Hometown History

Sep 2020 19

Landscapes and Landmarks of the Great Central Valley

2020 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Books & Tales, Hometown History, Terrance V. Mc Arthur

by Terrance Mc Arthur
& Janice Stevens

The Great Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley. The Heart of California. The Big Valley.
It’s an amazing place to explore, and it’s even better to explore it with people you like. Two of my favorite traveling companions are Pat Hunter and Janice Stevens, although I’ve never shared a car with them. I travel in their books. With Hunter’s delicate watercolors and Stevens’ concise prose, they’ve helped me explore Fresno’s architectural gems, the twenty-one missions of California’s El Camino Real, the stomping grounds of William Saroyan’s past, and Highway 1’s stretch up the California coastline from Mexico to Oakland.

Feb 2020 8

Reedley Lumber Co.

2020 Articles, Hometown History, Jim Mulligan, Reedley News

by Jim Mulligan

At 7:20 on a crisp, clear Saturday morning in January, just as the sun began to makes its presence known east of the Sierras, three pick-up trucks sat idling, keeping the occupants toasty warm in the parking lot of one of the oldest businesses in Reedley. At 7:23 the lights inside Reedley Lumber Co. popped on in sections, indicating to the outside world, namely the aforementioned men huddling in the warmth of their vehicles, that the day was officially beginning. At 7:26 the doors were unlocked, and like moths to a flame, the gentlemen who had been so patiently waiting, exited the comfort of their trucks and made a beeline for the entrance.

Mar 2019 16

Reedley Museum Will Be Celebrating 40th Anniversary in 2019

2019 Articles, Community, Hometown History, Lorie Lewis Ham, Reedley News

by Lorie Lewis Ham

The first time I went inside the Reedley Museum was with my daughter's class in elementary school many years ago. When I worked for the Reedley Exponent I was there often as they are a fountain of information about Reedley's interesting past. Recently I sat down for a chat with their current Curator, Karey Olson, to touch base with all they have to offer. Karey has been a volunteer with the museum for six year.

May 2018 12

The Hotel Burgess: A Reedley Landmark Opens Again For Business

2018 Articles, Community, Diana Bulls, Hometown History, Reedley News

by Diana Bulls

The Hotel Burgess, a 100-year-old Reedley landmark located on the corner of 11th and G streets, reopened its doors last July. The Hotel Burgess has been operating for nearly all of those 100 years—closed only for about three years before being purchased by Jose and Wendy Rivera.

Mar 2018 24

Highway 99: The History of California’s Main Street By Stephen Provost

2018 Articles, Books & Tales, Diana Bulls, Hometown History

by Diana Bulls

Anyone who lives in Central California knows that to get from north to south, you take State Route 99 (SR99), or as most of us call it, Highway 99. If you are heading north to Sacramento or south to Bakersfield, or any of the cities in between, you are going to get there via SR99.

Mar 2018 17

Step Inside of History At The Tulare Historical Museum

2018 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Evelyne Vivies, Hometown History

by Evelyne Vivies

Whether you’re a history buff or you just enjoy exploring pieces of our past, visiting a local museum is an educational and interesting experience. One such museum, the Tulare Historical Museum, is the perfect place to learn more about Tulare, a small town located in the heart of the Central Valley, which holds a special place in our valley’s history.

Feb 2018 3

Reedley History: Three Texans Come to California

2018 Articles, Hometown History, Jim Bulls, Reedley News

by Jim Bulls

It was the summer of 1964. My family was on our annual pilgrimage back to Texas and Oklahoma. This year, though, instead of heading to Texas first, we stopped in Tulsa to give Grandma’s yard a major trim and clean-up, and get the house ready for the coming winter.

Jan 2018 13

Interview With Local Author Stephen H. Provost

2018 Articles, Books & Tales, Hometown History, Lorie Lewis Ham

by Lorie Lewis Ham

This week we are interviewing Valley historian and author Stephen H. Provost. Last year he released his book Highway 99. The book is filled with historic photographs and forgotten tales. Highway 99 is a nostalgia-fueled road trip into California motoring culture. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Highway 99, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Dec 2017 16

What’s Poppin’? Popcorn Christmas Decorations and Some Fun Facts

2017 Articles, Diana Bulls, Hometown History

by Diana Bulls

Decorating the Christmas tree is a walk down memory lane for me. Each ornament that is unwrapped has a special story. Included in this collected are “ornaments” that have been made with bits and pieces of Christmas. It was looking at these that started me thinking about popcorn.

Nov 2017 18

Reedley History: Autorama

2017 Articles, Hometown History, Jim Bulls, Reedley News

by Jim Bulls

Since I was born just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, my first exposure to “gear-head-itis” was to the cars of the 1930s. At that time, all the car makers were vying for what few dollars there were available for new cars. During the Great Depression, many of America’s finest auto makers would perish from bankruptcy.