Written on the back of this old photograph:  "4 on Right - J. M. Ferguson,  Parthenia,  Tom,  Fletcher".   These names refer to  Josiah Messer Ferguson, his wife Parthenia, and two of his sons: Thomas and Fletcher (See Fletcher's wedding photo, below).   This photo is circa 1903, and may have been taken in Poplar, CA.   In 1904, they moved from Poplar to Porterville. 

J. M. Ferguson was a farmer who also owned a furniture store in Porterville (see next image).

Written on the back of this photograph:  "Ferguson Furniture Store.  Location on Main Street,  present Woolworth's.    Dr Hiarn (sp) - left aisle,  Tom Ferguson on right.   About 1910.  - In Furniture Store 1906-1913,  Moved to Ranch 1913,  Grocery Store 1904-1906".  (J.M. Ferguson had also been in the grocery business).     If you look at the image posted 11/19/13,   you can see a street view of this furniture store.   The old Woolworth's building is located at this site (159 N. Main St., Porterville).

(Added 6/14/16)  Wedding photos of Fletcher Ferguson and his wife Erma Avery (below).   They were married on 5/18/1910.   Photographs by the Opera House Studio, Porterville CA.   This was A. R. Moore's last photo studio.

  (Added 6/14/16)  Erma Avery Ferguson, 1910.  Photo by  the Opera House Studio, Porterville CA.

(Added 8/24/16)    Photograph of  Dora Alice Ferguson (1876-1948) and  Cora Bell Ferguson (1876-1954).    They are the twin sisters of Thomas and Fletcher Ferguson  (See above).     Photo by Harrod of Porterville, circa 1905.       According to the book 'A Modern History of Tulare County' by Limited Editions of Visalia, Inc. (1974), they were the first twins born in Tulare County and two redwood trees in Balch Park are named after them.

Photo postcard,  Porterville circa 1908.   In the distance, at the left edge, appears to be Porterville's Olive Street depot.

The photographer's stamp on the back of this photo, states:   "C. C. Curtis, Photographer.  California Views.  Constantly on hand at reasonable price.  Hanford & Esperanza, Tulare Co. Cal."  ... This would date the print between 1888 and 1892 (Curtis sold his studio in Traver in 1888, and opened a studio in Hanford.  Hanford became part of Kings County in 1893).   "Esperanza" was a short-lived socialists commune that Curtis belonged to.

Note that these grapes are not trellised.  Having grape vines un-trellised  was a common practice in California, back then.

Photo by C. C. Curtis, circa 1890.   The photographer's caption at the bottom of this photograph states: "Combined Harvester, Tulare Co., Cal."

Jackie Weiner's book about the photographer  (Timely Exposures,  The Life and Images of C.C. Curtis) has a copy of this image. That particular copy has written on its back: "Sam Reed's harvesters, Brother to T. L. Reed".
"T. L. Reed" refers to Thomas Law Reed, the man Reedley, CA is named after.

Photo by C.C. Curtis, circa 1890.  This one also has the "Hanford & Esperanza, Tulare Co. Cal." photographer's stamp.    This photograph may have been taken in the Badger/Eshom Valley area.   The bells on the lead mules were used to warn others of the approaching wagon.

Photograph by C.C. Curtis, circa 1890.   This photo also gives the location of Curtis' studio as "Hanford & Esperanza, Tulare Co. Cal.".
The Tulare County Library's online collection has this same image, which they describe as:    '"Rabbit Drive, Pixley, Calif., Late 1800s. The farming community poses with pride with their pile of thousands of rabbits killed during a Pixley, CA, rabbit drive. After the drive, the dead rabbits were put on a train that took them to San Francisco, purportedly to become 'chicken' tamales."'.      Or this could possibly be in the Goshen area.  i.e. According to a Traver newspaper, Curtis took photographs of a rabbit drive east of Goshen, on  4/11/1888.

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.