Wednesday, December 9, 2015


 An old photo postcard image of Main St. Visalia, circa 1910.    This is a view looking east down Main, taken between Court and Locust Streets.
The 'Holt Block' building is at the left foreground. It was built in 1886 by Fred S. Holt.     He was part of the Holt family of Stockton, who were pioneers in tractor manufacturing.    The photograph is by John Bowers of Long Beach, CA.   Bowers produced these 'semi-panoramic' postcards of scenes throughout California.
 Two close-up views:
 



 Image of a little girl with dog.   From a small carte de visite  photo,  circa 1886.
Photo by  A. P. Bailey  (Excelsior Photograph Gallery),   Tulare, CA.   
"Tiny & Mary" is written on the back of the photograph.


 Photo postcard of the Bank of Tulare and the Tulare Block building (to the left), circa 1907.    This bank was on the NW corner of  K Street and Tulare Ave., Tulare CA.


 Photo postcard of the Brick Block building, Woodlake CA.   Circa 1918.   It was located at the NE corner of  Valencia and Naranjo Boulevards.


Photo postcard of  Spalding Lumber on S. Pepper St., Woodlake.  Circa 1914.


Fruit drying in Orosi, circa 1910.


Thursday, November 26, 2015

Below are a few photo postcard images by Lindley Eddy.   
For 30 years, Mr. Eddy was the photography concessionaire at Giant Forest (Sequoia National Park).    During some of these years, he apparently spent the winter months in the Three Rivers/Lemon Cove area.  
In 1934,  Lindley Eddy married the widowed  Helen Gladys (Emery) Aoki.


 The photographer's stamp on the back of this postcard states:  "Photograph by Lindley Eddy,  Kaweah, Tulare Co., Cal.".    
It's postmarked 7/20/1911.   Camp Sierra was along the northern margin of Round Meadow.
 Close up:


 Image circa 1912.


Image of the Giant Forest Hotel/Lodge dining hall, circa 1916.  This lodge was at the same location as Camp Sierra.

 The Giant Forest Lodge in snow, circa 1916.


Road to the General Sherman Tree, circa 1920.


Tuesday, November 17, 2015



Photograph from the studio of E. M. Davidson, Visalia, 1892.
Someone has written on the back of this photo: "Aunt Carrie, Uncle Mark McKee".   Most likely this is an image of Marcus Lafayette McKee and his wife Caroline Virginia Ragle, who were married on 10/5/1892 near Woodlake.   Their grave-stone (in Exeter) list their names as: "Mark L. McKee" and "Carrie V. McKee".        The 'Blair-Moffett Families, History and Genealogy', by Eva Pogue Kirkman (1935); indicates that Caroline was a "vineyardist".

Photo postcard of Exeter, circa 1920.    Judging from the location of the water-tower, this would be a view looking east from Pine Street



An old photo postcard of the Johnson Hotel, circa 1922.   This hotel was on the NE corner of Church and Main Streets (Visalia).    It was built in 1917, and torn down in 1968; after suffering damage from a fire.


From the Visalia studio of  A. R. Moore. Circa 1891.


From the Tulare studio of James Turner Doran.  Circa 1893.


A photo postcard of Lemon Cove;  postmarked September 24, 1909.
The photographer's stamp on the back states: "Photo by Weissenfluh, Visalia, Cal".
The two-story brick building, in the foreground, was destroyed by fire some time during the 1950's.
Close-up:
Note the sign for telephone service (bell shaped).  The sign that says "Call" refers to the San Francisco Call  newspaper.


Panoramic view of Lindsay from 1910.   This is actually a double-sized photo postcard.
A couple close-ups:




Saturday, October 10, 2015

  
 Written on the back of this photograph: "Carroll S. Hayes".    Carroll Hayes was the editor of the Traver Tidings newspaper in Traver, CA.        During the mid-1880's Traver was an agricultural boom-town.  
 According to the Tulare County Times:      On the evening of 9/19/1886, Mr. Hayes and his fiancee, Lulu Smith, were visiting the home of Dr. L. M. Lovelace in Lemoore when someone fired a gun through the screen door striking Mr. Hayes in the head and neck with buckshot, killing him instantly.        18 year old Henry S. Beaver was accused and prosecuted for the murder.    Mr. Beaver had asked Lulu Smith to marry him that previous summer, and she had refused.     Beaver was apparently jealous of Carroll Hayes, and had made some vague threats in reference to Hayes, e.g. "Someone will have to kill".    Beaver borrowed a shotgun with buckshot just prior to the murder.
The evidence was circumstantial, and Henry Beaver was eventually acquitted of the charges.


Photo postcard circa 1915.  Group photo of the Visalia Steam Laundry employees.
Close-up:



Lindsay's Fraternal Hall, circa 1908.    Rochdale was a cooperative wholesale store.


Porterville, circa 1909.   Looking north down Main Street, near its intersection with Oak Avenue.


Saturday, September 19, 2015

 Photo of Orosi's baseball team, circa 1903.       I believe the man sitting in the front row, far right, has a team sponsor stenciled across his white shirt... It looks like "Lockridge Aer Motor".     "Aer Motor" may refer to the Aermotor Windmill Company, this company has been producing windmill powered water pumps since 1888.   Perhaps "Lockridge" was a local distributor of these pumps.(?)


 A photo postcard of Orosi, CA.    Circa 1908.   The two story building to the right is the Hall of Orosi Lodges.   At the right foreground is J. F. McQuaig's  blacksmith shop.     Compare this to the photo posted on May 22, 2012  which appears to show the same flooded street, but looking the opposite direction.

 
 On the back of this photo postcard is written:  "This is Palm Ave in Orosi taken between 1902 & 1903.   Dick Price  ditch tender and W. W. Barnes editor of Orosi Offer and Justice of  Peace in Orosi Township".          The "Orosi Offer" refers to a weekly newspaper.   Washington Westley Barnes started this newspaper,  prior to that he was the city editor for the Visalia Times.   Mr. Barnes passed-away on 10/24/1915, at the age of 78....  I assume that he is the man at the right edge of this image.
The street sign indicates that the cross-street here is El Monte Way.    Apparently there is no longer a street named "Palm Avenue"  in Orosi.


 Another photo postcard from Orosi, CA.   This one circa 1917.


Photo postcard postmarked from Ducor, CA. April 16, 1909.    The Tulare County Historical Society's website says this about the Ducor Hotel:    "...built in 1907, with 36 rooms and a dining room, which accommodated the many travelers from around the state as they came by train to make the trip by stage to California Hot Springs to soak in the healing mineral baths."
If I remember correctly, Annie Mitchell's family owned an interest in this Hotel.


An old photo postcard of the 1909 Dinuba girls basketball team (I assume it's their high school team).


Sunday, August 2, 2015


Walter Russell Robb, Orosi 1897.
Orosi, circa 1897.
On the back of the photograph is written:   "Grandpa Robb & Marguerite at the ranch in Orosi."; below that someone else has written:  "Helen wrote this - It was my Father".          Most likely this is an image of Marguerite R. Robb and her father Walter Russell Robb. "Helen" probably refers to Marguerite's sister-in-law, Helen Louise Eby.    The Robb family is listed as residents of Orosi, in the 1900 U.S. Census.
Close up:
Marguerite R. Robb , Orosi 1897




Springville California 1910
Photo postcard of the Springville Hotel (Springville, CA).   It's postmarked September 1910.


Woodlake Cash Grocery Store  1913
An old photo postcard image.  The year is apparently 1913, e.g. There are 2 posters in the background announcing Ringling Bros. Circus coming to Visalia on "Fri. Sept. 5", (this would be in 1913).
I've found no record of a store in Tulare County with the name "Mussen".    In fact,  I couldn't find anyone living in Tulare County with the last name "Mussen" between the years 1900 - 1925.      The person who sent this postcard (to his wife) identifies the two men as "Musson & Son".    I own several postcards from this person, and one of them is definitely from Woodlake.   Also,  the newspaper being held by one of the men appears to be the "Woodlake Echo".    I did find a William M. Musson in the 1916 voter's registration, living in Woodlake; his  occupation is listed as "grocer".  His son also lived in Woodlake around this time.   
 A grocer's trade journal (published April 7, 1916) states: "Woodlake, Cal. -  H. Rassmissen has purchased the Woodlake Cash Grocery Store from Wm. Musson."     It's strange that their name would be misspelled on the store's awning.

 
E. J. Kildare , Visalia
Photo by E. J. Kildare of Visalia,  circa 1873.   There is some writing on the back of the photograph,  much of it is hard to decipher.    But it does indicate that her name might be  "Maria".


S. W. Watrous , Visalia 1870s
Photograph by S. W. Watrous of Visalia,  circa 1881.


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Both photographs below are of Frances 'Fannie' Norma Bragg (1873 - 1945).  The first photo is by S.W. Watrous of Visalia, circa 1888. Fannie is 14 or 15 years old here.    The second photograph, by C.A. Myers, states her age is 18.   Frances married Julius S. Glenn in 1900, in Tulare County. They had several children.

 

 Frances Norma Bragg  1888

On the back of the photograph is written:  "Fannie N. Bragg.  Yokohl  Tulare Co, Cal - 14 yrs", (the "4" of "14"  may be a  "5").   On the opposite corner of the back someone has written "Rowena Millsap".  Perhaps  the photo was sent to Rowena (?)

Frances Norma Bragg (Glenn) 1892
On the back of this photo is written:  "Fannie Bragg  - 18 yrs.  Yokohl,  Tulare Co, Cal.  Dec. 1892".   Fannie would have turned 19 at the end of that December.    As with the previous photo, the name "Rowena Millsap" is written in another corner of the back.
(Update 4/26/19)  In the book  Yokohl,  A History of Its People and Their Culture. by Schott Barker, it mentions Frances and her family.  e.g.  Her father, Norman Hart Bragg,  started the Blue Ridge School in the Upper Yokohl Valley.  Frances was educated by her father and she taught at this school until her marriage to Julius Glenn.


Friday, July 17, 2015



A 1923 photo of  a barbershop, most likely in Lindsay CA.   Three of the four calendars on the back wall are from Lindsay businesses, the forth calendar doesn't list the business's  location.      "The Flirt" poster  in the back may refer to the popular 1917 silent movie of that name.


A 1921 photo postcard  of the 6th grade class from Olive Street Grammar School in Porterville.


Another 1921 postcard/class photo from the Olive Street school .   Perhaps this is the fifth grade ?



The photos below came from the same old album,  unfortunately no names were listed with the photographs.   Some of the people are in more than one photo.


Photograph by S. W. Watrous, circa 1888.


Photograph by E. M. Davidson of Visalia,  circa 1892


Another photograph by Davidson, circa 1887.


Photo by C. A. Myers


Photographer,  A. R. Moore  had a studio in Gilroy during the early 1880s, and later in Visalia and Porterville.   Moore also apparently had summertime studios in the Grant Grove area (e.g. at Millwood), from about 1893 to 1902.  


Photo by C. C. Curtis, circa 1885.
Curtis had studios in Hanford and Traver,  he took photographs throughout Tulare County.  He is probably the most well known photographer who worked in Tulare Co. during this period.  Curtis is known best for his photos of the Kaweah Colony and for his images involving the logging of giant redwoods. 


Photograph by E. M. Davidson, circa 1892.