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Historical Note:
This comes from Larry Peahl's 53 page compilation of the "Chronology of History of Taft" from 1863 until October 2009:
January 3, 1940 -- Belridge School District voted 157 to 2 to join TUHS District.
January 12, 1940 -- One block of East San Emidio St. and East Lucard St. are added.
January 29, 1940 -- State review panel turns down petition of Belridge to join TUHS.
April 20, 1940-- The Ford City Exchange Club is chartered. Lester E. Causey is first president.
May 3, 1940 -- The Fort is dedicated.
Remember When
Jan. 25, 1916, Fellows Driller
Wind Storm, Losses May Reach Millions
Nearly 500 derricks felled by winds in McKittrick, North Midway and Midway District. Loss estimates near $1,000,000.
Monday morning's miniature tornado (Jan. 23, 1916) did damage to McKittrick and Midway Fields totaling near a dollars. Near;nearly 500 derricks were wrecked and must be rebuilt.
The McKittrick district was almost stripped of its forest of derricks, while the North Midway and the 25-Hill districts are a mass of wrecked timbers.
Advertisements in the Fellows Driller on
Jan. 25, 1916:
Wet Wash
25 pounds for 60 cents
Midway Steam Laundry
Phone: Black 1353
Next Time stop at the Luxor Hotel as good as the best -- better than the rest (Corner of 5th and Center Street, Taft, Calif.
McKittrick News
Feb. 1, 1916
Miniature Tornado Wrecks Hundreds of Derricks,
Crushes tanks like egg shells, uprooted houses and creates havoc.
Sweeping down on the West Side without warning. a sixty mile gale following heavy rain of the night before on Thursday ( Jan. 27, 1916) completed devastation of the oil district which started on January 17. The loss from derricks blown down, bunk houses destroyed, tanks collapsed, telephone and electric lines out of commission and boiler houses collapsed will cost more than $2,000,000.
A view of the fields from 25-Hill makes visible the destructor never before seen in oil country. Personal possessions were carried away by the wind never to be seen again. Iron from roofs were carried hundreds of feet and twisted shapeless masses.
Every property that could be reached with truck and team has been receiving consignment of lumber and other accessories necessary for rig building. Every store has been clearing its nail stock and candles are for use in private homes were a scarce commodity and all on account of the lack of light from the power company. Weaver Pittman of the San Joaquin Power and Light Company is suffering with fractured ribs caused by a roof blowing upward and pinning him to a pole. He was rendered unconscious but is much improved today.
Frank McIntyre of the Midway Gasoline Company recovering from sevier cuts about the head when a building fell on him.
Otto Knoss of Fellows received a fracture of his right leg when the sidewalk on which he was standing was picked up by the wind and transformed into kidding wood.
Al Weaver and Bob Lomgtine received severe burns from fallen electric wires
Historical Note:
This comes from Larry Peahl's 53 page compilation of the "Chronology of History of Taft" from 1863 until October 2009:
January 3, 1940 -- Belridge School District voted 157 to 2 to join TUHS District.
January 12, 1940 -- One block of East San Emidio St. and East Lucard St. are added.
January 29, 1940 -- State review panel turns down petition of Belridge to join TUHS.
April 20, 1940-- The Ford City Exchange Club is chartered. Lester E. Causey is first president.
May 3, 1940 -- The Fort is dedicated.
Remember When
Jan. 25, 1916, Fellows Driller
Wind Storm, Losses May Reach Millions
Nearly 500 derricks felled by winds in McKittrick, North Midway and Midway District. Loss estimates near $1,000,000.
Monday morning's miniature tornado (Jan. 23, 1916) did damage to McKittrick and Midway Fields totaling near a dollars. Near;nearly 500 derricks were wrecked and must be rebuilt.
The McKittrick district was almost stripped of its forest of derricks, while the North Midway and the 25-Hill districts are a mass of wrecked timbers.
Advertisements in the Fellows Driller on
Jan. 25, 1916:
Wet Wash
25 pounds for 60 cents
Midway Steam Laundry
Phone: Black 1353
Next Time stop at the Luxor Hotel as good as the best -- better than the rest (Corner of 5th and Center Street, Taft, Calif.
McKittrick News
Feb. 1, 1916
Miniature Tornado Wrecks Hundreds of Derricks,
Crushes tanks like egg shells, uprooted houses and creates havoc.
Sweeping down on the West Side without warning. a sixty mile gale following heavy rain of the night before on Thursday ( Jan. 27, 1916) completed devastation of the oil district which started on January 17. The loss from derricks blown down, bunk houses destroyed, tanks collapsed, telephone and electric lines out of commission and boiler houses collapsed will cost more than $2,000,000.
A view of the fields from 25-Hill makes visible the destructor never before seen in oil country. Personal possessions were carried away by the wind never to be seen again. Iron from roofs were carried hundreds of feet and twisted shapeless masses.
Every property that could be reached with truck and team has been receiving consignment of lumber and other accessories necessary for rig building. Every store has been clearing its nail stock and candles are for use in private homes were a scarce commodity and all on account of the lack of light from the power company. Weaver Pittman of the San Joaquin Power and Light Company is suffering with fractured ribs caused by a roof blowing upward and pinning him to a pole. He was rendered unconscious but is much improved today.
Frank McIntyre of the Midway Gasoline Company recovering from sevier cuts about the head when a building fell on him.
Otto Knoss of Fellows received a fracture of his right leg when the sidewalk on which he was standing was picked up by the wind and transformed into kidding wood.
Al Weaver and Bob Lomgtine received severe burns from fallen electric wires
Reader's Comments
From Mike Furtney, Class of 1956, from Malibu. California
Brad (Cross)
I can download the flyer, so don’t send one. Also, small correction to the reference to Tennessee Ernie Ford – the m.c. was Cliffie Stone, not Chillie.
Best to all and special kudos to Pete for his much-deserved honor.
Mike Furtney
Class of 1956, Michael J. Furtney, M.A., Fellow PRSA, Visiting Instructor, Pepperdine University
Pacific Coast Highway Highway, Malibu, CA 90263-4184, (310) 506-4211, (310) 339-9195/cell
mjfurtney@mindspring.comBrad,
From Brad Cross, from Bakersfield
Pete
Thanks for the plug and hope you can make the diner this year.
Thanks again, Brad Cross
