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September 1998 Vol. XXVII No. 12   CALENDAR Thursday, September 10 @ 7:00 p.m. LHG Meeting, Carnegie Building HERITAGE GUILD HAPPENINGS   Watch next newsletter for garage sale announcement in October   Excerpted from Herald & News January 27, 1964   Take a Walk Down South L 60 vears ago Part I By Albert E Norman   Albert Norman Recalls Street as He Knew It.   When Albert E Norman of Oakland, resident of Livermore sixty and more years ago, recently contributed an article to the Herald and News on the history of the residences which are being removed to perntit the Livermore Presbyterian Church expansion, his interest was aroused in his old home town.   Since three of the buildings razed or removed are on South L Street, his memories of that street then and now one of the main thoroughfares of the city, were particularly revived   In a second article he takes a walk on the street, from the Southern Pacific depot to College, in memory and recalls the business buildings and

residences as they existed at approximately 1900 and the people connected with them All were prominent business and civic leaders at the time. A number of the residences still exist, some remodeled.   His history will interest "old timers" who personally knew many of the people mentioned, and later comers to the city will be interested in knowing the names of the people who resided on it and had a part in developing the community.   When in 1830, Antone Sunol, Antonio Maria Pico, Augustine Bernal and Juan Pablo Bernal were granted some 11 leagues, or about 48,000 acres of land in a part of what is now Alameda county, none of them would have believed that their acreage would be developed as has this Livermore Valley in the past several vears   When the Nomian family moved to Livermore on May 1, 1894 they had come from Oakland to a little town of less than fifteen hundred people that grew very little during their sojourn here up to May 15, 1903   William Mendenhall, one of the Hastings Party that arrived at Sutter's Fort Sacramento, December 25, 1845, had a vision of a city on the open land of which we are talkinL and purchased some 608 acres during 1865 and 1866.   On November 4, 1869 he hadamap filed of theTown of Livermore. lts boundaries then were Lizzie Street, now Livermore Avenue, westerly to Q Street and from the Western Pacific now the Southern Pacific, railroad to Fifth Street. In 1885 a subdivision called "The Southern Addition to Livermore" extended the town boundary to the Mocho creek

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We will continue this story to L Street from the depot to the Mocho as it was in the very early days of Livermore and up to the time the writer ceased to be a resident of the community Let's take a look at ound the depot (1) and say "hello" to John L Mitchel, the station agent and Wells Fargo Express aprit who greeted us, particularly my father Bob Norman, who was the train baggageman and Wells Fargo express messenger on the local train running from Livermore to Oakland Pier and back daily. Those were the times when half the townspeople came down to the depot to meet the train and greet the arrivals. The conductors on this train well remembered by many were Lon Cummings and Oscar Whitney The engineer was none other than Bill Bradley. As we leave the depot and walk on the easterly side of L Street, we pass the ice house (2) run by Sam Wilkinson As a boy I well remember watching him throw around large chunks of ice Next came the saloon of Moritz Hupers, and his hotel later run by Max Berlin, now the Greyhound depot ( 1) (where Kentucky Fried Chicken is now) and Travellers Hotel On the basement floor was another saloon run by Pete Zabella. On the comer of First Street was the saloon of Louis Guanziroli (4). Across the street on the southeast corner of First and L was the hotel of A. Bardellini (5), who acquired the land for this structure on January 3, 1973, it extending to Second Street, where there was a summer house and croquet grounds At the southeast comer of Second Street was the saloon, restaurant and oyster house of Peter Catanich ((6) located where Pizza Hut is now) Thencamehis home and next that of John L. Mitchel (7) and farnily "Old timers" will remember that Mrs Mitchel always took a prize for her finely decorated horse and buggy in any parade. Here we are at Third Street, headed for Fourth and on the corner was a house built by Robert Adams, caretaker at the Oak Knoll cemetery (8). His widow sold this place to Eugene and Katie Day. The comer

of Fourth was vacant. Back of this lot on Fourth Street lived the Norman family from about 1897 to 1900. The next block, where the Presbyterian church is about to erect a new church (9), was graced with the homes of Joe McKown, Mary Smith and the Bradshaws, more of which I told you about a month ago in the Herald and News. At the southeast corner of Fifth Street was the Henry Meyers home (10) Attheother end of the block was the Oscar Meyers home (11), one of George Meyers' sons. The next block from Sixth to Seventh was vacant. Or, the southeast comer of Seventh and L was the home of B. Morrell (12), carpenter in the employ of Hiram Bailey, whose home and grounds graced all the rest of that block up to College Avenue, He built this home in 1875 or his family His wife was the daughter of Mrs Robert Livermore. He also built the frame house on Los Positas ranch for Robert Livermore. In later years he was one of Alameda County's supervisors They had three daughters and two sons I only remember two of the daughters. Josephine, who was Mrs. Dennis Bernal, who recently passed away and in 1962 was Livermore's oldest resident and Mayme, now Mrs Nash, living in Oakland. It is my joy to say that I well cherish their acquaintance Where Dr. John W. Robertson later built the sanitarium building at the southeast comer of L and College stood the home of Jesse Bowles (13). We now approach the bridge crossing the Mocho Creek. It brings back memories of when this stream overflowed and flooded the community in wet winters. Where the sanitarium is now located west of L was the home and grounds of Win. Mendenhall In 1896 Dr. Robertson acquired the property and created the Livermore Sanitarium, building his stone residence on the corner (14), 1 can see the governess wheeling young Dr. Robertson in a baby buggy along the roadways On the northwest comer stood the home of Simon Anspacher (15), where later lived the Sellers family. Note this house still stands today at 879 South L St.) Edgar Geist and still later the H. B. Wagoner family Next down L Street was the home of Mr. And Mrs

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Wm Hart (16), later that of the Jordan family, which their daughter Constance was the teacher at the Arroyo de Valle school above Cresta Blanca and then at Livermore high school. Take a Walk Down South L 60 years ago Part 11 By Albert E. Norman This is the second of two articles by former Livermorean Albert Norman, recalling South L Street as he knew it around the turn of the century. The next house is that of John and Ruth McGlinchey (17). It was not there when your writer lived in Livermore. In those days the Dennis Bernal family lived at Third and K Streets. In 1898 when this writer was badly burned, their daughter, Zylpha, now Mrs George Beck, and a sister of Mrs. McGlinchey, used to take me in a baby buggy for a ride around the streets of the town. Now after sixty-five years we get together for chats about the old days The Vanderhoof home came next (19) and in later years Mr Erskin Esden made his home here COTTAGE The next cottage belonged to Mrs. Hart, who after her husband's death made this place her home. Then came the Thomas home He was the agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company. On the lot next, he maintained a small vineyard Edward C, Newell built the house on the corner of Sixth Street (19) and later we find it the home of W.P. Creswell family, where they conducted a poultry business at the rear Many will remember Corporal Clay, a Spanish American war veteran, who although in a wheelchair, did not let this daunt him in conducting the poultry establishment When Will Taylor married Lillie Meyers, he built that nice house still standing on the northwest corner of Sixth and L Streets (20) Next comes the Thomas E Knox home (21), the family including his wife and three children, Mattie, now living in Canada, Arthur and

Thomas Jr. (Dude), both gone to their reward. When I was in the second grade at the Livermore Grammar School, Miss Nellie Boston, the teacher of the class, lived with the Knox family She is today living in Oakland On the corner adjoining was a house built by Antone Laurmeister (22), and later occupied by the Paul Miguel family. Mr. Laumeister at one time operated the mill near Mill Square, the area northwest of the city flagpole. The mill, moved to Livermore by C.J. Stevens. He had moved it from Union City, where it was built by J.M. Horner FIFTH STREET Here we are at the comer of Fifth Street, where H.H. Pitcher, president of the Bank of Livermore made his home. The home was built by F.A. Anthony This was then the only house in that block (23). Onthe next corner was the home of Dr William S. Taylor, (24) purchased September 26, 1877 from N. B, Holmes A highlight in my life in Livermore was to go to the Presbyterian Sunday School on Sunday morning and then go over to the Taylor home and sit in front of their fireplace and look at the funny paper The rest of this block was occupied by the N.B. Holmes home (25) The next comer north had a home on it built by Norris Dutcher (26) and while we lived in town, I used to play with Mayo Hayes, now Mrs O'Donnell of Monterey, whose folks lived in this house Next came the home of Mrs Taylor (27) and the family consisting of children Will, Charles, Lizzie and Katie When my father started running on the railroad to Livermore, he roomed in this house before he moved from Oakland On the corner was a small building used by Holmes as a shop Gradually we are winding our way back to First Street and at the corner of Second and L was Hans Mathiesen's blacksmith shop (28) Next the livery stable of Eugene Day (29). The comer of First and Lwas graced by the Morning Star Hotel (30), owned and operated by G. Gauline, where one could stay for

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$5 per week and have a meal for twenty-five cents. Later this property and business was in the hands of Frank Grassi The next block, that between First Street and the railroad tracks, was covered with enterprises of Anspacher Bros.(31) In 1969 this business was organized by Henry Meyers in Cooperation with AT McLeod. In 1870 the interest of Henry Meyers was sold to Phil Anspacher. In 1877 Phil Anspacher sold his interest to G. Gerst. S. Sellers became business manager at the general store Some of the help remembered were John Wallman, William Thom, Louis Altman, Fred Brenzel, Mark Sanderson, Will Taylor, Henry Hupers, Edgar Gerst, Abraham Lowenthal, Will Lowenthal, Andrew Hupers, Joseph Anspacher, Mr. Baum and Annie Callaghan Many will remember that Edgar Gerst had a fine voice and later became a member of the Scala Opera Company in Italy. The general merchandise store of Anspacher Bros. Was on the corner of First Street and in later years a part of it was purchased and operated by H.W. Lassen.

On First Street right at the rear of the store was a cottage attached thereto where Abraham Lowenthal, the bookkeeper, made his home with his wife, daughter Francesca and son Will. ON M STREET Stepping away from L Street for a few words about the Joseph Anspacher family who lived on the comer of First and M Streets (32). When we moved to town Mrs. Anspacher came across to the cottage next to Patrick Callaghan's house to tell my mother she would be glad to take sister and myself of fmy mother's hands while she unpacked and that introduction to them has lasted all these past years. During this last holiday season I received a Christmas greeting from their daughter Babete from Beverly Hills Back on L Street next to the general store was vacant space where many spur tracks stood (33) and thencame the block along grain warehouse. After the Spanish-American War my father brought home from San Francisco a Philippine goat. One day he was found missing, so my mother offered a reward for his return. Two of the daughters of Max Berlin found the goat down amongst the grain in this

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building and coaxed him to our house to receive their reward. Will Taylor who by this time had his own grocery store across the alley from Mrs Leonhart's candy store on First Street was a little disappointed that lie was found because Mr Goat used to walk into his store and feed on the vegetables A few things that happened in the street along L, while making this journey up and back may be of interest. First there was the Haynes-Apperson car standing in front of the Dr. Taylor house, the first car in Livermore. Then the train must have come in for there goes Hans Anderson driving the bus, pulled by two horses, one of which was blind and there goes Chris Buckley, the blind politician of San Francisco, with young Chris by

his side headed for his estate, Ravenswood out on L Street near the Olivina and Cresta Blanca, now Villa San Clemente As I close this tale I am looking forward to the Sunday School picnic, when all we youngsters will be riding in that bus I just mentioned out to the Arroyo del Valle at Cresta Blanca. We will have to walk part of the way because of the horses not being able to pull the grade south of town with such a load of mothers and children I want to thank Bessie Hargraves Drury, Zylpha Bernal Beck, Francesca Lowenthal Kahn and Katie Taylor Ipswish for their help in my bringing this story to the Herald and News.

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