Here are several photographs by Howard Clinton Tibbitts, circa 1911

These images were scanned from glass negatives.

Tibbitts was a San Francisco based photographer who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad documenting landscapes, towns, agriculture, parks, and other local scenes to help promote passenger travel on the railroad.  His work was used in the railroad’s magazine SUNSET starting with the first publication in 1898.

Close-up from photo above:

Tibbitts listed the above image as "Stage at Juanita Meadows" in one of his photographic journals,  and the photos below he listed as scenes from the California Grove Sequoias.   Some guild books from around 1915 (see here , here and here),   tell of  this particular stagecoach tour of  California Grove, via Juanita Meadows.  e.g.  An excerpt from The Tourist's California,  by Ruth Kendzie Wood (1914):
"...A stage leaves Lemon Cove early in the morning for Camp Juanita (18 m.) where the night is passed. To the east of the road is Sequoia National Park in the upper part of which is the famous Giant Forest. (Through this Reserve another road passes from Lemon Cove, the trail continuing north via Horse Corral.).     On the second day the stage passes through the sequoia forest called California Grove which has been open to travel only a few years and contains the most numerous assemblage of tree giants some 8000 in all, besides thousands of other evergreen trees. This is another camping rendezvous for holiday-makers between spring and autumn. At Quail Flat (13 m. beyond Juanita Meadows)..."

In this image, just below the man driving the stage are the painted letters "KRS&T.CO.".   These initials stood for the Kings River Stage & Transportation Company.   According to one of the old guide books, the KRS&T  gave tours of the California Grove area via Juanita Meadows. Within 10 years of these photos being taken this transportation company apparently replaced its horse-drawn stages with touring automobiles.

The California Grove is now called Redwood Mountain Grove (at the southern edge of  Kings Canyon National Park).
I could not find Juanita Meadows or Camp Juanita on any old or modern map.   But from the descriptions given in the old guild books listed here,  I'm pretty sure that this camp was some place just off of  Dry Creek Drive, probably south or southeast of Badger CA (For example, it might have been in the western part of  Eshom Valley). 
As of ten years ago, you could still navigate through this area of paved and dirt roads in a 2W drive car and make your way from Lemon Cove to the Redwood Mountain Grove and Quail Flat,  e.g. Travelling through  Hartland Christian Camp ,  Eshom Campground and the unpaved sections of the Whitaker Forest Road .
(Added 10/15/13)  In  Jackie Weiner's book about photographer C.C. Curtis,  it states that a place called the "Juanita Hotel" was in Eshom Valley (around 1890).

Tibbitts called this glass negative "Fallen Tree Calif Grove" in his journal.    All of the images in today's post were cataloged & numbered in fairly close sequence  in this journal, suggesting that these photographs were all taken around the same time.   I believe that this is the sequoia now referred to as  Fallen Goliath, it's on the Hart Tree Trail of the Redwood Mountain Grove. 

Close-up from above photo:

These three people are also in the photograph below.

This glass negative was listed as: "Calif Grove Sequoias".

Close-up:

 (1/12/13, Update)  Here's another image from the same series.   Tibbitts also listed this one in his journal as "Calif Grove Sequoias".

 Close-up:

Photo from Doran studio, Tulare CA. (circa 1895).

 Tipton's  grammar school, circa 1917.    The image was scanned from a glass slide.   This is the only photo I've seen of this school.  I assume that this was a school in Tipton CA (and not in Tipton, Indiana or Iowa) because it is built in the Mission Revival style, and because the sign above the school's entrance says "1874  TIPTON SCHOOL 19--" (The second year is cut off by the angle of the building).  e.g.   Mission Revival was a popular architecture style for schools in central California from around 1905  to 1925.   Tipton's first school was founded in 1874.
(Update 4/26/15) After talking to several long-term residence of Tipton (via Facebook),  I have serious doubts about this school being in Tipton CA.  I will leave this image here, for now, until I have a more definitive answer.
(Update 2/11/19) I've just seen a photo postcard image of this same school.   It's identified on the photo itself as "Tipton School" and it is postmarked from Tipton, California.   The sender of the card gives his location as "Tipton, Calif.",  and calls it "our school bldg".   The card is postmarked November 21, 1915.    
I had looked extensively for images of this school, even searching for old school photos in out-of-state towns and counties named "Tipton".        I'm finding that old images of school buildings are some of the hardest things to identify.    It's possible that this school didn't last long.  If you look closely at the image above, there are signs that it was falling into disrepair.    Perhaps it wasn't constructed very well.
(Added 3/2/19)  I've just received the Tipton School postcard, mentioned above.   Here it is:

This is a small portrait of two girls.   From the studio of  E. M. Davidson, Visalia, CA (circa 1893).

On the back of this photograph someone has written "Gram Dollner".

Photo postcard of the Kirk Hotel building, Exeter CA (circa 1910).  Most likely this card was produced by the Western Postcard Company (George Besaw, photographer).   On the back of this card someone has written: "Here Sept. 18 - 1910".

 Photograph by S. W. Watrous (Stephen West Watrous), Visalia, CA.    Circa 1886.

On the back of this photo there is a little writing, it looks like:  "Weishar",  "(1886 prox)".      There was at least one Weishar family in Tulare County during this period.   This could be Mary Agnes Martin who married Robert J. Weishar,  here is their family photo taken around 1899.

A lot of photo postcards were produced of this old Sequoia National Park entrance, but this is the first one that I remember seeing with the picture taken looking downhill, i.e. from the opposite side of the entrance...  This  actually makes it a photo of the exit from Sequoia Nat. Park.
The photograph is by Lindley Eddy (circa 1920).   Eddy was the photographic concessionaire at Giant Forest, for 30 years.    
From what I've read, this particular entrance was along the old Kaweah Colony lumber mill road,  about 4 miles north-northwest of the present park entrance.   This old route is now called the Colony Mill Trail.

Photo postcard view of Lindsay CA,  by Lindley Eddy.  Circa 1914.     Prior to 1920,  many rural towns in the U.S. had unpaved streets, even in their downtown areas.

Here's a snapshot of a man in front of Terra Bella's railroad depot. Circa 1916.
The Terra Bella Development Company was a real estate partnership that was formed in 1909.    This partnership built the depot and other structures in Terra Bella  in an attempt to attract more people into the area.

(Added 11/17/15) Photo postcard view of Terra Bella's depot, circa 1920.



A photo postcard of the granite quarry that was about 4 miles east of Porterville.

Photo by A. H. Brooks, circa 1915.

This is a cabinet card photograph by Downey studio, Porterville CA. (circa 1895-1900)

 Here's a cabinet card photograph of a Chinese boy in traditional dress, including the queue hair braid.

From the studio of  P. F. Adelsbach (Percy F. Adelsbach),  Tulare  CA.  Circa 1900. 

 P. F. Adelsbach apparently closed his Tulare studio in 1901 and opened a photo studio in Porterville. 

By 1905,  Adelsbach was the editor and publisher of The Kingsburg Recorder and The Western Bee Journal.   Apparently at one time he was also the publisher of the Porterville Daily Recorder.

 Girl on a chair.   Photo by Beck, Holt Block, Visalia, CA.   (circa 1895)

"Holt Block" was a large two story building at the NW corner of Court and Main St. 

 This cabinet card photo is by E. M. Davidson,  Visalia.   (circa 1890)

This is from a photo postcard, un-mailed.  (circa 1905).

On the back of the card someone has written:  "Dinuba, looking east".



I might be cheating just a little bit with these photos below...  as far as their connection to Tulare County.

 This photo and the one just below are from the studio of  H. C. Tandy, Hanford, CA.  (circa 1890).

In 1893,  the western part of Tulare County became Kings County (Which includes the town of Hanford).

 Another Tandy photograph.  

At first I thought that the arrow pin at her throat might be from some sort of  organization.  But I've read that back then these types of pins often just represented Cupid's arrow.  e.g. They were given to women by their suitors.

(1/13/13, Update)   And here's another H. C. Tandy photograph.  (Circa 1885).    I recently bought two old photos of this gentleman, i.e. The same image.   On the back of one of these pictures someone has written that this might be a photograph of Johnny Jones.  But on the other photo someone wrote that they think  it's a photo of Charles Aydelotte.

(Added 9/7/13)  Another photograph by H.C. Tandy.     On the back of this photo is written:  "May N. Richmond",  "Age 17,   April 2, 1892".

(Added 7/1/14) Another photo by H.C. Tandy.  Circa 1893.

(Added 7/17/18)  Photo by C.C. Curtis, circa 1891.     The studio stamp, on the back, states:  "C. C. Curtis,  Photographer.   California Views  -  Constantly on hand at reasonable price. - Hanford & Esperanza.  Tulare Co, Cal.".     During the time Curtis used that studio stamp, he also took a lot of photographs in the present day Tulare County and in the General Grant Grove area.

This is from an old picture postcard (circa 1905).   On the back of this card is written "Kings Canyon".   Although a small part of present day Kings Canyon National Park is in Tulare County,  it is more likely that this picture was taken somewhere in the Cedar Grove area (about 10 miles outside of the county).



Here's a picture of a boy and two young ladies riding mules, from a photo postcard.  It's postmarked: "Portersville, Cal. Oct. 13, 1911".   The U.S. Postal Service still spelled Porterville (CA) "Portersville", at this point in time.
On the back of this postcard is written:  "Terra Bella Cal. Oct 12 -1911.   Dear Dora:  Here is a photo of Eleanor, Waller and Ruth on the way back from the Mts.  I suppose you will hardly know them...".
The card is signed "Clara and Family", and addressed to:  Miss Dora Haar, Adair, Iowa.

 From a small carte de visite portrait.   The photographer's stamp on the back of this picture states:  "From  S.W. Watrous'  Photographic Rooms,  Main St.  Visalia  Cal.".  (Circa 1882).   I've read that during the Victorian era,  little boys typically wore dresses.   Queen Victoria herself may have started this fashion trend by placing all of her young children in kilts.  

 Cabinet Card photo from Traver, CA.  (Mid to late 1880's)
The photographer is C.C. Curtis (Charles Clifford Curtis).
Traver  was an agricultural boom-town, its growth  built around improved irrigation and the growing & transportation of grain. 
Traver was created on April  8 1884, when town-lots were auctioned on  undeveloped land.   Within 60 days of this auction, the town-site went from 'nothing' to having :  Two hotels,  a post office, one drug store, an agricultural equipment store,  two lumber yards,  a couple of  merchandise stores, two barber shops,  two livery stables,  an express office/railroad depot, and three saloons.
But due to alkaline soil and poor land management the town went bust within 10 years or so.
None of the old 19th century buildings still remain in the present town of Traver.

 The photographer's stamp says:  "E. A. S. Wyllie,  Tulare, Cal."  (circa 1886-1890)

Nothing is written identifying the people in this photo,  but most likely this is the "Janes" family.

(Updated: 11/4/12):   After looking through a few old census records, I would guess that this is the family of  William and Margaret Janes (of Tipton and Tulare).   If this is correct, then this photo must have been taken around 1886.   Standing in the back (from L to R) is:  William "Wirt" (age 11),  Frank (age 16), John (13) and Henry(7).  Sitting from L to R:  Dick (age 5),  Margaret (age 33), William(48) and Milton(2).   Note: The  ages listed here are based on the 1886 date, see the pic just below of Frank Janes.
They had another son named Virgil, who was born in 1888.
Photographer E. A. S. Wyllie apparently moved to Tulare in 1886, the year he immigrated from New Zealand.

 I bought this photo from the same person who sold me the one above.   It appears to be a portrait of the eldest son from the family pic above.
The photographer's seal on the back of this photo states:  "Loryea Bros.,  Souvenir Photographic Studio,  26 South First St.  San Jose,  Cal.   All negatives preserved  Duplicates can be obtained at reduced rates."
Also on the back of this photograph is handwritten: "Compliments of yours truly,  Frank A. Janes," (or it might possibly say "Frank G. Janes") "Tulare, Cal.".


Close-up from the back of this photo (updated 11/4/12):

(Updated 11/4/12) One of the online genealogy sites lists the eldest son of William and Margaret Janes  as Frank Otho Janes (1870-1900).   In retrospect, the signature on the back of this photo does look more like "Frank O. Janes" than it does "Frank A." or "Frank G. Janes".

It could be that Frank Janes gave both of these photos as a gift to someone, perhaps a girl.  Signing something "Yours truly..." doesn't sound very romantic, but by Victorian standards it probably was.   He may have had a duplicate made of his family photo.  Photographers of this period usually charged about 50 cents for a copy of a photo.   This particular print of the  family photograph looks like it was done in a rush (e.g. It wasn't trimmed or blocked properly).

 This is a photo postcard, un-mailed. (circa 1905-1910)
On the back of this postcard someone has written:  "Father Rosenquest - up on this home in Visalia that he built."
Tulare County's 1900 Census  lists a:  Charles S. Rosenquest,  Occupation:  carpenter,   Residence: Visalia City Ward 1, Born in Ohio,   Age 49.
 

Close up:

Photograph of Mineral King,  1903.

 Handwritten on the back of this photograph:  "Farewell Gap, with Party of Sierrians at Mineral King". 

Mineral King is now part of  Sequoia National Park.   This appears to be one of the pictures taken of Sierra Club members ("Sierrians") on their 1903 trip through the Sequoia National Park/Forest area.

Stamped on the back of this photo are the words:  "SAME SIZE." and "SUN SUPP."   The person who sold me this picture  thought that it may have at one time been in the photo archive of the "The Sun" newspaper of Sheridan, Oregon.

Close-ups from the photo above:

A rather interesting looking group.

The young gentleman at the left side of this photo is holding  the book:  "Good Gravy", by Ezra Kendall (Humorist and Vaudeville comedian), published in 1901.

 

 

(Added 7/21/15)  The man at center is Joseph Nisbet LeConte.    LeConte was a noted explorer of the Sierra Nevadas,   a professor of mechanical engineering at Cal Berkeley for 40+ year;  and he was the Sierra Club's second president (after John Muir's death).

 



Close-up showing the19th century miners' settlement in the background .

Seems like a bugler would kinda scare off the wildlife. 

Two school pictures circa the late 1880's from south Tulare County:

Photographer's stamp on the back of this photo states: D. M. Churchill, Photographer, Pixley, Cal.

The Daily Alta California newspaper (of San Francisco) 3/17/1889 issue,  indicates that D. M. Churchill of Pixley was a blacksmith.  I would guess that for many small town photographers, taking photographs was just a sideline.

 Two close-ups from this picture:

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 Stamped on the back of this photo:  J. W. Talhelm,  Photographer.  Alila, Cal.

Tulare County land ownership maps of 1892,  list a J. W. Talhelm as owning a small plot of farm land near Alila.     John William Talhelm of Alila is listed as a registered voter in 1890 (Listed age: 23 yrs, Occupation: farmer, Birth place: Pennsylvania).  According to other voter registration records, he moved to the Dinuba area by 1896.     The town of Alila later changed its name to Earlimart.

Only the children near the center of this image appear to be in focus.

Close up: 

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 Even with the blurry image from the second photo, the school teacher in the two pictures (above)  looks like it could be the same person.   This could even be the same school, just different school houses & different years (e.g. Both photographs could be of Alila's or Pixley's grammar school.).   This teacher could also possibly be the same person in this photo.

Close-ups of the school teacher from the pictures above: