Redbanks by Mary Anne Terstegge Tulare County Historical
Librarian
Reprinted from March 1991 Valley Voice p. 27
 |
| Photo from Ernie Garcia p. 57 Images of America Woodlake |
Redbanks was once the headquarters and packing center of the
largest deciduous fruit orchard in Tulare County. The first settler in that area west of Woodlake
was Elijah T. Colvin, a stockman who in the early 1860s bought three sections
of land on the southern slopes of the hill, which bears his name. At that time Cottonwood Creek still ran due
south into the St. Johns River. By 1892,
Elijah Colvin was dead and some of his property was sold.
In 1901, Dr. and Mrs. William Wheeler Squire, who came from
Wisconsin to Exeter in 1884, moved to Visalia.
Soon after they began buying property near Colvin’s Point, which led to
the organization of the Redbanks Orchard Co. in November 1903 by Dr. Squire,
Charles Joannes and Phil M. Baler.
Squire took an active interest in the company until his death and his
son Bill served as manager in the 1920s.
Phil Baler, a former manager of the Earl Fruit Co. realized that this area
would produce exceptionally early fruit, and it far exceeded expectations. Orchards had to be laid out and planted so
Redbanks Orchard Co. hired the best available man – Isaac H. Thomas – the
Luther Burbank of Tulare County who came here in 1858.
A nurseryman, he sold the first fruit seedings in Tulare
County and his name was synonymous with the best in horticultural
accomplishments. His daughter married
Phil M. Baler. At Redbanks Thomas had
greenhouses built. Under his direction –
15 varieties of plums, 14 types of table grapes and several varieties of
peaches were planted. Electricity was
used to pump water from a series of 75’ deep wells into cement flumes. Later water was pumped from the Wutchumna
Ditch. To the east of the Redbanks
bridge on the north bank of Cottonwood Creek can still be seen the building
that housed the pumping plant which boosted water up to the hill to a
reservoir.
When the fruit was ready to harvest, in 1910, the Visalia
Electric Railroad extended its tracks to what became known as Redbanks and a
packing house was built there parallel to Road 192 south of the creek. Its foundations can still be seen west of the
road. The fruit cars were hauled to
Exeter where they connected with Southern Pacific’s eastside line.
In 1913, the Santa Fe (then the Minkler Southern Railroad)
came to Redbanks and a spur went right into the packing facility. By then, Redbanks had the largest deciduous
fruit ranch in Tulare County. Redbanks
peaches were the earliest in the nation and the other fruit was earliest
outside Imperial County. Thomas
exhibited the fruit all over the United States and it usually took first
premium. Phil Baler was the manager.
Redbanks Orchard Co. expanded its holding from the original
1,350 acres on the south slopes of Colvin Mountain to 4, 000 acres, where much
of it was grazing land on Colvin Mountain and citrus orchards were
planted. North of Avenue 344 the
boundaries of Redbanks Orchard holdings were extended out about to Road 188 on
the west and Road 204 on the east. South
of Avenue 344 the property also extended to the Wutchumna Ditch on the east
side of the Santa FE tracks and all the way to the St. Johns River on the west
side. A whole complex of buildings were
built at the ranch headquarters under the direction of a resident contractor,
Jay F. Kimball.
South of Cottonwood Creek, between the creek and the
packinghouse was a dwelling first occupied by Elmer Wright, which later became
a greasy spoon-type restaurant for the workers.
Immediately west of this and the packinghouse were three rows west of
this and the packing house were three rows of workers’ homes with about 10 per
row. Later during the Arena period
(named after the Arena family who at one timed owned the property.) These were arranged in two clusters, one for
Hispanic workers and one for white workers.
Farther west near the bend in the creek were two concrete apartment
buildings for married workers. Southwest
of these buildings, a dance floor was built in the late 20s. Across the road from the packinghouse on the
south bank of the creek was the blacksmith’s house
On the north bank of Cottonwood Creek was the ranch
headquarters. Immediately west of the
road is the two-story manager’s house.
Bill Murray lived there from 1921 until 1929. Then the Bill Mayfields moved into it. Wilbur Mayfield was a pipe man from Goshen
who served as superintendent until 1934.
Beyond the manager’s house was a small house (no longer there) then the
main building which is of Spanish style resembling a Southern Pacific
depot. Constructed in 1914 this building
had a large restaurant for the workers at its west end. Immediately behind the dining area was a
large kitchen and food storage area with ice lockers in the center directly
below the upstairs. The kitchen was
presided over by Wylie, a one-eyed Chinese man who was an excellent cook. IN the center of the north side of this
headquarters building, a hall and stairway gave access to the upper floor. At first there were only rooms for workers up
there. Then in 1932, the upstairs has
converted into a five-room apartment known as “the penthouse”. The east half of this building contained
rooms for bachelor workers. Hence it was
referred to as “the hotel.” In the late
1920s, the east end was remodeled to create offices. West of the headquarters building and near
the creek was the shower/lavatory building.
Continuing west is a large implement building, which
originally contained a harness tack room and blacksmith shop. Tom Brown was the resident blacksmith. Later, motor-driven sprayers and other
motorized equipment were housed in this building which then served as the ranch
garage. Farther west, adjacent to it is
the hay barn beyond which were the mule stables. Redbanks Orchard Co. had several pairs of blue-ribbon
mules from the state fair. Farthest
west, out beyond the bend of Cottonwood Creek was the Hindu irrigator’s
bunkhouse. This complex was known as
Redbanks. Redbanks Orchard Co. was a
pioneer with aerial crop-dusting, using ex-army pilots from Texas to fly four
planes in 1928. One crashed on Colvin
Mountain a few years later.
In the winter of 1931-32, Redbanks Orchard Co. became a
victim of the Great Depression and was taken over by the bank. Bill Squires, Jr. and Wilbur Mayfield, along
with his son Bill stayed on. Young Bill
Mayfield became the second occupant of the penthouse.
In 1937, the Redbanks Orchard Co. property was sold to a
group of 16 men, 13 of whom were members of the Arena family. Joe Arena became manager of what they renamed
the Redbanks Fruit Co. At first, until
Joe remarried to Vida Richards and moved into the manager’s house, he and Ed
Thomas, the bookkeeper, lived in the penthouse.
Ed Thomas lived there for 30 years and planted a lovely rose garden on
the north side of the headquarters building, which fell into disrepair, the
downstairs being used only for storage.
Under the Arena’s care, Redbanks had another hey-day. In July 1955, 17 carloads of fruit per day
left Redbanks. Joe Arena died in May
1962 and the property was sold to the Griffith Brothers of Anaheim in 1966.
They renamed it the Redbanks Packing Co. and remodeled the metal hay barn into
a packing facility then tore down the old packinghouse. The old implement building, many times
repaired and remodeled, still is in use, but an additional implement shed
stands on the side of the mule stables.
South of the creek, only the foundations remain but there are new
greenhouses. Because of the long-ago
cement work, the creek is deeper when it passes through Redbanks. The manager’s house is still in use, but the
once guest headquarters building stands silent and empty, a reminder of the
past.
