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Tim Tucker (1965)

Theresa, The Red Barn had the best prawns ever. We lived down the road from there when I was in the 4th and 5th grade. Dinner there was a big night out with my folks and brother. I'm wondering what's at that location now. I know the Alhambra was torn down and became a Safeway......what a pity.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Tim:  I think there is a used car lot in the place of that wonderful Red Barn.  After the Town and Country Village on Fulton, down the road toward the 80 highway entrance, the block becomes on the less desirable establishments.  I see where the BuggyWhip (another restaurant)  is back in business on El Comino Avenue; a really great old establishment; popular with the doctors and dentists in the area during 1960-70s.  That was when I was working for the dentist, Dr. Joe D. Mcraw.  He had lunch there almost every day, plus there was a great barbershop next door where he had his hair cut - he looked like Carey Grant.  Great dentist, kind to everyone who met him.

Tim Tucker (1965)

Theresa, I used to take clients to lunch at the Buggy Whip......circa 1981 to 1983. I remember the food was okay but it was really more of a watering-hole for the mid-day cocktail crowd.......Do you  remember the Coral Reef, Capones, The Trophy Room, Zorbas, and The Tropicana ?

Theresa Eve (1964)

I do remember those other restaurants you mentioned!  Those were some rocking out places, gone now. Zorba's had some great mixed drinks, I could never take now days!  I lived near Fulton Avenue for awhile before moving to Greenhaven area and then into my condo in Natomas.  Glad I am in a house now and out of those areas in Sacramento.  They have changed so much, as they all do.  (What is it that Scarlet says in Gone with the Wind, "You cannot look back, it just tears at your heart."  but, some of the times were good memories.)

Theresa Eve (1964)

Tom:  The classic cars are so wonderful. A lot of hard work goes into those cars.  You know that John Gorman, in my class of 1964, also did remodeling of older cars.  He had great talent also. There are a few other Woodland people who have lovely cars they have remodeled .  The other restaurants are great.  The Pancake Circus was on Broadway and 21t Street, near the boarding house I lived in while going to City College.  I lived there for one semester and ended up moving home and commuting which was better for me.  A lovely collection of all those places.  Thank you.

Joel Childers (1966)

I remember going to a venue at UCDavis in 1966 with Brian Childers and Don Stockton to see Buffalo Springfield. After the show we casually walked up on the stage and had a brief chat with Stephen Stills and Neal Young. Similarly at a concert at Sacramento State, Country Joe and the Fish mingled with the audience during the intermissions and chatted everyone up. On another occasion, Mike Buse and I went down to the panhandle of Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco one afternoon, and the Grateful Dead were putting on an impromtu session. Pig Pen (remember him) came up to us and ask Buse if he could borrow his harmonica. Those were the days, my friends. In those days, those groups could only be heard on obscure FM stations.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Tom  and Joel:  Love all those old Music Posters.  Now Fats was one of my very favorite!!  Fats Domino from New Orleans, where he still lives at the age of 86.  He stayed in his home through the big Hurricane Katrina, a love for his home area.  Remained married to his high school sweetheart.    I just love Blueberrry Hill and Aint That a Shame; play it Fats!!! 

Liz Geer (Sullivan) (1964)

Here's more info on Pig Pen.  I really enjoyed reading it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_%22Pigpen%22_McKernan

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

Joel and the rest remembering th groups that played, many played at the Paladium in AF also, and many played at Golden Gate Park, and many did the Monterey Jazz Festival. ZZ Top used to hit the Frog Pond in San Mateo, and i actually packed them into my Mazda Sedan and they went to breakfast at Denny's wtih all of us, and yes those were the days.  Grateful Dead did many free bee concerts in Golden Gate Park, and Stern Grove too. Grace Slick lived across the bay over by Sausilito. Woodside Rd, in Redwood City (other side of 280) lived Joan Baez, and she used to sing with us down on the beach in Carmel earlier , but moved up to Woodside Rd, and had a nice ranch there, and her bank was Wells Fargo, there alot.  Many singers were from that area, or frequented there alot. The Blue Dolphin in Sausilito used to have different groups go there too. The Black Widow downtown SF used to have many of the singers and groups there too. Some were just eating but there! In Los Gatos, the Doobies were there alot. One actually came and talked to my daughters father and i , he had worked at one time at IBM with her dad. He was really a nice guy. Back in the 60's and 70's Sacramento had some really good concerts. I remember everyone heading over there for the Beach Boys. Pink Floyd and Boz Scaggs did a lot of small shows in the bay area too. They were really good performers too. Tuni

Cheryl Matter (Fowler) (1963)

Thank you Tom for all the wonderful pictures from the past. .....those pictures brought back so many wondefful memories of places we used to eat, movies we saw and music we listened to.....a wonderful time in my life!  It made me think of places I'd long forgotten about -- like Sam's Ranch Wagon on 19th and Broadway in Sacramento - loved that place!  . I think the last ime I was there was when my children were very young - early 70s.....    Sometimes it is difficult to think that all these things happened 50+ years ago!   My youngest grandchild is a junior at Woodland High this year.......he is taking classes that were not even offered when we were in high school, he  plays on the varsity football team. and is looking forward to college in a couple of years!    I keep telling him to enjoy every minute of this time in his life, as it is an important part of him.... and it will pass way too fast!!.  The messages on the forum have been so much fun to read.   I've had so many wonderful trips down memory lane in the last couple of years.  Thank you to those responsible for putting this website together, and to those who have made so many great contributions.to the site........with photos and history of Woodland.  Let's keep it going.........!!

Becky Knight (Tobitt) (1961)

There is a book out there called "Lost Restaurants of Sacramento" that includes some of the recipes. They included recipes for Posey's Hangtown Fry, Cherries Jubilee from Aldo's, Turkey Rice Soup from the Rosemont Grill, and mai tias from the Coral Reef. There are also some great pictures of some of the old haunts.

If you go WAY BACK on the forum, you will find the recipe for the Tamale Sauce from the Yolo Tamale Parlor, a true gem that brings back wonderful memories. Does anyone have an idea how they made their enchaladas? I can duplicate the tamales and the filling for both the tamales and enchalads but not the enchaladas themsleves. I remember them being wrapped and tied in corn husks but the outer "shell" eludes me.

Also, if you have not read Bill Griffith's book "Go Outside and Play", run, do not walk, to your nearest book store or Amazon and get it! Bill, thank you for a wonderful reminscence of what it was to grow up in Woodland, even though I was a "country kid" and did not have the "city" experience.  Bill,  Linda Vegod is alive and well and living near Los Molenas, Tehama County. I have also shared the book with Anne Stevens' sister who also throughly enjoyed it.

Aileen Jull (Martinez) (1964)

Cheryl Matter Fowler:  Thanks for your response.  I couldn't have said it better.  Seems like 1992 was yesterday.  We had just moved to Roseville.  I miss good ole Woodland.  It's not the same anymore.  Yes, it's true "You can't go back."

Gail Smith (Maxwell) (1964)

Becky Knight Tobitt:  I read Bill Griffith's book and I wholeheartedly agree with you.  It was a wonderful trip down memory lane and brought back so many memories of growing up there.  I laughed, I cried, but mostly just enjoyed the experience anew of growing up in Woodland in the 50's and 60's.  Amazon has the book...it is a must read for those of us who grew up in Woodland.

Becky Knight (Tobitt) (1961)

For those of you who asked again for the recipe for the enchalada sauce from the Yolo Tamale Parlor go back to posting #209 on page 10. Enjoy!

Joan Richter (Lucchesi) (1960)

Tom,

Don't stop telling your stories, we all enjoy them. In our "writing your life history" class the teacher always says, "It's your life story, the way YOU remember it."

Theresa Eve (1964)

Tom Stewart, your additions to the Forum are so wonderful with all the historical pictures and comments of the more precious times in life we all recall.  Keep up the wonderful memory collection for us.  I made a few copies of your pictures, especially the working team of horses on the Family Farm near the Fair Grounds.  I sent a copy to Carol Gorman (a true horse lover)  and Ms. Mary Lacky in their Fall notes this year.  Sharing beyond the Forum is a great treasure to all.  I am sure I have mixed up a few dates when I recall a story from the past, but the story remains alive and enjoyed.  

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

I was the gal that used to walk the tracks to Davis, and i did it, and saw my cousins and friends when i got there! Ron used to date Diane from Davis, and i would say hi to him for her. Sandy Chassange was the other gal from Davis. I did walk it many times folks, and i rode my bike over there too, going down West Street. A couple of times there were other people with me, on bikes too.  I did not make this up. I enjoyed the walk/rides very much. I explored many of the country area's, and town area's on foot and bike through out my growing years.   I had to give up walking long distances after i hurt my back in 97. I still like to walk, but just cannot go the long distances anymore. I loved to speed walk, looked goofy, but i did it alot when i live in Belmont, California in the Sterling Downs division. About three blocks off the 101. My brother in law used to say man, you walk fast!

I also was asked to join a club, and that was because direct words : my parents joined the Flyers Club,and they would let me in.  I told them i was not interested and my mother was shocked that i did that, as that is what parents want their children to do, belong to different groups.

A person met me in 1968, and she had gone to Woodland High School for two years before moving to Sacramento. She had asked someone who i was , and she was told; i was a rich stuck up kid, she shouldn't get to know me. When she told me that in 68 as her husband worked with mine in Bakersfield, i was shocked. I  grew up being told we were like everyone else, trying to make ends meet. I had no idea of how much money or anything my folks had. It was none of my business so to say.  But she called (the gal) it the 600's too. The rich mucky mucks were her exact words.

You know many people do things and others say you could not have done that, but they weren't there to actually see it. I did walk to Davis many times on the tracks, and i can tell you one time Erin McGillycuddy and her sister Kathy wanted to do it too, only ......... they tuckered out and said we quit, and we turned around and went back. Marilyn Muller went one time with me on the walk over there, and she was beat by the time we got back to Woodland.

I came from a grandmother who used to be down on Cottonwood, and lived on 4th street. She walked everywhere because she did not have a drivers license. She tried driving when they lived in Esparto, and she backed into the neighbors chicken coup, and that was the end of her driving days! She said it scared the dickens out of her!  My other grandmother was a walker also, but also drove. My mother like too walk too. Up at Lake Almanor she walked a lot.

Just because someone says it isn't possible does not mean it did not happen. I loved those walks. It let me think, and reflect on things. I saw many animals (rabbits, dogs. coyotes, and birds) on those walks, i could appreciate the grasses and wildflowers, and just the outdoors.

I wish that i could walk like that now. But i do what my body allows me to do now. That is training dogs in a controlled area. I put on about 3 miles per class now, and feel good about that.

Tuni

Sherry Bailey (Westland) (1968)

Tuni, are you related to Lynea Gravink?

Pam Wohlfrom (Johnson) (1969)

Hey Tom! 

Loved the roller conveyor at Purity!  It was great. Some kids (no,not me) would occassionaly get into a box and try to sneak a ride out the little opening. 

And how many remember Raley's first location in town? The original store was on College, south of the High School (now Douglass Middle School --named for Harold Douglass).  Raley's was right on the corner. You had to go up a little wooden ramp and the fresh meat counter was on the left right as you walked in.  I remember the the meat counter and dark wooden floors but nothing else.  There was a fire in the store when I was maybe 4 or 5 (1955-56?) so mom took us girls in to shop the fire sale.  Scorched canned goods!  After that the new store was built several yards south and was sooo much bigger!  At least it seemed so much bigger then!   Maybe a quarter of the size of today's big store.  

John Michael Somero (1967)

Tom Stewart, (and all)

I haven't been on here before but the current subjects have sparked many memories of my days there.  I worked for a while at Purity, and later at the Nugget Market.  I remember that at both those jobs you couldn't even slow down for a moment, much less stop for a break, without getting pulled aside and having a little "talking to", usually about the marginal profits in the grocery business, etc. etc, etc...

I know you're good friends with my brother Ralph, and he was 15 months younger than me, and we'd both do exactly what you described, walking Cache Creek with our .22's and plinking at anything that moved.  Ralph is the only person I've seen that actually shot a small bird out of the air with his .22, something I'd not do again, being older and hopefully wiser.

And regarding the walking subject that came up; I remember those days.  After graduating, I worked at Springlake Fire Dept. while attending UC Davis, and did a lot of walking and running myself.  I tried running from Woodland to Sacramento once, but after about 12 miles I ended up walking and jogging the remainder.  I had a friend in Sacramento that gave me a ride home.

Besided Cache Creek, we'd often go to Fig Tree Falls, where we'd swim and fish.  Usually we carried a salt shaker with us, for the tomatoes we'd eat when we got hungry en route.

Once I started flying, I used to give my mother a heart problem just playing a joke on her.  I belonged to the Civil Air Patrol, and Phil Duzan and I used to fly the little Piper Super Cub and Aeronca Champ off of the dirt strip at Bill Holmann's place just east of Woodland.  When I heard my parents talking about driving to Sacramento on the new stretch of I-5, I'd go get one of those planes and watch for their fairly conspicuous car (1962 "sunset mist" Oldsmobile F-85 station wagon) heading east on the freeway.  Since it was all rice fields along the south side of the highway, I'd fly right down to a few feet off the ground and get alongside the car, and be waving at my mother and she'd be waving back at me.  I pretended I didn't see the high tension electric lines that ran north to south, and my mother would frantically try to signal to me to look ahead, not at their car.  Then I'd fly under the power lines, which gave her a good scare, although they were so high that that maneuver was totally safe in my opinion.

It's funny how as you write about things you haven't thought about in a long time, more and more comes back.  I guess that's mostly good, although there sure are plenty of things I'd rather do over if I had the chance, as I believe most of us would say.

Ok, enough for this first post.  Except, if you read this, Richard Branscomb, I'm the one who bought your 1965 Impala with the 425hp stock 396 in it.  I ended up selling it to a girl from Sacramento after it had gotten hit by a pickup truck, repaired, but never the same, and then started burning oil at 106,000 miles.  I sold it for $1750.00.  Hmmm. Wonder what that would be worth today with matching numbers?

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

Tom Stewart, thank you for writting that you too had rode your bike to Davis, and did alot of walking in the areas around Woodland. Cache Creek area was always being explored, and you would sometimes end up in the gravel pit, and say oh no, they are going to chase us out of here. They did many times. They would say you kids go home now! You mention the same border streets of Wld. that i remember. I will add one more : West Street. That is the way i rode my bike to Davis. I lived off Gibson, by the Bests, and West street was closer, than going out to East Street on a bike. I would go down West all the way till it T'd with i believe Covell. I would cut down the first street that the small strip mall was. It had a bakery and grocery store there at the time. I would go see my friends Dianne and Sandy, and then go over to my cousins house. Sometimes they would bring me back (not often that is for sure!) My uncle taught at UCD. My transportation in those days was either ; my feet or bike. I even rode my bike over there one time to see a teacher that taught in Wld. My very first airplane ride was in Janet Huttmans fathers crop duster. He road along the I-5, or what i call Lake Woodland at times, next to the old River Rd. He flew alongside the cars on the new cross over, and yes, there were rice fields under it, and then he ran that plane right alongside of the drivers, i was only about 5 or 6 at that time. I was in the back and pretending to fly with that joy stick thing, and then he circled around and turned the plane upside down and did the flying against the cars. When we landed at their property off of Poline Rd. somewhere, i got out of that plane and informed my father i did not like planes, and did not want to go on them anymore. I still do not like flying butl; i recognize one can get to their destination alot quicker than driving.  I left Wld. when the population was about where you stated. Between 10 -12K. It was the type of town and area where one could explore with thier bikes, and it was safe to go out into the country and hunt or just walk.

And yes, Sherry Bailey Westland, Lynea (Dook ) Gravink- Malcom -Knuttson is my sister. She is four (4 ) years younger than i am. The old Purity in the Purity Shoping Center used to have the converyor thing that the groceries came out on. Captian somebody who had Anna Banana the monkey was there , as was Captain Kangeroo a couple of time , and i believe Mr. Ochoa was the manager of it when i was younger. Yes, it was a hang out spot for the cruisers (the parking lot was). They would line their cars up in a row and be talking or honking at the other cruisers.  The original Purity store was off of First street and something , and was  a Quansit Hut. I remember the Lucero brothers worked there , and my grandmother would come in and try to talk them down in price. Ernie Lucero told me they would see my grandmother coming in and knew what was about to happen, and when i was with her, they felt sorry for me, having to be there while she tried her bartening skills out.  The old convent was originally where the new Purity store went up.

I bought candy bars at the fire sale, at Raleys, and what a deal i got. Look bars, and all of them dirt cheap. Compared to now, even the regular prices then were dirt cheap compared to now!  My mom shopped there and Purity , as we lived on Buena Terra , and she only did Purity if they were having a sale, and had been over to her moms house on 4h street. She hung at Raleys as it was close to our house, and then you could send your kid on a bike (call in the order) and they would have it ready, and you would send the kid with the money, and then they would bring the groeries home (we would on our bikes).  Life was pretty simple then, and safer too. Tuni

Leroy Bussard (1962)

Tuni,

   Another example of your exxageration is flying along Interstate 5 while you were about 6 years old which would have been in 1952.  Interstate 5 in Yolo County was not completed until 1965.  I worked on a survey crew that staked out the area just west of the by-pass all the way to CR 103 on Heidrick's land in 1963 and there was no IS 5 at that time. Heidrick Farms was leveling that land to make it more valuable when the state bought the property from them to construct IS 5 in 1964. The Lucero's, Rudy, Pete, Richard and Ernie worked at Yolo Grocery on the corner of 1st and Bush, not Purity.  It was owned by Soon Lee and his sons Dennis and Milton.  You either have a very poor memory or a terrific imagination.

Walter J. "Wally" Summ (1967)

To John Somero,

Richard Branscombe didn't remember to whom he had sold his car.  I reminded him about 6-8 months ago on this site.  I remember Richard and his brother Lee adjusting the solid lifters on his Impala in their driveway at 28 Park Ave....current home of Ken and Kathy Zane.  His brother had a 421 cubic inch Pontiac Bonneville with 3-two barrel carbs.  Both his car and Richards were very fast.  Don't tell anyone, but we used to open them up on West Street after we crossed the ditch that lead to Fig Tree Falls.  We didn't stop until we got to the Yolanda (Hecke-Hardy) Ranch.  There, we'd turn around and do it again ....all the way back to Woodpile.

Donna Giebel and I were at Foster's Freeze one night when you drove in and started talking to us.  You asked us if we wanted to ride in an airplane.  Innocently enough, we agreed.  We drove out to Watt's Airport and  hopped into the plane.  You ended up flying us all the way to Pope Valley, over Lake Berryessa.  We were circling the airport (at night) when you remarked..."That's funny, I remember the runway lights being on the other side of the runway".  Anyhow, there was a little bar/restaurant there.  I ended up drinking a few "fortifiers" for the flight back home.  A night I'll never forget.

John Michael Somero (1967)

Wally, I guess I flew so many people places that I don't remember them all.  I'll bet I'll find your and Donna's names in one of my first logbooks though, if I dug them out and looked. Is Donna still in touch with anyone?  I had her dad as a Little League coach.  Wonderful people!  I do remember Pope Valley; they had a skydiving center there, but I don't recall the runway lights comment.  Maybe that airport only had runway lights along one side of the runway at that time?

I remember one car owned by a fellow Finn who was a little older than we were.  Ronnie Komula had a 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury, jet black, with a 426 hemi in it.  I loved the looks of that car, and to this day think it would be a great car to have.

I just bought a 1962 Dodge Dart (ugly car to many folks), that is located in Houghton, MI, where I grew up, and will be flying into Hancock on Thanksgiving day to spend a little time with family up there, and then to drive that Dart back to SC.  I hope it makes it!  I just thought having one of the older cars might be fun for a while when I found this one that sat outside in MI for the last eight or more years.  It's in decent shape though, and I"m having a shop go through it mechanically for me before I get there so I can be reasonably sure it will make the trip okay.  I really stressed that the heater has to work well!

Tom, did you ever hear from Ralph after you got his contact information from me?  He used to call me often, but lately the frequency has declined considerably.

Richard Branscombe (1963)

To john Somero:

I must admit that I didn't remember who I sold the car to.  At the time I think I had other things on my mind like the beautiful girl I was going to marry.  I do know that the person I sold it to had to have been a very special person.  I wouldn't have sold it to just anyone.  As I remember you, you were a good person.  I hope you got as much fun and excitement as I had with the "Big Green Machine" .  I always wondered what happened to her.  She was one of 200 made that year.  You can read about her in the "History of Holly Carburator"since that was the only time Chevrolet ever used a Holly on a factory car.

I would take $10.00 bets that I could make it to Davis and back in 10 minutes.  Every thing that Wally said is true.  Looking back we were crazy.  God surely was protecting us.

Sherry new how much I loved that car, so that is why she bought me a hot rod for our forieth  aniversary.  She asked me what I wanted, that is how I got the 23 T bucket, a fun car.  Still like the Chevy though.

In Christ  Rich