Showing posts with label industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label industry. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Bloomingdale's in Hollister


It seemed that whenever a woman in a 1960s or 1970s movie wanted to go shopping in New York City, she went to Bloomingdale's. When I was a young thing shopping at Macy's in San Francisco, I wondered if that was what it would be like to shop in Bloomingdale's. That thought came to me the other day when I noticed again the Bloomingdale's container alongside San Juan-Hollister Road near the San Benito River.


Sunday, August 23, 2015

The Rock-Eating Monster


The Husband says this huge monstrous system grinds up gravel. I've never gone by it when it's working. Be kinda cool to see the monster in action. It's near McCray Street, south of Hillcrest Road.


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Rain?


The other day, the Husband and I pedaled our bicycles by the tomato cannery. I felt very tiny droplets fall on me. I looked up. Ah! Tomato mist. The droplets even tasted a bit tomato-y.


Monday, January 5, 2015

Toro Petroleum in Hollister


A few weeks ago, I came across this enormous tank truck while walking along McCray Street.  It was parked at the gas station with the four silo-sized gas tanks, near Walgreen's. I've always been curious about that station, but never enough to learn about it. Until now.

The station is one of four outlets for Toro Petroleum, which has headquarters in Salinas. It offers fuel and oil products and services to the farming, trucking, manufacturing, automotive, food machine, marine, and aviation industries. Wow! The things we can learn about our town from the Internet. If you're interested in learning more about that station on McCray Street, check out Toro's website.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Limekiln Monorail

 

Limekiln Monorail
Built in 1894 by J.J. Burt to carry "diamond brand" lime from Harlan Mt. to the S.P. Railroad at Tres Pinos.
The track was a single wooden rail. The locomotive was wood fueled steam operated. On its maiden voyage, the engine exploded while taking on water from Pescadero Creek thus ending the operation forever.  
So states this E Clampus Vitus plaque that stands towards the southern end of Cienega Road, which was erected on April 21, 1979 by Monterey Viejo Chapter 1846. 

Doesn't the idea of a monorail at the turn of the 19th century running all the way from Tres Pinos to Cienega Road just astound you? It does me. 

J.J. Burt was the owner of the Cienega Lime Works, which makes sense for the name of Limekiln Road off Cienega Road.

The New York Railroad Men reprinted an article about the monorail in its October 1891 issue, Vol. 5, No. 1, page 722. It begins: 
A curious little railroad train goes crawling up and down the mountain from Tres Pinos to Burt's lime kiln in the Gavilan range, San Benito county, every day. It is probably the strangest railroad that ever was seen; yet, thus far, not a word has ever been printed regarding it. The train moves on a curious single track and is drawn by an engine set low on it.
If you'd like to continue reading the article, click here. For a relatively more current article, check out this piece by David B. Simons Jr., that's posted at The Monorail Society website.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Tomato Cannery at Work


I wonder if the steam coming out of the tomato cannery in town is tomato flavored.

I've "thrown" this photo into the linky "pot" at The Weekend in Black and White. To see other black and white photos from bloggers and photographers around the world, please click here.


Thursday, August 14, 2014

Moving On Up Amazing Machinery


Yesterday, I posted a photo of a wise-ass tomato plant that decided to flaunt itself next to the tomato cannery. Today's photos are of trucked-in tomatoes being conveyed to their destiny inside the cannery. How the tomatoes go from that truck to the conveyor belt is beyond me.


I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. The letter "M" is this week's featured letter.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Industry

For another view of this huge metal mass, click here.

When I was growing up in Hollister in the 1960s, almost every kid I knew had at least one relative working for the canneries. In my family, Auntie Virginia was a regular on the line for many, many years while the Only and Older Bionic Brother worked there when he was attending Gavilan.

I applied for a line job when I was 18 or 19. You had to come prepared to work, with your apron, hairnet, rubber gloves, and, if my memory is correct, a paring knife. You stood in a group with women of all ages, watching women working on the canning line as you waited for the person-who-chose-new workers to do his thing. He looked out onto the mass of eager applicants and picked out women for the openings. What his criteria was, I have no idea. I just knew I didn't fit it.

Back then, there were two working canneries, both on Sally Street, but with one on either side of South Street. Today, all the buildings make up San Benito Foods, which is part of the Neil Jones Food Company.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Gourmet Tortillas


Chipotle, spinach, tomato, beets, whole wheat, and jalapeno & cilantro tortillas.  Sound yummy and nutritious, huh? Suppose you could buy a package of these 8-inch freshly-made tortillas for $1.75, or three packages for $5.00.  Would you? That's the cost of these gourmet tortillas when you could purchase them directly from the makers right here in Hollister.

That's right! Right here in Hollister, California. These yummy gourmet tortillas, along with regular flour and corn tortillas and bags of corn chips ($1/50/bag), are produced by La Piedad Tortilla Factory on 1551 Lana Way, off of Fallon Road. Here's a 2011 article about La Piedad Tortilla Factory when it was in Gilroy.


La Piedad Tortilla Factory is open from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is located on the north side of Lana Way. You can't miss the company's sign. Turn left into the driveway after the sign and go through the gates. Look for a black security screen door. That's the entry. Not only will you be able to buy the tortillas, you can check out the operations at work.

What other hidden gems do we have in our county?

Teresa at the 2013 San Benito Olive Festival

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

New Stores Coming Soon


Who else is surprised how quickly Walgreen's is going up at the corner of Highway 25 and Tres Pinos Road? When they first began construction, I could not see how a big pharmacy like Walgreen's could fit in that seemingly awkward space. When I saw the building the other day, I was  amazed at how big  it is.

 A Toy Store

Have you heard about Zeebee Toys near Staples? It's not open yet, but it does have a Facebook page. Check it out.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Bike Seats in Hollister


Corbin Seats is well-known for producing custom motorcycle seats and accessories. Its manufacturing facilities is located in the Hollister Business Park across from the Hollister Municipal Airport. According to the Corbin Web site, it employs 100 craftspeople to handcraft a variety of products, including saddles, saddlebags, backrests, fairings and body components for street bikes, off-road bikes, and scooters. For more about the company, check out its Web site

This year, Corbin will hold its 4th Annual Rider Appreciation Day  during the 2013 Hollister Motorcycle Rally on July 5 and 6, which will be the first  biker rally sanctioned by the City of Hollister since 2009. For schedule information about Corbin's Appreciation Day, go to this link.  For information about the 2013 rally, check out this link.

Back in the late 1990s, Mike Corbin, the company owner, invented a cute little electric car called the Sparrow,  Only a few hundred were built because of the lack of technology and other problems. Today, Corbin is producing a newer version of the Sparrow. Here's a neat story about it:  Sparrow 2: The Redemption of an EV Pioneer by Jim Merithew. 

February 18 to 24 theme for Take 25 to Hollister: Bikers, Motorcycles, and Hollister

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Industrial Art


One of the great things about walking for me is that I finally "see" things I've never noticed the millions of times I've passed by them before.  This window is an example. It's on one of those corrugated steel buildings on Hillcrest Road.

I wonder what I shall "discover" next time.


Friday, October 14, 2011

100 Things I Like: The Cannery



I like going by the cannery when it's in action—to catch a glimpse of steam escaping from pipes, fans spinning, pipes wrapping around the building.  There is beauty in industrial buildings.

Want to know what the cannery, San Benito Foods, makes every tomato season? Click here. And, if you'd like to learn more about Hollister's last cannery, click here.

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





Sunday, September 4, 2011

Readying for Harvest


As we were driving to the Pinnacle farm stand in San Juan Valley yesterday, we passed apple orchards bursting of fruit.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

A Metal Monster in Repose



This stands attached to a building on Industrial Drive in Hollister. I have no idea what it is or was used for. Do you?

I think if it had its other arm, it could fly, maybe to a metal dream world far, far away.

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