A California Online Magazine, With a Focus on the San Joaquin Valley
In 1953 my Dad was in the money and itching to buy a newer car, or at least one more suitable for a successful educator than the 1947 Plymouth he was currently driving. Buick was his make of choice, and one Saturday he drove around the block where Jackson’s Buick lot was at least three times. On the used car lot sat a gun metal grey Super Four-Door with a cream top. It was just two years old and it looked brand new.
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I became a Reedleyite in 1947 and I was in for a culture shock the first time I went out in Aunt Geneva’s backyard to play with the neighborhood kids. The countries represented included Mexico, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Armenia, Lebanon, Japan, and Korea, to name a few! John Steinbeck introduced California to the new immigrants called “Okies” of which I was one, wearing high top shoes and overalls. But the games we played were all the same: kick the can, statue, or mother may I. My first friend was a Portuguese kid named Danny Enos, who lived down the street. We would usually meet at Ayubes Market for a coke or ice cream.
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I would like to think that Art Tabler would have thrown Reedley’s first Fiesta in my honor since I moved to Reedley and he came up with the Fiesta idea the same year: 1947. He did feel our tight-knit little community had reason to celebrate, but because our diverse ethnic population had given their lives and support to protecting our country during World War II and local young men who had fought in Europe, North Africa, and Asia were just beginning to return home, also the local farmers who grew crops for the war effort had completed harvest – what better time for a community celebration?
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In 1849, news of the California gold rush reaches the Portuguese Azores, original homeland of Manuel and Mary Enos. It isn’t long before the couple is on board a clipper ship, rounding the “Horn” and heading to San Francisco. The Enos’ will settle in the gold fields of Trinity County, where they raise a family of nine.
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On the west Texas farm I moved from long ago, the crickets would chirp, the frogs croaked, and the roosters crowing woke us at the crack of dawn. Moving to Reedley brought a plethora of new sounds to listen for.
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KRL’s local Reedley Historian Jim Bulls shares the history behind one of Reedley’s most popular downtown restaurants, Main Street Cafe. Check out the coupon for Main Street Cafe at the end of this article.
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Heat parched soil, thirsty plants bought for reasons unknown as this gardening hobby is new to me, constantly moving the hose or the sprinkler—it must be summer. One thing working in your yard does, it brings you closer to your neighborhood. School is out and the boys down the street are playing half-court basketball in the road. The couple around the corner pushes their twins’ stroller around the block while walking their dogs. A girl on a skateboard with an I-Pod plugged into her earphones has made at least four laps around the block, swaying to the music as she dodges ruts, potholes, obstacles and practices improving her balance and skill.
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As a west Texas farm boy, where five families shared a communal garden to the “Victory” garden at Pantex Ordinance Plant to the backyard garden at our new home in California, I have been around organic produce for a long time. In fact, organic farming has been around since the Revolutionary War and could be considered the primary farming method until World War II. Around that time, farming became a lot more technical and there was an explosion of new chemical products, many based on German patents that resulted in potent insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides used by farmers to control pests and increase yields.
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In the last century they were known as traffic circles, and the most well-known in our area was Bakersfield’s gateway to Highway 99. Thousands of mid-westerners fleeing the dustbowl entered the San Joaquin Valley via this traffic circle. Built in 1932, it has gone unchanged and was bypassed when the new Freeway 99 was built.
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Years ago, at the height of the family farm, the farmer planned his chores around the weekly trip to town on Friday night. This is when the family would do the week’s shopping and catch up on the local gossip. Stores were generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and catered to the farmer’s needs. In the mid-1960s, as the family farm became less and less profitable, the stores stopped staying open late and many closed or left town. Now the tide has turned.
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By the 1890s, the little town of Reedley had grown enough that the town site developer hired by the Pacific Land and Improvement Company suggested building a new hotel. This would be the first brick business building on G Street. Constructed by the Betteridge Company of Visalia for the sum of $23,000, the building stood five stories high at the tower, with verandas off each room. It opened for business in 1892 and was an attractive lure for prospective residents.
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The Reedley Street Faire, and its counterparts in Dinuba, Kingsburg and Porterville, are all geared to the auto enthusiast. In order to write about the beginning of today’s street faire, we have to go all the way back to the beginning—tracing events that took place at the end of WWII and the return of servicemen to civilian life.
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As soon as you open the door of 1154 G Street in downtown Reedley, the aroma of fresh-baked cookies hangs heavy in the air. I was immediately transported back to Grandma’s kitchen, but it wasn’t Grandma behind the counter. Jessica McCahill, along with husband Josh, has recently taken over ownership of the restaurant formerly known as “Melinda’s Place” and then “JJ Dukes.” Under the new name “The Reedley Sandwich Shop,” the McCahills have extended the hours and added to the menu. I can tell you from personal experience, that the changes are good ones.
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When was the last time you were at Radio Shack, Best Buy or the electronics department at Wal-Mart? We take computers, laptops and cell phones for granted and something new and revolutionary is introduced almost weekly. Items a year old can be obsolete and grammar school children are more savvy and computer literate than I could ever hope to be.
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Hugs is a special, special needs guy. He is blind with cataracts in both eyes. He is young. The vet thinks 2 1/2 - 3 years old. He has a great temperament & gets around great using his other senses. His foster mom says that if she doesn't move anything, once around the house & he has it memorized. Hugs is very loving & affectionate. We think Hugs would make a great therapy dog. His hypoallergenic coat is also a big plus for therapy dogs.Hugs is available through Animal Compassion Team.
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