Photo postcard of Main St., Visalia.  Taken in 1921 or 1922.      The building at the left foreground is the Palace Hotel  (on the NE corner of Main and Court St.).      The 5-story building down the street is the Johnson Hotel (Built in 1917,  at the NE corner of Main and Church St.).    
Noticeably missing in this image is the 5-story Bank of America building which was built in 1923.
Togni-Branch Stationary store is here on the first floor of the Palace Hotel structure.   Togni's first opened in 1921 and remained in business until 2007;  I think the building that they eventually moved to is also in this image.

 Dillonwood sawmill,  1904.    Photograph by  A.R. Moore.    The Dillonwood grove is located about 33 miles east of Visalia (6 miles north of Balch Park).   Logging started on the lower fringes of  this area around 1865 and continued on-and-off  until about 1990.   In 2001 the grove became part of the Sequoia National Park.   Over the years,  many old-growth redwoods were cut down here.

Note the small stand of large sequoias at top-center.   The road to the left of these redwoods, that curves down towards the center of the photo,  is actually a logging skid path.   A  'steam donkey' engine was used to drag cut trees along the logging skid to the sawmill.   There's a water flume running from the sawmill that was used to transport cut lumber down the steep mountainside.   The flume is in the lower half of this image, running to the photo's lower left-hand corner.

Photo postcard showing the Giant Forest post office, in Sequoia National Park.   Circa 1920.



 Photo postcard by Hammond's Studio of Porterville, circa 1920.  An image from the granite quarry which was located about 4 miles east of Porterville.        Ina H. Stiner's book  Porterville, California: An appreciation of the past (1956),  identifies the man in this photo as Omni Koskela and the little boy as Wayne Laakso.    Many of these quarry workers were of Finnish ancestry.

 Close-up of Wayne Laakso:

 Photograph by Beck Studio of Visalia, circa 1896.

 Zante Citrus Association of Porterville.  Photograph taken circa 1912.

 Close_up:

At that time they were packing citrus under the  Hiawatha  and  Pocahontas labels.

Some of the boxes here are stamped with the Tulare County Citrus Fruit Exchange logo.

Photograph of a cobbler's shop,  probably in the Visalia area.  Circa 1914.  On the wall to the left is a map with "Visalia Manufacturing Co."  printed at the top.   This company was in business from at least 1900 and into the 1910's.  Next to that is a poster for the Tulare County Press, a short lived newspaper that was based in Visalia.   The Tulare County Press started in 1912;  I've found no documentation that this newspaper existed after 1914.   On the same wall is an advertisement for Fatima Cigarettes featuring a professional baseball team.  Fatima had ads using baseball players as earlier as 1913 (e.g. Fatima baseball cards).

(Update, 1/19/15)  I am now fairly certain that this cobbler shop was located at 110 E Main St. in Visalia.   It appears to be the shoe repair business  formally owned by Abe Menendian.     Mr Menendian apparently sold his shop some time between 1910 and 1920,  and this is not him in my photograph.  

Close-up:

 From an old photo postcard.  Written on the back:  

'"Aug. 1913.  "A  rose between two thorns".  Theodor, Maude & JBM(?).  Taken at Lloyds Meadow on the trail to Mt. Whitney Calif."' 

Lloyd Meadows is 8 miles east of Camp Nelson, CA.

Apparently "Maude"  (the rose)  is the mule.

 Photo postcard from "Terra Bella,  Cal.",  circa 1920.    I'm not sure what type of  machine this is.   But judging from the circular piece in the foreground, I'm guessing that this was some sort of trench digger.

Another photo postcard.   This one circa 1910.  Across the middle of this card is written: "Shipping Melons  Dinuba Cal".   The building to the left is Dinuba's Southern Pacific Railroad station.  

Painted on one of these wagons is the name "R N Allen".    According to the 1910 US Census,  there was a Richard N. Allen living in the Dinuba area.   His occupation is listed as "Farmer".



I recently bought these four photographs that were sold as a group.  The only background information that came with the photos is that they were from a  family that had lived in Visalia.  Two of these photographs have names written on the back, four names in total.     What these four names appear to have in common is that they are all grandchildren of Timothy Halstead (1795-1875) and his wife Anna Denend (1797-1877).    The Halsteads moved to Tulare County sometime during the 1850's

On the back of this tintype photo is written:  "Mary A. Meadors to her brother Henry Persian the 16th of April 1869".   

 According to Tulare County marriage records Many Ann Persian married William Meadors on 8/13/1854.   On some official records their name is spelled "Meador" (without the ending "s").

Mary Ann and her brother Henry Persian are the children of James Persian and Susan Halstead.
William and Mary A. Meadors  probably had 4, or more, children.  e.g.  The 1880 U.S. Census indicates that "Mary A. Persian" is divorced and is living with her uncle Jasper N. Halstead  in Visalia; and in this household are several children with the last name "Meador".   I would assume that these "Meador" children are Mary's kids.

A small carte de visite portrait by Visalia photographer "Geo. E. Dean".  Circa 1873.  Two names are written on the back of this photograph:  "Maggie Nizbet" and "Robert Nizbet".

Most likely these names are referring to Robert and Maggie (Margaret) Nesbit,  bother and sister.   They are the children of  Joseph Nesbit and Mary Halstead.   The "Nesbit" family name was spelled several different ways, on official records e.g. Nesbitt, Neasbit.
Maggie appears to have married her cousin Silas Persian (one of Mary Ann Persian's brothers) on 3/4/1874,  in Merced CA.   According to the 1/28/1875 issue of the Visalia Weekly Delta,  "Margaret,  beloved wife of Silas Persian"  died on 1/22/1875, near Visalia.

Another photograph from this family group.  No names are written on it.   This photo is also by "Geo. E. Dean" of Visalia  (circa 1874).   There was a "George E. Dean"  living in Tulare County, according to the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Censuses.   His occupations are listed as Methodist Episcopal preacher,  school teacher  and "laborer"; perhaps taking photos was just a sideline (?).

Another photograph from this family group.  No names are written on it.   Photograph by S. W. Watrous of Visalia  (circa 1881).

 This appears to be a photograph of Visalia High School girls' basketball team, from 1913.   Written on the back of this photo:  "Ethel LeVonne at extreme right, 1913",   and with a different pen is written:  "Ethel Smith,  Visalia, Cal.  VHS '13".   This probably refers to Ethel Levonne Smith (1895-1988).  The 1900 U.S. Census list Ethel as a resident of Orosi.  Her father,  Crosby Enoch Smith,  died in Visalia a couple of years before this photo was taken.   Could possibly be the same Ethel Smith whose photo I posted on 8/5/13,  i.e.  A photograph of her as a young girl with her two dogs.

 Photo postcard of a bird's eye view of Springville, CA.   The date of  "June 20, 1915"  is written on the back of this card.

(Added 7/9/14)  Photo postcard view of Springville, CA.   Postmarked 1911. 

Photo by Excelsior Photograph Gallery,  Tulare, CA.  Circa 1890.     Written on the back of this photograph:  "Presented to Clara by Mrs. L. Cox".     The photographer is E.A.S. Wyllie (Edward Arthur Sanders Wyllie).   Wyllie later made a name for himself as a spirit photographer,  e.g.  Taking photographs of ghosts hovering around their living family members...  at least that's what he claimed to be doing (Some of these photos were exposed as frauds).    



Photograph by S.W. Watrous of Visalia, circa 1880.   On the back of the photo is written "Ben Hicks with wife,  California".     This is Benjamin Hicks (1847-1900) with his wife Elizabeth A. March (1853-1922).  Mr Hicks owned farm land north of Visalia.

Another photograph by S.W. Watrous (Stephen West Watrous).  From 1882.   Written at the bottom of this photo:  "Geog. Andrew Belz,  Junior.  4yr 6mo old".   This is  George Andrew Belz (1877-1954) of Visalia.



Photo by Doran Studio of Tulare.  Circa 1895.



Photograph by:   "E. M. Davidson,  Visalia, Cal.".     The large piece of machinery in this photo is a  10-stamp mill.  There is no location on the photo but this might be at  White River, CA, circa 1889.         E.M. Davidson's Visalia studio existed around  the years of 1886 to 1894  (e.g. Davidson apparently moved to Woodland CA by September of 1894).
In an attempt to determine the location of the photo,   I've looked through some  mining literature to see if there were any 10-stamp mills near Visalia, during these years.   Fresno County had at least two of these mills in use between 1886-95,  i.e. One mill at the Abbey (McNally) mine and another at  the Last Chance mine.   And Tulare County had at least one mill of this type  at White River.
These particular stamp mills would have been used to help extract gold from the rocky ore.
The man sitting in this photo appears to be Asian.   Many 19th century miners in California were Chinese.
(Update 4/27/14)  I just realized that this photograph is in one of Annie R. Mitchell's books:  The Way it Was. (1976),  pg. 152.   The image in the book is reversed, and it has a fuller view of the stamp mill.   This is in fact at White River.  Mitchell's book identifies the man on the right  as David Bice James.   James is an important character in both Tulare and Kern Counties' histories,  e.g. Some credit him with starting the Kern River 'gold rush' of the 1850's.  (Article about David B. James:  PDF file)

 Photo postcard view of Porterville,  circa 1910.   This is at the corner of Putnam Ave. and Roche St.,  facing east.  The three closest homes here on the right side are still  at this location.   Notice the spelling of Portersville on this card, which was the spelling that the U.S. Postal Service used at this time.  "Putman" is apparently just a misspelling of Putnam.

The photograph is by John Bowers of Long Beach, CA.    Bowers produced photo postcards of scenes throughout California.    On  1/17/1911,  Bowers was shot to death by one of his employees, under a rather controversial set of circumstances.

 Close-up:

  Note the  horse drawn carriages on Putnam Ave. and the unpaved street.    

Photograph by S.W. Watrous of Visalia,  circa 1891.
   "Holt Block" refers to a large two-story building that was on the NW corner of Main and Court Streets.

Photograph by Robinson & Churchman,   Holt Block,  Visalia, Cal.
On the back is written: "Yours truly,  John W. Parker,  For M.A. Manning,  March 3rd 1901".
I bought this photograph from someone in England.   The seller of the photo wrote that:  They had been told that Parker was a California pioneer from Dinuba,  who made his name from logging giant redwoods on his land,  M.A. Manning was an Englishman and said to be involved in shipping, hence the picture being found over 110 years later in the U.K.        This 1900 U. S. Forest Service publication does indicate that John W. Parker of Dinuba owned 200 acres of land in the Grant Grove area.

  (Added 4/4/14)  According to the 1900 & 1910 U.S. Census, there was a John W. Parker  in the Dinuba and Lemon Cove area.   He immigrated  from England in 1876.   But in these censuses his occupations are listed as  "Book keeper" and  "Laborer" in the "Stock" industry,  and not as a logger or lumberman.    

(Added 1/5/19)  It appears that the partnership of  Robinson & Churchman ended by December 1900.   So I would now assume the date of  "March 3rd 1901",  was the day Mr. Parker signed the back of the photograph.

This appears to be the biplane flown by Harold W. Blakeley during a cross-country race from San Francisco to Bakersfield (with a scheduled stop in Dinuba).  Dinuba's Southern Pacific railroad depot is in the background.   Written on the back of this snap-shot:  "Ray Calender,  Dinuba, Calif.  Tulare Co.   Apr. 22 - 1914.   Blakeley biplane".    Ray Calender is listed as a resident of Tulare County in the 1910 Census,  he would have been about 14 years old at the time this photograph was taken... perhaps he was the photographer.
After Harold Blakeley took off from Dinuba, he had to land his plane in the Ducor area to make some emergency repairs.        He finished the 7 man race in second place.
 



From the studio of E.M. Davidson (Ellis M. Davidson),  Visalia.   Circa 1893

 Three photo postcards from Lemon Cove,  circa 1910

  W. H. Moffett & Son  hotel and store.   The Lemon Cove post office and library were also here.

   This building was destroyed by fire sometime during the 1950s.    The photo is by Lindley Eddy.

The Lemon Cove railroad depot is at the left side of this image.   Very few of the buildings here are still standing,  e.g.  The two homes at the right foreground appear to still be at the southeast corner of  Road 244 and Avenue 328.
  Photo by Lindley Eddy.

 Over the years,  the Lemon Cove Association sold citrus under various labels.

 Close-Up:

Two views of Porterville's downtown area, circa 1905.

Written at the bottom of this photograph: "Harrod", "Birds eye view of Business center, Porterville.",  "Porterville Cal.".   This photo was taken looking west-southwest from a water tower on 4th St, near Putnam Ave.   Main Street is running across the length of the image.   There isn't anything west of  D Street in this photo,  other than open land and the occasional farmhouse.   The waterway running behind the buildings here is the Porter Slough.

Close-up:

The old Chapman building, at the far left (with the four bay-windows), still stands today on the southwest corner of  Mill Ave. and Main St.       I placed a green star on this image to indicate  the approximate current location of  Sierra View District Hospital.

Another 1905 photo taken from the water tower.    Written at the bottom of this photograph:  "Harrod",  "Birds-eye view looking  N.W.",  "Porterville  Cal".       The two story building with the steeple at the right side of this image is the Morton Street School,  which was at the northern end of Main St., back then.     The church at center-left is the old Saint Anne's Catholic church which was built in 1892 and torn-down in 1925.

Close-up:

Old Saint Anne's was on Thurman Ave.   You can see the Zaud House here,  just to the right of the Church's steeple cross.