USA > California > Kings County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 5
USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 5
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Commencing once more on Main street, opposite our point of beginning, we find Turner's blacksmith shop occupying the site of the Ballon building. On the Harvey House corner stood a two-
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story brick building run as a hotel originally by L. R. Ketehnm and G. G. Noel. In 1858 G. W. Warner assumed charge, calling it the Exchange hotel.
At the American hotel corner was the appropriately named Deadfall saloon, dance hall and bowling alley. Between there and the corner was a dwelling house and then a restaurant and two stores, ocenpying the lower floor of a building located on a portion of the Visalia House site.
The Delta office, built by Shamon, its first proprietor. stood at the corner now ocenpied by the National Bank; in the neighborhood of Lipscomb's pool hall was a two-story frame building occupied as the general store of H. Mitchell. At the Palace hotel corner stood Dick Billip's hotel, which later came to be called the Exchange hotel. Nothing now until about the site of the Carnegie library, where was located the steam flonring mill originally built by Wagg, later operated by Jack Lorenz, son-in-law of Dr. Matthews.
On east Main, in the block where now the Santa Fe depot is situated, stood the Eagle hotel, kept by Capt. S. R. Dunmer, and later by G. W. Warner. Matthews & Co. flour mill of hewn oak timbers, operated by a little turbine wheel set in the race. stood about where the present flouring mill stands. The wasteway ent across Main street and emptied into Mill creek near the depot site.
Outside of some minor shops, the above constituted all the business houses, although a big stable and barn, surrounded by a high brick wall, was built at the present location of Armory Hall by the Overland stage company in 1859, when the route was established through Vi- sala. Townsend's saloon, in the neighborhood of Huffaker's stables, also came into existence.
It must be remembered that there were no sidewalks except those of plank in front of the different business establishments; there were no pavements, no enrbs, no sewers, no lights. Remem- ber that this constituted the entire business section of town and that the dwellings, with the exception of a few brick residences, such as Wiley Watson's and A. J. Atwell's, were mere shacks, seattered. separated from each other by dense growths of brush, weeds, briars and a general tangle of vegetation. Streets, while laid out, were not necessarily strictly followed where ent-offs enabled one to reach main roads by a more direct route.
Sneh was Visalia in the late '50s, and it was a good town and a growing town; there was life and gaiety, brisk business and abundant money. A spreading oak tree, just visible in the back- ground of the photograph, stood in the street at the corner of Bridge. The American flag, one made by Mrs. G. W. Warner, was stretched from it to the Warner hotel and flung to the breeze for the first time in Visalia in 1856.
The first firecrackers, imported in 1858, were hailed with delight
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by the fun-loving populace and sold readily at from $1 to $1.50 a pack. Horee-racing was a sport in those days entered into with great enthusiasm. Local stock was used and a large portion of the available cash was in the hands of stakeholders before the start was made. Sometimes the races were postponed until late in the day that visitors from a distance might all have a chance to arrive and "get their money np." Some pleasures were more expensive then than now. Seven dollars was the usual price for a ball ticket, al- though on exceptionally swell occasions, such as the opening of the St. Charles hotel, a $10 charge was made.
That the love of "red licker," while natural, and, in fact, essen- tial, might be carried to extremes and that therefore the appetite should be somewhat curbed, was early recognized. The Visalia Dashaway Association, for the furtherance of temperance, was formed and many able citizens joined, and speeches of impassioned eloquence were made. As some slight stimulant was necessary to exalt the mind to a degree of inspiration in the preparation of such speeches, and as it was necessary in some measure to recuperate after the violent physical effort of delivery, report hath it that some of the officers of this association were often inclined to over- rate their capacity for the cup that "brightens and invigorates the consciousness."
We pass on. Came the Civil war. Of the duel to the death in the campaign preceding it; of the organization of home guards and the coming of troops; of the street brawls and murders and house burnings and newspaper destroying during the period, there are accounts elsewhere.
After the war, the need for rail transportation facilities made itself severely felt and for a long period of years untiring efforts were made by Visalia's leading citizens to seenre some such. The production of wool was becoming important, wheat farming offered prospects but excessive freights caused development to halt. When it became known that the Southern Pacific company had definitely left Visalia off the map by leaving it seven miles to the east, R. I .. Hyde, the leading financier of the city, with assistance from many enterprising citizens, built the Visalia and Goshen railroad. com- pleting it in 1875.
In the meantime the city had been incorporated. This measure had been defeated by vote at an election held in 1860, but it was not until February 27, 1874, that the approval of the legislative act gave the rank of city to the town.' The first officers were: S. A. Shop- pard, M. Mooney, I. A. Samstag, W. B. Bishop and W. G. Owen. trustees; J. (. Hoy, marshal and tax collector ; Julius Levy, assessor ; J. A. Nowell, school superintendent and city clerk; S. C. Brown, S. H. Collins, J. C. Ward and W. F. Thomas, school directors, and A. Elkins, recorder. 3
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Arthur and James Crowley established a water works system in 1875, gas works soon followed and electric lighting came in 1891.
Increased railway facilities were necessary for growth and tardily came. The Visalia-Tulare steam motor road was built by local capital; the Santa Fe, originally the San Joaquin Valley railroad, arrived in 1896; the Southern Pacific made connections with the east side branch at Exeter in 1897, shortly afterward taking over the Goshen-Visalia road; in 1907 the Visalia Electric road to Lemon Cove, and now on to Woodlake and Redbanks, was built, and in 1912 was inangurated the Big Four electric railroad, which will connect Tulare, Porterville, Woodville and Visalia.
Prior to 1890 municipal improvements were of a very minor character, in fact, only within the past few years have they become such as befits a modern, rapidly growing city.
The prevention of the flood waters of Mill creek from over- flowing the town had always constituted a problem, and in 1891 the channel was deepened and straightened and confined to a plank- covered flume, which answered with more or less success until the excessive high water of 1906. During that season the town was repeatedly flooded and adequate protective measures became neces- sary. For the purpose of securing immunity from this danger bonds in the sum of $70,000 were voted, and in 1910 was con- strneted, according to the design of the city engineer, M. L. Weaver, a cement-lined concrete aqueduct over half a mile in length, the same covered for nearly all the distance with a re-enforced concrete construction.
Prior to this, in 1902, a sewerage system extending throughout the city had been built at a cost of abont $80,000, and a commence- ment of street paving had been made in 1895, by the laying down of twelve blocks in the business section.
In 1909 a very handsome and convenient city hall of mission design was built in re-enforced concrete, at a cost of $30,000. Among other recent municipal improvements we may cite the magnificent new high school, now building in the western part of town, to take the place of the $40,000 new building completed in 1911, and burned to the ground in the same year.
One of the serious passages in Visalia's recent history has been the mimerons agitations, controversies and elections over the liquor question. This matter first came before the voters in 1874, and the proposed no-license measure was defeated by a vote of 178 to 120. Abont twenty years elapsed before the sentiment against saloons reached proportions. This became especially pronounced in 1906, when nearly all the precincts in the county outside of incor- porated towns voted "dry."
After repeated efforts, the anti-saloon forces succeeded, in 1911, in inducing the city trustees to call an election for the purpose of
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securing by a test or "straw" vote, the sentiment of the people. Twelve hundred votes were cast at this election, the "drys" win- ning by one hundred and forty-one. At the city election in April following, city trustees favoring no-license were elected, the ma- jority in their favor being, however, only about eighty. An ordi- nance closing saloons was immediately passed.
The state legislature had in the meantime passed the Wyllie local option law, providing for a submission of the question to the people upon the filing of a petition signed by twenty-five per cent of the voters. . The advocates of the saloon cause, confident that sentiment was changing in their favor, as shown by the recent vote, and that this would become more pronounced upon the falling off of business incident to the closing of saloons, determined to avail themselves of the provisions of the new law.
A petition having three hundred and four signatures was filed and an election held July 17, 1911. The "wets" obtained a majority of six votes at this election, there being five hundred and sixteen votes for license, five hundred and ten against and nine thrown out on account of being blank or incorrectly marked. The city trustees decided that as the saloon advocates had not received a clear majority of all ballots placed in the box, the "drys" had won, and refused to issue licenses. Intense bitterness was engendered by this action and the case carried into court on mandamus pro- ceedings. Judge Wallace decided that the election was carried by the "wets," but that as the Wyllie law did not provide that the liquor traffic must be licensed following a majority vote. therefore the writ of mandamus would not lie.
It was, in other words, optional with the board to follow the expression of the will of the people. The trustees, standing on their legal rights, and justifying their action by the contention that illegal votes were cast, maintained their position. The saloons thereupon gave up their fight for a time, but in the spring of 1912 a final effort was made to secure a lease of life. This took the form of initiative legislation. An ordinance providing for the licensing of saloons under regulations so strict that it was thought that they would meet with the approval of the less radical opposi- tion element was prepared, and the requisite number of signatures was affixed to a petition asking the trustees to call an election to determine whether or not it was the will of the people that the ordinance go into effect. At this election, held in April, 1912, women for the first time participated in municipal affairs. The measure was defeated overwhelmingly, thus finally settling a con- troversy that had existed for years.
The fact that Visalia, the oldest town in the San Joaquin val- ley, has allowed some to distance it in population and many to out- strip it in rapid growth has been the cause of comment.
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Three principal factors there are which have contributed to this state of affairs. First, may be placed the fact of its not being on the main line of railway, although at present the facilities for shipment, and for travel are the same as if. it were on three main lines. Second. is the fact that land in the vicinity has been held in large tracts by owners who did not desire to sell. Not until re- cently have any tracts suitable for colonization been placed on the market. Third, is the fact that elsewhere the prospective settler has in the past been able to find cheaper land. In many other locali- ties, lands of low original value were rendered suitable for settle- ment by irrigation or other enterprises, and with the cost of this and promoters' profits added, could still be sold at a low figure.
In the rich delta sub-irrigated district, tributary to Visalia, land valnes on undeveloped tracts have been maintained for the reason that their conversion into income property was at any time an easy matter. The pressure of a flood of homeseekers is now at the bar- riers, and an exceeding growth and an increased prosperity will undoubtedly result.
Visalia today is a busy and growing modern city of 6000 in- habitants. In addition to the municipal improvements previously spoken of, such as the new city hall, new high school building, recent extensive street paving, adequate sewer system, etc., there is a handsome publie library building, a delightful city park, a building in which are housed the chamber of commerce displays and which affords a meeting place for all civic bodies.
The city is peculiarly pleasing to the eye on account of the extent of shade tree bordered streets. Situated as it is in the center of the sub-irrigated belt, natural perennial green grasses flourish and the lawns and foliage never indicate by failing verdure the parching effects of summer heat. Many oaks, remnants of the solid groves that once were a feature of the landscape, remain and add to the charm.
Quite a large number of pretentious residences, with carefully kept lawns and gardens, grace the environs. Cement sidewalks have generally been well extended towards the outskirts, and the streets. outside the paved district, are usually oiled and kept in good order.
In a business way, modern requirements are fully met. There are three banks with deposits of nearly $2,500,000; two canning factories; two dried fruit packinghouses; two creameries; two green fruit packing concerns and a beet sugar factory.
The amount of money expended by these concerns in payrolls and payments for the products of orchard, dairy and farm reaches an enormous total, and forms the foundation for permanent pros- perity.
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CHAPTER V.
TULARE COUNTY'S CITRUS FRUIT
The eastern slope of Tulare county is covered today with al- most one continuous orange grove. In the amount of capital in- vested, the culture of citrus fruits is by far the most important industry in the county. In yearly revenne it equals or exceeds any other.
Roughly speaking, there are abont twenty-seven thousand acres set to oranges and lemons, one-third of which is in bearing. The production last year was four thousand carloads, having a value of $2,500,000. A conservative valuation of these orchards with their equipment would be $13,500,000, and a fair estimate of the income when the present acreage reaches bearing would be $7,500.000. This wonderful development has been wholly accomplished within the past twenty years, but a few words relative to the very earliest efforts in this direction may prove of interest.
The first orange tree planted in Tulare county was in 1860, when Mrs. H. M. White, in Frazier valley, planted the seed from an orange brought from the South Sea islands. As one passes now through miles of groves heavy with golden fruit or laden with odorons blossoms, the symbolism of this act appeals to the imagination It seems as if, endowed with the supernatural powers of one of the fates. she performed the ceremony of transferring to this inland vale some of the spicy fragrance and some of the easy opulence of those langnorons isles.
Returning to facts, Deming Gibben, in 1863, also planted a few orange trees in his yard at Plano. At dates not exactly known, Peter Goodhue set ont a tree in Visalia and J. W. C. Pogne at Lemon Cove planted a few. To trace the extraordinary growth of the industry from those days until the present, when trainloads are shipped daily throughout the season, would fill a volume. And vet progress in the beginning was hampered in many ways. Few of Tulare county residents believed in it. It was expensive, the cost even in the beginning reaching $300 per acre for bringing an orchard into bearing. The area of adaptable land was thought to be confined only to certain foothill slopes, or coves with certain kinds of exposure. Hog-wallow land was deemed unfit. Failure to obtain water on the first trial in some districts was considered evi- dence that none was there. But when numerous crops came into hearing and the fruit was being harvested some six weeks earlier than that from Southern California, when this fruit reached the eastern markets in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas markets
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and sold for exceedingly high prices, there came visitors from the sonthern orange districts who perceived at a glance the great pos- sibilities of the section.
In 1870 W. J. Ellis, connty assessor, in his statistical report submitted to the surveyor general, listed one hundred orange trees in the county. In making up his large total, however, he had re- course to including abont ninety young trees still in the nursery. At this period there was no thought in the minds of anyone that orange growing would develop as a commercial industry. This did not ocen until 1890. In that year George Frost, a prominent orange grower and nurseryman of Riverside, took a look at the county. In Southern California there existed a firm conviction that orange growing north of Tehachapi was impossible. While Mr. Frost looked at the country with doubtful eyes, he was more unprejudiced than the majority. Besides this, he was anxions to find a market for nursery trees. At the time he had on hand a large stock, which he was unable to sell. In the San Joaquin valley for Mr. Frost's inspection there were at the time the following groves only: at Porterville, five acres; at the ranch of H. M. White, a few trees; at Plano, one acre: at Lemon Cove, one and one-half acres; at Centerville, six aeres; and at the ohl General Beale's place, sonth of Bakersfield, a five-acre tract planted to a general assortment of citrus fruits.
The prospects for a new district appealed so strongly to Mr. Frost that he engaged in a deal with the Pioneer Land company of Porterville whereby, on land owned by the corporation, he was to set ont one hundred acres of orange trees and care for them for two years. Then he was either to buy the property for $100 per acre or the land company were to repay him for the trees and labor expended.
Immediately following the expression of opinion of Mr. Frost that the district was adapted to oranges, numbers prepared to engage in it, and the next year witnessed a planting that would prove a commercial factor. Albert and Oliver Henry of Porter- ville, who already had a few trees in bearing, became the pioneer enterprising growers and boosters for the Porterville district.
In 1891 Capt. A. J. Hutchinson, together with Messrs. Patten and Glassell, purchased the Jacobs' place at Lindsay and in the following year set out three acres at Lindsay, which became known as the home place. In 1893 planting became general. So well pleased was Mr. Frost with his original venture at Porterville that he purchased and proceeded to set ont an additional tract of seventy-five acres.
Captain Hutchinson organized the Lindsay Land company, and proceeded to subdivide his tract into small holdings, agreeing to
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care for the groves of non-residents. No ditch water for irrigating was available at Lindsay. Wells were therefore sunk and steam pumping plants installed, the first in the county. Water in abund- ance, was found at a depth of about seventy feet, which rose to within twenty feet of the surface. The experiment generally dis- believed in proved an unqualified snecess. A high water level in the wells maintained itself in spite of the drain of constant pumping and the supply appeared then as inexhanstible.
Thomas Johnson, Joe Curtis and other influential men of San Jose, became prominent in promoting the Lindsay district. About four hundred acres, mostly in ten acre tracts, were planted. Be- tween two hundred and fifty and three hundred acres, also in small blocks, were planted near Porterville.
Exeter entered the field in 1904 through the operations of George Frost. This gentleman, with Messrs. Merryman, Carney, Hamilton, Davis and others, set out about four hundred acres east of Exeter, naming it the Bonnie Brae orchard. In passing, it may be noted that Mr. Merryman later absorbed the interests of his associates and greatly increased his holdings by the purchasing of adjoining property. In addition to several hundred acres of undeveloped land and a considerable acreage devoted to olives and deciduous fruits, there are seven hundred and fifty acres devoted to oranges. It is the largest grove in the county and this. together with the elegant residence, large, beautiful gardens and grounds, make it one of the "show places" of the district.
Development at Lemon Cove did not lag behind this move- ment, promotion work there being first accomplished by Messrs. Hammond, Berry, Levis, Overall and Jordan of Visalia, who or- ganized the Kaweah Lemon Company and set some two hundred acres to trees. The Ohio Lemon Company shortly thereafter set another similar tract to this fruit.
By 1904 development had been thoroughly launched in the Porterville, Lindsay, Exeter and Lemon Cove districts. We turn now to the commercial disposition of the product.
In 1892 there were boosters a-plenty for the new industry. It was deemed desirable to show the world that a new citrus district. producing fruit unequaled, had been discovered. The World's Fair at St. Louis was to open January 1, 1904. Above all things it be- hooved growers here to make a big showing. P. M. Baier was selected to prepare such an exhibit. The first full carload to leave the county was the fruit for this display and it required prac tically all grown in the county to fill it. The exhibit was first shown in the Mechanics Pavilion in San Francisco, and then forwarded to St. Louis, and received creditable mention at both places.
In 1893 there were four carloads at the Frost orchard, and in
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the next season both the Exchange and the Earl Fruit Com- panies entered the field, getting ont a pack of sixteen cars. This fruit reached the eastern market in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas markets and sold for extra high prices. As this period of ripening is several weeks in advance of Southern California a great deal of attention was attracted to this locality and many southern growers came, saw the results accomplished, and invested.
Old residents of Tulare county, however, generally held aloof from venturing into this field. In fact, the whole business of the promo- tion of the sale of orange lands and their planting appeared to them as a rank swindle. The selling of foothill land at $25 to $50 per acre, or with water developed at $75 to $100, seemed to them as merely a scheme to catch snekers. Only within the last few years, in fact, have umbers of our own citizens taken an active part in the enterprise, these now freely paying for lands treble the price that they formerly believed extravagant.
During the first years of the rapid extension of acreage devoted to citrus fruits investors were very chary of straying far from the original bearing orchards. Objections innumerable. were in fact advanced toward all other lands.
The Ilntchinson tract at Lindsay was held to mark the extreme westerly boundary of the thermal belt; only slopes and coves in the hills with certain exposures were suitable; sonth of Plano there was no water; hog-wallow land was unfit; failure to obtain water in the first trial in a new district was considered evidence that none was there; and so on, endlessly, with able reasons why the only true citrus lands had been planted by the first growers. Largely in consequence of this attitude, the hearing orchards today generally lie in the districts tributary to Porterville, Lindsay, Exe- ter and Lemon Cove.
Commencing some seven or eight years ago, however, there has been a bold exploitation of new districts, led by promoters with capi- tal, energy and optimism. These have by actual demonstration shown conclusively that the citrus belt is not bounded by such narrow limits. Water in quantities has been developed almost everywhere. Dinnba. Orosi, Stokes valley, Yettem, Orange Heights, Klink, Venice Cove, Redbanks, Woodlake, Naranjo, Frazier valley, Strathmore. Zante, Terra Bella and the entire district from Plano sonth to the county line, including Terra Bella, Ducor and Richgrove, are each now eapa- ble of demonstrating by showing hundreds of acres of thriving or- chards that they are adapted to this culture.
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