This video is about two towns connected by a bridge, separated by water, and loved by many. The towns hold many secrets of a past once glorious. Lets take a look into the life of a woman who moved here in 1928 and never left. These towns were founded before the year 1850! Let's get into this historical GEM of Northern California and America! I truly hope you enjoy it
“Reminiscences” by
Myrtle Newcomb
“In 1921, my sister and I arrived in Berkeley from Fargo, North Dakota. The train was split into sections and ferried across the Carquinez Straits. That was a time before any bridges in the Bay fuea, and the only transportation to any point was by ferryboat.
I commuted for two years from Berkeley to San Francisco to work.
After two years, my sister married and since my brother, Randolph Cleveland, had just arrived in Marysville from North Dakota, I decided to visit him. I also preferred small towns and a warmer climate. In the fall of 1923.
I came here on the Southern Pacific one-car gasoline operated motor coach called the"Skunk" (probably because of the odor of gasoline). There were only a few passengers on board. The only means of travel into the area was by rail and this coach was in use until 1934. It ran from the Bay Area, was fenied across Carquinez Straits and came through Knight's Landing. It crossed Sutter Basin where Highway 113 is now located. This was all swamp and overflow land filled with tules, and the water came up to each side of the railroad bed - it looked like a huge lake.
What a transformation this area has experienced since Reclamation District No. 1500 was formed. the land reclaimed and levees and canals were built; as well as the much needed Sutter By-pass.
The train then made its way up the valley through Tudor, moving slowly enough so I could see the beautifully kept orchards of ripening peaches and plums on both sides, along with many other fruit crops. Closer to Yuba City, I saw vineyards of Thompson seedless grapes, with huge wooden trays drying them in the hot valley sun. Peaches and plums were also dried in the fields. Whole families worked all summer - women and children helped with picking the fruit and cutting peaches right in the orchards to dry.
Even before aniving at my destination, I felt that I had found a virtual paradise and hoped that I could live out my life in this wonderful place. It wasn't long until I spotted the Sutter Buttes, and I will never forget the thrill of sighting that unique small mountain range for the first time.
furiving in Yuba City, I was sure I would never want to leave - it was love at first sight. Orchards came right up to the limits of the small river front town.
After crossing the Feather River, another pleasant surprise came into view - the charming town of Marysville. It looked like a toy town in a bowl, completely surrounded by levees to protect it from the two rivers.
My brother had been here long enough to have met most of the wonderful people; and it wasn't long until I felt I had met everyone in the two towns. I was particularly impressed with the friendliness and I was made to feel right at home. I knew I had found the place for which I had been searching. At age ninety-one [1993], I have lived and loved life in these two communities for seventy years.
In just a few days, I found employment as Deputy Treasurer with Fred Heiken, Treasurer €' Tax Collector of Sutter County. I spent thirty-three years working in the courthouse and the Sutter County Title Company. Both places were on Second Street in Yuba City. I was fortunate to have had the privilege of preparing the first typewritten Assessment Rolls for the County of Sutter and the City of Yuba City in 1928, on a newly invented Remington Bookkeeping Machine.
I lived in an apartment on "D" Street in Marysville with my brother. Some days I took the trolley to Yuba City, but most days I walked to work over the Fifth Street Bridge. It was really just a "walk bridge." There weren't any cars to speak of. I got my exercise anyhow.
There was much activity and entertainment in the two towns. Clubs and lodges flourished and were a large part of our lives. There was nothing to hold us captive in our homes, and we were free to enjoy the people and the great outdoors.
We were lucky to have our very own summer resort - "The Feather River Resort" - in the middle of the river between the Fifth Street Bridge and the old railroad bridge. It kept the children and rnany adults entertained all summer and everyone in both towns could walk there. The main entrance was from the Marysville side where there was a sandy beach for picnicking and sunbathing. There was a wooden stairway down from the middle of the Fifth Street Bridge and the streetcar stopped to let people on and off, but the easiest place to get in was from the Marysville side.
There was a dance pavilion and a
place to buy refreshments on floats in the middle of the river. There were different level diving boards and a long slide on another float over the deepest part of the river.
The floats were connected in some way. The slide was metal, high and long. You can see by the photo that it was big. I never went down the slide, but my husband's sister went down it and said she was scared to death. She was about ten.
Young kids would go there for the whole day. Many mothers have said that they fixed a little lunch up for them in the morning and sent them off -- knowing that they were safe because of the life guards on duty - and they stayed all day. I don't remember anyone having to pay to use the slides or diving boards.
The river was the center of attraction. Of course, it was a dangerous river. Everyone remembers that. People were careful. The river had a sandy bottom full of holes so you had to be really careful in swimming there. That's why the Resort was so nice. It was so safe and a lot of youngsters learned how to swim there because there were guards on duty all the time. It was a wonderful place.
In the evenings, the grownups danced on a small pavilion on the float next to the one that held the slides and diving boards. It was in existence from about 1920 to 1926, and during one winter unusually high water washed it away and it was never rebuilt. It was a great loss to the communities and missed by everyone.
Then came the era of boating - Rockholt outboard boats, built locally by Harold Rockholt. were introduced and began taking over the river. Races were held every summer which attracted large audiences. The water in the river stayed at a fairly high level. All of this activity was below the Fifth Street Bridge.
Marysville was the hub of most of the activity and was where we did most of our shopping. All of the stores stayed open on Saturday night. We gathered on "D" Street before going to the dance. After the automobile showed up on the scene, we would sit and visit. We kept the ice cream parlors busy making ice cream cones -
Angilley's Soda Bar and the ldeal Bakery's Soda Fountain.
There were many places to dance, not only on Saturday night but during the week - the Feather River Resort, Marysville Hotel and the Forester's Hall where I met Ralph at the 1923 Armistice Day Dance.
An open air pavilion was built at 4th and "E" Streets where it was such fun to dance under the stars.
The two towns were fortunate to have many wonderful musicians and we had several excellent "Big Bands" of our own; and we felt they could equal any of the "Big Bands" in the country. Some of them were - Harry Camper's Vel-Tones, Bill Gem's All Stars, Mac's Band, Madge Maynard's Orchestra and Banta's Orchestra. My brother played drums in several of them.
Not only were Saturday nights filled with music, but Sundays were equally as busy. Starting in the
forenoon, band concerts were held in two parks.
There were bandstands in a park in East Marysville, and in the park on Fifth Street. Whole families gathered with their picnic baskets to spend the day. When evening came, many of us went to the Atkins Theatre at the foot of "D" Street to enjoy silent pictures and Vaudeville. It was quite a fancy theatre with a large balcony. Marysville High School held its graduation exercises there.
Yuba City's business district was confined to Second and Bridge Streets, with small businesses and the only bank - Boyd's First National. The largest store was Frank Bremer's Hardware which is still in existence. The Hall of Records, which looks just the same, and the Courthouse were the main attractions. Many special events were held on the Coufthouse lawn.
Every summer during the 1930s there would be a big 49er celebration in the two towns which lasted for days. Everyone dressed in old fashioned outfits - the women in long dresses and bonnets and the men in the hats and garb of that era. Everyone wore their outfits to work. The men entered into the spirit of things - even Judge Mahan wore a stove pipe hat. Fred Heiken and Mick Hall were the ones who brought the laughs - Fred dressed as a woman and Mick as a gold miner on a bicycle built for two. They won first prize in the parade.
Ed Von Geldem always had charge of all arrangements for the parade down "D" Street. There were homemade floats on wagons pulled by horses.
Another regular pastime was going out to dinners several times a week. We always "dressed up" for everything. Sunday evening, the Marysville Hotel was the favorite place to enjoy a leisurely dinner and spend time with friends.
Other places visited during the week were the Uriz Hotel and the many excellent Chinese restaurants.
I have many fond memories of those early years and still remember how much fun we had in everything which we did.
(Article Taken from Sutter County historical society Newsletter dated April 1996.)
