The Old Train Depot

The theme this week, February 25 to March 3,  is Trains and Railroads. . .

You can find this plaque, which was placed by two chapters of the E Clampus Vitus, in front of the old train depot at the east end of Fifth Street. It states:

Hollister Train Service

The Tres Pinos branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad began train service to Hollister on July 13, 1871. Train service was a main reason the population grew from 300 in 1870 to over 2000 by 1873. Besides passenger service, major commodities shipped have included hay, produce and beer. The final passenger excursion occurred on October 30, 1955. The depot, originally constructed in the late 1860's, was fully restored by the Rodriguez family in 1991. 

Today, the depot is home to a restaurant and a few other establishments. Click here to see a photo of how it looked in 1968. And, here's what it looks like a few years ago.

2013 Hollister Motorcycle Rally

2011 Hollister Motorcycle Rally (unofficial)

Yes. The Hollister Motorcycle Rally is officially on this year. The last one, a financial disaster managed by the City of Hollister, was in July 2008. Not that the motorcycle rally really disappeared. For four years, bikers continued to trek to Hollister over the July 4th weekend to pay homage to the Birthplace of the American Biker.

So, it's back. July 5 and 6. Promoters and supporters are happy and excited. The word is that bikers can park themselves on main street and not in some distant lot from the original site where the 1947 riot took place.  For details about the rally, head over to the official Web site.

And, if you're interested in some history about the annual Hollister Motorcycle Rally, check out these links.

• It's Back! Hollister Bringing Back Rally in 2013  
• The Real "Wild Ones" The 1947 Hollister Motorcycle Riot  
• "The Gang's All Here" by Mark Singer in The New Yorker

 Today marks the end of this week's theme: Bikers, Motorcycles, and Hollister.  

 

Johnny's Bar and Grill

In The Wild One, some of the movie is set in a bar on Main Street, and in one scene a biker rides through the bar. That bar in the movie, ladies and gentlemen, was based on the actual bar on San Benito Street—Johnny's Bar and Grill.

So, did someone really ride through the bar?

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

Bikers on Parade

Several times each year, San Benito Street gets closed for a few hours for a parade. In at least three parades, we can count on seeing bikers take part—the Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo Parade in June  and the Veterans Day Parade and the Lights on Celebration Parade in November.

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

The Annual Blessing of the Bikes

I thought the  Blessing of the Bikes was an event that happened only locally. With the wonders of Google,  I learned that it's a tradition that takes place nationwide. According to Wikipedia, this event started in 1999 as a mass blessing of bicycles at a cathedral in New York City.

The local Bike Blessing is sponsored by the Hollister Top Hatters Motorcycle Club.  This year the event will take place on March 24. It starts with a check-in at Whiskey Creek Saloon on 5th and East Streets, between 11 a.m. and noon. The bikers then will proceed to Sacred Heart Church for the blessing ceremony.

Afterwards, the group will be holding a BBQ fundraiser at Bolado Park, in which proceeds go to the San Benito High School Scholarship Fund. The public is invited. Click here for the details.

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