Huntley, an early pioneer of Visalia. She mounted the plaque on a granite stone by her favorite oak tree near Willow and Wind streets on the East side of town—a tree she played under as a child. She promises to share more about her famous great grandfather. Rosemary, thank you for making sure the memory of your great grandfather isn’t forgotten. I am looking forward to hearing more about him.


“Bobby Gray, nine years old, is whistling his way from Sacramento to New Mexico, and is stopping in Visalia over the weekend to demonstrate what a human mocking bird can do. Bobby whistled when six weeks old instead of crying…he specializes in bird calls and can give true-to-life imitations of any bird call. His whistling demonstration should have a appeal to Boy Scouts…” Visalia Times Delta, Saturday, February 9, 1935.

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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, me, Terry Ommen at histerry@comcast.net. I will add you to the list.


Finally, Mystery Spot Identified!
Well, finally, we had a mystery spot that really was a “stumper.” It took a full week for someone to get it, and the winner is…. subscriber Harvey Hosman. He correctly identified the location of the so-called buggy or carriage step. J. M. and Peggy Bragg shortly thereafter came in with the right answer also. But only two of you got it. The concrete and brick relic is on the NW 1st Street curb at Court Street adjacent to the Deveraux Law Firm at 603 No. Court. It has some obvious damage, and go by and take a look. Very interesting. Even though it seems obvious that it is a buggy step, it sure would be nice to find proof that it actually was. A photo of it in use would be the “smoking gun.” Thanks Valerie Deveraux for letting us highlight your law firm and thanks Jay Belt for suggesting this as a mystery spot.

Now, Ready to Try A New Mystery Spot?
Where is this bronze/brass plaque? It has been hanging on this oak tree for a long time, so let’s see how observant you have been. Warning—this could prove to be more difficult the buggy step. Here are the clues:
1) It is on public property
2) Albert Evers is buried in the Visalia Cemetery
3) People are always resting under the shade of this old oak tree
4) Just a few feet away, water is being pumped from deep underground.
Good luck!



Life in 2009…Buried Deep in Concrete
The new Santa Fe overcrossing is being worked on right now, and when finished it will have 4 ornate corner pillars. Thanks to some good thinking on the part of Visalia City officials, time capsules will be placed in 2 of the pillars. One capsule will be scheduled for opening in 50 years, the other in 100. What do you think should be included in these capsules? What items do you think would help those future residents understand life in 2009 in Visalia. Call Nancy Loliva, Community Relations Manager at 713-4535 or email her at nloliva@ci.visalia.ca.us with your ideas. Deadline is September 10 and ask about the “sealing party” in October.


Remember Visalia Fair Mall?
This great old photograph is for everybody, but especially for Rudy. It shows the East side of the Visalia Fair Mall, now Visalia Mall. Sure has changed since the early 1963 about the time this photo was taken. Seems the only thing that stayed is See’s Candy.



Big Celebration
On Saturday, October 17, 2009, from 10:00am to 2:00pm there will be a party at Mooney Grove Park. The reason for the celebration? Well, first of all, the park is 100 years old and secondly, the new Museum of Farm Labor and Agriculture will be officially open. Park entrance fees will be waived for the event, so calendar it now. Also check this out—a chance to win $250.00 for the winner of the Mooney Grove Park Centennial Logo Art Contest. Contact Jed Chernabaeff at (559) 636-5000 for details. September 9, 2009 is the deadline! For all other birthday party details, contact Mila Magana at mmagana@co.tulare.ca.us



Photographs of Visalia Lawman and Wife Surface
Constable William English was an elected lawman in the 1890s in the Visalia Township. Very few (I know of only one) photographs exist of this lawman who by the way was present at Stone Corral to see the mortally wounded John Sontag, the victim of a posse ambush. Maureen Anderson, reference librarian in the Annie Mitchell History Room, contacted me some days ago and told me William English’s Great Grandson was in Visalia researching his Great Grandfather. I met with Jon Goodfellow and his wife Teresa and thanks to Jon, a nice photograph of his Great Grandfather William English and his wife Eda now exists locally. Thanks to this nice couple, who made the long trip to Visalia on a history search, it is because of them that our history was made more complete!




Assorted
{{}} A number of you responded to the request for auction item donations, and thanks to each of you. The Tulare County Historical Society will hold its annual BBQ/Auction on Saturday, September 26th at Mooney Grove Park. Proceeds from the BBQ and auction go to museum projects. More auction items are needed and welcomed. More information go to: http://www.tularecountyhistoricalsociety.org/
{{}} Thanks to all of you who shared memories of the historic Visalia Tea Garden and Estrada’s restaurants. It is very clear that both have left their mark on many people. I’d love to share some of your stories, but space is limited.
{{}} Terry Akers, an HH subscriber shared that when he was growing up in Visalia in the 1950s, Elmer’s Café was on Giddings Avenue across from the ballpark. About 60 years later, the Elmer’s building is still there having housed scores of restaurants with many different names over the years. Do you remember Elmer’s? Owner apparently came to Visalia from Texas or Oklahoma.



“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 ‘cures 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.” Visalia Equal Rights Expositor, September 7, 1862 (About 6 months before the newspaper was destroyed by soldiers stationed in Visalia)