A unique neighborhood of large canopy trees and early 20th century homes, Curtis Park is the place to be on Saturday, April 27 for the annual home and garden tour.

Everyone is invited to stroll through this unique neighborhood anchored by the Sierra 2 Community Center and an 18-acre park, touring five residences in Century Bungalow, Mediterranean Spanish, Colonial, and Tudor Revival styles with interiors running the gamut from contemporary to traditional. Outdoor spaces ranging from serene gardens to spectacular water features compliment the homes.

The Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour is one of the few in the Sacramento region that offers a range of authentic and historic architectural exteriors with equally diverse and artfully designed interiors.

The tour is held in spring, so visitors can enjoy delightful weather and new foliage.  The homes are not specially decorated to reflect a given theme or holiday, instead, the tour allows visitors to see how people live in these exquisite homes day to day — how they have adapted their homes for their own enjoyment with well designed, fresh and classic interiors, while maintaining and appreciating their historical stature.

A unique stop this year will be the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, celebrating its 90th birthday. Formally Sierra School, the 2013 event included a historic plaque unveiling, visits from local distinguished guests and refreshments. In addition, volunteers are planning displays and a video history.

Another unique feature in the planning stages is a plein air art show.    Artists will be invited to paint any aspect of the neighborhood in the latter half of April, whether it be majestic trees, homes, streets, parks or the Center.  Paintings will be offered for sale on tour day with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association.

Those who visit all sites will log just under two miles. Bicycling through the neighborhood is an option and bike racks are provided.

The program for the 27th Annual Curtis Park Home Tour kicks off at 10am at the north end of Curtis Park.  Visitors will enjoy music, vintage cars, food from Wicked ‘Wich and Mama Kims, and information on home restoration.

The event is a fundraiser for the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and benefits the Sierra 2 Center and SCNA programs. The Greater Broadway Partnership and Joseph Eschelman with Wells Fargo Advisors are supporting sponsors.

Advance tickets are $20 ($15 for SCNA members) and will be available in late March.  On tour day, tickets will be $25 ($20 for SCNA members).   Call the Sierra 2 Center at 452-3005 for updates, or visit their website at  www.Sierra2.org

If you go:

What: 27th Annual Curtis Park Home Tour, presented by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA)
When: Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $20 ($15 for SCNA members) in advance; $25 ($20 for SCNA members) day of the event.
Tickets: Will be available online at  www.sierra2.org in late March, at the Sierra 2 Center at 2791-24th Street, and area stores.
Location / Where to Start: On tour day, purchase tickets at the Sierra 2 Center at 2791 – 24th Street, or at the north end of Curtis Park at 26th Street and Donner Way.   The tour winds throughout an almost two-mile area in the Curtis Park neighborhood. Curtis Park is bordered on the north by Broadway, the south by Sutterville Road, the east by Highway 99, and the west by 24th Street and Freeport Blvd.
Food, Refreshments and Music:  North end of Curtis Park, Donner Way and 26th Street
Information:   www.sierra2.org

The Sacramento River waterfront is shown in this 1907 photograph, three years following a major flood that covered about 10,000 acres in the Riverside-Pocket area. Photo courtesy of the Lance Armstrong Collection

Editor’s Note: This is part two in a series about the history of the Sacramento River.

Despite its many benefits, the Sacramento River – as well as the American River – has undoubtedly been a continuous threat to local residents since the founding of Sacramento City.
But as presented in the first article of this series, local flooding did not suddenly begin with the idea of establishing a city somewhere within the boundaries of today’s Sacramento.
One of the city’s most notable floods, the 1852-53 flood, included a rise in the Sacramento River that resulted in the water level, on New Years Day 1853, being 22 feet above the low water mark and two feet higher than the great flood of 1850.
An article published in The Sacramento Union on Monday, Jan. 10, 1853 noted that due to “very severe” and “unremitting” rains during the previous Thursday and Friday, the levels of the rivers were once again raised.
The same article described the inundation of the city at that time, as follows: “It did not come up to the mark which it attained on New Year’s Day; however, by several feet. On I Street, it reaches along the depressed ground, between 7th (Street) and the base of (today’s Cesar Chavez) Plaza, but no further down. On J (Street), it extends to 4th (Street), and unfortunate (sic), K (Street) is, as usual, pretty well submerged. The movement of small boats are (sic) confined entirely to J (Street), above 5th (Street), and from that around into K (Street) and the low ground back of and below the business part of the city.”
The area referred to in this article included all of what is known today as Old Sacramento and the site of the present day Interstate 5, including the area commonly referred to as the “boat section.”
The citizens of Sacramento City battled many hardships during the early years of the city, as the area was not only afflicted by floods and fires, but also by the tragic Squatter Riots of August 1850 and a cholera epidemic that took the lives of many locals in October and November of the same year.
The riots, which claimed the lives of several people, including Joseph McKinney, Sacramento County’s first sheriff, occurred as a result of disputes regarding land that the Sutters owned, sold or gifted.
According to the 1880 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” cholera was brought to Sacramento from San Francisco on Oct. 20, 1850.
It was reported in the 1890 book, “An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California,” that at some point during the disease’s approximate 20 days of terror in Sacramento, the average daily mortality figure in the city reached about 60.
This number was likely higher, considering that the same book noted that many deaths were concealed and unreported.
Sutter’s Fort, once the center of trade and commerce for the region, became a hospital to house the suffering cholera patients away from the city proper, which was built along the waterfront.
Despite the suffering that many local citizens endured during the city’s first decade, one of Sacramento’s greatest disasters was still yet to come.
On Dec. 9, 1861, a heavy storm resulted in most of the city becoming saturated with floodwaters, as people frantically took refuge to higher ground.
An article in the May 24, 1866 edition of The Union recounted the magnitude of this particular winter’s flooding and noted that on Jan. 10, 1862, “there were few citizens of Sacramento, however tall, who could have stood on J Street – the Broadway or Montgomery Street of the capital – and held their chins much above the overflowing and irresistible flood, which had broken upon the city.”
A further indication of the magnitude of that flood is presented in the 1913 book, “History of Sacramento County, California.”
The reference reads: “Judging from the tales of the pioneers, the flood in the winter of 1862 must have covered not only the river bottoms, but also a large portion of what is familiarly known as ‘the plains,’ for the writer has heard old settlers tell of transporting their provisions and other merchandise from Sacramento during that winter on flatboats or barges almost to the then-town of Elk Grove. An idea of the immense volume of water that found its way to the sea on that occasion may be gained from the fact that it not only covered the great tule basin of Yolo County, but also a large portion of the plains east and south of the city to a width of many miles.”
Some journals written at that time chronicled the flood of January 1862 as turning California’s Great Central Valley into a lake 300 miles long and 40 miles wide.
The immense flood led to the city taking action to re-channel the rivers.
This action, which did not occur until 1868, will be further detailed in this series.
One other large flood occurred in the Sacramento area in the 19th century.
That flood began near the Lovdal ranch, just below the city, on the morning of Feb. 1, 1878 and within the city, it eventually reached as far as 6th and R streets.
Furthermore, as a result of the 1878 flood, the road to the city cemetery at today’s Broadway at 10th Street became impassable.
An article in The Union’s Feb. 7, 1878 edition revealed that a positive note occurred in the town of Courtland as a result of this flood.
It was mentioned in the article that the inundation in the Sacramento area was so great that it caused the river’s level below the city – at Courtland – to be lowered by four inches.
But on a negative side, Courtland’s grain crops were lost as that area’s lowlands were still underwater by April 10, 1878, the day that the floodwaters were determined to be no longer a threat to the city of Sacramento.
Also causing a negative impact in the 19th century was the fact that the continuous flooding in the area resulted in rapid changes that made the waterway hazardous for navigation, leading to many shipwrecks that plagued sailors, merchants and the city’s residents.
As mentioned in part one of this series, the Riverside-Pocket area was also inundated with floodwaters in February 1904.
This flood began at the sharp turn of the Sacramento River, near what is today the intersection of Riverside Boulevard and Sutterville Road.
The San Francisco Call noted two days after the incident that the floodwaters covered about 10,000 acres of “the richest land in the state.”
The profound words of a survivor of tragedies in the early years of Sacramento were presented in the 1913 county history book, as follows: “What with floods and fires, insurrection and the plague, the very stars seemed to fight against Sacramento in her infancy, and the foundation of her latter prosperity was laid upon the ashes of her pioneers.”
In regard to the great flood of 1861-62, which was the last flood to invade the city’s business district, it was noted in the 1913 county history book that since the time of that flood, the settlers had learned the lesson that safety could be found “in high and wide levees, properly constructed to withstand the wind and water.”
But it was also noted in the same book that “after the flood of 1862, it became evident to the businessmen of the city that it was unsafe to depend entirely on the levees.”

East Sacramento resident Mabel “Bunny” Perich will turn 100 years old on Nov. 24. Photo by Lance Armstrong

In today’s world, it is certainly not very common to encounter someone with firsthand World War I related memories. And this is just part of the reason that the life of East Sacramento resident Mabel “Bunny” Perich can be of interest to so many people.
While sitting down and at times standing inside her residence at Mercy McMahon Terrace senior residential care facility last week, Bunny shared details about her life, which began on Nov. 24, 1912.
In recalling one of her World War I related memories, Bunny, who was raised adjacent to the west side of Chicago in the village of Oak Park, said, “I remember my mother (Mabel Gearon) making fudge during the First World War. Two of my uncles were over in Germany and I remember my mother packing fudge to send to one of them (Gratton Eugene Gearon) in 1917, before the war ended. I can still see her standing in the kitchen stirring the fudge and packing it in a tin box to mail over to my uncle.”
Bunny’s other World War I related memory involves an event, which was held at Chicago’s city hall shortly after the armistice between the allies and Germany was signed in Compiegne, France on Nov. 11, 1918.
“When the war ended, they had a pageant in city hall to commemorate all the men who had been killed during the war and I was dressed as a Red Cross nurse and a little boy was dressed as a doughboy – a soldier,” Bunny said. “I remember that they gave me a sterling silver spoon with (an image of) a Red Cross nurse on the handle and they gave the little boy a sterling silver spoon with (an image of) a soldier on the handle. I still have the Red Cross spoon. I don’t know the name of the little boy, because I only saw him that one day at the pageant.”
Two years later, Bunny took dancing lessons and was involved in a dancing recital in Chicago.
In remembering the recital, which she believes was held in a theater on Ashland Avenue, Bunny said, “I was dressed like a doll in a French doll store. That was the scene. I remember I did a dance and at the end of the dance – I had an American flag tucked down into my uniform – I came to the (theater) lights and I pulled the flag out, which was a silk flag, and held it up and the audience went wild.”
Bunny, who was given her nickname by her father, Joseph S. Gearon, who worked for the Department of Streets for the city of Chicago, also recalled the days of Prohibition.
“I remember my mother and father going out on Saturday nights to a speakeasy,” Bunny said. “I didn’t know it at the time where they went, but that’s where they would go on Saturday nights, not every Saturday. People would go to speakeasies back then and hope they wouldn’t get raided.”
Although she was certainly living in the Chicago area during the days of the notorious gangster Al Capone, Bunny said she does not remember hearing any Capone-related stories during that era.
Among Bunny’s favorite childhood memories was roller skating with her sister, Helen Marie, in the basement of her family’s home during the winters.
In 1927, Bunny graduated from the eighth grade at the now historic St. Edmund (Catholic parochial) School in Oak Park, Ill. The original, 15th century French Gothic designed portion of the school, which was built as a copy of the Palace of Justice in Rouen, France, opened in 1917.
Bunny, whose partial description of 5 feet, 2 inches tall with blue eyes would cause some people to begin singing a popular song of the past, graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill. in 1931.
Among the notable people to graduate from that school were the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, Dan Castellaneta, who provides the voice for the cartoon character Homer Simpson, National Football League Hall of Famer George Trafton and city planner and architect Burley Griffin.
In October 1937, Bunny married William J. “Bill” Luck, who worked for the Cherry-Burrell Corp., which was known for manufacturing dairy equipment. And less than two months later, he was transferred to work in San Francisco.
The couple’s first San Francisco residence was at Chestnut and Divisadero streets. And while residing in an apartment at Francisco and Gough streets, the couple had their first and only child, Nancy, on Nov. 13, 1940.
Like many people who recall World War II, Bunny remembers where she was when she learned that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor.
“I was giving my daughter a bath and my husband came rushing in and said, ‘I just heard on the radio they bombed Pearl Harbor,’” Bunny said.
And with the United States’ involvement in World War II came the blackouts, which Bunny also remembers well.
“They blacked out the whole city and they painted all the streetlights that faced the ocean black when they had blackouts,” Bunny said. “And they had air raid wardens to tell you to turn all your lights out and we would put blankets over the windows that faced outside. And then we would go up on the roof of the apartment house and the whole city was blacked out, but we could see the outline of the ships going under the Golden Gate (Bridge).”
After the war, Bunny and her family moved to 2566 39th Ave. in San Francisco’s Sunset District.
Bunny became a Sacramentan when she moved with her family into an apartment at 2230 10th Ave., near Sacramento Junior College (today’s Sacramento City College), in 1947.
Bill, who was married to Bunny for 37 years, died at the age of 64 on June 23, 1976.
Bunny, who worked as a clerk in the bonds section of the state treasurer’s office from 1960 to 1980 and is a lifetime member of St. Patrick’s Home Guild, married a widower named Peter J. Perish (1909-1987) in 1981.
Peter and Bunny spent about seven years of their retirement lives together, enjoying a variety of activities, including traveling through Europe.
Among Bunny’s most gratifying activities during her life was her volunteer work for such places as Holy Spirit Parish and School and the Sacramento Children’s Home through her service to the Los Niños Service League, which raised funds through its assistance to the Casa de Los Niños luncheon restaurant – today’s Casa Garden Restaurant.
In January 2004, following an unfortunate incident when she fell and broke her hip, Bunny became a resident of Mercy McMahon Terrace.
Until her accident, she had been living alone and driving her own vehicle.
She said that her decision to move to her current home was an excellent one.
“I decided I would stay at Mercy McMahon, because it’s a wonderful facility for older people with nice people, good food and good care,” Bunny said.
Despite residing in this facility, Bunny, who enjoys reading historical novels and occasionally playing bridge, remains very independent, as she takes her own medicine and is still mobile on her two feet.
In reviewing her life as a soon-to-be centenarian, Bunny said, “I’ve been lucky. I’ve had a wonderful life.”

Photo courtesy of Leslie Wilson-Lopez

One of Northern California’s most loved walking holiday home tours returns this December, with five elegantly decorated homes in East Sacramento’s historic Fabulous Forties neighborhood open for viewing.  For 39 years, this popular tour has grown to include nearly 5,000 patrons from throughout northern and central California.  The homes showcase elaborate renovation while preserving historic design, custom interior decoration and creative holiday décor that is sure to ignite the spirit of the season. Homes on the tour this year range in style from a stately Tudor to a beautifully remodeled plantation home that was at one time a multi-family duplex.

The tour is completely run by volunteer parents from the school. According to Leslie Wilson-Lopez, a parent and one of the tour’s four co-chairs, the holiday tour is a fundraiser for Sacred Heart Parish School and funds raised are used to help offset tuition and to provide assistance to those who families who might not otherwise be able to afford a Catholic education.

The holiday tour includes a holiday boutique and café located at Sacred Heart Parish School’s gymnasium at 39th and H Streets. This year’s talented interior and floral designers will include: Beyond the Garden Gate, East Sac Florist, Holiday Home, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, Lumen’s and Twiggs Floral Design Gallery.

Here’s a summary of what each home has in store for the tour:

Southern Bungalow on 38th Street

Built in 1915, this  38th Street home  Southern Bungalow may be 3,000 square feet on 1/3 acre, but it is the least bit ostentatious. Once again, Philip Rice of East Sac Florist dazzles the homeowners. This time with his dramatic holiday take on Contemporary Country meets edgy Rock-n-Roll.

California Cottage on 42nd St.

As you enter this lovely 1924 California cottage, a beautiful wreath greets you at the front door. The family monogram on the wreath is a sign of things to come inside, as Kerrie Kelly Design Lab has decorated this home for the holidays in a very approachable and authentic way that is personalized to the homeowners.

Majestic Tudor on 45th St.

Built in 1925, by well-known craftsman and architect Squeaky Williams, this elegant home replicates an authentic Normandy Castle.  Upon entering the grand foyer this Christmas season, you will be greeted by traditional holiday décor, created by Carol Shellenberger and Mary Shaw, from Holiday Home. The designers called upon the homeowners’ classic style when decorating this majestic home for the holidays.

New England Manor on 46th Street

This 1939 Grand Brick Tudor home, in addition to our 45th Street home, is suspected to have also been built by well-known Sacramento builder Squeaky Williams. The long walkway and warm brick porch are only the beginning of what lies behind the front door, including holiday décor and furnishings by Elizabeth Lake, senior lighting designer of Lumens Light + Living.

Fab 40s Charmer on 47th St.

The holiday theme for this 1925 bungalow is “simple elegance intertwined with family tradition.” Pat Stromberg, Nancy Storm and Patti Green, from Beyond the Garden Gate, set the décor tone in this newly remodeled home by adopting the homeowners’ clean, yet classic taste, along with their family-friendly surroundings.

If you go:

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 2
Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Homes open for touring at 11am; Café and Boutique open at 12:30 Friday due to school dismissal)
Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
TICKETS: Tour tickets are $25 in advance starting on November 1st; $30 after November 29th.  Organizers predict another sellout this year and suggest advance purchases when possible.
Please check the website for ticket retailer locations or to purchase tickets online!  www.sacredhearthometour.com or call the Holiday Home Tour Information Line
at (916) 556-5050.

Ellsworth C. Zacharias Park was named in honor of a former land owner in today’s Greenhaven area. // Photo by Lance Armstrong

Greenhaven 70, as presented in the first article of this series – which was published in the Oct. 18 edition of this paper – was established as the Pocket’s first subdivision.
As previously mentioned, in 1958, L & P Land Development acquired more than 700 acres for the development of Greenhaven 70.

Before any subdivision could be approved by the city, however, L & P was required to present their proposed plan for the Pocket’s entire 4,674 acres.

This plan was known as the Pocket Area General Development Plan and included schools, a shopping center, two churches, a hospital with medical offices, a social-cultural center with a library and a theater, gas stations, a teen center, an open space pavilion, a heliport, a nursery, a motel, a hotel, various shops, a firehouse and a restaurant.

Following the annexation of the Pocket area in 1959, the city’s Planning Commission passed the general development plan for the area on July 11, 1961. And on Sept. 7 of that year, the city council adopted the plan.

A 1962 Greenhaven 70 advertisement recognizes this development as “the start of tomorrow” and notes that this then-future community will present “a new and better way of living for the entire family.
It took a few years before L & P began to physically develop Greenhaven 70, which was partially named after its 1970 target year for completion.

This development was recognized as the newest and most progressive home development in Sacramento.

Streets in the area were designed in a manner that they would horseshoe to a centralized park, where a playground and an elementary school would be constructed.

The plan for the area also included pedestrian bridges for the safety of residents on thoroughfare streets such as Riverside Boulevard and the future Gloria Drive extension.

Another feature of the area was its electrical and television underground cables that made it so no overhead telephone poles and wiring to homes or television antennas would be visible.

With the signing of sales contracts for Greenhaven 70 lots, the purchasers were required to sign an agreement that listed restrictions pertaining to the building and maintenance of their homes.

This agreement required property owners to place their television antennas either horizontally across the lower part of their rooflines or set them inside their attic, closest to the location of their main television set.

To avoid unsightly appearances, garage doors were not to be left open and automobile were not to be parked on streets for extended periods of time nor were cars to be mechanically worked on anywhere on those streets.

Residents with motor homes were required to park these vehicles behind the frontage, fenced area on their property.

Items such as basketball standards were not permitted anywhere on the fronts of the homes or along the streets, and garbage cans were required to be kept behind fenced areas and to not be visible from the streets.

Distances from the sidewalks to the fronts of homes were standardized, along with no two driveways being allowed to be located side by side.

To enforce the subdivision’s restrictions, the Greenhaven Homeowners Association was formed.
Whenever there was an infraction of any rule, the objecting homeowner would inform the association of the violation, so that the association could ensure a correction.

Through the signing of the sales contracts and the restrictions papers, homeowners were entitled to memberships in the Greenhaven Cabana Club at 6207 Riverside Blvd.

Dues for upkeep and other expenses of the club were paid by family residents.

A second Cabana Club – Greenhaven Cabana Club South – was later opened at 6615 Gloria Drive, opposite the street from the now former Bear Flag Elementary School at 6620 Gloria Drive.
The first home to be built in the subdivision was a spec home at 805 Royal Garden Ave.
Because of the home’s challenging floor plan, the home, which later included a second story addition, was not immediately sold.

The subdivision’s second house at 819 Royal Garden Ave. was built for Bill Hallisey, a former conservationist for the state Department of Agriculture.

Additionally, Hallisey spent many years as the owner and manager of the Colony House Apartments at 915 Johnfer Way.

Among the other original homeowners of the subdivision were Antone “Tony” Terra, Bob Bos, Norman Greenslate, Bob Dias, Richard Corum, Even Zacharias, Ellsworth “Jack” Zacharias and Norman Magee.
The building of homes was a slower process in the Greenhaven Lake area.

This area grew as streets were added and paved and model homes were opened for inspection.
The north section of Greenhaven 70 was completed prior to its southern portion.
During the final stages of the building of the last homes on the subdivision’s north side, McKay Construction Co. purchased continuous lots in the area and built homes on an entire street – possibly Moonlit Circle.

Many of the residents were concerned that these houses would be tract houses and would detract from the standards of the original plans for the area.

By that time, the proposed shopping center for the subdivision had been revised, because the city council had decided to nullify this small shopping center in favor of the much larger Florin Mall on Florin Road.

The Greenhaven marina, which was proposed in the subdivision’s original plan, was later rejected by the Army Corps of Engineers, because of the need to cut into the levee, which would create a greater possibility of flooding in the area.

Another portion of the subdivision’s original plan that was later rejected was the greenbelt around Lake Greenhaven.

Kermit Lincoln filed for bankruptcy in the late 1960s, which resulted in Harold Parker and Lincoln splitting up their remaining assets, which included lots that were designated for apartments in the Riverside Boulevard section of the subdivision.

The proposed greenbelt around Lake Greenhaven was affected by these turn of events and the greenbelt area was offered back to the city for a parkway. However, the city declined this offer, which resulted in this area being zoned for large lakefront lots.

Because the greenbelt was not going to be enjoyed by all the residents who had planned on it for relaxation and entertainment purposes, the surveyor pegs for designated lots suddenly disappeared late one evening.

Jack Parker, manager of Greenhaven 70, informed residents near the greenbelt area that this action was unacceptable and costly to L & P.

Unfortunately for L & P, after a second set of surveyor pegs were placed on these lots, the dastardly event reoccurred much to the consternation of Jack, who became furious by the event and demanded retribution.

Fortunately for the property’s developer, after the third set of pegs was placed on this property, the pegs remained without an incident.

But an ongoing disappointment remained in the minds of those original residents who purchased lots in the subdivision and were promised this special place to relax and enjoy.

Bill Parker, who was the son of Harold Parker, was responsible for the remaining portion of Greenhaven 70 in the mid-1970s. During that time, Bill maintained his office in the locally renowned Dutra House.
All of the proposed 1,600 homes, which were mentioned in the original Greenhaven 70 plan, were eventually completed.

And because of the loss of the marina, the plan for 1,200 apartment buildings was exceeded.
The final portion of Greenhaven 70 was sold and completed by Morrison Homes, which constructed houses and streets in the loop street pattern in accordance to the original plan for the area.
After the completion of Greenhaven 70, which is today known by its shortened name of Greenhaven, Bill continued to work as a land developer in other notable areas.

Regardless of the changes and disappointments of some features of Greenhaven 70 that did not materialize, many residents of the area are still proud to call Greenhaven their home.

lance@valcomnews.com

Photo #2 Caption: The old Gottschalks store space at Country Club Plaza has been vacant since 2009. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s note: This is the fourth part in a series regarding the history of the “four corners” of Watt and El Camino avenues.

Country Club Plaza, as presented in the previous article of this series, began with a supermarket anchor in 1958 and three years later had its first department store, Weinstock’s.
Weinstocks, a very impressive structure
Carmichael resident Bill Ellis, who was the first manager of the Weinstock’s store in the plaza, described the Weinstock’s building, which took more than a year to build, as a very impressive structure.
“When Weinstock’s opened (in the plaza), it was a very unique building,” Ellis said. “It had imported marble and it had all kinds of amenities. It was something like Sacramento had never seen.”
And in describing the store’s interior, Ellis, 89, said, “We imported hardwood floors from Kentucky for certain departments and we had the people from Kentucky come and install them. We had wonderful, full-wall carpeting in certain areas and we had a fine dress department and we had a fine coat department. The showcases, which is what we did in those days, were of fine quality and cost $1,000 a foot. We had china, glass, gifts, sterling silver. It was a very high class store.”
Ellis said that he was named the store’s manager while he was working as a buyer at the Weinstock, Lubin & Co. store at 12th and K streets.
“I was told I would be manager three months before (the plaza’s Weinstock’s store) opened, roughly, and I was in on the last part of the construction (of the plaza building),” said Ellis, who altogether spent 40 years working for Weinstock’s. “I was there to learn what the store was about and what the space was allocated for and to supervise the workmen who were putting things together.”
Also associated with the plaza store were Marion Armstrong, president and general manager of Weinstock, Lubin, and the store’s assistant manager, Ray L. Byers.
As mentioned in the previous article of this series, a Penny’s department store opened at the site of the plaza’s Stop-N-Shop store in the summer of 1971.
Kathy Neutz, who grew up in Fair Oaks, said that she remembers shopping at this Penny’s store and other businesses in the plaza during the 1970s and 1980s.

Photo #3 Caption: Palms line Macy’s parking lot along El Camino Avenue. Photo by Lance Armstrong

The plaza was the place to shop
“I remember going to some of the older stores (at the plaza) like Penny’s and Weinstock’s,” Neutz said. “It was busier back then, because there weren’t as many malls. (The plaza) was one of the malls besides Sunrise Mall (in Citrus Heights) that you could go to. I would come here (to the plaza) with my mom or with friends. It wasn’t a hang out mall though, like Sunrise (Mall) and Arden (Fair Mall).”
After many years of operation at its plaza site, Penny’s was replaced by Gottschalks.
During the summer of 2009, Gottschalks closed its plaza store and the building remains vacant.
Weinstock’s closed in 1996 and was replaced by a Macy’s department store.
In 2003, under its then Scottsdale, Ariz.-based owners, Arizona Partners Retail Investment Group, LLC, the aged plaza was remodeled.
Unfortunately for the plaza, despite this remodel, many stores left the plaza and the mall was left with many empty store spaces.
Among the last businesses to exit the plaza were Subway, American Eagle Outfitters and PacSun Clothing.
Future of the plaza
While recently shopping at the plaza, Neutz said, “There definitely used to be more to (the plaza) than there is now. I just think it’s the area. It has kind of declined a bit and there are other areas that are growing and upcoming and that’s where (people) want to go. Hopefully they can rebuild this area and get it more economically stable. It’s all about the competition.”
For those concerned about the present status and future of the plaza, Peter Morgan, vice president of Laeroc Funds, the private real estate investment company for the plaza and multiple properties from San Diego to Portland, said that this shopping center’s future appears promising.
“When we bought the center in (August 2006), we were really excited about the opportunities,” Morgan said. “The mall was basically full and performing very well. It was just our timing on acquisition by 2006, right before the worst recession since the Depression, to the demise and bankruptcy of our anchor tenant, Gottschalks, in combination with the downturn in the retail market in Greater Sacramento.
“We think we’re coming out of this recession, the letter of intents (for possible new tenants) and the capital improvements that we plan to put up, we truly believe that this is the low point of the center’s life. We’re excited about the opportunities going forward to bring the mall back to its prominence.”

Photo #1 Caption: Ross Dress for Less and Bed Bath & Beyond have both signed leases to be located at Country Club Plaza through at least 2014. Photo by Lance Armstrong

The letters of intent are from Office Depot, which would take about 6,000 feet at the plaza, and a national grocery store, which would use the 92,000-square-foot space at the former Gottschalks site.
Bed Bath & Beyond and Ross Dress for Less leaving the plaza?
In regard to recent local news reports that Bed Bath & Beyond and Ross Dress for Less will be relocating to Town and Country Village, Morgan said, “At this point, both of those tenants have leases and Ross just extended their lease with us. If (the addition to) Town and Country is built, Bed Bath & Beyond and Ross are supposed to open stores in that location. But Bed Bath & Beyond and Ross could make a decision to have a store in both locations. They both have an option that they could exercise to extend their terms (at the plaza).”
Although Morgan would not reveal when these leases end, he did state that the leases are signed through at least 2014.
He also noted that the plaza’s Sports Chalet store has renewed its lease.
Morgan added that remodeling and other enhancements, including façade improvements from La Bou to the old Gottschalks building, are planned for the plaza.
“The grocery store is planning a remodel of the façade and the accompanying parking lot,” Morgan said. “We are planning concurrently an extensive improvement of our parking field in front of the mall, including landscaping, parking lot improvement and repair and a brand new entry façade to the mall.
“Once we get that completed, then we tackle the interior of the mall. It could be as quickly as six months. But we really can’t do any construction work in the mall during the holidays.”
And for those who find confusion in having two shopping centers with similar names at Watt and El Camino avenues, Morgan said that help may be on the way.
“We’re looking at renaming (Country Club Plaza) to reflect that (future) look of the center, although we don’t have a new name chosen,” Morgan said. “When we come up with some names, we’re probably going to float them by the market before we actually (change the name) to see how it’s received.”
In summarizing his feelings about the future of the plaza, Morgan said, “I’m very excited about where this center’s going. I think Sacramento is going to be delighted to see the improvement from where it’s been to where it’s going.”

lance@valcomnews.com

The California Preservation Foundation (CPF) has awarded Catherine Taylor with the President’s Award for 2012 for her work to preserve California’s heritage and historic places. Taylor is the district superintendent for the Capital District of California State Parks and is known for providing statewide leadership, advocacy and education to ensure the protection of California’s diverse cultural heritage and historic places. CPF honors individuals and organizations for their dedicated preservation efforts that allow others to gain a deeper appreciation of historic resources and their value to California’s economy, environment, and quality of life.  The award will be presented at a special 2012 California Preservation Awards event at the AT&T Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012.

As district superintendent for the Capital District of California State Parks, Taylor oversees operations for nine state historic parks and state museums that include the following:  the State Capitol Museum, State Railroad Museum, State Indian Museum, Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, Old Sacramento State Historic Park, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, and the Woodland Opera House State Historic Park. In addition to her daily operational duties, she also oversees two major development projects underway at the California Indian Heritage Center and the Railroad Technology Museum, both in the Sacramento region.

Before being named district superintendent, Taylor served as museum director for the California State Railroad Museum for six years, as executive director of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (the non-profit support affiliate for the museum) for over a decade, and was responsible for its most significant growth and development. Taylor also managed two major Railfair events in 1991 and 1999, both drawing more than 180,000 visitors to Sacramento to celebrate railroad history and technology. Today, Taylor works with many non-profit organizations and paid and volunteer California State Parks staff throughout the Capital District to help develop strong partnerships and fiscal sustainability for the parks in her district, and to secure the preservation of these significant historic sites.

More information about the California Preservation Foundation is available at www.californiapreservation.org and more information about the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks is available at www.parks.ca.gov/CapitalDistrict.

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles about McClatchy athletes and teams chosen for its new sports Hall of Fame.
The 50 athletes/coaches and teams from 1938 to 1962 will be inducted as part of the 75 year McClatchy celebration on Sept. 20 at the Riverside Elks Lodge.
For information about the athletes and how to get tickets, go to restoretheroar.org.

At noon on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1947, 24,000 frenzied football fans squeezed into Hughes Stadium to see the unbeaten McClatchy Lions and the Sacramento Dragons battle for the Sac-Joaquin League championship.
As a wide-eyed 8-year-old, this was my first football game and would become a Thanksgiving tradition for my family that would last until the 1970s, when the Turkey Day game ended.
Turkey Day 1947 would be the greatest sporting event in Sacramento history with more than half the city attending. After the school opened in 1937, the up-start McClatchy Lions began to chip into Sacramento High School’s athletic dominance by the mid-1940s.
One-half of the city was “Lion Red” while the other half was “Dragon Purple.”
North of Broadway, you were a Dragon; south of Broadway in the suburbs of Sacramento, you were a Lion.
In 1939, McClatchy first beat Sacramento 13-6 behind all-city running back Fred Wristen.* The only tie was in 1940, and Bob Geremia was the star of the 1942 game for the Lions.
1943 brought the Lions a close win 13-12 and the undefeated 1944 McClatchy* team slaughtered the Dragons 44-0 and 25-0. McClatchy had won the last five years, two in 1944 and 45 because there were no night games during World War II, and local teams played each other twice.

The 1947 team
In 1947, Sacramento was coached by George Relles and led by quarter-back Jack Higdon and running backs Henry Barsanti, Vic Frediani and Ed Day.
Burt Delevan and Peter Mering anchored the line. The closest game was against Grant where the team trailed 7-0 at half. The second half was led by Day, Frediani and Mering, and Sacramento ended up winning 19-7.
The Lions, coached by George Bican,* were led by the “high-stepping twins,” John Pappa* (14 touchdowns) and Del Rasmussen* (nine touchdowns).
Rasmussen had run for almost 700 yards and averaged 13.4 yards per carry. Pappa had more than 400 yards and fullback Chuck Marino had almost 300 yards.
Tony Geremia* was an outstanding passer and kicked extra points. Ends Curtis Rowland* and John Matulich were his favorite receivers.
The McClatchy line was led by all-city tackle/linebacker Leon King*, guards Sturmer White and Bill Burns*, all-city center Vern Sampson* and tackle Clarence “Tiger” Orr.
Grant Deary, Bob Farmer* and Bob Norris came in on a strong McClatchy defense that had four shut-outs during the year.
The Lions averaged 33 points per game on offense.
The winning streak
McClatchy started its winning ways on Oct. 4, with a 36-0 win over Christian Brothers with Geremia throwing touchdowns to Pappa and Marino.
The following Friday in the rain at Hughes Stadiums, the Lions beat Woodland 26-0 with Rasmussen running for 121 yards and Pappa 77 yards. At Grant the following week, Geremia threw for more than 200 yards and the “twins” each scored once for a 45-13 victory.
Bican pulled out his bag of tricks and put Leon King at fullback for a touchdown and extra point.
Meanwhile, Sacramento was rolling along beating CBS 27-0, Turlock 12-0, Stockton 12-0, Modesto 25-7, Lodi 13-6, Woodland 21-13 and Grant 19-7.
Defense was the heart of the team, and everyone expected the Lions to give a tough match when they met the Dragons on Thanksgiving Day.
Leading up to the big game, McClatchy visited the Lodi Flames, and before 5,000 fans, Pappa (94 yards and 3 touchdowns), and Rasmussen (68 yards and 2 touchdowns) ran wild for a 39-0 victory.
Rowland blocked a punt and Farmer intercepted a pass to preserve the shutout. The following week against Modesto, with Pappa having a bad heel and Rasmussen the flu, Marino was the workhorse with 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Rasmussen still had 89 yards, Rowland a TD and Deary an interception at linebacker.
Nov. 27 was here at last.

Turkey Day game
The city was in a frenzy.
The local radio station KFBK had a huge pep rally on the air at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday with Tony Koester, the Sacramento Solons announcer, as the MC. On Thanksgiving morning, people began lining up for tickets four hours early at 8 a.m.
The headline of the Sacramento Bee on Friday, Nov. 28, read: “Lions roar to 35-14 victory over Dragons before record 24,000.”
The article read: “A storming fireball C. K. McClatchy High School eleven collaborated with the greatest crowd in the annals of Sacramento sports yesterday to bust the record books wide open in the most dynamic and colorful Thanksgiving Day football game ever produced within the confines of Hughes Memorial Stadium.
While more than 24,000 gridiron enthusiasts crammed into every cranny of the arena for the first time in its history, overflowing into the aisles, hanging precariously on the rims, and spilling out on to the track surrounding the playing turf, THE RAZZLE DAZZLE LIONS cannonaded their way to the Sac-Joaquin section championship with a glittering 35-14 conquest of the Sacramento Dragons.”**
The Lions struck early and often building up a 21-0 halftime lead. Del Rasmussen* carried only nine times for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Sacramento Bee article continued: “The fair haired boy…was dashing Del Rasmussen, a swivel hipped, squirming, prancing ball packer of all-conference magnitude who broke the Dragons’ backs with two long touchdown scampers. Fronting the way for him and sidekick John Papa was a dominant offensive line led by the 220 pound Leon King…who was tremendously effective at tackle and linebacker. Geremia had an outstanding game, with fourth and goal at the three, he crossed up Sacramento with an end-around to Curtis Rowland for a touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead.”**
McClatchy scored twice more in the third quarter with Marino scoring a touchdown in his fourth straight game against the Dragons.
Sacramento blocked a punt and scored to start the fourth quarter. Again in the fourth quarter, a missed handoff resulted in a fumble at the Dragon 22.
“Henry Barsanti caught the ball in mid air and set sail for the goal line. Pappa, however, picked himself up off the turf and, after spotting Barsanti 15 yards, amazingly overhauled him on the Lion nine. Fumbleistis set in on the second play, and Rasmussen recovered to thwart any hope of a Dragon rally.”**
When the game ended, it took Bican and Principal S. A. Pepper 20 minutes to break through the many well-wishers to celebrate the Lions’ first section title in football. When they arrived at the locker room, the team went crazy.
“The Lions coach waited for the cheering to subside. Bican tried to speak but was choked up with emotion before he finally said, ‘My 45 boys all looked good.’ My boys all blocked in excellent fashion and we were ready for this one.’”**

Great athletes
The 1948 graduating class had many outstanding athletes. Section championships were won in football and track, a tie with Sacramento for the baseball championship, and the basketball team led by Rasmussen, Dick Balfour and Matulich won the northern section, but lost to Stockton for the Sac Joaquin title.
Roger Osenbaugh* and Jim Westlake would go on to play professional baseball with the Solons.
Balfour would win the section pole vault and Pappa would win the section 100 and 220 for the third straight year.
Pappa would go on to UC Berkeley and score two touchdowns in the 1951 “Big Game” and play in two Rose Bowls.
Rasmussen would become a star running back at Santa Clara, and King would be a starter at Stanford and play in the 1952 Rose Bowl.
However, 65 years later, I think I remember Rasmussen dashing for long gains, Pappa chasing Barsanti over 60 yards to catch him on the nine, crushing hits by King and Sampson, and Geremia throwing darts to Rowland, Rasmussen, Matulich, and Pappa for big gains.
24,000 people in Hughes Stadium for one exciting, colorful, afternoon – I definitely remember that.

*Denotes Hall of Fame inductees
**Sacramento Bee quotes from sports writer Murray Olderman and Tom Kane

jim@valcomnews.com

This year’s State Fair offers a wide variety of midway rides and other attractions. / Photo courtesy of the California State Fair

The California State Fair has a long history, which has created fond memories for many Sacramento residents, others throughout the state and beyond.
And this year’s fair, which opens today and continues through July 29, is loaded with many attractions that will deliver a variety of new memories.
In taking a ride down memory lane,  one can observe the fair’s long tradition of fun-filled attractions.

1862 State Fair
One hundred and fifty years ago, the fair was only in its eighth year, and only a year had passed since the state legislature designated Sacramento as the fair’s permanent location.
This was the 1862 fair, which followed the city’s great flood of 1861-62.
Persevering through this tragedy, which caused Venice-like waterway scenes through its streets, Sacramento was able to present a very successful fair.
The Sacramento Union noted in its Oct. 4, 1862 edition that the number of people who arrived at the 1862 fair exceeded expectations.
This article stated: “The ground at the park yesterday was fairly covered with people and carriages. At no time last year were there as many persons present as were there about two o’clock yesterday. The wonder was where the thousands present could have come from. It was a proud day for the State Fair, as well as for Sacramento, as a great many had predicted that the attempt to hold a fair this year would prove a mortifying failure.”
During this Civil War-era fair, which was held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, 1862, the public viewed displays showcasing the state’s fine selection of fruits.

This exhibit, which was presented at the Pavilion at 6th and M streets (now Capitol Mall), was even more impressive, when considering the time of year that the fair was being held. Wool and woolen goods were also on display at the Pavilion. And at the park, the public also viewed exhibitions of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs and a machine for grinding sugar cane, and its accompanying evaporator.

The receipts for the 1862 fair, which included a closing evening ball at the Pavilion, totaled more than $11,000.

1887 State Fair

Nearly 125 years have passed since the Sept. 12 opening of the two-week-long 1887 fair. It was in that year that the State Fair suddenly had competition, as the local Mechanics’ Institute opted to hold its annual exhibition from Sept. 1 through Oct. 8.

However, this conflict in scheduling did not impede the 1887 State Fair from achieving success.

In less than one week after the opening of the fair, The Union, in its Sept. 17, 1887 edition, declared the event a “complete success.”

In its Sept. 16, 1887 edition, The Sacramento Bee reported that “strangers continue to pour into Sacramento on every train to attend the State Fair” and “every wagon road is lined with vehicles.”

Among the greatest attractions at the 1887 fair were the horse races, which were reported upon in detail in the local, daily newspapers of the time.
Receiving much attention in the aforementioned edition of the Bee was a horse named Black Diamond.

In one report on Black Diamond’s success, the Bee noted, “Those who had (bet on Black Diamond) from the start, and at big odds, were wild with delight.”

1912 State Fair
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1912 State Fair, which was only the third consecutive time the fair was held at the Stockton Boulevard fairgrounds.

As in previous years, the 1912 fair drew many spectators to its livestock shows. The Sept. 14, 1912 edition of the Bee featured details about the fair’s notable cattle, including Aralia De Ko, the then-world champion for butter fat.
In a single year, this Holstein produced 910 pounds of butter fat, 28,000 pounds of milk and 1,137 pounds of butter.

Held from Sept. 12-21, the 59th annual fair opened with a downtown parade with cowboys and charioteers.

Other attractions included the first California State Fair Round-Up, which became an annual event, fireworks at the grandstand, and Odell, “The Bee Wizard,” who enclosed himself in a cage and allowed bees to swarm all over his body, without suffering a single sting.

1937 State Fair
The popularity of the fair continued to increase throughout the years, leading to the event’s distinction as the largest fair in the United States in 1938, when more than 600,000 people attended the fair.

This high attendance mark was made possible through the assistance of the fairgrounds’ 1937 expansion from 80 acres to 155 acres. The expansion included a new racetrack grandstand and horse show arena.

The 1937 fair opened for the first day of its 10-day run on Friday morning, Sept. 3. The day represents the first time that the California State Fair began on a Friday.

The start of the fair was marked by thousands of school children who walked in a parade from McClatchy Park to the fairgrounds.

Popular attractions at the 1937 fair were horse shows, a $1.5 million display of livestock, Foley & Burke carnival shows with various rides and machines, the Lottie Mayer disappearing water ballet, a pig-feeding contest, free motion pictures showings, concerts, a nightly fireworks show and the introduction of a new lily pond in front of the main fair building.

1987 State Fair
It can be difficult for many people to come to terms with the fact that the 1987 State Fair opened 25 years ago this year.

Held Aug. 21 through Labor Day, Sept. 7, this fair opened with a ceremony in front of the main gate at Cal Expo.

The ceremony included performances by the 561st National Guard band and the California Raisin Advisory Board’s Dancing Raisins, a tree planting by the Sacramento Tree Foundation and an entrance by the Para-Stars, a Sacramento skydiving team.

Other attractions of the 1987 fair were midway rides, harness racing, professional rodeos, pig races, live music, “Monster Truck Madness,” Aztec Indian dancing, agricultural and crafts exhibits, an exotic birds display, fireworks at the grandstand and an evolution of communications display.
Special days of the 1987 fair included Raisin Day, Tomato Day, Cheese Day and Dairy Goat Industry Day.

2012 State Fair
Despite the many fond memories that have been established at previous state fairs, there is one special reason why this year’s fair can be considered the most important. And that reason is an obvious one, as the 2012 fair is the only one that is not a thing of the past.

Guests of this year’s fair, which has the theme, “Fun that Moves You,” will be presented with plenty of reasons to attend.

In addition to typical attractions such as midway rides, livestock shows, agricultural exhibits, live music, corn dogs, turkey legs and unusual food, this year’s fair will host a variety of new attractions.

These attractions include: Guinness World Record attempts such as a Roseville woman’s attempt to ride a Ferris wheel for more than 25 hours; a bull riders-only rodeo; Wizard’s Challenge: A 9,600-square-foot, mostly interactive, Medieval-themed exhibit; and Girl Scouts Zone: An interactive exhibit celebrating 100 years of the Girl Scouts.

Admission to this year’s fair is $12/general, $10/seniors, ages 62 and older, $8/children, ages 5 to 12 and free/children 4 and younger. Parking is $10.

The fairgrounds will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays.

For additional information about this year’s fair, visit www.bigfun.org.

Lance@valcomnews.com

AREA ICON. Sam’s Hof Brau at 2500 Watt Ave. is the last remaining Sam Gordon-founded eatery in Sacramento. / Arden-Carmichael News photo, Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part history series about Sam’s Hof Brau and other restaurants that were founded in Sacramento by the late Sam Gordon. Read Part one

As presented in the first part of this series, local restaurateur Sam Gordon (1907-1998) established four restaurants in the Sacramento area from 1955 to 1960. And with the popularity of these eateries, he continued to open other local restaurants.
Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau
His next dining establishment, Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau at 2500 Watt Ave. at El Camino Avenue, opened in January 1962.
In its Jan. 21, 1962 edition, The Sacramento Union noted that the restaurant had “opened to the public last week.”
The announcement was accompanied by a few details regarding the then-new Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau and a photograph of Gordon standing alongside a tall, wooden American Indian statue.
The carved statue was part of the décor of the restaurant, which was mainly designed with a “Gay 1890s” theme and had 6,000 square feet of floor space.
Other decorations placed in the restaurant were old signs, paintings and stained glass from a collection in Scottsdale, Ariz. and solid brass, gas lanterns from the grand ballroom of the old Union Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The lanterns had since been converted for electrical use.
The restaurant also opened with its 1890 Room, a banquet room with a safe from the Western Hotel, which was located at 209-219 K St. and owned by William Land, who willed the funds for today’s William Land Park. The banquet room was built to accommodate 60 to 90 patrons and the remainder of the restaurant seated 180 guests.
More than 100 photographs and etchings of early Sacramento and nearly life-sized paintings of Lillian Russell and Diamond Jim Brady were hung on the walls.
One of the more notable decorations at the restaurant is a large painting of the 1869 “golden spike” celebration, which ceremoniously marked the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad.
But beyond its unique, inviting décor, Sam’s built its positive reputation through its entrées featuring fresh meats such as roast beef, roast turkey, prime rib, corned beef, baked ham and pastrami.
And of course, these meats can always be used to make this eatery’s signature “Sam’wiches.”
Special hof brau memories
Tom Tolley, who grew up in Carmichael and was a 1968 graduate of Del Campo High School, was one of this restaurant’s earliest diners.
“Sam’s Hof Brau was always a favorite,” Tom said. “In 1962, my folks (Walter and Norma Tolley) and I first visited Sacramento and ate at Sam’s on Watt and El Camino (avenues). I found it hard to believe that such a cool restaurant was right next door to such a fabulous bookstore and record store – the two Towers. Even Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, where I lived, couldn’t match that sort of arrangement. We moved to Sacramento two years later and my dad and I would eat there. When Sam’s celebrated their 25th anniversary, they rolled prices back to match their opening menu for about a week – a roast beef sandwich for around 65 cents – and the lines were out the door. Even though I was working at a quality restaurant – Coral Reef – I ate there almost every day during that week. Sam’s is still a destination where I have lunch with friends or when I happen to be out that way. The one thing I miss is being able to buy a new book or album before or after lunch. The changes to Sam’s have not been drastic over the years and I can still load up on free pickles.”
David Spieth, 60, who graduated from El Camino High School in 1970, also shared his memories about the Watt and El Camino avenues restaurant.
“Sam’s Hof Brau was always a neat place to eat roast beef sandwiches,” Spieth said. “And, of course, if you wanted a taste of turkey, they always had one turning in the window. It was always dark and cozy and had a lot of privacy when you ate. It was a place where you could take your girlfriend or friends and family. And it was close to the Country Club (Lanes) bowling alley, where I used to bowl. (It was) next to Tower Records, where you could always get your vinyl or tapes. (The area has) changed a lot. The bowling alley and Sam’s Hof Brau are the only original places left.”
Carmichael resident Pete Lennarz, who owned the Watt Avenue hof brau for about 16 years, said that he began leasing the Watt Avenue building from Gordon in 1991.
Lennarz added that since the Denny’s restaurant corporation owned Sam’s eateries at that time, he simply shortened his business’s name to Plaza Hof Brau to avoid any conflict with Denny’s.
In 2007, the restaurant was purchased from Lennarz by the Hof Brau Restaurant Group, which included several Mikuni restaurants partners. And since 2009, this hof brau has operated under the name, Sam’s Hof Brau.
Among the earlier events held at the restaurant under its then-new ownership was a 50th anniversary celebration on May 18, 2009.
To eliminate any confusion regarding the timing of this event, it should be recognized that upon acquiring the hof brau, these owners were incorrectly informed that this Watt Avenue business had been established in 1959.
It was not until the publication of the first part of this article series (see May 24 edition of this paper at www.valcomnews.com) that the ownership learned that the event was unfortunately held three years prior to the restaurant’s actual anniversary.
Sam’s Big Top
Less than two months following the opening of Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau, construction began on Gordon’s sixth Sacramento area restaurant – Sam’s Big Top at 1101 16th St. The business was opened to the public in October 1962.
The location was an ideal place for this circus-themed eatery, since Sacramentans had routinely dined at the popular Stan’s Drive-In at the same site.
This Sam’s restaurant, which was originally managed by Art Davis, featured 24-hour booth and counter service and seating for 100 guests.
Another Sam’s Big Top later opened at 2721 El Camino Ave. at Sandringham Road, but was operating as a Denny’s by 1970.
Sam’s expanded outside Sacto
Many Sacramentans also have fond memories of Sam’s Town entertainment center and restaurant, which operated off Highway 50 in Cameron Park from 1963 to 2000.
Additional Sam’s Hof Braus were opened outside the capital city, including in Auburn (Placer County), Oakland, Portland and Los Angeles.

A Sacramento tradition continues
Certainly the days are long gone when Sam’s restaurants could be spotted in different parts of the Sacramento area.
But fortunately the last remaining Gordon-founded eatery in the city, Sam’s Hof Brau at Watt and El Camino avenues, continues to carry forth its tradition of serving “fresh, stick-to-your-ribs food at piggy bank prices.”