Tulare County
History
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California - History by Eugene L. Menefee and Fred A. Dodge - Historic Record Company - Los Angeles, California, 1913
CHAPTER IV
VISALIA
Necessarily the history of Tulare county was to all intents and purposes, in the early period, the history of Visalia, as the activities of the entire population centered here.
The early beginnings are familiar. It will be remembered how, in 1852, alone in the wilderness, Nathaniel and Abner Vise located for a future homestead the site of the city; how the first immigrants thought it necessary to build a stockade to defend themselves from Indians. Also will be remembered Nat Vise's generous offer to donate his claim to the people if they would locate the county seat here; how the offer was accepted and by the election of 1853, ratified.
The first enterprises tending to making a town here have also been detailed in the general history; how Baker started a store and Matthews a. mill ; how a school and church and a two-story log jail, planked and "pinned with double tens" followed.
Nearly three score years have passed since these things were, and here is only space for the bare mention of the milestones of progress Visalia has since passed. Many of these, too, marking as well the progress of the county as a whole, are treated under separate headings. Thus the first two causes tending toward increased population were the discovery of gold as early as 1856, and the establishment of the Overland stage route through the town in 1859. For a number of years following the town showed a rapid, if what might be, perhaps, termed a hectic, growth.
Those were the days of easy-going ways, the day of dollars easily acquired, easily spent. Between 1856 and 1860 it was estimated that from five and six thousand miners passed through Visalia, en route to the gold fields. Outfitting and freighting and the accommodation and transportation of travelers developed into a business of magnitude. And the miners, whether going or coming, whether hopeful, successful, or discouraged, were always thirsty, and whether they had been lucky or unlucky, were still always ready to take another chance.
And catering to these wants, saloons and gambling flourished; dance halls were enlarged, musicians imported. Faro, roulette, monte, poker and dice games all assisted in the general scheme of the retention of a goodly portion of the traveler's coin. And when the lull in mining began to make itself felt, the Civil war, with its pay days for soldiers and its grafting quartermasters, again made life of this kind pleasant and profitable. New mines in the Owens River district were discovered and business flourished anew.
During these years, of course, the population had been increased by the addition of all classes of men. There were now keen lawyers, shrewd merchants, skilled physicians. There were teachers and preachers. Two newspapers had been established, the Delta, by John Shannon in 1859, and the Equal Rights Expositor, by S. J. Garrison, in 1862. The Masons and Odd Fellows had organized. With it all, however, was lacking the element of stability. The fact was that although set in the midst of a most fertile section, and being the only town within a score of miles, the community, while apparently prosperous, was not really self-supporting. This arose from its location remote from markets and the lack of communication and transportation facilities. For a few years retrogression set in.
And now, before we consider the next era, let us take a survey of the old town and try to visualize it as it existed before the war.
A view taken from the Palace hotel corner on Main street, looking east, will serve for a foundation for a correct mental building of the picture. The Exchange hotel appears on the left and S. Sweet's store in the right foreground. Certainly it is a vision of ramshackle neglectfulness, of general unkemptness and untidiness. No sidewalks, no curbs, no cleanliness.
Commencing on the south side of Main street, at the corner of Bridge, was located the general merchandise Store of O. Reinstein, a two-story building, almost the only one in this neighborhood. The Birley and Pierce blacksmith shop adjoined on the west and at the corner was Swat and Wells emporium.
At the corner now occupied by the balconies was a brick building used as a general store by John G. Parker. The Cosmopolitan saloon was next in order, then a little brick drug store, opened by Henry Bequette. Then came a general store kept by a Mr. Johnson and at the Uhl corner, an old frame building housing the general merchandise store of D. K. Douglass. At the corner where is now located the Citizens bank, stood the Masonic Hall building, then Hockett's, then Rogers' stores. In the middle of the block was Keener's butcher shop, then the Fashion saloon, the Bostwick's tin shop. Around the corner, where is now the Harrell building, was Peter Goodhue's stable. The National Bank site was occupied by the dwelling house of John Majors, which later made way for a two-story building erected by H. and I. Cohen, the lower floor used for the St. Charles saloon and the upper for Music Hall.
Commencing once more on Main street, opposite our point of beginning, we find Turner's blacksmith shop occupying the site of the Ballou building. On the Harvey House corner stood a two‑story brick building run as a hotel originally by L. R. Ketchum 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, occupying the lower floor of a building located on a portion of the Visalia House site.
The Delta office, built by Shannon, its first proprietor, stood at the corner now occupied 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 flouring 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. Dummer, 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 cut 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 Visalia. 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 curbs, no sewers, no lights. Remember 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, scattered, 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 cut-offs enabled one to reach main roads by a more direct route.
Such 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 background 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 by the fun-loving populace and sold readily at from $1 to $1.50 a pack. Horse-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 up." Some pleasures were more expensive then than now. Seven dollars was the usual price for a ball ticket, although 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, essential, 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 overrate 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 secure 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. E. Hyde, the leading financier of the city, with assistance from many enterprising citizens, built the Visalia and Goshen railroad, completing 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. Sheppard, M. Mooney, I. A. Samstag, W. B. Bishop and W. G. Owen, trustees; J. C. 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.
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 inaugurated 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 overflowing 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 necessary. For the purpose of securing immunity from this danger bonds in the sum of $70,000 were voted, and in 1910 was constructed, 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 about $80,000, and a commencement 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 numerous 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. About 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 incorporated 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 securing by a test or "straw" vote, the sentiment of the people. Twelve hundred votes were cast at this election, the "drys" winning by one hundred and forty-one. At the city election in April following, city trustees favoring no-license were elected, the majority in their favor being, however, only about eighty. An ordinance 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 proceedings. 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 opposition 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 controversy that had existed for years.
The fact that Visalia, the oldest town in the San Joaquin valley, has allowed some to distance it in population and many to outstrip it in rapid growth has been the cause of comment.
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 recently 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 localities, lands of low original value were rendered suitable for settlement 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 values 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 home-seekers is now at the barriers, and an exceeding growth and an increased prosperity will undoubtedly result.
Visalia today is a busy and growing modern city of 6000 inhabitants. 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 public 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 prosperity.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.