Flowers, Everywhere

Roses, roses, and all sorts of flowers are every where in San Juan Bautista. In personal gardens. On restaurant patios. At the mission and parks. On sidewalks. Everywhere. And, oh so beautiful.

San Juan Bautista Honors its Past

While I was walking around San Juan Bautista earlier this week, I kept coming across amazing things that showed how people and groups appreciate each other. For instance, the dedication of a bench to someone; the restoration of an old, old residence to its original look; and the display of a company's safety award within the community rather than at the company itself. Seeing all this made me feel good.

The Pico-Boronda Adobe on Fourth Street was built in 1840 by Rafael Pico, a Basque sheepherder. One of the four original adobes still standing in San Juan, it has been the home of the San Juan Bautista chapter of the Native Daughters of the Golden West since 1934.  The Native Daughters restored the building in 1935. (Details from the San Juan Bautista Historic District Walking Tour pamphlet.)

Located amongst the trees in the Carl Martin Luck Memorial Park is a concrete bench dedicated to Ann Baccala, who was a major figure the San Juan community. The plaque on the bench reads: "In memory of Ann Baccala who unselfishly gave her love, time, and devotion to the City of San Juan Bautista." 

Under the trees at Abbe Recreational Park is a concrete bench dedicated to Pimi Rodriquez, who was San Juan's public works chief for many years. I came across this 1993 article about San Juan in which the reporter wrote how Rodriquez worked without pay because of budget problems. 

Sitting at the edge of the baseball field in the Abbe Recreational Park is this beautiful plaque of a safety award that was presented to the Ideal Cement Company in 1960. The company operated a cement plant and quarry in San Juan Canyon from the 1920s to the 1970s. (Details from the San Juan Bautista Historic District Walking Tour pamphlet.)

The Luck Museum and Jim Jack's Cabin

The Luck Museum, more formally known as the San Juan Bautista Historical Society Luck Museum, stands at the corner of Monterey and Third Streets in San Juan Bautista. The museum is open by appointment. Check out the San Juan Bautista Historical Society website for contact information.

The museum was originally a gas station owned by Carl Martin Luck. The building and the grounds, which is today the Carl Martin Luck Memorial Park was donated to San Juan Bautista by Franchesca Luck, his daughter, in 1974. The historical society plans to restore the building to its original 1930s design.

For more about the museum, check out this article recently published in the Mission Village Voice.

During the late 19th Century, a Chinese man named Jim Jack lived in the one-room cabin that stands behind the Luck Museum.  Its original location was on Mission Vineyard. Jim Jack was known as The Mustard King for his work of clearing wild mustard from the grain fields in San Juan Valley and selling the mustard seeds to French mustard manufacturers for big money.

According to the stories I've read, Jim Jack was a generous man who bought flour, potatoes, and other provisions to give away to people in need in San Juan Bautista. He also bought many bags of candy that he gave to children.

To learn more about the man, check out this article by Martin Cheek in The Gilroy Dispatch, as well as the story on page 2 in the September 2011 San Juan Bautista Historical newsletter.

Jim Jack's Cabin in the Carl Martin Luck Memorial Park.

Random Shots of San Juan Bautista

This whole week is all about San Juan Bautista.  Here are some random photos from my walk this morning. See you tomorrow.

San Juan Plaza

This week, I shall be featuring random digital art photos of San Juan Bautista. That sweet old mission town. Today, you're looking at the Castro-Breen House in San Juan Plaza, an original Spanish-era plaza.

Do you like ghost stories? Check out this article from the Hollister Free Lance about some of the ghosts of San Juan Bautista.  The stories scared me so much I couldn't finish the article.