50 years ago: Work day launches playground project on J Street

50 years ago Population 3,179 (U.S. Census 1960 and 1970) Playground: A playground project being sponsored by Zeta Alpha chapter, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, got underway Sunday when members, families and friends held a work day. The playground is located on J Street near the Lincoln High School tennis courts. It is being constructed using products and materials manufactured locally. The park design and acquisition of materials was supervised by a committee co-chaired by Donna Gilmore and Claire Curtis. Committee members include Jane Tahti, Nancy Sisk, Jill DeWitt, Carol Bozzo, Judy McCartney and Susan Bellotti. The first unit, to be completed this month, will include a sand box play area, swing set with horizontal bar and simulated railroad train. The second unit, to be constructed next year, will include a simulated tree house deck with three means of access, primary slide and cantilever tire swing. The sorority expressed appreciation to the Lincoln community for its many faceted support of this effort. The Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce has pledged $250 in support for the project, qualifying it for matching funds offered by the Placer County Chamber of Commerce to projects designated as official bicentennial projects. 75 years ago Population 2,410 (U.S. Census 1940 and 1950) Although Lincoln is considered the manufacturing city of Placer County due to the manufacture of clay products, it is situated in the heart of the great Sacramento Valley, the richest agricultural area in the world. Lincoln is surrounded on the north, south and west by thousands of acres of farming land, operated by prosperous farmers. Lincoln is not only the hub for grain and fruit, but we have prize-winning dairies of national fame. Sheep, wool and cattle are raised in abundance and many tons of turkeys are raised and are picked, packed and shipped from our local plant. Many of these ranches adjacent to Lincoln are still in the possession and operated by scions of the pioneers who settled here in the early 1850s. Sixty-two years ago, in 1888, one of the Placer County newspapers published an agricultural report and from this we glean the following interesting items: The J. Parker Whitney Ranch near Lincoln produced 3,000 sacks of wheat and 2,000 sacks of barley during 1888, the whole weighing 440 tons. Some 600 tons of hay were baled. The wool clip from 12,000 head of sheep totaled 175,000 pounds. There were, at that time, 3,000 orange trees and 175 acres of grapes on the Whitney Ranch. J.T. Howard, who operated the grain warehouses in Lincoln prior to Walter Jansen and Son, handled 20,000 sacks of wheat and 10,000 sacks of barley and many carloads of flour and mill stuffs. Galusha Gray was also a large dealer in grain and hay. The wheat crop around Lincoln produced in 1888 was reported as a total of 31,000 sacks averaging 145 pounds to the sack, or about 2,247.5 tons. Walter K. Jansen recently told me he estimated his warehouse had handled approximately 10,000 tons of grain in 1949. The farmers in 1888 did not have speedy trucks with which to haul the grain to the warehouses, nor did they have paved highways. Straining mules and sturdy horses hitched to flatbed wagons made the long trek over the dusty roads to the warehouses. Most of the grain raised between Lincoln and Sheridan was hauled to Lincoln also. The production of sheep and wool also was listed in this report. Also included were the producers of raisins. J. Matter made 1,500 gallons of wine, H.M. Cartwright 1,500 gallons, and S.D. Burdge several hundred gallons. Although not agricultural, this report speaks of the granite quarries near Lincoln. The granite quarries east of Lincoln shipped 300 carloads of stone in 1888 and employed sixty men in their quarries. F.C. Crosby sold 1,000,000 feet of lumber, 2,000,000 shingles and 160,000 shakes in 1888. That year, the Lincoln pottery employed ninety men with a monthly payroll of $5,500. The company burned 10,000 cords of wood during the year. They shipped 550 carloads of terra cotta and other pipe for ten large state and city buildings. Six teams hauled clay daily to the pottery. Note: This article was written by the multi-dimensional Mrs. Mabel Ahart. 100 years ago Population 1,324 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910, and 1920) Grain: Walter Jansen & Son are making a big shipment of 10,000 sacks of grain to Panama Canal for the government. Cannery: The big cannery of the Placer County Growers Canning Association of Lincoln are very busy these days preparing for a big turn this season. Superintendent Gordon assures us that more fruit will be canned this year than ever before. Some $40,000 in additional equipment and improvements have been made, not only to care for present business but for the rapidly growing fruit business. There have been hundreds of acres of young fruit trees planted within the last two years and soon will be bearing, thus creating the necessity of a bigger canning capacity. The management of the local cannery foresaw this condition and are now prepared to handle double the business if necessary. Homes: There is hardly a week goes by that some stranger does not come into our office in query for cottages. Now, what Lincoln needs, is about ten 4- or 5-room modern cottages that will rent at a reasonable price. It seems that there is plenty of capital and empty lots to meet the situation. Why not build now? Lincoln is growing in population, and before long we will need many more homes or cottages to house the newcomers. Developments and indications point to big business here in the next year or so. Why not prepare for the future? Note: In 1925, the average cost of a new house in the U.S. was approximately $11,600, and rent averaged $75 per month. Adjusted to 2024 dollars, that equates to about $211,619 to purchase a home and $1,368 to rent one. Source: money.usnews.com. Irrigation: One of the biggest, best, most feasible and valuable water projects ever undertaken in Placer County will be a topic of discussion at a big mass meeting of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce to be held June 25 at the Civic Auditorium when a $3 million irrigation project will be launched. The project will most likely be undertaken, all data having been compiled necessary to go ahead with the work whenever the opportune time presents itself. The data has been compiled to put in motion this valuable venture with indications the irrigation of some 50,000 acres of fertile lands will be bountifully watered. Thank you for reading. I especially appreciate those of you with whom I visited at our recent Portuguese Holy Ghost Festa, among them Eddie O., Snuffy, Coyote and Mark F. I think it's fair to say everyone at the Lincoln News Messenger are always grateful for its readers/subscribers. The Placer County Heritage Trail 16th annual event kicked off June 7. For events and museum dates, please visit the online trail guide at theheritagetrail.blogspot.com.