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The website was continued after the 2013 reunion for the enjoyment of the members.  They shouldn't be subjected to annoying posts when they come to the Message Forum.  Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful.  But be respectful.  This may seem like a private chat room, but 800 of your classmates have access to it (along with ~two dozen of our former teachers), and many more classmates read than participate.  

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Abuse includes but is not limited to personal attacks, offensive, demeaning, excessive or nonsensical posts, badgering, foul language, etc.  It is not a place to disparage others, especially deceased classmates.  Posting involving politics or religion are prohibited as they typically and quickly become offensive/demeaning.    

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Walter J. "Wally" Summ (1967)

Theresa Eve---Here is a story from old Woodland.  My aunt Willy took the train from Berkeley to Woodland to visit her sister (my mother) in the 1930’s.  My mom had driven to that very train station to pick up her sister.  After the train arrived, all the passengers disembarked, except Willy. 

My mom, looking around for Willy and wondering what had happened, is still standing on the railway platform.  The train takes off and is starting to gain speed near the Globe Rice Mill, between Court Street and North Street, when all of a sudden mom hears this screeching sound. 

She looks northward down the tracks to witness sparks flying off the wheels and the train coming to an abrupt stop.  As she continues to look towards that train, she sees a woman get off the train, suit cases in hand, walking back to the train station.  The old steam engine, rocking to a gentle beat, had put Willy to sleep.  Willy had pulled the emergency rip cord to stop the train.  That would probably be a Federal offense in todays’ world.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Love all this history, and the stories of  people involved.   The rice growers is a little further down the road from the Train Station, or is it more near the Ice Company, which I belive was near the Train Station.  Dad would take me to the Ice Company to get food for the Cachville School cafiteria.   Those are all great  stories.  

Walter J. "Wally" Summ (1967)

Theresa:  The Globe Rice Mill was a block and a half north of the train station (next to the tracks) and the Ice Company was a block southwest at the corner of Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue.  It was originally called Woodland Union Ice Company.  It supplied "Crystal Pure Ice" to Yolo, Solano and Colusa counties.  Later, the Yolo Ice and Creamery occupied that site.

Joel Childers (1966)

Theresa (Bee) and Walter (Wally)..........THANK........YOU.  As Bob Hope always said, "Thanks for the memories."

Janice Bell (Killian) (1966)

Doyle Phillips (1961)

I remember in the 40's and early 50's the Ice Company had freezer lockers or whatever they were called. My mom would store a lot of her canning fruits and vegatables there.  When Greyhound moved to the Train Station you could catch the bus to Sac and back. 

Linda Hotchkiss (Dela Torres) (1965)

There probably are a lot of us who remember the train tracks going west on Main St. and into the building on the corner next to Cranston's.  I even remember an old locomotive headed into the building.  I assume that is where they worked on them.  On another note, one of my grandmothers worked at the old bus station when it was located on the north side of Main St. between Second and Third Streets about in the center of the block.  I'm guessing this was in the early 1950's.  That bus station was facing those same train tracks. 

John Michael Somero (1967)

Walter J. "Wally" Summ (1967)

That's pretty good, John.  You have some really interesting stories.  You ought to share the story or stories of when you flew Jackie and John John.  I was fascinated with that one. Hyannis Port?  Martha's Vineyard?  Chime in anytime.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Oh yes, I remember the old bus station before it moved into the Train Station.  That old bus station was really not the place to be, pretty run down.  I recall the tracks by Cranston's Hardware, also recall the trolly that went down Second Street.  That was way back in the early 50s.   I was just little but recall that.  A lot of State workers took the Bus into Sacramento, as I did for college.  Transportation was not so available.  But, was glad that Dad and my sister JoAnne could pick me up at the Train Station.  Also, the Rice Growers also sold baby chickens at Easter.  We use to get them and Dad would raise them until, time for a dinner.  

Doyle Phillips (1961)

Theresa, when you were commuting to Sac was there a train from Woodland to by the I Street Bridge? 

Becky Knight (Tobitt) (1961)

Theresa, that's what we did with the calves on the Ranch! Remember when I would tell you who we were having for dinner? My Dad would not eat "store bought" chickens, so my Mom would raise 50-75 each year. Butchering was always interesting, but the freezer would be full. She had some that dressed out at 5-6 pounds after only 10-12 weeks. The drumsticks would be bowed!

Gary Wegener (1966)

From the wall at Placer Title Company...  can see Cranstons and Corner Drug signs.  Think this is looking east from Collrge and Main.

Linda Hotchkiss (Dela Torres) (1965)

Gary, I can't see it in this picture but I remember Woolworth's being on the south side of the street in that block between College and First Streets.  It had wood plank floors and really high ceilings with fans...no air conditioning back then.  I vividly recall the divided glass front case that held bulk candy in each compartment.  Of course it had to be at a child's eye level and near one of two doors entering the building. 

I also see Leithold's Drug Co. that moved from that location to the same north side of the street, but closer to the building that use to be in front of the Opera House.  That drug store had a soda fountain in the back.  Many of the young women in our classes worked there.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Oh My!!!  Becky, the first time I saw young lambs ready for killing was at your home.  I was totally Shocked .  So yes, too much for a small girl in grade school at Yolo.  But, so is life on the farm with healthy raised animals for the purpose of food.  Dad always had chickens on the farm in Indiana, so he was ready to get chickens ready for a dinner; a clean kill without the presents of those complications of antibiotics and additional additives.  What a great Easter Dinner with wonderful,  great, clean chickens in the oven.  Mother did the best cooking of these birds with her skills of cooking along the road of  Julia Childes approach.  We were so pleased and happy with the Easter Dinners.  We did not realize the additives now presented.  We had a fire in the fireplace in the living room  and a lot of old 1950s music on the radio/and of long playing records.    Very simple Life.  A blessing.  

Theresa Eve (1964)

When we commuted to Sacramento, there so no train on that old track, which could have been a blessing.  We just used the bus from the Train Station into the Sacramento Bus Station, and then City Busses to our location. It was a little complicated to keep all the tickets and passes ready for the end destination.  A train on that old River Road would have been such a great commute.  Do not know why no one thought of that way to get all those commuters in and out of Woodland.  What a savings for all.  The train rails just there without use.  Could a Government see the light of that use?  

Linda Hotchkiss (Dela Torres) (1965)

Theresa, my mom spent a lot of time in that old bowling alley in the quonset hut just west of I-5 now.  I remember there being a coach for passengers, but it was when I was in about third or fourth grade.  It must have been done away with by the time you needed it.  The sugar beet factory was there in those days so I'm thinking the train was used for more agricultural purposes.

Theresa Eve (1964)

I am sure the train was used for Agriculture; and the trolly down Second Street, as I was so young, about 3.  It was used for selling produce to the homeowners.  That was so useful.  But, if the train tracks now were used for commuters, that would be a big savings in all ways.  Wish that would come to be in this 2020; how useful and economical.  Use what we have.  Maybe Nugget Market could think of using a trolly; or for some home to home delivery with the uses we have.  

Joan Richter (Lucchesi) (1960)

The Leithold's Drug store in this picture was in the ground floor of the Porter Building and did have a fountain in the back. The larger Leithold's was where Ludy's was located and there was another (where I worked in high school)  in the Southland Shopping Center (I think it's the correct name) where the first Raley's was located. It is where Dr. Wagnon's office is now. As far as the train which went down Main Street, my mom rode it from West Sacramento to attend W.H.S. and it dropped her at the building on 2nd Street. 

Theresa Eve (1964)

Gary:  Love the old picture of Main Street of Woodland.  Have to study the signs to see which stores I remember.  The old awnings, some look green; interesting, to protect the customers on the sidewalks.  No Malls  in those days.  Love the old cars. 

Gary Wegener (1966)

I was second of 4 boys in the family, and I guess we collectively drove my mom out of the house.  She got hives on her arms so bad the doctor told my dad she needed a two week vacation in like Hawaii.  That wasn' t in the budget, so the doctor then prescribed a job so she could get out of the house.  If it pays for a sitter to watch the kids, its worth it.

Mom got a job at Marvin Landplane on East Street, eventually becoming the office manager., working there probably 20 plus years.  We got sitters; only went through 2 as I recall.  One, maybe both, were from the deep south and were new to indoor plumbing.  Pop started bringing home live chickens for dinner; the sitter (Mrs Purse) would break their necks with a twist of the wrist, pluck'em and cook dinner.  One  managed to make it over the back fence in its death throws. We all thought that was pretty cool; don't remember who had to go over the fence to get it.

Ron Blickle (1963)

This photo was taken in the Soda Fountain area of the Leithold Drug Store on the north side of Main Street where I worked with this gang of WHS students.  At that time, I was the delivery driver for the pharmacy, working directly with Bill Griffith, the owner and pharmacist.  I drove a small Ford Falcon Wagon with a three speed stick on the column.  We enjoyed the time there, but part of my job was to clean out the drain trap under the sink in the fountain.  I guess they didn't want the soda jerks to get their pretty white outfits dirty, so I got to do it once a week.  Dirty, smelly job!

By the way, my mother used to tell us kids about riding on that trolly/train to Sacramento when she was a young girl growing up in Woodland during the 20's & 30's on her home on First St near Pendergast.  My folks later bought that home from my grandparents (Palmer & Peg Muhl) when the Muhl's built the small house across the street at 750 First.  

Tim Tucker (1965)

This may or may not have been a topic of conversation before on this forum. Does anyone else remember the underground passage that ran from, I think College Street, and east to at least 2nd street ? It was directly under the sidewalk  on the north side of Main Street. I remember there were grates in the sidewalk that provided just enough daylight to find your way around. I recall you could actually enter a basement type area under Leitholds (At it's last location on Main.) and it went possibly as far as the Opera House.

Bernard Rocksvold (1965)

Gary,

I remember your mom when she worked at Marvin Landplane. I thought she was the prettiest, nicest lady on the planet back then.

I think Bessie Burns worked the counter at Lietholds also. She may have been the supervisor. Her husband was Laird Burns who worked with my dad at Marvin Landplane.

Bernard Rocksvold (1965)

I remember those passageways Tim. They gave access to the basements of businesses. There were a few places with flat steel doors in the sidewalk that allowed an elevator to raise to sidewalk level. Those and the old trolley tracks in the street would really raise hell with the front tires of a bicycle loaded down with newspapers.