100 Things I Like: The Post Office Mural

The wooden mural, created during the 1930s Depression, is a beautiful piece of work. But, I also like that mural because every time I see it, I'm reminded of when the mural was hanging in the post office on Fifth Street. I always felt transported to another place when I entered those doors. It always seemed so dark in there. A sense of reverence, too.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: The Murals of Hollister

A segment of the Fruited Plains Mural as seen through the fenced-in patio of Knife and Fork.

There are several beautiful murals in downtown Hollister. It's an easy and quick walk to do:

• The Farmworker mural is on the wall of the Baler Market at Third and East Streets.
• The Fourth Street mural is wrapped around the building at Fourth and San Benito Streets. Be sure to follow the mural all the way to the back of the building. 
• The Whiskey Creek mural is on the side of Whiskey Creek Saloon at East and Fifth Streets.
• The Hollister mural is on the side of the Granada Theater on Fifth Street.
• The Birth Place of the American Biker mural is on Wentz Alley, west of San Benito Street.
• The Orchard Mural is on Wentz Alley, east of  San Benito Street.
• The Fruited Plains Mural is on Brown Alley and San Benito Streets.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link. 

The San Juan Bautista Fiesta Rodeo Mural

This week (June 20 to June 27), I will be posting photos that I took last Sunday in downtown San Juan Bautista.

This fading mural sits in somebody's back yard. It depicts the San Juan Bautista Fiesta and Rodeo that used to take place every year since at least the early 1900s. The mural was done in the 1970s by artist Ernesto Valles, who also did the Hollister mural on Fifth Street.

Here's a closer look at a section of this San Juan mural.

Coming Event: Hollister "Birthplace of the American Biker" Independence Weekend

Yes, there will be no Hollister Independence Rally this year. More than likely the one in 2008 was the last one.

No city-sanctioned bike rally. Got it. But, that doesn't matter.

The Hollister "Birthplace of the American Biker" Independence Weekend will be going on. So, from Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3, we, locals, should expect to see and hear a lot of bikers coming through town.

In fact, on Saturday, July 2, bikers will be riding in from Southern California. They will start in San Dimas at 6 a.m., rocking their way up through the valley, down Pacheco Pass, and rolling into Hollister around 1:20 p.m. To learn more about the ride, head over to the 2011 Southern California Hollister Rally Run Web site.

To learn about local events that will take place that weekend, check out these Web sites:

• Johnny's Bar and Grill
• Corbin Open House and Rider Appreciation Day
• Motorcross Racing at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
• Great Freedom Concert, Guerra Cellars Summer Concert Series

For a complete list of events, click here.

P.S. If you'd like to know about the July 4, 1947 event that lead to Hollister being called "Birthplace of the American Biker," click here.

Fourth Street Mural

This mural is so obviously there that I tend to forget about it. I don't know why. It's a beautiful mural, rather magical and mystical.

How about you? How many times have you waited at the traffic light or driven by this mural and not noticed it? Did you know that it wraps around the building into the small parking lot behind it?

Whiskey Creek Mural

This is part of the mural that's on the side of Whiskey Creek Saloon at the corner of Fifth and East Streets. On April 17, the annual Bike Blessing event will take place at the bar. Donations will benefit the San Benito High School Scholarship Fund.

Looking Up: Our Lady of Guadalupe

This is a close up of one of the beautiful pieces of tile art hanging on one of the buildings at the St. Francis Retreat Center above San Juan Bautista.

The Light

 

One of the stained glass windows at the Hollister First Presbyterian Church on San Benito Street, near Cienega Road.

New Deal Art in Town

This wooden mural hangs in the Hollister Post Office near the counters. It is called the "History of San Juan Bautista Mission" and was created by Vladimir Nemkoff, along with his assistants Joseph Stone and Avis Zeigler, in 1936. The mural was commissioned for the old post office building on Fifth and East Streets.

I always thought the mural was done by artists working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Nope. The piece was part of the U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, which was funded through the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Department of Treasury. It's nice to learn something new.

For more about U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, check out "Off the Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals" by Patricia Raynor.

A closer look at a segment of the mural. See the mission in the background.

A Mural of San Juan Valley

Hanging in the patio at Doña Esther, a Mexican restaurant in San Juan Bautista, is this beautiful mural that depicts how San Juan Valley looked during the mission days. Take a look at the mural, the next time you're in the mission city.

Bull Dog Boxing Gym

This building stands near the corner of the McCray Street and Gibbs Drive. The sign says it is the Bulldog Boxing Gym.  According to an article in the Hollister Free Lance, the Bulldog Boxing Club has been around since the early 1990s.

The Hollister Mural

Really? You haven't seen this mural in person?

What are you waiting for? If you want an idea of what downtown Hollister was like during the 1950s and 1960s, go check out this beautiful mural. You'll find it in the small public parking lot on Fifth Street, between the Vault and the Granada Theater.  The mural was painted by Ernie Valles, a local artist.

Here's a closer look of part of the mural. Click the photo for a larger image.

Tuesday in Hollister

How many of you figured out what is now standing where the Hartmann Hotel (later the Dabo Hotel) was?

The hotel once stood at the northeast corner of 6th and San Benito Streets. It was torn down after being damaged by a 5.6 earthquake in 1961.

Standing on that corner today is the Wells Fargo Bank. The previous occupant was the Wachovia Bank. Before that, the World Savings Bank occupied the building. And, according to Marie at the "Take 25" Facebook page, the Monterey Savings Bank was there before that bank.

Tuesday in Hollister #2: Where is this?

You can find several spectacular murals in downtown Hollister. Probably the most well-known mural is on the side of Johnny's Bar and Grill in Wentz Alley.

How about this inspiring mural? What building does it grace?

Click on the photo for a larger version.

Don't know where it is, yet? Here's a hint: Across the street is a Mexican bakery.

If you still don't know, scramble the letters: rteslohli puers

Any "oldtimers" out there? I've got some questions for you: What business first used that building? What took over after that business moved to the south side of town? I don't know the answers, but I really would like to know.

Does anyone know when this mural was painted, and who painted it? 

A Hollister Biker Rally in 2011?

Do you know where this mural is in downtown Hollister?

Yep. It's in Wentz Alley on the wall of Johnny's Bar and Grill. Originally painted in 1996, it was repainted in 2007 by artist (and biker) Ronald Rocha from San Antonio.

The mural depicts Hollister's part in the American biker history.  Some say the American biker tradition began in our sweet agricultural haven on the July 4th weekend of 1947.  For years, an annual motorcycle event took place at Bolado Park on the Fourth of July. In 1947, some bikers went into town for drinks and got frisky and loud. Somehow, the media learned about the ruckus and spun the rowdiness into wild and destructive abandonment. You know how that goes with some media guys. They spin things out of context, especially if they can make money out of it.

Have you ever seen the movie "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando?  That's  loosely-goosely based on the 1947 incident. 

In 1997, the City of Hollister decided to hold a Fourth of July Independence Motorcycle Rally downtown to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that event. It turned into an annual happening that brought thousands of bikers into town. Although it was cancelled in 2009, many bikers continue to visit the area to check out July 4 events held by local motorcycle groups and Johnny's Bar and Grill.

There's talk of holding the rally in 2011. Some members of the community plan to address the issue at the open session part of the Hollister City Council meeting on Monday, August 2.  The meeting will be held at City Hall, with the open session beginning around 6:30 p.m.

Folks can express their opinions, whether for or against the rally, during the "Public Comment" segment. According to one of the council members, the "Public Comment" segment normally starts early in the meeting. Speakers are limited to three minutes to present their opinions. Council members do not discuss, debate, or take action on any presentations made during "Public Comment." However, they may choose to put the issue on the agenda at a future Council meeting.

If you're interested in making a statement about the rally, here is your chance.

In the meanwhile, here are some links that may interest you:

• Johnny's Bar and Grill
• Hollister and Bikers (You can also see a clip of The Wild One there)  
• "A New Look at the 'Wild One'" by Anthony Ha, Hollister Free Lance (about the repainting of the mural)

The Fruited Plains Mural

The next time you’re wandering in downtown Hollister, stop by Browns Alley. It’s on the west side of San Benito Street, between Sixth and Seventh. Right across from the Veteran’s Memorial Building, if you need me to be exact. And if you need to have even more precise directions, click here for those coordinates.

There, in Browns Alley, on the side of the historical Grangers Union Building, you can view a truly awesome mural that celebrates the agricultural heritage of Hollister, San Benito County, and, for that matter, the whole state of California.


The mural was painted by students from the Gavilan College Art Department, under the direction of Muralist and Gavilan Art Instructor Arturo Rosette (also known as the artist r2row). It was completed this summer.

Because of the narrowness of the alley, it was difficult for me to get the full effect of the mural. The best view, I think, is from inside Knife and Fork, while sitting and sipping a cup of coffee.

There are several murals to view in Hollister. For another downtown mural, click here.

Time Marches On

This mural, by Carol Ann Huboi and David van Hassell, depicts the agricultural heritage of San Benito County. It's one of several murals that grace the sides of buildings in historical downtown Hollister. Beautiful mural, isn't it? I believe the artists painted the peaceful scene from a photograph of a once-upon-a-time orchard in the area.

As a kid in Hollister, all I knew were orchards and vegetable fields. The town was surrounded by orchards. Apricot, peach, walnut, plum, cherry, prune and so on and so forth. Our county was particularly known for its Blenheim apricots, which beats the taste of any other apricots any day.

Since the 1980s, one by one the orchards have been sold to developers. I’m living in what was once a walnut orchard, for example.

The last of the orchards on Sunnyslope were pulled out last year to make way for the Highway 25 bypass. It’s a good thing, someone is thinking about painting murals to remind us how the world used to look for us.