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: