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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.

Wow, this one proved to be a tough one! Carole Mathewson, a former Visalian now living in Payson, Arizona was first to get it. Not surprising though, as her roots run deep in Visalia. Congratulations Carole for that long distance win! By the way, the correct answer was the decorative section above the main front entrance to the 1935 courthouse annex on Court between Center and Oak streets.

Now for the new one. Where is this building? Here are the clues:

1) The building once housed Gross and Stevens auto repair
2) It was across the street from Tom’s Automotive
3) I believe the business today continues to work on vehicles
4) When you add the street address numbers together, they total “7”.
Good luck.

Race Ave

In the late 1850s, the people of Visalia enjoyed the sport of horse racing—both as participants and observers. In fact, Visalia had a horse racing track near what is now the Ice House Theatre. Few details are known about the track, but Race Ave gets its name from that popular Visalia hangout.

The Other McDonald’s

Eleanor Bergthold mentioned McDonald’s Café recently. Not the McD’s we hear so much about today with Big Mac, but another McDonald’s. It was a fairly regular stop for her family for Sunday dinner. It was located across from the Fox Theatre. This circa 1963 photo shows it about where Little Italy is now. At one time there was a second McDonald’s Café in Visalia located at Center and Floral streets, and there were others throughout the valley. The company printed beautiful artistic placemats and here is a portion showing Visalia.

The Gas Company Building – Dramatic Changes

Sometime ago Norm Atkins shared a nice old photograph of the Southern California Gas Co. building on the southwest corner of Main and Floral streets. Norm transferred with the company to the Visalia office in 1974 and retired in 1993. The building has gone through considerable change over the years as you can see. Norm pointed out that in the Gas Company’s early years, the company actually sold appliances, which explains the display windows.. The Gas Company also had people who demonstrated gas appliances and they held cooking classes so they had a small auditorium in the building. Thanks Norm for sharing this great old photograph.

More Hospital History
The old Kaweah Hospital/Garcia House that I mentioned in a past HH created considerable interest. Jan Morrison asked about the single story, red brick, double wing hospital that replaced the Garcia House. After the Garcia House/Kaweah Hospital that was located where the Visalia Times Delta is now, was vacated, a new hospital was built where Kaweah Delta is now. The new 32-bed hospital was built with Works Progress Administration (WPA) money and had its open house in October, 1936. The current Kaweah Delta Hospital is on the same site and replaced the WPA structure in 1969 when the new hospital opened. Does anyone have a nice clear photo of the old WPA hospital? By the way, Ernest J. Kump was the WPA hospital architect.

Reed and Bell – A Part of A & W

Recently, Susan Mangini posed a question about an orange shaped eatery on Main Street. She thought it could have been an A&W or Reed and Bell. I located a photo, not a nice direct shot, but a photo nonetheless that shows the orange shaped building on the far left. It looks to me to be on the corner of West and Main streets, south side of the street. Is this the building, Susan? If it is, it could be Visalia’s Reed and Bell Drive-in, and it was probably the beginning of A&W in Visalia. The Reed & Bell Drive-in was located at Main and West at 501 W. Main and I show it there in the mid 1920s. Roy Allen sold A&W franchises to Lewis Reed and H. C. Bell and Visalia had one of them. So Susan, I don’t know that I know the complete answer to your question. Reminds me of the big oranges that at one time were up and down SR 99.

*** Tom Lewis (Mt. Whitney Grad 1967) thought he recalled combined Mt. Whitney and Redwood High graduation ceremonies. Were there ever combined graduations? Can anyone help?

***Several leads and ideas have come in on the Mixter Drug scale, but none that totally solve the mystery.

***Re: The Habit that is taking over the Mearles site, the malt or soda glass that was on the top panel of the building is coming back after restoration. It will be put back on the building.

***Joseph Johnson is looking for information. “I have family who have been in Visalia, California since the 1800s. They were into mining and lumber. My grandfather, Joseph H. Johnson was a businessman in Visalia. I am trying to find any information on a sawmill or lumber yard he may have had there, near the old train depot. This was before 1950, and I remember all of the machinery being driven by leather belts, powered by steam engine from an overhead system of pulleys. If you can put me in touch with anybody who remembers this or has any information pertaining to this, I would greatly appreciate it.” Can anyone help Joseph?

A bill is under consideration in the legislature authorizing cities and counties to license bicycles, the fees collected to go towards constructing exclusive bicycle paths along country roads. The cyclers have been the most persistent advocates of good roads, and the idea of placing a part of the tax incident to their construction directly on the wheelmen will meet no serious objection.

Visalia’s Tulare Times, January 26, 1899

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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 James Hitchcock who got the latest mystery spot correct. The building is the IOOF Building on Court Street (Sharples is on the ground floor) between Main and Acequia. Good job again, James.

Now for the next one. Where is this building? Here are the clues:

1)      It was built 1935

2)      It shared the block with Minerva for many years

3)      It was built because there was a need for more space

4)      For many decades the site was a community gathering point

Good luck!

Old City Hall Cornerstone Uncovered

Today I received a call from Brian Vanciel, City of Visalia Wastewater Collection Supervisor and he told me his crew had found an interesting historical relic behind the City of Visalia police and fire departments along Mill Creek. I met his crew  (Rick Paredez, Cruz Ruiz and Geraldo Silva) and they told me they had been cleaning brush along Mill Creek and discovered a historical marker built into a concrete cinderblock wall. I looked at it and believed it had been part of a former city hall building at Acequia and Church. I later verified it. Why it was saved from the razing of the old city hall building, I don’t know, but I suspect they didn’t have the heart to toss out the old historic relic. Now it can be seen in a concrete wall just on the north side of Mill creek between Johnson and Stevenson. By the way, my records indicate the old city hall building that it was part of, was built in 1910 and torn down in 1970. At that time the new city hall was built near Acequia and Johnson which might explain why they took the cornerstone  and incorporated into the wall. The 100 year old plus etched stone is a nice visual when walking along Mill Creek.

Mixter’s Drug and the Special Scale

For many years Mixters Drug sat on the corner of Main and Court streets on the ground floor of the old Palace Hotel shown here in 1939. Barbara Hinds Joseph recalls that the Mixters Drug Store, had an old scale that was located in the back of the store near the pharmacy counter. In 1983, she had her picture taken next to the scale. Barbara would like to know what happened to it. Anyone know?

Remember Longs?

Jon Greeson shared this photograph with us. A longtime Longs Drug employee (1982-2010), Jon misses his old employer. Longs was bought out by CVS. The Longs shown here opened at the Visalia Fair Mall in November 1964 and was located where Old Navy is now. Thanks Jon.

Livestock Sales Yard

Former Visalian Jim Parks shared a photograph taken by his father James L. Parks, showing the dedication ceremony for the new livestock sales yard. This photo was taken from the top of the Sequoia Walnut Growers facility at Ben Maddox and Goshen on March 9, 1940 and shows the hundreds of people in attendance Thanks Jim for sharing your dad’s photograph. By the way, Sandy Newman provided a written copy of the Farm Bureau and Livestock Marketing Association History. Great stuff!

Mearle’s is Flying High                         
Well, another piece of the Mearle’s Drive In chapter is no more.  On Tuesday, June 7, 2011, all the Mearle’s signs came down from the 71-year old building to make way for the restoration of the old timer. The Mearle’s tower sign (the one at the very top of the building) went up in 1962 we believe, and it became a welcome sight for many travelers and locals hungry for a tasty meal. The almost 50-year old Mearle’s sign was a beacon of sorts, and now makes way for a new chapter for the old building. I look forward to the new chapter (The Habit) for this landmark building. By the way, the Mearle’s signs are now safely at the Tulare County Museum at Mooney Grove Park.

Charles Whitmore—Another Prominent Visalia Journalist                                                              

Sheila Holder recently visited Mary Elizabeth, the daughter of Charles Whitmore, a former editor of the Visalia Times. Delta and she shared this group photo with Sheila. He was born in 1876, came to Visalia in 1906, and in 1909 he purchased the Visalia Delta and ran the newspaper until the 1928 merger of the Delta and the Times, although he remained with the Visalia Times Delta until 1944. He was on the State Board of Education and he was a State Highway Commissioner. He died in 1949 in Los Angeles. This photograph shows the Whitmore family with a who’s who of Visalians on the front porch of the Whitmore home at 300 West Grove. Home still stands today. I wonder why Nat Levy (the man in the lower left) has a garden hose in his hand?

***Gilbert Gia, well-known Kern County historian, is so generous in sharing Tulare County/Visalia history that he finds in the Bakersfield Californian newspaper. His latest sharing is a story about “The Four Horsemen” (Tulare County boys) who joined the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) before the U.S. entered World War II. Thanks, Gil.

***Alan George identified the artist of the Visalia illustrated map highlighted in the last HH as K. Kramer. Anyone know anything about him? He did a similar Tulare County map.

***Speaking of the Hotel Johnson, Karen Kirkpatrick has an old iron bed frame from the hotel and I have 2 Astra Bentwood dining room chairs from there also.  And by the way, according to Sally Gerrard Boyne, the Stephen Gerrard family had lunch there after church each Sunday. Sally called it “elegant.”

***Anyone remember Sierra Blvd? Art Browning tells me that prior to the 198 Freeway, Sierra Blvd ran east and west, but was only located west of Visalia.

***Duane Copley shared that he and his brothers were raised in the family home at 800 W. Myrtle, part of the Home Builders Tract. He recalls some of his neighbors were, the Chambers (Dry Cleaners), John Locke (the judge), Annie Mitchell (Tulare County historian, and More Peterson (county official.)

***Bill Allen’s wife Margaret is the sister of Evelyn Jordan, a former owner of the old Garcia home—the house that became Kaweah Hospital. Dwight, her husband, and Evelyn Jordan were the last to live in the house before the property was sold to the Visalia Times Delta and the house came down.

***Joseph Johnson emailed me and advised that he had descendants in Visalia all the way back to the 1800s. His grandfather, Joseph H. Johnson was a Visalia businessman who had a sawmill or lumberyard near the “train depot.” Anyone know that name Joseph H. Johnson? If so, let me know and I’ll pass along the information.

Griffis Park - Visalia’s Exclusive Residence Tract

Your attention is again called to the location on South Court Street—north of Tulare Avenue. Only short walk from Palace Hotel corner. If you are at all interested in providing yourself and family with a home in this City’s finest neighborhood which is restricted against all persons other than Caucasians, and eight other specific restrictions which are protective to your best interests—then either call at the office or phone, and one of our salesmen will be pleased to interview you at your convenience.

Part of an ad from the Visalia Morning Delta, January 24, 1915

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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.

Art Browning correctly identified the last mystery spot as the old Purity Store building on the northeast corner of Center and Court streets. Congratulations, Art! This is two in a row for you.

Check out the new mystery spot. I don’t think you can miss this one. Here are the clues:
1) Julius Levy was an early founder of the organization that continues to occupy the building.
2) It was known as the Brown Building for many years because it was built by Samuel Carr Brown.
3) The building at one time housed the Model Department Store
4) The building had a serious fire in 1949.
Where is this building? Good luck!


Kaweah Hospital

Art Browning and Barbara Hinds Joseph both shared early recollections of old Visalia and both mentioned the early Kaweah Hospital. Barbara in fact was born there, and so was Pauline Crutts Bowers. Art recalls after it ceased being a hospital it was converted to an apartment building called the Victoria Apts. Art and his wife rented the old operating room after the Brownings were married in 1958. By the way, the old Kaweah Hospital served from 1921-1937 and its address was 415 W. School, where the Visalia Times Delta is now. Before becoming a hospital in 1921, it was owned by J. V. Garcia and some still refer to it as the Garcia Home. Before the Garcias, it was owned by Donald Malloch.


Woolworths/Sam Goody—Visalia Fair Mall

In the last issue of HH, I mentioned that an HH follower asked about a photograph of Woolworths and Sam Goody, businesses in the old Visalia Fair Mall. I actually had a photo showing Woolworth’s located on the north side of the mall. Regarding Sam Goody, I’m told it was where Red Robin is now. I have found no exterior photographs, but here is an interior photo showing, on the left Karen Russell Kirkpatrick and on the right Ann Celery Hansen, both Sam Goody employees in the mid 1980s. Notice the shelves lined with music cassette tapes—almost all museum pieces now. Karen is a faithful HH follower and thanks for allowing me to share this photograph. One other historical point. Visalia Fair Mall reportedly was the first of the San Joaquin Valley’s air conditioned mall shopping centers. It was built in 1964.

Old Visalia Illustrated Map

Recently, native Visalian, Alan George gave me a copy of a historically illustrated map of Visalia. It is marked Visalians, Inc. 1992 on the lower right corner. Very nicely done with great artwork. Anyone know who did the artwork? Thanks Alan.

Interior Hotel Johnson—A Beauty on the Inside, too.

In the last HH, the Hotel Johnson was featured. In its heyday, it was a real beauty and James Hitchcock asked about interior photos. Here are a couple during its glory days in 1938. As mentioned before, it was located on the northeast corner of Main and Church streets and built in 1917. A fire destroyed it in 1968. By the way, Nancy Barnes mentioned that her aunt and uncle ate every lunch and dinner at the hotel for over 20 years. That’s pretty amazing!

***A couple of postings back of HH, I mentioned the “Blood Bucket.” HH follower George Reece recalls a bar near Linnell Camp unofficially called the “Blood Bucket.” He was a liquor control officer in the early 1950s and recalls the bar acquired the rather descriptive name Blood Bucket for obvious reasons.
***After several years of preliminary work, the Home Builders Tract of homes just north of Mt. Whitney is edging closer to historic status. The 100+ homes represent 1920s and 1930s architectural and deserve recognition as a historic district. The area lies between Watson and Conyer and Mineral King and Myrtle streets.
***Pauline Crutts Bowers would like to know if anyone knew any member of the Cigrand and Crutts families of Visalia. Let me know and I’ll pass along the information.
***Art Browning shared that he thought the Visalia Chicken Hawks team was a girls softball team. Any former Chicken Hawks out there?
***Erin Hayden believes Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, after a Visalia Country Club Golf Tournament, visited the Crowe’s.

The Slop Man

Slowly he drives around the town
With his ill-smelling load,
And as he goes a trail of filth
Streaks and defiles the road.
A scene like this disturbs one’s nose
And aggravates one’s sight;
The city dads should make the chap
Pursue his rounds at night.
Visalia Daily Morning Delta, February 25, 1897

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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.

Good job Art! The last mystery spot was correctly identified as Pacific House on the northwest corner Church and Oak streets. Art Browning was the first to get it, but over 20 of you also identified it correctly. Now the next one is going to be a little harder. Here are the clues:

1)      The building was built as a market and sold meat, groceries, fruit, and vegetables

2)      It was part of a grocery chain

3)      The building was built in 1937

4)      The business boasted that the building had “produce fixtures of the latest type with the use of water sprays and suction fans to keep vegetables garden fresh.”

Good luck.

Johnson Hotel—One of the Finest

The 5-story Hotel Johnson was finished in 1917 and for many years it was considered one of the finest hotels in the San Joaquin Valley. It proudly stood on the northeast corner of Main and Church streets (where the Bank of America is now.) J. C. Hickman, as a Visalia Times Delta reporter went there often to attend service club meetings including Rotary. Many remember the beautiful old hotel. On May 3, 1968, a fire started in the building, probably from a guest smoking in bed, and J. C. Hickman covered the story. The building was not totally destroyed, but the age of the building and the damage made it an easy mark for the wrecking ball. By the way, the Hotel Johnson fire claimed two lives.

Visalia’s Night Hawks

Barb Armo, daughter of Jack and Lillie Armo, asked a question about what team her father might have played baseball for in the 1930s. According to my records, there were a number of teams during that period of time, some representing businesses and service clubs in town. But by far the most successful and popular of the teams was the Visalia Night Hawks. My guess is that Jack Armo played for the Night Hawks. The team was big in the 1930s and played other valley teams like the Hanford Kings, Porterville Reds and the Dinuba Sun Maids. The Night Hawks played at Recreation Park and the ticket price was ten cents per game. Can anyone help Barb in identifying the team that perhaps her father, Jack Armo, might have played for? By the way this team logo patch is believed to be from the Night Hawks, although it is possible that it represented the female team known as the Visalia Chicken Hawks. Does anyone know which team used this patch? It is a beauty!

Bing and Bob at Sequoia Field
Several postings ago in HH, the subject of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope coming to Sequoia Field was mentioned. There was good circumstantial evidence to suggest that it was true, but now we have what I believe to be, smoking gun evidence. This photo came to me from a credible source and on the back of the picture is written Sequoia Field 1941. Clearly it now appears that Bing and Bob did make their appearance at Sequoia Field. On a related subject, Leslie Caviglia, supplied this photo of Bing Crosby in 1975 showing her father-in-law James “Jim” Caviglia with Bing Crosby in one of the family’s orange groves. Bing came to the Caviglia orange grove to shoot a Florida Orange Juice commercial. Yes a Florida orange juice commercial and it raised some eyebrows among the neighboring Tulare County orange growers.

 Mineral King Ave

Mineral King Ave has its origin with the old mountain mining and resort area by the same name. As early as 1898 references were being made to the Mineral King road heading east out of town. When the town was first laid out, the street on the town’s south boundary was called South St. Later it was changed to Mineral King.

Two Old Publications Surface

J. C. Hickman, a career newspaperman and former managing editor of the Visalia Times Delta, recently shared two important historical Visalia publications. One was a magazine called “Achievement Number” published by the Visalia Daily Times in 1914. It is packed with ads, photographs and stories. The magazine provides valuable insight into the life in Visalia almost 100 years ago. The second magazine called Sunset was a publication of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and was published in 1904. Inside there is a 10-page article called “The Story of Visalia” with photographs. Both of these magazines are great resources. Thanks for sharing, J.C.

***In the January 26, 2011 posting of HH, a reader asked about a bar east of Visalia known as the “Blood Bucket.” Joseph Vicente did some checking and noticed in the October 19, 1946, Visalia Times Delta a reference to a “bloody bucket district.” It was just a passing reference and apparently was referring to an area east of Visalia. Not much, but a little something for those interested. Still no Blood Bucket.

***The Visalia United School District is asking the public for possible names for the new schools they will soon build. So far, two HH readers are suggesting the names Michael Mooney and another Ralph Moore. Both names are well-founded in Visalia history and both would be positive names for a Visalia school.

***The Southern Sierra Archaeology Society has asked if I would present a program on Fort Visalia. I agreed to do it and it is free and open to the public. The program will be at the Tulare County Office of Education building on Burrel in Visalia at 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 17, 2011

***Remember Woolworth’s and Sam Goody’s in the Visalia Fair Mall? Remember Gemco and Kay Bee Toys on Mooney Blvd. An HH reader would sure like to see a photo of these from that 1980s period.  Any pictures out there?

“There is no town in California that can compete with Visalia when it comes to graceful and accomplished lady dancers.”    Daily Morning Delta, September 17, 1896