Hollister, CA History: The Porter House

How did you do with this week's Tuesday in Hollister? Did you figure correctly as two commenters did?

"Monterey and 6th. Grace Bible Church seen kitty-corner where Wells Fargo used to be," wrote Cindy at Facebook.

"Hint: sounds like the name of a large type of steak," stated Anonymous at the original post.

I was standing at the Porter House on the northwest corner of Monterey and Sixth Streets. This Queen Ann style house was built around 1880. It is no longer a residence. It has been divided into office suites and today rents out to several local business people and to the Redevelopment Agency. My favorite aspects about the house is its wrap-around front porch and the cute tower where I wouldn't mind having my office.

The "Porter" in Porter House refers to one of the first, if not original, residents of the house, Dr. George and Olive Pond Porter. Dr. Porter immigrated from England in 1873, eventually settling in Hollister in the 1880s.  A druggist, Dr. Porter and brother-in-law Hiram Pond were co-owners of a drugstore in town. Porter went back to school to earn his medical degree and obtained his medical license in 1890. He returned to Hollister and more than likely practiced medicine. Dr. Porter died in 1905. Here's a link to his obituary. Mrs. Porter continued to reside at Monterey & 6th until her death in 1938.

Here are some interesting notes about Mrs. Porter's life, which I found at the San Benito County Historical Museum.  She was born Olive Pond in April 1860 in Placer County.  She was well-educated, having attended the Napa Collegiate Institute, the College of Pharmacy in San Francisco, and the Women's College of Medicine in Philadelphia. The notes did not mention if she graduated from the last two schools. She and Dr. Porter married in 1881.

How the Porters came to settle in Hollister is unknown. Did they come first or Olive's brother Hiram? While her husband was at medical school, Mrs. Porter took care of the business. According to the family notes, Olive was the owner of a 500 acre ranch on Cienega Road. She was also a past Noble Grand Matron of the Rebeka Lodge in Hollister.

There you go. Now you know a bit of who the Porters were at Sixth and Monterey a long time ago.

Coming Up: A Free Pajama-Rama Party Story Time

Are you ready for a bedtime story for the whole family?

You're in luck. Professional Storyteller Julie Engelhardt will be presenting another Story Time this Saturday evening, starting at 7 p.m.

The theme:  Pajama-Rama Party Story Time! 

She invites all you kids—big and small—to come to the event dressed in your favorite PJ's. You can bring your blanky and/or pillow, too.

The event is free! You can't beat that.

Story Time will take place at Mars Hill Coffeehouse on the corner of San Benito Street and 6th Street. During the event, says Scott at Mars Hill, the coffeehouse will be offering customers a 10 percent discount.

For more details about the event, call (831) 245-8463.

For more about Julie and Mars Hill, check out these links:

• Story Time Adventures with Julie Engelhardt
• Free Story Time in Hollister
• Mars Hill Coffeehouse Facebook Page

Tuesday in Hollister: Do You Know Where You Are?

Yes, this is in Hollister. The location is a block west of San Benito Street. I'm not giving any cross streets. That's your job to figure out. I will give you these hints:

• You're standing in a front yard.
• A church is nearby.
• The newspaper office is down the street. (Ah, I made it too easy now.)
• The house from which the photo was taken was built in the late 19th century.

Forget about looking at the photo's file name. I misnamed it. I took this photo a couple of years ago, but the perspective is still the same.

So, do you know where you are yet? Leave a comment here or at the Facebook page. Be sure to come back on Thursday to find out if you're right.

By the way, here's what it looks like on the other side of all that darkness.

Shop Locally: McKinnon Lumber Company—Happy 100th!!!!

Today is the 100th anniversary of the official establishment of the McKinnon Lumber Company in downtown Hollister!  Whoo-hoo!!

Everyone now, up on your feet. This hardware store, which stands on the corner of 7th and East Streets, deserves a happy, vocal standing ovation from us for its dedicated service to our community. It is the last of its kind in town. Hope it stays on forever and a day!

For more about McKinnon Lumber Company and its grand owner, John Barrett, check out these stories from the local newspapers:

• McKinnon Lumber to celebrate 100th
• McKinnon Lumber is a reminder of Hollister's past and future 

Coming Up: E-Waste Drop Off Day in Hollister

Do you have computers, televisions, cell phones,  keyboards, and other unusable or unused electronics lying around the house because you don't know how to get rid of them? Do you know how to dispose of them properly but don't want to pay for it?

Then this Saturday is your chance to get rid of your electronics for FREE in Hollister.

The Accelerated Achievement Academy and Western Recycling is sponsoring a Free E-Waste Drop Off Day. You can bring your unwanted electronics to the Calaveras School parking lot at 1151 Buena Vista Road between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more info, call (831) 634-4963.

Answers to "Tuesday in Hollister"
Click here if you need to refresh your memory of this week's "Tuesday in Hollister" and click on back to this page.

Okay, how many of you said A & W, which is on the corner of South and East Streets and up a bit from the tomato cannery (San Benito Foods)?  Yep, I see a whole slew of hands in my magic mirror. No, sorry. I won't be distributing any yummy burgers at this time. But, how about a "Well done, dear readers!"

Now, how many of you guessed the name of the establishment across the street from A & W? Good for you all!

Here's a photo of the front entry for McKinnon Lumber on 7th Street.  Did you know that it has been around since 1872, possibly even earlier?