As reported in the St. Helena Star, synopsis by Mariam Hansen.
A cold north wind
It developed into a gale and blew down several signs, breaking some windows. A eucalyptus tree fell over in front of Creamer’s shop on Main Street, and a Chinese wash house was blown off of its foundation.
John York and William McCormick started a new butcher shop and bought a delivery wagon.
John Tychson sold Albert Schroepfer [a San Francisco architect who designed the Rhine House and Villa Miravalle] 30 acres of land, later known as “Rockland.”
In April, the town elected trustees [councilmen] Phil Stockton, William York, Owen Wade, George Gluyas, and J. C. Potter. Leopold Lazerus became treasurer and John Allison became marshal.
Ex-sheriff John Zollner shot a man as he emerged from a saloon, and a few weeks later Dr.
Stillwagon shot a man named Garcia on the street. Both were acquitted.
In May, Rudolph Lemme and Alice McPike were married in San Francisco.
Public school graduates
Grant Elgin, Maggie Fountain (valedictorian), Maud Clock, Ida Fulton, Katie Hoffman, Carrie McGeorge, Bertha Shepardson, and Fannie Stone. Exercises were held in the Presbyterian Church.
Also present were M. A. Morford, principal, and teaching staff, Alice Jones, Carrie Alden, and Mrs.
S. A. Stowell.
The customary Fourth
The parade was followed with an oration by Samuel Shortridge [later a US senator, 1921–1933].
During his talk, a 38-cannon salute was fired by Civil War veterans James Lawson and Fred Dickinson. After 20 shots, the cannon went off prematurely, and the discharge carried away Dickinson’s forearm to the elbow. (Dickinson was unable to continue as a carpenter because of the loss of his arm.) To add to the excitement, a fire was discovered in John McPike’s field across the road, which had no apparent connection to the festivities.
In July, Abraham Goodman defied the Sunday bar closing law; a jury acquitted him after only 10 minutes of deliberation.
Charles Krug established a gas plant to illuminate his winery.
Twenty citizens invested in the new Bank of St. Helena, and 52 residents subscribed in stock. The bank purchased the old Van Tassel Hotel building and remodeled half as banking quarters.
Shortridge takes the school
Two new rooms were added during summer vacation, making six in all. [These two rooms were saved when the schoolhouse was demolished in 1901 and is now Thrifty Manor on Tainter].
The new St. Helena Academy opened in a building that had been moved from the corner of Adams Street and Allyn Avenue [the high school, 1882–1897].
A second town band, the Silver Cornets, was organized, composed of Harvey Lewelling, Adolph and Robert Bussenius, George and Richard Rammers, Charles Logan, Leon Lazarus, Charles Head, and Professor Myers.
J. S. Hay started publication of the bi-weekly Times, a newspaper of Democratic persuasion. Later, he purchased the Field property at Pine Station [Milat Winery today].
Eddie Butler, found dead
The coroner’s jury brought in a verdict of suicide. After Eddie’s father employed detectives to investigate, two Chinese men, who had quarreled with Eddie over delayed payment of wages, were arrested. One of them was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in San Quentin.
To provide for the increased demand for water, the St. Helena Water Company lengthened the York Creek dam by 35 feet and raised it by 10 feet.
F. W. Kroeber purchased 16 acres on Spring Street [now Holy Cross Cemetery and part of St. Helena Cemetery].
An increased demand for wine storage required a second addition to the St. Helena Bonded Warehouse on Church Street, bringing capacity to 100,000 gallons.
A large group of men gathered at the Palace Hotel and held a rousing anti-Chinese meeting.
Resolutions were passed asking Congress to act on a pending bill to restrict Chinese immigration.
John Weinberger, owner of the J. C. Weinberger Winery [William Cole Winery today], was shot twice and instantly killed by a former employee at the Lodi train station.
A beautiful oak, lost
When Oak Avenue was graded, many regrets were expressed at the loss of a beautiful oak tree that stood at the corner of Oak Avenue and Adams Street. The backyards of many Main Street homes and stores lined Oak Avenue. With the street improvement, some of the homes were turned so that they faced Oak. W. A. Elgin’s at 1326 Oak [still there] was the first.
The town purchased a lot on Oak Avenue from Thomas Sheehan to build a town hall and fire house [today the location of St. Helena Catholic School].
Mariam Hansen is the research director for St. Helena Historical Society.
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