4H SPAGHETTI FEED 1958

Among the treasures left by old friend Hazel Estel, and given to me
by her son Dick, is a spiral bound composition book, just like the
kind that MES's Alice Ellingham would have us write our essays in.
Contained in this journal are the signatures of Mariposa County
residents that attended a number of 4H feeds from l958 well into the
60's, although the keeper of the book neglected to date the last few
entries. Among the names are many that I knew well, being one of the
local pharmacists at the Mariposa Drug. At that time the only drug
store in Mariposa from l926, although there had been another for a
short time in the Mariposa Hotel building. It seems that a
pharmacist came to Mariposa during the l930's to give the originators
of the Mariposa Drug Co., Jay P and Wanda Miller, a well deserved
vacation.
Upon the Miller's return to Mariposa they found their Drug Store
locked up, and lo and behold a new one across the street in the Hotel
Building. Well, the folks in Mariposa did not take to such an event,
and soon the new drug store became a Variety Store. Today the
Variety Store houses Windows on the World Books but the new owners
have a great deal more integrity.

Getting back to the 4H Spaghetti Feed register, right off the bat is
the signature of "Ginger" and George Comer. "Ginger" obviously had
red hair, real red hair. The kind that one does not see these days.
I don't know why. George was a carpenter in the Park (Yosemite) and
"Ginger" had the band at Timber Lodge. Previously I had played for a
short time with "Ginger" in the band, then she retired and I hired
Patsy Zimmerman to take over. She was still in High School (this
would have been the early 1950's) but could play well enough for
smooth dancing on the wooden floor of Timber Lodge.
Oh, I'm sorry; Timber Lodge was in Midpines, not far from the store
but across Hwy 140. There is a long piece of guard rail on the west
side of the highway, and behind that obstacle sat Timber Lodge. It
is probably too much information, but the highway at one time ran on
the west side of the guard rail, very near the Lodge. The parking at
the Lodge was vertical and down hill towards the building. That was
fine except at 2AM at the close of a dance and it had snowed,
temperature below freezing and post war nylon tires with well worn
tread did not like backing up to the highway.
The joint had been built in the late l920's and was known as Dawson
Trail, closed during WWII, then reopened with new owners with a bar
added at the north end; moth eaten animal's heads, and an interesting
collection of owners. The American Legion sponsored the dances which
were in the main or southerly part of the building. Heat was
provided by a large stone fireplace which constantly disgorged its
ashes onto the rock hearth. While there was a door and a veranda at
the south end of the building, the main door was a heavy wooden
affair on the east side and a long porch which lead from the dance
hall to the restaurant in the middle of the building and thus to the
bar on the north end.

In the pre-television days of the l940's and early 50's, Saturday
night was Timber Lodge for most folks. The early band at Timber
Lodge was composed of "Ginger" on piano, Fred Bradshaw, plumber and
Supervisor, on saxophone or trombone, Harvey Bonnell on banjo, and a
frequent group of players that were not consistent in attendance but
could be counted on to know what they were doing. By the time I got
there about l949 the group were mostly from Mariposa High including
Danny Clay on trumpet, Jim Snyder on trombone, Charlie Castro (who I
think played with "Ginger" as well) myself on sax and Miss. Zimmerman
on the piano. We owned a couple of sets of COMBO-ORKS, For Small
Dance Bands, books that had all of the popular dance numbers of the
day that one could buy in the key of Eb, Bb, and C. The band was
housed on a small stage at one end of the hall, well away from the
flying fists that occasionally parted the smoke of the fire place and
cigarettes. Since this establishment was part of civilized Mariposa,
no chicken wire was required to protect the band from music critics.
Besides that, beer bottles were not allowed on the dance floor. Beer
took a distant second place to mixed drinks, mostly of bourbon, which
the young me, and mostly WWII vets who had acquired a taste for in bars around the world. Everyone smoked Camels or Lucky Strikes, with Camels number one.

Once in a while the Mariposa High School FFA would take over the
dancehall and give away a live piglet as a door prize. Not sure why
I was the winner one evening, but I had to go home with the little
fellow cradled in my arms, 2AM in the morning, and following an
especially eventful evening. What to do with this porker perplexed
me when I got home. So, I placed it in the freezer room at the back
of the garage, (Bill Fiske can show you the exact room today), and
went to bed. Not long after 7AM there was a loud screeching sound
coming from the back of the garage when my mother opened the door to
the freezer room, expecting to find pork sausage, but instead the
little fellow flying between her legs looking for his or her mama.
Needless to say a loud "Leroy" emanated from the freezer room. Why
she didn't say "David" is still a mystery because it was my brother
who usually did such things, and for me it was simply out of
character.
Simply stated there was a family meeting, with me sitting on the
patio with my new friend and everyone not as accepting as I. A pig farmer
became the new owner by noon and I was required to sweep out the back
room at the drug store, or something like that. I think car keys
were involved. My mother had been raised on a farm but they raised
Thompson Seedless Grapes near Exeter. She had been sheltered from the
various other primates related to farming but having two sons,
occasionally was required to know something about chickens, rabbits
and one pig.

BOBBY REECE's name appears in the 4H register, obviously early in
his penmanship career, followed by his mother Phyllis Reece. Phyllis
was the youngest of the Carter children of Carter Road and Bobby was
her son. Bobby eventually became the Fire Chief in Yosemite, and I think he is retired by now. Doug Taylor, Sanitarian of Mariposa County, signed
the register as did Ernie Correa of Midpines. Ernie is now retired
from CalTrans but for most of his life he engaged in supporting all
manner and types of community activities including the donation of
the property for the Midpines Fire House and Community Center. He
lives across Hwy 140 from the fire house but I remember him plowing
snow on Hwy 140 for many years. Ernie's wife at the time, Jerry, is
also present.
Also were John and Wilma Mesplay, owners of the Chevron Station in
Mariposa. Wilma was a teacher and John, in his Chevron uniform,
performed such tasks as required at the station including pumping gas
at less than 60 cents a gallon. Robert Ledson of Catheys Valley, his
sister-in-law Loretta Ledson, Vera M. Preston, wife of Ray and
Justice of the Peace, Mr. and Mrs. Mel Rushton and family. Mel
worked for years as the maintenance man at the Mariposa County Fair Grounds, and Lillian was the business manager, now retired, at John C. Fremont Hospital. The family consisted of two very pretty girls.
Claude Spencer, PG&E, of Mariposa, as well as Clifford R. Smith also
PG&E were in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Barnes of the Bank of
America, maybe still living in Merced at that time but maybe not,
signed.

Pearle Barnes was the Manager of the Bank of America in Mariposa, at
that time housed in the building containing the Vault today.
However, when Pearle first worked for the B of A, he had to take over
for a gentleman who absconded with the deposits of the day, never to
be seen again. The Bank had opened in Mariposa in the Bogen Building
downtown, next to Savoury's, some time in the middle l930's. The
building had of late been occupied by Lee Gin's Chinese Restaurant
that actually had the name of Mariposa Restaurant across the front of
the veranda. The building was owned by John Trabucco and Lee Gin was
either not well or had passed away, making the left hand space in the
building available. Emile Trabucco, John's son, also constructed a
building between the Bogen Building and the Mariposa Hotel which
would house the California Highway Patrol, now Savoury's Restaurant.
For a number of years Pearle lived in Merced, commuting back and
forth to Mariposa every day. The actual reason for the need to
commute is somewhat shrouded in the mists of time, but eventually he
moved to Mariposa. When the bank first located here it was still
known as the Bank of Italy and it had a local advisory committee of
which Emile Trabucco was the head and for all I know the only member.
There was no bank in Mariposa in the l930's so Emile, or Uncle
Victor, until he died, would take the deposits to Merced with them
each week when they went to Merced for merchandise for Trabucco's
Cheap Cash Store. By the way, the Market Place, a new group of shops
of varying offerings, now occupies the old store building.
Pearle moved with the bank into the building now occupied by the
Vault, ladies apparel.

 Jack Ritter and I purchased a small ranch in Bootjack about l963, and stocked it with about 300 head of sheep. We could not get a loan for the land from the bank, but made some arrangement to acquire the property. Just as we had moved the sheep in, the weather delivered about two feet of snow, leaving the sheep with nothing to eat. To stave off starvation, I approached Pearle at the bank for a short term loan to buy hay with the sheep as collateral. To our surprise the loan was made and the sheep fed.
From that day on, Pearle would show up at the drug store every noon
time inquiring as to the health of the sheep.


Leroy Radanovich

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To Read More By Leroy Radanovich:
Leroy Radanovich's Mariposa Life Archives
 

To learn much more about Mariposa County along with
historical photos:
A signed copy of "Images of America" - Mariposa County,
By Leroy Radanovich can be purchased at his web site:
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This is a early day photo of the Mariposa Mine in
Mariposa County that is mentioned in the article to
the left by Mr. Radanovich.

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All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a warm tone ready for framing
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Mariposa in 1920

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Mariposa County Courthouse written by Leroy Radanovich and
Scott Pinkerton is a book about the oldest courthouse in California that is still in use today.
The book is signed by Leroy Radanovich.
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Mariposa in 1860

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All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a warm tone ready for framing
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