Waterford

Jeff Benziger

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780738574523
• eBook ISBN: 9781439639269
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Nestled where the San Joaquin Valley begins rolling into the Sierra Nevada foothills, Waterford is steeped in a rich history. From its scenic Tuolumne River corridor, early gold seekers and travelers in untamed central California forded the summer stream here or crossed swollen winter flows by ferry. Waterford was originally named Bakersville for founder William W. Baker, who arrived by covered wagon in the 1850s. The fertile soil provided good farming and prosperity for disillusioned gold seekers. When an ingenious gravity irrigation system was introduced in the 1890s, farms thrived, drawing families, businesses, and churches. Rowdy saloons briefly flourished before stalwart citizens drove them out. Waterfords brave first settlers, farmers, and businessmen made their marks here, and included such visionaries as the Rudi brothers, longtime meat purveyors whose Waterford offspring included Oakland As baseball legend Joe Rudi.

Five

BUSINESSES OF LONG AGO

MERCHANTS AND THEIR BUILDINGS

Waterford enjoyed a larger and more diverse business community in the first half of the 1900s than exists today. It hosted a varied collection of businesses in the 1920s and 1930s, including a lumberyard, a Ford garage where new automobiles were sold, and numerous grocery stores. In the 1930s, the upper floor of the Gordon Building at Bentley and E Streets served as the one-screen Marco Theater.

In 1945, Waterford was home to just 1,000 residents, and groceries were supplied by Leo Holzer at his Red and White Store on Bentley Street between D and E Streets; one block to the west was Rasmussen’s Market, which succeeded Ballard’s Grocery Store. Slaughter’s Market on the ground floor of the Gordon Building became Calvin and Charlie Chu’s Valley Food Center in the 1960s. The Chus moved their store in the 1970s to a metal building on F Street near Yosemite Boulevard. During the same time, Bill Gwin operated Sav-Mor Market at Yosemite Boulevard and Western Avenue (now site of Golden Bowl Chinese Restaurant).

In 1997, Valley IGA moved to its current location at Yosemite Boulevard and Western Avenue. Until the 1980s, Copeland Lumber operated at the site of the former United Lumber Yard at Bentley and F Streets (opposite the new post office). Other notable businesses over the years included Halbert’s Store, Hardy Monk’s Feed Store, Mark Royer’s Blacksmith Shop, Ed Ludlow’s Pool Hall, the Charlie Hall Restaurant, J.O. Armentrout’s Livery Stable, Collins Meat Market, Elmer Mullin’s furniture store, Kampen’s Kitchen, Nolan Nickell’s Bait Barn, Roy Rorabaugh’s A&W Root Beer, the Waterford Auto Wreckers yard, Dizzy Dee’s Dumpy Diner, and Cheap Jimmy’s Cigarettes.

In 1982, Raul and Soledad Acedo opened Su Casita Mexican Restaurant at Yosemite Boulevard and Western Avenue. However, thousands remember Jimbo’s Drive-In for fast food and ice cream cones between home and the lakes. It operated on Yosemite Boulevard near the main entrance to Riverpointe. Waterford Farm Supply—established by Phil and Myrna Stine—operated in the bricked Harbert Store building at the corner of Bentley and F Streets. The business is now located in the former site of the second Valley Food Center. From 1985 to 2004, Big Bear Park drew thousands of visitors to waterslides, a swimming lagoon, and RV camping.

Royal Ballard operated his Shoe and Harness Shop on the north side of Bentley Street just east of F Street. Standing in front of the store in 1927 are Ballard (right) and George William Steffan. The building was a part of the Bentley Street commercial district from 1918 until 1930 and was moved to Albin Crabtree’s ranch east of Roberts Ferry. Ballard died in 1956. (Waterford Historical Society.)

Royal Ballard took out this advertisement for his Shoe and Harness Shop in the March 13, 1931, edition of the Waterford News to advertise his products. (Waterford Historical Society.)

Charles Chester Horsley was a prominent businessman involved with the family’s Red House Mercantile. Horsley attended Dry Creek School northeast of Waterford and went to Heald College. He helped organize and was a stockholder in the Commercial and Savings Bank in Waterford. Horsley also helped organize the Waterford Irrigation District in 1913 as its first secretary. He was postmaster from 1893 to 1897 and justice of the peace.

J.R. Horsley and Sons established their Red House store first at the northeast corner of Bentley and E Streets on July 4, 1892. The store had the advertising slogan of “Everything from a Pen to a Combine Harvester.” A four-foot-tall porch was constructed to accommodate those stepping off of wagons or buggies. The Waterford store was a branch of a mercantile in Snelling. J.R. died in 1914. (Waterford Centennial: 1857–1957.)

Joe Prouty was the blacksmith in Waterford. He first settled in Roberts Ferry in 1869 when he was just 17 years old with friend Edward Shaw. He opened his blacksmith shop in 1880 at Yosemite Boulevard and Old Hickman Road. Prouty and his men could shoe 50 to 60 horses and mules in one visit before the animals were put to use pulling harvesters. (Betty Roen.)

This was Joe Prouty’s blacksmith shop, which was situated on Yosemite Boulevard east of Tim Bell Road. In this c. 1905 photograph, a horse and buggy are seen at right. The hill behind the metal shop is north of the old town site of Bakersville. (Betty Roen.)

This page of advertisement came from a Waterford Band Concert progr...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - WATERFORD’S BEGINNINGS
• Two - FARMING AND IRRIGATION
• Three - ROBERTS FERRY
• Four - HICKMAN
• Five - BUSINESSES OF LONG AGO
• Six - WATERFORD WORSHIPS
• Seven - SCHOOL DAYS
• Eight - COMMUNITY LIFE
• Nine - COMMUNITY LIFE