50 years ago: After doubling in size, Lincoln to grow again

50 years ago Population 3,179 (U.S. Census 1960 and 1970) Annexation: A proposed annexation which would add about 670 acres to the City of Lincoln is up for hearing before the Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission on Oct. 7. The area is generally located west of the city, south of Nicolaus Road, east of Nelson Lane and north of Moore Road. The hearing will be held in the Board of Supervisors' chambers in the county administrative center in Auburn. Any interested persons may appear and be heard. Just a year ago, LAFCO gave the green light to an annexation of 2,218.6 acres to the City of Lincoln which more than doubled the city's size. The 1974 annexation was bounded by Wise Road to the north, Lincoln Airport Road to the west, Nicolaus Road to the south, the Lincoln city limits to the east and State Highway 65 to the northeast. That annexation took in the Lincoln Municipal Airport. The new annexation would include the site for the proposed new waste water disposal plant. 75 years ago Population 2,410 (U.S. Census 1940 and 1950) Water 1895: The newly formed water committee visited Rocklin to get information as to the water system there and learn that town's method which has been successful in combatting fires. John Parker of the J. Parker Whitney Co. was interviewed and accompanied the committee to the Ridge on July 14, 1895, to locate a site for the Town reservoir. Mrs. Keleber and Mr. A. Hemphill were also visited on that same day and asked to consider giving a right of way through their property for the water line. W.S. Graham, a surveyor of Auburn, was also interviewed by the committee. Mr. Graham reported that he thought the only practical plan was to place a reservoir on the Whitney land and that he thought a fall of 150 feet sufficient for fire-fighting purposes and the two miles would give that fall. At this meeting where this lengthy report covering several pages was read and discussed, a petition signed by a major portion of property owners and residents urged the board to take action to call a bond election for the purpose of issuing bonds not to exceed $20,000 for the purpose obtaining a water supply under sufficient pressure for fire and other purposes. This petition was signed by 118 citizens. At a meeting on Aug. 8, resolution was adopted instructing F.C. Davis, town surveyor, in conjunction with a civil engineer, to make the necessary surveys, plans and estimates of the cost of building a reservoir or reservoirs, laying pipe and laterals for a sufficient supply and pressure of water from Boulder Ridge or J. Parker Whitney Ranch to the said Town of Lincoln and such recommendations that are the most reasonable and practical in carrying out this project. W.S. Graham to assist in this survey. On Sept. 17, 1895, W.S. Graham made a report of this survey and recommendations. The estimated cost including pipe laid in the ground, site, two reservoirs, 25 fire plugs in place, fittings, etc. total $17,800. Mr. Graham presented a bill for his services in the amount of $146.65 which was paid. F.L. Sanders, town clerk and Charles Kennedy, town attorney, were sent to Vallejo and Santa Rosa at the expense of the town to investigate mode and procedure for submitting the question of municipal indebtedness to a vote for the people. They subsequently were each allowed $20.05 for the expenses of the trip. Note: This article was written by Mrs. Mabel Ahart. 100 years ago Population 1,324 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910, and 1920) Playground: The Pottery employees have decided to give another children's playground benefit dance. Saturday evening, September 26, has been selected as the date for the occasion and the place is the Civic Auditorium. If you were in attendance at the big dance given by the pottery employees last month, you certainly will be present at the coming dance. No one can say that the pottery boys did not put on one of the best dances in Lincoln in a long time. The entertainment, music and general good time is well worth one's attendance. The big effort, outside from the dance and its joys, is to create a fund with which to enlarge, improve and equip the children's playground at the McBean Memorial Park. Our people are rapidly falling in line with the boys, and with the fine entertainment and co-operation of Lincoln citizenry we may soon have just what the children need for clean, wholesome recreation. This dance is for a worthy cause and for worthy children. Give it your unbiased support. As a special feature for this dance, a beautiful vase, one of the most expensive ever made at the local pottery, will be given as a prize to the person holding the lucky numbered admission ticket. Lincoln Union High School opened for the fall term last Monday under the principalship of R.A. Lee, who has been the principal for the past several years, and who, by the way, has given Lincoln excellent service. The enrollment numbered 120 pupils, with a corps of nine teachers, one more instructor than last year. Lincoln has one of the best accredited high schools in the state, and it is all due to the excellent management of Principal Lee and the board of trustees. Note: Lincoln Union High School was across from the current Lincoln High School on the 6th Street side. Lincoln Cannery: The Placer County Growers Canning Association has closed down its cannery in Lincoln for the fruit season of 1925. This season's run was a record breaker in the number of cases of fruit canned, some 90,000 cases being the pack. The cannery could have run another week, but owing to the lack of help, determined to close. The Lincoln cannery has made wonderful progress in the past several years. The management has added an immense amount of modern machinery and equipment which eliminates a great deal of inconvenience, and which enhances the value of the plant by $50,000. The cannery is of great value to our peach growers in that it handles the fruit direct from the orchards, thus entailing but small expense in freight. Were our fruit shipped to other parts of the country for canning, great inconvenience as well as expense would be added to the fruit growers' troubles. The cannery employs an average of 300 people throughout the canning season, which represents $75,000 in wages. Much of this money is spent among our business men, and the surplus is added to individual bank accounts. The cannery adds greatly to the commercial life in Lincoln, and it appears to us that we could not do without our local cannery. Under Mr. A. Fereva as manager, and H.C. Gordon as superintendent, the Lincoln cannery has made wonderful progress in the last few years. The quality of peaches packed is superior to anything in the state. A great part of the 1925 pack is already sold to eastern and foreign trade. This alone is evidence of the demand for Lincoln cannery products – the best ever. Just yesterday two cars, amounting to 2,000 cases left here, one for Liverpool, England, and the other to Omaha, Neb. The Company has orders from one firm in Boston for 12 cars, or 7,200 cases, and from another firm in Portland, Maine, for 8 cars or 4,800 cases. Many other orders from 1 to 6 cars are ordered, so one may see that the cannery pack will soon be exhausted. The pack this year will amount to 165 cars. The record pack in one day this year was 70,000 cans. The total investment of the cannery is $300,000. Now that is some investment for Lincoln, and some canning business. Note: The cannery was on the south side of town and near the railroad tracks. Thank you, Fran Neves and the Native Daughters of the Golden West Placer Parlor #138, for having me at your September lunch meeting.