1895 Citrus Colony Cricket Team, Rocklin, California

Moses Andrews of Auburn started Placer County’s citrus industry when he planted a seedling citrus tree in 1871. The region was well suited to citrus. It was below the extreme cold of the mountains but high enough in the foothills to ripen earlier than other citrus regions in California, giving these fruits a head start for shipping back east by rail. This was the beginning of the Penryn/Loomis/Rocklin citrus industry.

Joel Parker Whitney was a local citrus and grape grower who had traveled to Europe and had an affinity for English country life. He decided to build a colony for people who shared his love of that life. The Citrus Colony was born. Twelve wealthy families arrived from England and built homes, a clubhouse, tennis courts, and even a cricket field.

'Pictured above is the Citrus colony’s 1895 cricket team, which was unbeaten in the State of California. They were also the 1898 champions of the state.

Eventually, the fruit prices started to drop as the depression of the 1890s worsened, and the colonists’ lack of farming experience began to take its toll. Eventually, some colonists headed back to England while others ended their farming careers for other ventures. The Colony went bankrupt in 1905.

More information about Placer County’s Citrus Colony can be found here.

Tobacco growing in Placer County

This photo shows the Whitney Ranch located in the today’s City of Rocklin. Joel Parker Whitney arrived in San Francisco in 1852 at the age of seventeen. Starting in 1855, Parker’s father and brothers began acquiring land in the Rocklin area and building a sheep ranch that they named Spring Valley Ranch. Eventually, the farm would cover some 128, 400 acres of land.

Whitney’s ranch included sheep and a wide variety of agricultural products, and as the above photo indicates, tobacco. During the 19th Century, there was a push to grow tobacco in California, where the climate was so conducive to producing so many different crops. The absence of summer rain was notable as late rains would harm the plant, which happened more frequently back in the southeast, and the southern US, where summer showers were a regular occurrence. This article below is from the Pacific Rural Press, Volume 50, Number 1, 6 July 1895, talks about the exciting future for tobacco growing in California.

Pacific Rural Press, Volume 50, Number 1, 6 July 1895

It appears that the growing of tobacco in California was a happening thing during the late 19th Century. Why it never took off, with most being grown in the southern United States, I don’t know.

Highway 40 Construction

A couple of beautiful photos showing the construction of Highway 40 between the towns of Rocklin and Roseville, Placer County, California. The first thing I noticed is the lack of any warning equipment or cones. I'm not sure if the cars even slowed down whizzing by.

Close up showing the workers shoveling rock and laying down pavement.,

The Lincoln Highway became Highway 40 in 1927, as all named roads started to be numbered. Once automobiles got faster and more numerous new construction took place. This section was laid down with

Close up of the right side of the photo.

The following photo shows the same highway construction but from a different angle.

The following photo shows a monument in Ophir recognizing the importance of these two highways, the Lincoln and Highway 40. What your looking at is a cross-section of the two roads concrete roadbeds. The Lincoln Highway had 4-inch thick concrete while Highway 40 was placed on top and was 6 inches thick. You can still ride on the old pavement today.

Black and White photos generously loaned by the Placer County Museums.