volume 2, number 2 summer 2009 stanislaus …...farmhouse was quite popular in the county, with its...

Stanislaus

Historical Quarterly An Independent Publication of Stanislaus County History

Stanislaus County Founded 1854

Volume 2, Number 2 Summer 2009

Stanislaus County Houses, Tank Houses, and Windmills

———————— 98 ————————

1. Del Puerto Canyon, Creek, and Road are located in the CoastRange in the far west section of the county. The first notation ofthe creek appeared as “Arroyo de la Puerta” on a Mexican map,noting also the land grantRancho del Puerto of 1844. Ac-cording to Spanish languagesources, “puerta” means doorand is a feminine noun, but inStanislaus County, as seen onthe Mexican map, it carriedalso a masculine form of“puerto.” An 1862 Americanpublication refers to “Canadadel Puerto” and “Puerto Can-yon,” with this commentary:“The canyon comes throughby a very narrow ‘door,’ whichgives the name to the valleybehind.” In an 1881 Americansource, the creek appears as “El Puerto Creek,” rather than “DelPuerto Creek,” which became its official name.

2. Don Pedro Bar was a prosperous mining town in TuolumneCounty, just above La Grange. Its main street curved, following thecourse of the river, having a side road that led to the ferry landing.A bridge was built at the ferry site in 1859. The settlement had arestaurant, bakery, brewery, fandango hall, temperance hall, and aschoolhouse. It was named for Pierre Sainsevan or “Don Pedro.”The name “Pierre” is “Pedro” in Spanish, while “Don” is Spanish

for a gentleman or nobleman.Sainsevan was a Frenchmenwho came to the U.S. in 1839and mined gold at Don PedroBar beginning in August1848. He was a member ofCalifornia’s first constitu-tional convention held inMonterey in 1850. During theCivil War, residents of DonPedro Bar sided with theConfederacy, while justdown the river, La Grangesupported the Union. It is es-

timated that a total of $13 million of gold was taken from claimsfound at Don Pedro Bar. In 1864, the settlement was destroyed byfire and was never to recover, primarily because the area’s goldwas depleted. Some of the Chinese who lived there remained afterthe fire. When La Grange Dam was built, its reservoir water cov-ered up Don Pedro Bar. The remains of 30 citizens were removedfrom the cemetery and reburied. As the water was rising to inun-date Don Pedro Bar, it was said that elderly Lee Bong or Ah Bung,its last citizen, threw his hat in the flooding water, headed up-stream, and was never seen again.

3. Dry Creek originates in the Sierra Nevada foothills near theeastern boundary of Stanislaus County, where Don Pedro Dam islocated. Small gulches provide the creek with runoff water during

the rainy season. The creekruns southwesterly, somewhatparallel to the Tuolumne River,flowing into the river inModesto. It is the last tribu-tary of the Tuolumne River andcarries a sizeable volume ofwater during the winter but haslittle flow during the rest of theyear. Before irrigation, the creekbed was dry in spots duringthe summer, having just smallstagnant pools. When irriga-tion was implemented in early1900, the creek then had a con-tinuous flow of water year-

round from irrigation drainage, along with spills and seepage fromthe canals near Modesto Reservoir. At one time, spring wildflowerswere everywhere, such as poppies, cream cups, lupine, and fillaree.Flocks of wild geese flew overhead looking for food and places toland. Mallards nested in the tall spring grass. North of Waterford,the creek banks were thick with willows and cottonwoods. Furtherupstream, it was treeless, but because of rice farming in the Paulsellarea, seeds from trees floated down the creek from the drainagewater, causing trees to grow along the creek’s banks. With a year-round stream, the creek contained numerous fish, such as carp,catfish, perch, blue gill, crayfish, and sometimes salmon. Also, therewas more abundance of turtles, fox, mink, raccoons, muskrats, ring-tail cats, and even beaver. Sierra Railroad crossed the creek withbridges. RLS

Historical Places in Stanislaus County

1

32

Front Cover PicturesWilliam P. Grenfell (top row, left) built this Yankee Style farm-house on his Tuolumne River ranch, with a long porch and balcony.He was born in England in 1832, coming to the United States in1843, settling in Wisconsin, and then moving to California in 1850.He was a miner in Tuolumne County and Mariposa until 1853, mov-ing to Stanislaus County, raising cattle along the San Joaquin River.He then relocated to a ranch along the Tuolumne River, just southof La Grange. He married Lucretia I. Ward in 1856, together havingseven children.

John Vincent Davies (top row, right) owned this house, which wason his 1,600-acre ranch along the south bank of the Tuolumne River,about three miles from the confluence of the San Joaquin River,where he raised grain. His residence was an American Style farm-house, having a long front porch and balcony. There was a steam-boat landing on his ranch during the 1860s (Continued on p. 115)

Del Puerto Canyon and Creek during springtime RLS photo

———————— 99 ————————

Stanislaus Historical Quarterly ————————————— Summer 2009

ne can get a feel for Stanislaus County history by viewing thearchitecture found in its houses, barns, and commercial buildings.The fall 2008 issue of Stanislaus Historical Quarterly featured ahistory of county barns in which types and purposes werediscussed. This issue will continue that analysis of county historicalarchitecture by investigating the residential dwellings found in thecounty’s towns and countryside. In this issue a few historical homeswill be presented, along with the types of architecture generallyfound countywide. This is not a comprehensive examination, butan overview of the county’s architectural history that one can stillwitness while driving along its streets and highways. It is quitenoticeable that the county lacks the magnificent residences foundin the state’s larger cities. Instead, the county’s housing has beenpractical, simply engineered, and decorated to fit the needs andenvironment of large ranches, small farms, sparsely-populatedcommunities, and modest towns. Even though architecturalwonders do not exist here, Stanislaus County has had a number ofcharming, attractive, and unique dwellings to view and enjoy.

Early CaliforniaEarly California residential architecture reflected the traditions andculture of its settlers. During the mission era, adobe dwellings wereconstructed, having thick walls, low rooflines, round orRomanesque arches, central courtyards, long porches, and earthentile roofs. The Californios of the 1830s and 1840s, with their enormousranchos, preferred two-story wooden structures, a Yankee Style,having lengthy porches and balconies. Much of this early traditionwas present when American settlers came to Stanislaus Countyduring the Gold Rush, with the adobe being used sparingly bythem, while Yankee and Midwest structures were built morepredominantly, because the settlers were from those regions. Sincethe valley plains lacked forests, lumber was transported to countylocations, as well as every nail and fixture, with Stockton being theclosest lumber and hardware supplier.

First ConstructionThe first construction of residences in Stanislaus County occurredat the various ferry landings along the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, andSan Joaquin rivers. Quite often these settlements were located wherethe ferry ports connected with well-traveled roads to the southernmines. The first buildings erected at these sites were crude saloons,small hotels, and restaurants for the benefit of travelers. Thesewere typical wooden frontier structures of simple design, utilitarianin purpose, and unpainted. If a ferry landing had a semblance ofpermanency, then more elaborate buildings were constructed,emphasizing the specialties of the businesses. These early countysettlements were Hill’s Ferry and Grayson City on the San JoaquinRiver; Burneyville and Knights Ferry on the Stanislaus River; andTuolumne City, Paradise City, Empire City, and La Grange on theTuolumne River.

Homes for the business owners and employees at the ferry landingswere various in style and ornamentation. Some used Californiosdesign, while most built dwellings of Midwest and Eastern traditions,such as blocky Italianate, symmetrical Greek Revival, steeply-pitchedgables of Gothic Revival, and the two-story American farmhouse,commonly found in the nation’s agricultural belts. Queen Anne

Victorians and other Victorians were built later in the 19th century.Examples of architecture for the builder or county landowner toconsider for construction could be found in California cities andfarming communities.

Gold Rush and HomesteadingThe years during and directly following the Gold Rush were timesof opportunity for those who were creative with their capital. Manyimaginative individuals established businesses that catered to themining industry and other supporting enterprises, such as freighthauling, cattle ranching, blacksmithing, wagon manufacturing, andfarming. Because of homestead laws and other methods of obtainingcheap land in the county, ranches of enormous size were formed,having immense herds of cattle and sheep, with vast acreages ofgrain. The ranch yard or homestead, with its barns, sheds, stables,and windmills, had as its centerpiece the rancher’s home, a domicilethat represented the rancher’s wealth and architectural inclination.

American FarmhouseThe dwelling most commonly selected for county ranches was theAmerican farmhouse, a two-story wooden structure, having a broadporch, abundant windows, and modest decoration. This type offarmhouse was narrow, rectangular in shape, and most oftenconfigured in a “T,” with the back end of the structure having akitchen, laundry room, and storage space. It was the type of

Stanislaus County Residential Architecture History and Types

O

Ferry and steamboat landing at Hills Ferry, showing thetypes of architecture, which is frontier and Yankee. Branch

———————— 100 ————————


farmhouse found mostly in the Midwest, New England, and theagricultural regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, wherethe vast majority of California settlers once resided.

Italinate Style FarmhouseBesides the American farmhouse, the two-story ItalianateStylefarmhouse was quite popular in the county, with its blocky structure,ornamentation around the windows, low-pitched hip roofs, frontporch, balcony, and maybe a cupola on the center of the roof. Therewere a number of other types of farmhouses on county ranches,mostly simple structures with gable roofs, one-story, noornamentation, and not especially large. The county had a fewstone or brick farm residences, but because of the area’s warmerweather and the general unavailability of the proper constructionmaterials, these dwellings were not as common as those in wood orstucco.

Town ResidencesWhen the railroad towns sprang up throughout the county,beginning in the 1870s, residences found in these settlements hada wide variation of styles, such as simple one-story gable structuresto two-story dwellings in Italianate, Greek Revival, Second Empire(French), Queen Anne Victorian, and Gothic Revival. The SecondEmpire houses featured mansard roofs with dormers, scroll brackets,a balcony, and fancy cast iron fences. Victorian houses were foundin a number of styles, such as Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, andItalianate, with their busy and intricate ornamentation, multiplecolors, and turrets.

Two-story Queen Anne residences were fashionable in the countyfrom 1880 to 1910, being the most colorful of the Victorians, withtheir round or octagonal turrets, topped by witch’s hats. They weredecorated with gingerbread (bargeboard) on the leading edges ofthe roofs and gables, having round or semi-round openings forwindows and porches. Gothic Revival, sometimes referred to asCarpenter Gothic, with Stick or Eastlake decorations on the façade,had the busiest exterior ornamentation, with elaborate gingerbreadcuttings, having spindles or flat sticks occupying the spaces onthe front facings. This ornate style exposed the carpenter’shandiwork in its variety of shapes and paint colors.

Colonial and CraftsmanAt the turn of the 19th century, Colonial Revival architecture wasfashionable in many of the county towns. This design consistedprimarily of Georgian and Federal architectural styles from America’scolonial period, being of a block or rectangular construction inwood or stucco. These formal and symmetrical dwellings had hippedroofs, dormers, and classical entrances. The Shingle Style was invogue too, with its shingled exterior walls in a wide variation ofarchitectural modes, such as Victorian, Colonial, Italianate, andBungalow. The Craftsman or Western Stick architecture was verypopular in the Midwest and the West, with its Asian countenancethat organically blended into the surrounding landscape. Thechampions of this style were Frank Lloyd Wright, with his Prairiearchitecture, and in California, brothers, Charles and Henry Greene,and their Craftsman Style. Craftsman magazine, edited by Gustav

Stickley, promoted this style, featuring drawings, photos, and plansof various types of dwellings. They were normally two-storystructures, built of redwood or oak lumber, having low horizontallines that showed the carpenter’s work on its facings and structuralcomponents, such as rafters and other support members.

BungalowAlso at the turn of the 19th century, the bungalow was introduced,soon taking the West, including Stanislaus County, by storm,becoming the most popular house built for the next four decades.The bungalow was a cottage, quaint, homey, relaxing, andunpretentious. The bungalow’s architecture came from Bengali,where it was known as “bengala” or “bangala,” a low-set tropicaldwelling, with wide verandas. In California, bungalows were eitherone or two stories, with the gable end of the roof facing the street.The front had a wide porch, with pier-like columns supporting theporch’s roof. Like the Craftsman house, rafters and support memberscould be seen in the house’s interior as well as in the exterior. It wasnormally painted in earth tones, with the exterior being constructedof wood, stucco, shingle, or brick.

Spanish and Mexican ArchitectureIn the county during the 1920s and 1930s, there was a revival ofCalifornia Spanish and Mexican architecture, identified as SpanishColonial Revival and Mexican Revival. Spanish Colonial Revivalhomes featured straight lines, emphasizing the vertical, with semi-round or Romanesque recesses for windows and doorways, havingwhite or creamy colored stucco exteriors and red tile roofs. MexicanRevival dwellings exhibited cruder and heavier architecture, andwere low-set, thick-walled, having Romanesque windows and arches.The front façade might have a mission Baroque look, dominated byscroll-like edging on top.

Art DecoVery few houses in the county were constructed in Art Decoarchitecture, with its Egyptian-like ornamentation and geometricpatterns. This style was most commonly applied to urbancommercial buildings. Also at this time, Art Moderne architectureappeared, which was an international abstract style, somewhat likeArt Deco, emphasizing motion, with machine-like ornamentation,and flat roofs. This style was not popular in the county.

Ranch and PostmodernAfter World War II, county subdivisions emphasized rancharchitecture, a one-story structure, having long horizontal lines,wide windows, and shingle or shake roofs. These residences wereof wood, stucco, and brick, with the garages being integrated withthe houses, providing a long frontage. In the 1980s, subdivisionhousing turned to two-story structures, mixing a number of differentarchitectural elements from a number of traditional styles. Thisarchitecture is commonly referred to as Postmodern.

Written by Robert LeRoy Santos

———————— 101 ————————


American Style Farmhouses - Stanislaus CountyThis section includes American Style farmhouses found in Stanislaus County in 1880, which was common archi-tecture in the Midwest, New England, and the agricultural regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Thepictures come from lithographs published in History of Stanislaus County, 1881, by Elliott and Moore.

John B. Coldwell was the owner of this American Style farmhouse,which was a typical dwelling found on farms in Missouri. It waslocated on his 400-acre grain ranch, half mile north of Modesto thathe purchased in 1875. He was born in 1835 in Tennessee, moving toMissouri the next year with his family. They came to California in1850, settling in Hangtown. In the spring 1852, Coldwell began

working as at e a m s t e r ,h a u l i n gfreight fromStockton tothe mines,until 1859,when hemoved to theWest Side inS t a n i s l a u sCounty, rais-ing cattle. In

1865, he relocated east of Modesto, being employed on ranches invarious occupations. In 1875, he purchased a grain ranch. He mar-ried Mary V. Owen in 1871, together having one child. In 1880, heserved as the first president of the Stanislaus County Society ofPioneers. Coldwell Avenue in Modesto was named for him.

D.K. Woodbridge built this American Style farmhouse in the 1870son his ranch where the town of Ceres would one day be located. Itis a small dwelling, somewhat like the New England saltbox archi-tecture, having a side appendage for a large utility room and sideentryway. There are Italianate bowed windows on both levels in

front and an L-shaped, lengthy porch. Woodbridge was born inMaine in 1821, working on his family’s farm until 21, when he foundemployment shipping goods along the coast. He came to Californiain 1849 aboard a whaling vessel, arriving January 1850. He mined

gold in Tuolumne County until 1851, moving near Stockton, livingthere for 25 years. He owned 1,900 acres of land in Merced Countyand some acreage located in Ceres on which he farmed grain andsome fruit and vegetables. He married Abbe D. Morse in 1845,together having six children. Mrs. Woodbridge was credited withclosing Ceres’ only saloon, by purchasing the building and havingit turned into a temperance hotel.

E.V. Cogswell owned 1,600 acres, two miles south of Hickman, wherehe farmed barley and wheat. To harvest the grain, he used a uniquemachine, knownas CentennialHarvester, where20 horsespushed the unitforward, cuttingand sacking thecrop. It took 42days to harvestthe yield thatamounted to20,000 bushels.His homesteadwas named“Mount Pleas-ant,” where he had nearly 100 fruit and nut trees, irrigated by twowells, pumped with windmills. Also planted near the house werered gum, cork elm, and poplar trees. His residence as shown in thislithograph is an American Style farmhouse, with a few unique extrafeatures. There is a Victorian mansard tower and upper story bowwindows, with half witch’s hats on top of them. There is ginger-bread, known as barge board, placed in the front gable, to give thestructure a fancy appearance.

American Style farmhouse in Massachusetts Web photo

———————— 102 ————————


William Browder had this American Style farmhouse built on his1,500-acre ranch, west of today’s Montpelier. It had a cross con-figuration, with an Italianate bow window in front and small porchesin various locations around the house. He was born in Russell

County, Ken-tucky in 1826,moving withhis family toB e n t o nCounty, Mis-souri, in 1838.He marriedSarah E.Hudelson ofC a l l a w a y ,Missouri, in1848, residing

in Warsaw, Missouri, before coming to California in 1853. Theysettled first in Empire City, on the Tuolumne River. Then they pur-chased 1,500 acres, raising wheat and cattle. They had a daughter.

Henry Anthony Wayne was the owner of this American Style farm-house, located on his ranch near Twenty-Six Mile House, north ofKnights Ferry. It was constructed a in cross configuration, with autility room attached on the right back side. The front had a wideporch and balcony. He was born in Cherokee County, Georgia in1844, being raised on his parents’ farm. He served as a confederatesoldier in the Civil War, fighting in units commanded by Lee, Jack-son, and Forrest. After the war, he returned to Georgia, coming toCalifornia by ship in 1869. He worked as a farmhand until 1873,when he purchased 750 acres of land near Twenty-Six Mile House

and Eugene, north of Knights Ferry, where he farmed grain in therolling hills. He married Mary Agnes Griffin in 1873, native of Mis-souri, together having five children.

Willis Bledsoe built this modest-sized American Style farmhouseon his enormous ranch southeast of today’s Montpelier. It was inthe shape of a New England saltbox, with a rear lean-to. He wasborn in Kentucky in 1842, moving to Monroe County, Missouri,with his family in 1846. He came to California in 1862, settling inStanislaus County in 1870. He owned 4,600 acres of land, with 1,000acres of the ranch being in Stanislaus County, three miles south-east of where Montpelier is today, while the remaining 3,600 acreswere located in Merced County. He raised sheep, having 2,000

head in 1880.He kept ano r c h a r daround thefarmhouse,being irri-gated withpumped wellwater. Hem a r r i e dEdna M.Jones in1870, to-gether hav-ing three children.

James Warner constructed this massive American Style farmhouseon the Warner Brothers Ranch. The structure had a saltbox front,with an elongated barracks-like rear section. There is a side lean-toand a long porch. The farmhouse seems to be more utilitarian thanresidential. James Warner was born in England in 1835, coming to

Wisconsin in 1846, and then traveling to California in 1851. Hemined in Nevada County, before settling six miles south of KnightsFerry, where he and his brother, Joseph, owned 15,000 acres, rais-ing grain, cattle, and sheep. James married Lola Smith in 1871, to-gether having nine children. He served as a county supervisor inthe 1880s.

Italinate Style farmhouse in Missouri Web photo

———————— 103 ————————

George T. Hughes built this Italianate Style farmhouse on his 1,200-acre ranch near Tuolumne River, just west of today’s Waterford.Added to the blocky house was a rear rectangular attachment,which was a typical feature of these types of farmhouses in thecounty. In front, there was a porch and balcony, along with side

porches on the rear at-tachment. There werebow windows on thefront sides, and on thepeak of the roof, therewas a decorative crest,between the two chim-neys, common with thisstyle of architecture.Hughes was born inJefferson, Pennsylvaniain 1845, moving to Clark

County, Missouri with his family in 1848, residing on a farm. Hismother died in 1850, with his father coming to California with himshortly thereafter. He remained with his father, who was a goldminer in Tuolumne County. George came to Stanislaus County in1869, raising cattle and grain on a small scale, then purchasing tworanches, one along Dry Creek and another along Tuolumne River, atotal of 1,200 acres. He married Elizabeth A. Davison from Warsaw,Missouri in 1875, together having three children.

Albert G. Carver constructed this Italianate Style farmhouse on his1,120 acres five miles north of today’s Modesto. The blocky dwell-ing had a rear rectangular attachment, with a porch and side en-trance. The front of the Italianate structure had a wide porch and abalcony. Carver wasa sailor, shipbuilder,miner, and land-owner. He was bornin Maine in 1827,coming to Californiain 1851. He minedgold in TuolumneCounty and then in1866 settled on 1,120acres north ofModesto. He marriedAnnie M. Callaghan in 1853, together having five children. CarverRoad was named for them.

Edgar A. Hall built this Italianate Style farmhouse on his 5,000acres, just north of today’s Montpelier. The block-shaped resi-dence contained a front porch and balcony. There was a rectangu-lar rear attachment, having a porch. The peak of the house has abox-shaped railing, containing a windowed cupola within it. Hallwas born in Vermont in 1835, being raised on his parents’ farm. At

the age of 17, he moved to Boston, being employed as an expresswagon driver for three years. In 1855, he came to California, mininggold in Sierra County for three years, before locating in StanislausCounty in 1860. He acquired 5,000 acres just north of today’s Mont-pelier, where hefarmed grain andmaintained 2,500head of sheep.His homesteadhad grapes anda variety of treesthat were irri-gated by twowells. He marriedMary ElizabethJones of Mis-souri in 1866, having a family of five children.

Isaac Ripperdan constructed this Italianate Style farmhouse on hisranch of 1,700 acres, located along the Tuolumne River, southeastof today’s Modesto. The main structure of the farmhouse was rect-angular, with the front being wider than the sides. A front porchspanned the width of the building, with a balcony above. The rect-angular rear attachment featured porches, with the entire farmhousehaving brick facing at its bottom. The crest on the roof was ornate,which dominated the roof, since chimneys were located elsewhere.Ripperdan was born in Kentucky in 1816, farming in several statesbefore coming to California in 1849. He mined gold in EldoradoCounty until 1851 and then turned to dairying in Sonora for a fewyears. He then bought 1,700 acres in the county, with some of itb e i n gT u o l u m n eRiver bottom-land. It was agrain and cattleranch, oper-ated by hisniece’s hus-band and theirtwo sons,while his niecemaintained the farmhouse, where her uncle and her family resided.Ripperdan never married. In 1870, some of the property was sec-tioned for lots and sold as residentials, being near the new settle-ment of Modesto. When elderly, Ripperdan became blind and wascoerced into signing a will prepared by his niece’s husband, grant-ing all of his land to his niece. It was challenged in court, with thewill being ruled invalid. His niece’s husband drowned in Dry Creek,while trying to cross it when at flood stage.

Italianate Style Farmhouses - Stanislaus CountyThis section includes Italianate Style farmhouses found in Stanislaus County in 1880. These farmhouses are a Califor-nia adaptation, using wood exterior instead of stone or brick. This type of structure was common during the Georgian andFederal architectural periods of American colonial history. The pictures come from lithographs published in History ofStanislaus County, 1881, by Elliott and Moore.

———————— 104 ————————

John Greany Annear was the owner of this petit and unadornedhouse in Ceres. It was a smaller replica of the American Style farm-house found in the local area but having an offset front porch anda lean-to in the rear. Annear operated a blacksmith shop in Ceres,beginning in June 1872. He was born in England in 1841, being leftan orphan at five years old. He resided with his grandparents untilhe was ten, becoming a farm servant, remaining in that vocation for

four years. He then became a blacksmith apprentice, finishing whenhe was 19. He next worked for the railroad and served as an Armyartilleryman for three years. Annear traveled to New Zealand in1864, living there for two years, coming to California in 1866. Hewas a blacksmith in San Francisco for a time and then worked else-where in northern California before coming to Ceres in 1872. Be-sides his blacksmith shop, he owned 334 acres, a half mile south ofCeres that he rented. In 1875, he married Tabitha Julliff, togetherhaving two children.

Elihu Burritt Beard built this Italianate Style residence at the cor-ner of I and 12th streets in Modesto. It had typical Italianate ele-ments of a wide front porch, balcony, bow windows, and hippedroof. There was a side entrance and a one-story rear addition. Beardwas the owner of 10,000 acres near Waterford and was the patriarchof a family that developed land for settlement and industry from

Modesto toWaterford, alongthe TuolumneRiver. He was thecounty’s first as-sessor, superinten-dent of schools,and surveyor. Heserved as state as-semblyman for twoterms. Beard wasborn in 1825 in In-

diana, attending Farmers’ College in Cincinnati, graduating in 1849.He arrived in California in 1850 with only $1. He mined for twoyears, switching to farming and accumulating massive acreage. In1856, he married Annie Kennon from Missouri, together they hadeight children, with four living to maturity.

William Dallas had this massive Italianate Victorian constructedin Modesto’s Branch Addition, located west of the railroad tracks.It featured high roofs on the various porches, with a balcony infront. It contained sizeable bow windows and elaborate bracketssupporting the porches’ roofs. Dallas was the son of Charles andElizabeth Dallas, born in Iowa, coming to California with his familyin 1849, set-tling on 1,400acres neart o d a y ’ sHickman. Heattended localschools andfarmed forthree years. In1877, heopened a liv-ery stable inModesto thathad a capacity of 60 horses. The business catered to travelers whowere passing through or staying for a short time. He married MaryTurner in 1870, together having three children.

J.T.G. Bolin owned this Oakdale house, which resembles Louisi-ana French Colonial architecture, having a low-hipped mansardstyle roof. The simple and unadorned dwelling had a low frontporch and a porch in the rear addition. Bolin was born on the islandof Gottland, Swe-den, in 1824, laterbecoming a sailoron the Swedishship Stockholm.In 1850, the shipanchored in SanFrancisco Bay,with Bolin depart-ing the vessel,taking up miningin Butte Countyand the next yearin Tuolumne County. In 1857, he was mining near Knights Ferry,deciding to open a mercantile business there, operating it until1877. He then started a wholesale liquor business in Oakdale, soonowning a business block in town. In 1879, he married Renatta Bow-man, a native of Wisconsin, who was a resident of Oakdale.

Town Residences - Stanislaus CountyThis section contains residential dwellings found in the county in 1880. A wide variation is shown to provide an idea of the typesof local architecture The pictures come from lithographs published in History of Stanislaus County, 1881, by Elliott and Moore.

———————— 105 ————————

Historical Types of Residential Architecture Stanislaus CountyThis section contains the representative types of urban residential architecture found in Stanislaus County history. Thephotos were taken by the editor of existing county houses.

Federal Revival Style, with its classical symmetry, fronthipped roof, oval window over formal doorway. This ar-chitecture was also known as “Adams Style.”

Queen Anne Style Victorian, a common dwelling at theturn of the 19th century, with its turret and witch hat,elaborate gingerbread cuttings, and broad porches.

Colonial Revival Style, most popular American architecture dur-ing the 20th century, with a wide variation in features thoughmostly found with shutters and classical entrance.

English Cottage Style, popular dwelling, 1915-1950, char-acterized by steep medieval roofs, dormers, narrow win-dows, and storybook entrances at the gable ends.

Williamsburg Colonial Style, having elements of Tudorarchitecture, with overhanging second story. Featuringchimneys at both gable ends and double window dormers.

Cape Cod Style, a revival style that was very popular during theGreat Depression, because of its small size and little cost. InCalifornia, it featured shingled exterior walls and dormers.

———————— 106 ————————


French Eclectic Style, featuring a hip mansard roof, withdormers and shutters. This example has Regency archi-tecture style, low front windows with shutters.

Southwest Desert Style, common in the 1940s and 1950s,featuring flat roofs, low spacious horizontal lines, rock andbrick construction, surrounded by arid landscaping.

Spanish Revival Style, popular 1915-1940, featuring hori-zontal asymmetrical lines,elaborate tile roofs, stucco ex-terior, and verandas.

Modernism Style architecture, featuring geometrical struc-tures, with ecological elements such as a clerestory windows,as seen above, and solar panels.

Ranch Style, fashionable in the 1950s - 1970s, having lowlengthy frontages, one-story, shutters, long porches, andattached garages.

This home features two interesting styles. The windows aresimilar to those in the Prairie Style of Frank Lloyd Wright,while the porch is classical Greek.

Witch’s hat Cupola

Hip side of roof

Gable side of roof Dormer

———————— 107 ————————

Bungalow Era in Stanislaus County

he bungalow era began in the Stanislaus County at the turn ofthe 19th century, lasting for over forty years. This residential stylecame from the Indian province of Bengali, where dwellings knownas “bengala” or “bangala” existed, which were low-set structures,having wide verandas or porches, comfortably placed in their lushtropical environment.

British AdaptationDuring the empire phase of British history, when business andmilitary representatives were serving worldwide, the home countrywas inundated with imports from the distant lands, including thebungalow. In England, the bungalow was modified to fit the En-glish landscape and customs, while the spacious central living roomwas retained.

In 1894, R.A. Briggs, an early English bungalow architect, com-mented that the domicile was:

an artistic little dwelling, cheaply but soundly built, with a properregard to sanitation, and popped down in some pretty little spot,with just sufficient accommodation for our own particular needs. .. . a homely, cozy little place with verandahs, balconies, oriels, andbay windows, while the plan is so arranged as to ensure completecomfort with a feeling of rusticity and ease.

The bungalow was a human response to the western world’s in-dustrialization, where living quarters were constructed as necessi-ties rather than enjoyable dwellings of comfort and relaxation.

American BungalowThe bungalow first appeared in America as a summer cottage inCape Cod, having shingled exterior walls and small dormers on theroof. In the 1880s, American publications featured articles on bun-galows, associating them with cozy Queen Anne cottages that werepopular in England and were appearing in New England. In theAdirondacks of New York State, bungalows were built at summerresorts, having a rustic appearance, featuring unfinished wood andlog construction. Both the Cape Cod and Adirondack bungalowswere for vacationing, a getaway from the hustle and bustle of thesurrounding world.

California was ideal for the bungalow, because of its climate, variedtopography, and people with casual lifestyles and rustic impulses.It complemented the automobile well, because both were free frompast conventions, highly suitable for the Jazz Age. For the averageperson, the bungalow was the right fit, because it was affordable,like the Ford Model T, both being egalitarian and products of theProgressive Era.

At this time, architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright of Chicago,with his Prairie Style, and brothers, Charles and Henry Greene, ofsouthern California, with their Craftsman Style, created organicdwellings, where the structures blended into the environment, as ifthey had been propagated by the surroundings. The bungalowhad this same characteristic, but it had an added appeal. It was a

storybook house, having a quaint-look, hunkered down in its land-scape, like a forest cottage for dwarves or hobbits.The Arts and Crafts Movement became popular during this era,being promoted by Gustav Stickley’s magazine, Craftsman. TheArts and Crafts Style featured the work of craftsmen or carpenters,by exhibiting their handicraft on the surfaces of the dwellings, whichwere intricately cut wooden pieces added to the outside walls asdecoration, called Stick Style. Some bungalow styles utilized theCraftsman look, primarily in the use of outside extension of rafters,called perlins, needed to support the porch and roof gables.

Precut EraHenry Wilson, who was known as the “bungalow man,” resided inLos Angeles, publishing the magazine, Bungalow, 1909-1918. Thisperiodical, along with a variety of bungalow books, were read widely,providing useful information onbungalow construction, featur-ing drawings and photographs,from which thousands of Califor-nia bungalows were constructed.One could buy a whole precutbungalow, which was shipped byboxcar, in ready-to-be-assembledkits, containing directions andplans. California Ready-Cut Bun-galow Company, operating from1909 to 1940, supplied kits, withthe average precut bungalowcosting $672.50 for cut lumber,hardware, roofing, and paint.Wallboard cost another $43.20,while plumbing, which included bathtub, wash basin, kitchen sink,laundry tray, and all the fittings and piping, sold for an additional

$157.50. It is esti-mated that the com-pany sold andshipped over 40,000precut bungalows.The 1926 Sears,Roebuck andCompany’s “Cata-log of Homes” of-fered a completebungalow for $629,delivered to the cus-

tomer for assemblage. Sears sold over 100,000 precut homes by themid-1930s. North American Construction Company of Bay City,MI, sold Aladdin Houses for as low as $298 for a five-room cottage.

Bungalow Exterior FeaturesThe bungalow’s front porch was the focal point of the dwelling’sexterior. In many designs, it was long and low, clean sweeping,having two or three piers or columns to support the porch’s roof.

T

Aladdin House advertisement Source: Smithsonian Institution

Bungalow Magazine cover Source: Smithsonian

———————— 108 ————————


The frontages could be quite different, from Queen Anne styles tothe flat roofs of the Southwestern pueblo. It might have an Englishappearance, with peaked roofs and Tudor boarding, or a Swisslook, with an exterior window flower boxes. The common bungalowin Stanislaus County was of the Asian type, with serene horizontallines and low gables facing the front.

The bungalow became the subject of many songs and poems, suchas these first verses from the poem “The Bungalow,” found inKeiths magazine of 1915:

Among the shrubbery and shade treesThe brisk little bungalow stands,Its swinging white gate speaking welcomeWhile its dignified door hook commands.

Its windows so clear and so gleamingLook out with suggestions of pride,The walls neatly shingled and beamingSpeak well for the cozy inside.

Bungalow’s InteriorThe interior of the bungalow was indeed cozy, featuring a mixtureof exposed wooden walls, framing, ceiling, and ornamentation fromthe Arts and Crafts Style. The wood could be pine, oak, walnut,redwood, teak, or eucalyptus. The surface might be left natural orvarnished, or even painted to complement the interior’s furnish-ings and fixtures. Colors were normally earth tones, but painted

interiors ran the full length of the color spectrum, depending uponone’s personal preference. The Arts and Crafts Style was mascu-line in its appearance, with its wooded surfaces and rugged themes,

but that look could bechanged to a delicate andpretty interior by careful se-lection of paint color, fabrics,and wallpaper. Regardless ofthe decoration theme of theinterior, the Arts and CraftsStyle was an exquisite experi-ence for the viewer, with itssymmetry, simple highlights,and soothing ambience. The

Greene brothers designed some of the most appealing natural inte-riors ever conceived, with their richly exposed wooden rafters, ceil-ings, and wall paneling.

Entering the bungalow from its expansive front porch, one stepsfirst into a spacious living room, featuring a rustic fireplace andwooden flooring. Beyond the living room is a modest dining roomor dining area, with a built-in china closet or cupboards. Next onewould see a prudent kitchen, efficiently designed for use, withaccess to a screened-in back porch leading outside. Flanking theliving and dining room, in most designs, would be two cozy bed-rooms, with an adjoin-ing bathroom. In manycases, the enclosedback porch was usedfor laundry purposesand storage. Therewere a multitude ofbungalow floor plansto choose from, de-pending upon one’sneeds and taste, butthey were always prac-tical.

The bungalow craze inStanislaus Countyended just beforeWorld War II, but evi-dence of that era can stillbe seen when viewing the residential districts of the period. In mostinstances, one will find row after row of bungalows tucked awayalong tree-lined avenues, in a variety of styles and in a variety oflandscaping. Viewing these treasures of yesteryear still warms theheart and touches the soul. They were built in a simpler time, whenpeople sat outside on their comfortable front porches in the evening,talking and enjoying the summertime, or snug and warm inside,during the dreary months of cold weather. George F. Devereauxwrote a song entitled “In the Land of the Bungalow,” published in1929, having this chorus:

In the Land of the Bungalow,Away from the ice and snow,Away from the cold,To the Land of Gold,Away where the poppies grow,Away to the setting sun,To the home of the orange blossom,To the land of fruit and honey,Where it does not take much money,To own a little Bungalow.

Sources: Robert Winter, California Bungalow, 1980; Clifford Ed-ward Clark, Jr., American Family Home, 1986; and Paul Duchscherer,Bungalow, 1995.


Bungalow’s interior Source: Winter

Floor plan for a one-story bungalow Source: Clark

Perlin is the extended rafter

———————— 109 ————————

Types of Bungalows in Stanislaus County The photos below were taken by the editor of existing county houses.

Colonial Revival StyleCraftsman Style

Italianate Style with airplane roofline

Italianate Style English Cottage Style

Colonial Revival Style Spanish Revival Style

Asian, with hip roof frontage and Italianate eyebrow dormer

———————— 110 ————————

Old Photographs of Stanislaus County HousesThe houses in this section are located in the area of Ceres, Denair, and Turlock, with the source being CSU Stanislaus,Library, Special Collections. Top row, l to r: Italianate Style farmhouse, c. 1890; Italianate Style, c. 1900; American Stylefarmhouse, owned by Hultberg, 1904. Second row, l to r: Federal Style saltbox farmhouse, c. 1880; Greek Revival Stylefarmhouse, owned by Handy, 1908. Third row, l to r: American Style farmhouse, owned by Crane, c. 1880; Greek Revival, ownedby Porter, c. 1900. Bottom row, l to r: American Style farmhouse, owned by Davis, c. 1880; Bungalows, c. 1925.

———————— 111 ————————

Stanislaus County Tank HousesThe photographs were taken by the editor of current existing county tank houses built and somewhat restoredduring the 20th century.

anchers and town residents were the first to use elevated watertanks in Stanislaus County, beginning in the late 1850s. Water was

needed on ranches for thehouse, gardens, orchards,and livestock. Some earlyexperimenters of irrigationused water tanks, con-structed of redwood or steel,as part of their ranch’s irri-gation system. The standardelevation of the water tankin the county was 15 feet.The supports for the el-evated tank resembledbridge construction, havinga webby or skeletal appear-ance. Next to a fine familyhome, the elevated water

tank’s skeletal supportsseemed indelicate and out ofplace, and therefore, were cov-ered with walls and a roof, be-coming the popular tankhouse that can still be seendotting the county’s country-side.

The design of the tank housedepended upon the whim ofthe owner. Normally, the stylecomplemented the house andquite frequently was paintedthe same color as the dwell-ing. Some tank houses wereof a simple block style, while

others were tapered, being either wider at the top or wider at thebottom. They were most commonly three-story structures, but two-

story tank houses wereconstructed as well. Theground and second floorsof the tank house wereused for storage or bed-rooms for family membersor farmhands. There wereinterior stairways to ac-cess the various levels.Because of inside damp-ness, the tank house hadwindows for drying andventilation.

Next to the tank house stood a windmill used to pump the wellwater, before electric and motorized pumps, sending the liquid into

the elevated water tank for storage. Some windmills were affixed tothe tank house rather than standing independently. The 15-footelevation of the water tank induced gravity flow of the waterthrough pipes, allowing the water to be distributed to the houseand barnyard, withenough pressure toprovide a decentflow for the neededpurposes.

A story appeared ina county newspa-per after the 1906San FranciscoEarthquake about alocal victim of thetemblor. It told ofranch hand JohnAnderson, whowas asleep on thesecond floor of C.F.Eddlemon’s tankhouse near Newman, when the earthquake struck. Shockwavesdumped much of the 5,000 gallons of water from the coverless tankdown the stairway into Anderson’s second-story bedroom, sweep-ing him down the second-story stairway to the ground floor, andthen pouring him out on the outside ground. As it was, he landeduninjured, but soaking wet and confused, being the only knowncounty victim of the earthquake.


R

Pumping and storing water using a windmill and tank Hirshberg photo

———————— 112 ————————

Stanislaus County Windmills he literature on the history of the American windmill in the UnitedStates generally identifies Daniel Halladay of South Conventry, CT,as the inventor of the American windmill in 1854. But, Howard HubertBancroft in volume seven of his History of California, published in1890, has this statement: “Windmills [in California] are widely used,owing to the prevailing wind and the absence of rain . . . Eastern

[windmills] are not so welladapted to this climate. First[manufacturer] is ascribed to beW.I. Tustin of Bencia, 1849.”Tustin would become the lead-ing manufacturer of windmills inCalifornia as verified by an 1874article in Pacific Rural Press,which states, “One of the bestevidences abroad for articles ofCalifornia manufacture is exhib-ited in the fact that recent ship-ments of windmills have beenmade from one establishment inthis city [San Francisco] . . . Mr.W.I. Tustin, the builder of thesemills, is no novice in this line,having pursued the businesshere and in the vicinity upwardsof twenty years . . .” An adver-tisement in the 1876 San Fran-cisco business directory notes

that Tustin had been in the windmill manufacturing industry for 26years. From such evidence, it can then be assumed that Californiawas in the forefront of windmill manufacturing and usage at thetime of the Gold Rush.

By 1861, the inland valleys of California had a sizeable number ofwindmills as noted in this account written by William H. Brewer,specifically about the Gustine area:

Formerly there was a lack of water here for stock and for irrigating. . . so, hundreds of artesian wells have been bored. . . . Many ofthese overflow, often with a large stream, but with the majoritythe water only rises to near the surface without overflowing. It isthen pumped up by windmills, and hundreds of these may be seenin motion every afternoon when there is a strong breeze up thevalley. Many of these are very ornamented, costing from three tosix hundred dollars, and impart a very peculiar feature in thelandscape.

In 1857, it was declared by a writer that “Stockton had won a highplace in windmill manufacture,” with city being haled as the “Cityof Windmills” at the 1861 California State Fair. The same writerindicated that “practically every blacksmith shop and foundry inthe agricultural areas built windmills as easily as they did plows.”Midwestern windmills were introduced to California in the mid-1870s, with advertisements appearing in Pacific Rural Press.

In the 1890s, gasoline-motorized and electric-driven pumps beganreplacing windmills, with advertisements for windmills disappear-ing by 1920. The 1924 recession and the Great Depression of the

1930s saw a resurgence of the windmill, because of the nation’sfeeble economic condition. During this period, Aermotor windmillswere the most popular, costing as little as $20 each. They weredifferent from their 19th century version, now being made of metal,smaller, and with a self-lubricating system.

The early windmills had fans of 25 to 30 blades each, held in placeby a central hub and anoutside metal rim. Theymostly resembled awagon wheel, with theblades set at an angle tocapture the wind. By the1870s, the fan had lost itswagon wheel look, re-sembling those manufac-tured in the Midwest,where the large outermetal rim was reduced incircumference andmoved inward on the fanabout one foot.

Tustin windmills wereavailable in two models,Eureka and Economy,both being sold with awater tank. It was claimedin an 1872 Tustin adver-tisement that the Eurekawas “the favorite in this state and sells three-to-one of any othermake.” Midwestern windmills sold in California were manufacturedby Dexter, Eclipse, Regulator, Althouse, Excelsior, and Challenger.The Althouse was a“vaneless” windmill, whilethe Challenger had“double-header” gearingfor greater efficiency.Many of these companiesmanufactured the rosettawheel, which had as manyas 100 fan blades that wereset very close together togive the wind more surfacespace to push the fan.

Windmills were used in irri-gation the second half ofthe 19th century in Stanislaus County. Near ranch houses were or-chards and vineyards needing well water pumped by windmills.County settlers could see the results of irrigated land from wind-mills, convincing them that irrigation with Sierra snow water wouldturn the valley into a vast oasis of agriculture. Windmills were usednot only to pump water but provided power to mill flour, churnbutter, pump-out swamps, and cut wood. Written by Robert LeRoy Santos

Last of the county windmills RLS photo

Ad for a Tustin Eureka windmill Pacific Rural Press photo

Windmill gearing transferring ahorizontal movement of the fan toa vertical up-down movement topump the water. Dempster photo

T

———————— 113 ———————

Stanislaus County Windmills and Tank HousesThis section includes windmills and tank houses found on ranches and towns in Stanislaus County in 1880. The differenttypes of windmill fans illustrate local manufacturing by blacksmiths and owners. The pictures come from lithographspublished in History of Stanislaus County, 1881, by Elliott and Moore.

T.J. Harp, near Keyes Althouse Windmill G. W. Schell, Modesto W.E. Turner, Modesto

E.B. Beard, Modesto C.E. Welch, Waterford E.V. Cogsworth, near Hickman

W.L. Fulkerth, near Turlock R.M. Wilson, near Hills Ferry J.W. Davison, near Waterford

———————— 114 ————————


[Continued from back cover] There was a time when its leaves wereboiled in kitchens, allowing the scent to permeate homes. Boughsof eucalyptus were hung on walls; leaves were placed under hospi-tal mattresses; and pieces were woven into bandages. It was thought

to combat ma-laria with its oilwhen ab-sorbed by thesurroundingsoil. A paperread beforethe CaliforniaAcademy ofNatural Sci-ences in 1879reported thatthe SouthernPacific Rail-road had

planted 1,000 eucalyptus trees between its train stations and adja-cent marshes to ward off malaria in the San Joaquin Valley.

Medical researchers knew that eucalyptus deterred malaria but wereunsure how. At the end of the nineteenth century, the cause ofmalaria was ascertained. It was found that the female anophelesmosquito carried the malaria parasite and transferred it to humans.Swampland was its favorite breeding ground, and when dried, themosquito died out. That was how the eucalyptus stopped malaria.It drained swampland with its water absorbing roots. The U.S. De-partment of Agriculture reported:

With regard to the sanitary value of the tree, it has been stronglystated that its value was owing to its rapid growth and the greatabsorbent power of its roots in drying up wet and marshlands, butit is no longer doubted that Eucalyptus globulus [blue gum], alongwith other species of eucalyptus, produce a volatile oil and avolatile acid, which permeate the atmosphere and contribute to itsinvigorating and healthy nature and character.

The agriculture department wanted it known that even though theeucalyptus drained swampland, it still was thought to be medicinal,which is true, because eucalyptus oil is still being used today inmany pharmaceutical products and ointments.

Third BoomIn 1907, the U.S. Forest Service issued an alarming report on therapid decline of hardwood forests in eastern United States. Sinceplastics were not yet being used, wood was still the prime materialfor many manufactured products. Eucalyptus was a hardwood andgrew fast, so it seemed like a natural replacement for eastern hard-wood. The Forest Service’s report was partially responsible for theprecipitation of the second eucalyptus boom period that lasteduntil 1912. Numerous eucalyptus companies sprang up in Califor-nia, many of them financed by eastern manufacturing concerns. In1907, the first eucalyptus nursery opened in California, producing600,000 seedlings. By the end of the boom, California nurseries hadproduced 7½ million eucalyptus seedlings. Large plots of land weresectioned off for eucalyptus plantings. It was said that one ranch

planted 16,000 seedlings, taking 144 men and 100 horses. Compa-nies produced advertising literature with exaggerated claims to en-courage investment. The prospectus of the Mahogany Eucalyptusand Land Company of Oakland declared:

This tree at this particular moment is in many instances the mostvaluable one on the face of the globe. Maturity is in a decade ortwo. No Teak, Mahogany, Ebony, Hickory, or Oak was ever tougher,denser, stronger, or of more glorious hardness . . .

Manufacturing and milling companies were overwhelmed with or-ders for eucalyptus wood. In reaction to such clamor, the CaliforniaBoard of Forestry published a circular entitled “A Handbook forEucalyptus Plant-ers” that not onlypresented infor-mation on soils,climate, and spe-cies, but also con-tained studies onsize, age, andyield. Eucalyptuscompanies of-fered investorsplanted eucalyp-tus groves, wherethe companies didthe labor, with theprofits beingshared by thecompanies andinvestors. It wasadvertised that anacre of planted eu-calyptus cost$250, and at har-vest time, ten years later, that acre would yield $2,500 in lumber.Those who invested during this boom period were of all types,from teachers to small businessmen. The financial attraction ofeucalyptus was so alluring that some farmers removed food-pro-ducing agriculture to plant eucalyptus.

This sarcastic piece appeared in the magazine, Argonaut:There is a craze all over the state about the eucalyptus or Austra-lian blue gum tree. . . . Eucalyptus will frighten away fevers andmurder malaria. Its leaves cure asthma. Its roots knock out ague ascold as jelly. Its bark improves that of a dog. A dead body buried ina coffin made from the wood of the blue gum will enjoy immunityfrom the exploring mole and the penetrating worm. . . . Thisabsurd vegetable is now growing all over the state. One cannot getout of its sight. . . . It crops up everywhere in independent ugliness.It defaces every landscape with botches of blue and embittersevery breeze with suggestions of an old woman’s medicine chest.Let us have no more of it.

Stanislaus County played a role in the boom. Messrs. Shoemake,Tully, and Griffin formed a company planting 700 eucalyptus seed-lings on 90 acres near Modesto. In 1908, C.N. Whitmore set outgroves of eucalyptus trees near Ceres. In 1905, Adolph Eksteinmoved to Stanislaus County from Orange County, where he had

Narrow and long leaves of blue gum eucalyptus RLS photo

A row of eucalyptus on the lef t serving as awindbreak for a county almond orchard. RLS photo

———————— 115 ————————


been a supplier of eucalyptus. He opened the Modesto EucalyptusNursery on Garner Road, and by 1907, he had sold 500,000 eucalyp-tus seedlings, becoming known as the “Eucalyptus King.” Hisgreenhouse could hold 2,000 seedlings, and by 1908, he had sixgreenhouses, housing nearly 1 million seedlings. A number of countyfarmers were opposed to the use of prime irrigated land for eucalyp-tus agriculture. They stated vehemently that such land was toovaluable to waste on euca-lyptus, a position thatcaused heated debate in thearea. In 1933, a tragic froststruck the county, killing 80percent of the eucalyptustrees, which undoubtedlybrought cheers from theanti-eucalyptus group.

Doomed UsageDuring the boom, Santa FeRailroad planted thousandsof acres at Rancho Santa Fein southern California for rail-road ties, poles, and woodfor railroad car interiors. JackLondon planted 100,000trees on his Sonoma ranch.But it all fizzled. The boomended, because it was foundthat when eucalyptus timberwas cut and dried, it split andcracked profusely, because of its high water content, making itvirtually useless, except for firewood. Companies closed shop, andinvestors lost their investment, but the trees stayed and have beengrowing since, becoming part of the California landscape that wesee today.

How could so many Californians be deceived by the promise ofeucalyptus? The deception had its roots in Australia, where set-tlers used eucalyptus timber from virgin forests that had grown forhundreds of years, allowing the wood to develop slowly into us-able hardwood. California eucalyptus enthusiasts thought theirfreshly planted trees would produce timber in a decade or two thatwould be similar to the Australian product. But that wouldn’t be thecase. The cut wood was worthless except for bio-fuel.

In the 1960s, interest in eucalyptus arose once again, where small

groves were planted in California, including Stanislaus County, forfuel in wood-burning stoves, but because of air pollution, causedby the stoves, the practice was curtailed. Eucalyptus wood doesburn well and can be a fire hazard. The tree drops limbs, oily leaves,seeds, and bark that collect on the ground, providing volatile tinderfor fire. This ground litter has sparked and fed numerous horren-dous fires in Australia and California.

There are at least 500 species of eucalyptus worldwide, with Cali-fornia having some 75 to 100, depending upon the expert. The mostcommon species found in Stanislaus County are blue gum, redgum, red ironbark, gray gum, and manna gum. Blue gum can growup to 300 feet or more, but freezing temperatures can cause it greatharm. The county’s early roads and highways were lined with euca-lyptus for beauty and shade. Those groves have been removed,but CalTrans in recent decades has used certain varieties at free-way overcrossings, exits, and entrances to solidify the banked ter-rain with eucalyptus roots. This was also done along irrigationcanals to firm up canal banks, before canals were lined with cement.For further information on the eucalyptus in California, see thiswriter’s published 1997 work entitled Eucalyptus of California. It isalso available in full text at his web site: www.library.csustan.edu/bsantos/euctoc.htm Written by Robert LeRoy Santos

Stanislaus Historical QuarterlyStanislaus Historical Quarterly is published four times a year, featuring freshly researched articles on Stanislaus County history.Currently, there is no charge per subscription or individual issues, but readers must notify the editor to be placed on the mailing list.Ideas for articles or historical information concerning topics of county history may be sent to the editor. This is a non-profiteducational publication. Stanislaus Historical Quarterly is edited, copyrighted, and published by Robert LeRoy Santos, Alley-CassPublications, 2240 Nordic Way, Turlock, CA, 95382. Tel: 209.634.8218. Email: [email protected]. Ellen Ruth Wine Santos isassistant editor and proofreader. ISSN1945-8126 ©

County eucalyptus ground litterthat can spark a serious fire. RLS photo

(Continued from p. 98) named Davies Landing, which had a two-story hotel. He was born in Wisconsin in 1839, moving to Iowa,then to Placerville, arriving July 1852. He mined in Tuolumne Countybefore coming to Stanislaus County. He married Mrs. Quisenberryin 1879, having a son.

S.M. Gallup (bottom row, left) was the owner of this fine two-storyAmerican Style farmhouse located near La Grange, on a knoll neara main roadway. The homestead was named “Freestone Ranch” forits stonework facings on the front embankment. The residence wasan impressive structure in L-shape, having a long porch, with stonefacing. The tank house was next to the house, featuring a mansard-like tower.

John H. Carpenter (bottom row, right) constructed this house onhis property along the San Joaquin River. It is a simple Salt BoxStyle residence. He operated a ferry on the San Joaquin River atthis site, 1877-1883. Carpenter was born in England, moving toWisconsin, and working as a blacksmith in his father’s wagon shop.In 1850, he came west and mined with partner, John Vincent Davies,for a time near Sonora. He moved to Stanislaus County in 1857.

Free Subscriptions - Free Back Issues - You must contact us, if you haven’t done so yet, to receive a free subscription.Also, if you want any of the back issues, please contact us as well. If you know of others who might have an interest in receivingSHQ, please notify us of their names and addresses to add to the SHQ mailing list. Thank you for your interest and support!

uring the Gold Rush, newcomers to California encountered alandscape that was virtually treeless in the state’s valleys and hillcountry, where only a smattering of oak, willow, sycamore, andscrub brush grew. To compound the scarcity of trees, gold minersremoved available timber in the Sierra watershed for camp use andfor their sluices and other mining needs. In the farming regions,native trees were extracted for more efficient management of agri-culture. In the Bay Area, existing forests were cut down for housingconstruction during the 1850’spopulation surge, leaving a bar-ren environment around SanFrancisco Bay.

AustraliansAustralian prospectors traveledto California on ships built fromeucalyptus lumber. Their ship-yards were in Sydney andHobart Town, Tasmania, wherelarge virgin eucalyptus forestsexisted. Anchored in San Fran-cisco Bay, these eucalyptusvessels provided concrete ex-amples of the tree’s versatility.Since the eucalyptus seed isminiscule, a small sack couldhold several thousand seeds. One sack, on one ship, was the gen-esis of the eucalyptus in California.

Boom PeriodsThere were three eucalyptus boom periods in the state, roughly the1860s, early 1900s, and 1960s, where enormous eucalyptus groveswere planted. Eucalyptus trees were first grown in the Bay Area,then next in the Central Valley, and finally in southern California. Bythe end of the 19th century, California had been fully invaded by thegenus. Eucalyptus was planted where the environment was suit-able, especially where it was frost-free. It was used for fuel, wind-breaks, medicines, shade, and beautification. Alfred McClatchiewrote in Out West magazine in 1904:

Without the Eucalyptus, California would be a very different state.What she owes to them is impossible to fully estimate. Nothing

short of being entirely deprived of these trees would enable hercitizens to realize how much their presence means. Without them,landscapes now varied and softened by their presence would becomparatively monotonous and unattractive. Winds would sweepunchecked over regions where their progress is now impeded byavenues and groves of Eucalyptus. Orchards that in the shelter ofEucalyptus are profitable would be unproductive.

It was hailed as a miracle tree, with its uses being innumerable. Beesproduced honey from its nectar;its oil was used to line boilers,preventing explosions; paperwas made from its pulp; and itstimber provided firewood, withthe tree sprouting up again afterbeing cut for a later cutting. Cali-fornia writer, Lawrence ClarkPowell, speaking at Mills Col-lege, a campus surrounded byeucalyptus groves, noted:No tree is more beautiful in the windor against the sky, and none providedbetter nesting for the soft-voicedmourning dove. As for firewood, thebittersweet smell of this wood is evi-dence of a non-sparking blaze, almostas slow-burning as the oak.

But not everyone was en-chanted with the tree. Some disdainfully referred to it as the “Aus-tralian weed.” Novelist, Norman Douglas, wrote scathingly in OldCalabria:

A single eucalyptus can ruin the fair landscape. No plant on earthrustles in such a horribly metallic fashion when the wind blowsthrough the everlasting withered branches; the noise chills themarrow; it is like the sibilant chant of ghosts. Its oil is called“medicine” only because it happens to smell rather nasty; it isworthless timber, objectionable in form and hue – objectionableabove all things, in its perverse and inhuman habits. What othertree would have the effrontery to turn the sharp edge of its leaves– as if these were not narrow enough already!

Medicinal UsesEucalyptus leaves have medicinal ingredients and scent, which ledto their use as a disinfectant. [Continued on page 114]

Robert LeRoy SantosAlley-Cass Publications2240 Nordic WayTurlock,CA 95382.Tel:209.634.8218.Email:[email protected]

Stanislaus County Eucalyptus

A common county sight for decades, a farmstead shrouded witheucalyptus. This was near Denair. RLS photo

D

volume 2, number 2 summer 2009 stanislaus …...farmhouse was quite popular in the county, with its...

Documents