September 10, 2003
THE FIRST APPLE DAY
AND OTHER REMINISCENCES
FROM EARLY JULIAN
"THE HIDDEN JEWEL IN GOD'S POCKET"
Editor's Note: This account,
including headline, was taken from
the Julian Chamber of Commerce's
1955 Apple Day Booklet.
The first Julian Apple Day was held
about 90 years ago, on October 9,
1909.
For about 20 years during the
century's mid-part, the Chamber
conducted an event known as Apple
Days over a two-day period. It
published booklets filled with history
and lore about the town.
During the past quarter century the
Julian Apple Harvest has generally
been informally celebrated during the
entire month of October, and part of
November. People come to town to
buy apples at fruit stands and stores,
and pies at shops and restaurants.
NONPROMOTIONAL
Not long ater the turn of the century
a group of leading citizens, in solenm
conclave assembled, decided to interest
outsiders in Julian's future, blow a
resounding toot on the local horn of
plenty, and spread good will m general.
A party seemed in order, a harvest
home, a tall testival--- and they called it
Apple Day.
Some years bet0re, at the height of
tile gold-digging epoch. Jas. Madison
and Thos. Brady located homestead
. claims, and ill the evenings, while
resting fiom their labor in tile mines,
gave consideration to climatic
conditions, the soil and the altitude, and
resolved that Julian was the ideal place
to grow deciduous fiuit.
HELEN MEYER RAY MEYER
Lots of Peaches
Apples • Pears • Cider
Wholesale • Retail
Open Every Day
flours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(760) 765-0233
3962 Highway 78
Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
i
"We're atier gold, and you can't pick
gold off trees!" scoffed their mining
friends.
The two settlers were not daunted,
being of hish extraction, and set out to
materialize their plans well aware of the
difficulties. Nursery stock was hard to
find, scarce and expensive. They started
north by four-horse wagon power and
alter a three-week journey to the central
part of the state, returned with a load of
trees.
These and others were planted to such
good purpose that in 1907 five boxes of
Juhan apples won etght gold medals at
tilt Jamestown Exposition, and at tile
International Pomolical Apple Show at
Norfolk they won the Wilson medal, the
highest award given for apples, in
colnpetition with fruit fiom all over tile
United States and Canada.
St) there was considerable justification
for blowing tile horn about Julian's
apples 46 years ago (froln 1909 to
1955). Preparations were extensive fi)r
the great event. C.W. Potter, an Apple
Day committeeman, climbed onto an old
apple box and remarked: "Folks. it
looks like everybody in San Diego
County is coming to our blow-out.
There's likely to be five or six hundred
come day after tomorrow. I want you
folks to tie your horses double tight and
well off Main Street, for they'll be a
rarin', cause there's likely to be three or
tour of them there automobiles present."
There was a big dance before Apple
Day; the orchestra was composed of
violin, piano and bones, and it played
waltzes, polkas, two-steps, and the girls
danced m high button shoes to the
schottische and varsuviana.
October 9, 1909, was the great day.
The sun dawned in the East as usual, but
with it, also from the East, rose tile
wind. By nine in the morning, it was
howling, at noon, all 'the girls and
women preparing food in the old town
hall rushed downstairs to help hold onto
the big white tent; men and boys and
dogs were doing all they could to tie it
down. but the wind bellowed and
billowed and tore the canvass to
ribbons. The tent had been erected too
serve dinner, and many people had to
finish their meal in the Julian hotel.
Everything was free, and the menu
ran something like this: fi'ied chicken
and roast chicken and roast turkey and
fiesta beans and potato salad and hot
buns with homemade butter and apple
jelly and quince jelly and blackberry jam
and pear preserves and gooseberry pm
and apple pie and pumpkin pm and
cheese and three kinds of pickles and tea
and coffee and milk and apple cider and
homemade loganberry ice cream and
vanilla ice cream and all kinds of apples
and pears and a few late plums. Not a
person complained, even though you
could feel the windborne grit sometimes
when you chewed your chicken.
The first gasoline buggy too arrive on
the scene was a long, gray Columbia
belonging to Rex B. Clark, late of
Detroit, but at that time a local rancher.
Then up chuffed a big, flashy Packard
30 (30 horsepower, that is) beloqging to
James E. Wadham of San Diego. This
car was completely decked out with a
lolding top, windshield lamps, and a
bulb honk horn. The driver was
fashionably garbed in a leather cap,
large goggles, linen duster, and black
lather gauntlet gloves.
Then two more cars appeared, to the
huzzahs of the populace. Theodore
Barnes drove up in his Apperson. and
John Day came in his Buick White
Streak, which he claimed could go 50
iniles an hour. He offered to prove it,
but the demoqstration had to be called
off because the wind was blowing 60
miles an hour.
The program in the afternoon was
refer,hal. There were some speeches.
and a baseball game with Ramona.
There was foot racing, rooster-pulling
on horseback, and fancy riding tricks by
iqdividual horsemen.
The wind died suddenly at about tour
in the afternoon, but by then everybody
was fagged out. All the visitors went
home lull of hospitality and apple pies
and happiness, singing the praises of
Julian and the warm (if windy) reception
given them on our first Apple Day.
The Julian News 13
LINE or CREDIT
INTRODUCTORY RATE
Julian • 765-2765
NO POINTS
• Fixed tntroOt.x:tory rate of 3.87,5% APR for lines of credit $20.OO1-$250,OOO effec'dve 8/31/O3 fOr the first 8 months of
Ioe. After 8 montt A.DR may va'y beeeKJ on tt West Coast Prtme ReCe Bs isted Wl . C
variee rate is 5.25% APR as of 8/31/03. Rate cermet exceed 18% APR. Bloon IOayrnent may apply if ¢xt'x:tpal is
not I:>ak:J ok:>wn at the er'K:J of five yeers. A,--ro fee $75. A $500 early closg fee wttl oply if closed within e first 1
three yeas. InilJal lesser of $25.000 or 50% of Credt Ir. Offer effec0vo 8/31/03 to 9/30/03. Own-ocupleO
resictenc8 only. Irurate re<:ired. AI loons on alDi0rove¢l oreclit. 03 O Speclrum rIB 6797 =,I
HANK WILLIAMS, SR.
AND
PATSY CLINE
LIVE!
TRIBUTE SHOW
IN
WARNER SPRINGS
Jack Johnson, and The No;th County
Cowboys of The Hank Show will be
performing a tribute to the legendary pioneer
of country music, Hank Williams, Sr. with
guest Lana Rice as Patsy Cline.
Dinner: 6pro, Concert 7:30pm-9:30pm on.
Saturday, September 27, 2003 at the Warner
Springs Ranch, 31652 Hwy 79 Rayfield Park,
Warner Springs, CA 92086.
Hits include "Hey, Good Lookin', 'Your
Cheatin' Heart' as well as "Crazy' and '1 Fall
to Pieces'. Show includes a live 1950 vintage
replica band, costumes, music and dancing.
Concert: $20, with dinner: $40, lodging
available for $110. No host bar.
Ticket info: Seana Wiltse, Special Events
Manager 760-782-4236.
Volunteers /anted!
FREE
Bluegrass
Fes ;ival
Tlck00 :ts
The Julian Lions Club Needs Your
Help. Festival Proceeds Go To Help Our
Yearly Student Scholarships.
Work 4 hours Sat. Sept. 20 and receive a
FREE TICKET for Sun. Sept. 21
Call Tim at 765-2789
'iI ....... i
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