Saturday, September 19, 2015

 Photo of Orosi's baseball team, circa 1903.       I believe the man sitting in the front row, far right, has a team sponsor stenciled across his white shirt... It looks like "Lockridge Aer Motor".     "Aer Motor" may refer to the Aermotor Windmill Company, this company has been producing windmill powered water pumps since 1888.   Perhaps "Lockridge" was a local distributor of these pumps.(?)


 A photo postcard of Orosi, CA.    Circa 1908.   The two story building to the right is the Hall of Orosi Lodges.   At the right foreground is J. F. McQuaig's  blacksmith shop.     Compare this to the photo posted on May 22, 2012  which appears to show the same flooded street, but looking the opposite direction.

 
 On the back of this photo postcard is written:  "This is Palm Ave in Orosi taken between 1902 & 1903.   Dick Price  ditch tender and W. W. Barnes editor of Orosi Offer and Justice of  Peace in Orosi Township".          The "Orosi Offer" refers to a weekly newspaper.   Washington Westley Barnes started this newspaper,  prior to that he was the city editor for the Visalia Times.   Mr. Barnes passed-away on 10/24/1915, at the age of 78....  I assume that he is the man at the right edge of this image.
The street sign indicates that the cross-street here is El Monte Way.    Apparently there is no longer a street named "Palm Avenue"  in Orosi.


 Another photo postcard from Orosi, CA.   This one circa 1917.


Photo postcard postmarked from Ducor, CA. April 16, 1909.    The Tulare County Historical Society's website says this about the Ducor Hotel:    "...built in 1907, with 36 rooms and a dining room, which accommodated the many travelers from around the state as they came by train to make the trip by stage to California Hot Springs to soak in the healing mineral baths."
If I remember correctly, Annie Mitchell's family owned an interest in this Hotel.


An old photo postcard of the 1909 Dinuba girls basketball team (I assume it's their high school team).


Sunday, August 2, 2015


Walter Russell Robb, Orosi 1897.
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:
Marguerite R. Robb , Orosi 1897




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


Woodlake Cash Grocery Store  1913
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.

 
E. J. Kildare , Visalia
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".


S. W. Watrous , Visalia 1870s
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.

 

 Frances Norma Bragg  1888

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 (?)

Frances Norma Bragg (Glenn) 1892
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.


Friday, July 17, 2015



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.









Sunday, June 7, 2015



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:




Tuesday, May 19, 2015


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.