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:

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

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.

 

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".

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.

 

 

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 (?)

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.

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.

Porterville's J.C. Penney story on Main St., circa 1921.   The window displays have women's clothing on the left and men's clothing on the right side.    To the far left is the entrance to the "Hotel Glen Wood".   

This is a scan from the negative

Close up:

A photo postcard ad with an image of the Visalia Milling Co.,  circa 1909.    This building stood at the SE corner of Santa Fe and Main Streets.   This is where the Ralston Purina mill was eventually located (which burned down in 1967).

Photograph by "Dean & Gay,  Porterville, Cal.".    Circa 1886.      Dean & Gay are known more for their studio in Selma, CA. (The style of font used on the Porterville studio stamp looks the same as the one used in Selma.).     The photographers are most likely:  James Knox Dean and Henry P. Gay (sometimes spelled Henry P. Gray).
 

Photo of the Santa Fe Depot in Tulare, CA.   Circa 1908.   This photograph was part of the archive of Edward Mitchell postcard company,  and was apparently used to create lithographs for  postcards (see the postcard just below).   On this photo,  there has been some hand drawn outlining and tinting done on the roof of the station,  apparently to prepare the image for the lithograph process.

Here's the finished product from the photo above.   This postcard is post-marked from Tulare,  7/29/1909.     It looks like they artistically added clouds to this image.

Photograph by A. R. Moore, of  Porterville. Circa 1903.       There is no location written on the photo,  but...   It seems that,  all of the logging photographs I've seen by Moore  have either been taken at the Converse Basin/Grant Grove area or at the Dillionwood/Balch Park area.  
The machine at the left side of this image is a 'steam donkey' engine, which was used to drag the cut logs to the sawmill. This log is on a wooden 'skid path' which made it easier to drag it to the mill.
Typically most of these logging operations had their sawmills not far from where the logging was done... It was easier for them to transport cut lumber to the Valley floor, rather than trying to send down whole logs.

A couple close-ups:

Old photo postcard, postmarked January 1912.    The caption reads: "Court Street Looking North Visalia Cal.", by Beck.    The corner tower, or 'cupola', at left center is the Holt Block building; which was at the NW corner of Main and Court Streets (Where Starbucks is now).

Terry Ommen mentions this photo on his blog, he states: "...it shows Mt. Whitney Power Company when it leased office space in the S. C. Brown building on the east side of Court. In 1912 Mt. Whitney Power built a new building on W. Main Street (where Quality Jewelers is now.)"



Photo by "Robinson & Weishar,  Visalia, Cal".  Circa 1906.   This gentleman appears to be wearing a Masonic ceremonial uniform.



Photo postcard of a Tulare, CA school;  circa 1907.

According to Derryl A. Dumermuth's book  A Town Called Tulare (2002),  this school was built around 1885 as a elementary school.   High school classes began there in 1890.   One of the unique features of this building was the four-faced clock placed above the belfry (just visible at the top of this photograph).

Photo postcard of  Porterville.  Circa 1907.   A view looking east on Main St., between Oak and Mill Avenues.

 1908 photo postcard image taken in Visalia.   The view is from the top of the old county courthouse, looking southeast.  George Besaw is the photographer.
At the left lower corner is the Odd Fellows Hall, built in 1873;  this building was at the NE corner of Church St. and Center Ave.   The two story building near the right corner (with the number "176" written just in front of it) is the Delta Office (newspaper) building.    Almost all of the old buildings in this view are now gone.
 

(Added 12/9/15)  Another  George Besaw photograph taken from the top of the county courthouse, this time looking South.    The old courthouse had several statues on its roof.  You can see the back of one of these at the bottom of this image.
Several close-up views of buildings:

This is a close-up of the corner of Main and Church Streets.    The "Visalia House" was an old hotel, torn down in 1917.   It was the last place famed stage-coach robber  Black Bart  was seen (in the late 1880s). The Wunder Saloon is also visable here.    According to Joseph Vicenti,   the business with the horse statue is  Uhl Harness Shop.   It eventually became Uhl Rubber, one of the few local businesses to make the transition from horses to automobiles.

The cupola tower in the left foreground was at the NW corner of Main & Church, where the 5-story Bank of America building is now.   I think the narrow two-story building (middle of image) was the old firehouse.

Close-up showing the  J. Harrell Building and Vucovich Bros & Co  on Main Street.  
 

Portrait of a girl, from the studio of  E.A.S. Wyllie  - Tulare, CA.   Circa 1889.

Photo postcard from Lindsay, CA.  It appears to be the interior of a bar  with a billiard room in the back.    The calendar in this image indicates that it was taken in April 1915.   It is postmarked from Lindsay,  June 22, 1915.  Written on this card:  "Lindsay Cal,  June 23rd.  This is where I work.  How is old Vermont?  Your Old friend, Doun".

An old snapshot of two kids posing with a burro in Porterville,  circa 1905.  One of the businesses in the background is  Andrew S. Mapes' saddle shop.          The two photographs, below, are of the same girl on the burro.