Transcription of  October, 1907 advertisement in The Sacramento Bee, describing the newly built home at 2519 Q Street. 

Ready to Live in
Another Beautiful Bungalow

$400 CASH Makes
It Yours

Each Bungalow we build has its Own
Characteristics- We never duplicate. 

The Bungalow shown above, which is now practically finished, is absolutely unique- it stands alone in a class by itself.

Its location is on "Q" Street, between 25th and 26th on a high, graded lot, with cement walk down, not only in front but all around the house. 

Entering from the broad and generous porch, there is a large reception hall and parlor, with lattice windows and round cornered ceilings. To the right, thro' folding doors is the dining and living-room with its massive built-in sideboard and china closet.

Opening from this is the kitchen with its goodly array of shelves and cupboards, its white porcelain sink and drain-board, its hot water heater and all the little modern conveniences which the good housewife loves so well. From a hallway which bisects the house there are two large bedrooms- in one of which is a board, cozy window-seat and quaint, old-fashioned English windows. 

This window seat is arranged as a clothes-press and there are ample closets in both rooms besides. The bathroom is a model of sanitary convenience and has medicine closet, porcelain tub and washstand. 

Electric lights are all thro' the house, and gas is piped for cooking. Then there is this- no, the adman has taken too much space already, and he can't do it justice anyway if he took a whole page in The Bee.  The keys, the price (which is absurdly low) and a hundred and one interesting details are all in our office. Come in and see us about it, always remembering, "it's  first come, first served," and that this unique Bungalow will go "like winking."  

The Wright & Kimbrough Bungalow at 2519 Q was first advertised for sale in October, 1907. By August, 1908, the bungalow was available for rent. We're not (yet?) sure who first  rented it, but it is likely that the home did not sit vacant for 2 years. 

​In September, 1910 the home was purchased by Edward K. Carnes from the Voorhies Investment Company. The Voorhies Investment Company keeps coming up when it comes to Wright & Kimbrough's real estate developments. Why is that? 

The Voorhies Investment Company provided the capital and the real estate firm of Wright & Kimbrough marketed the bungalow row properties, but Charles E. Wright and Howard Kimbrough were primary forces behind both of these companies.  Perhaps there were other partners, but it's not immediately clear who they were. Certainly, Voorhies Investment Company was very closely related to Wright & Kimbrough, and had overlapping ownership interests. Wright's son, William C. Wright, was a salesman for Wright & Kimbrough who later served as President of the Voorhies Investment Company and as one of the Directors of Wright & Kimbrough. When Howard Kimbrough and Charles E. Wright retired from their active roles in the firm in 1912, they left the financial management in the hands of Charles' son William, while A. R. Gallaway took over as sales manager. According to the January 6, 1912 edition of the Sacramento Star, a banquet was given a the the Hotel Sacramento on January 5th to celebrate the firm's success over the past year, and the change of management moving forward. Notably, one of the residents of our Bungalow Block, C. G. Snow of 2531 Q Street, who was a salesman for Wright & Kimbrough at the time, attended the banquet. 

As an aside, the Hotel Sacramento was designed by California's First State Architect, George Clinton Sellon and his partner Charles Hemmings, built in 1909, with over $600,000 invested in the construction. The building was demolished in 1956 for a Woolworth's store, and more recently has hosted a number of failed restaurants, including a Bennigan's and a Boiling Crab. Sacramento's K Street struggles to this day to return to its glorious heyday, when it served as the center of Sacramento's retail and social scene. In 1908, The  Sacramento Bee published a full page spread advertising the opening of the new hotel. We're sure that the retirement party for  Wright & Kimbrough in 1912 was a dashing affair.

Back to our Bungalow Block, when the bungalow at 2519 Q didn't sell right away in 1907, Wright & Kimbrough probably let one of their salesmen stay in it, or rented it out to someone else, with the title being held by the Voorhies Investment Company until they had a buyer. The first buyer of 2519 Q was, as it happens, a bug man. 

​By 1910, Carnes had made multiple tours of the California, battling the white citrus fly, and administering exams for County Horticulture Commissioners under the new 1909 law that required this process. Neither was an easy task, and Carnes received push back from farmers who did not want to decapitate their trees for pest eradication, or didn't see the necessity, and from county officials who didn't see the benefit of a state-appointed commissioner who must prove themselves by passing an exam about insect pests and diseases. The farmers in Marysville, for example, believed that they were unfairly targeted when asked to decapitate their trees. This June 12, 1907 article from the Marysville Evening Democrat illustrates the Marysville community's dismay. The outraged headline reads "BEAUTIFUL ORANGE TREES TO BE DECAPITATED" and goes on to say that "Nearly Every Home in Town Will Be Disfigured" 

The eradication of the white fly was not a universally popular movement, and it put Edward Carnes, as the entomologist making recommendations, in a bad light with some farmers. When Secretary of the State Horticulture Board John Isaacs resigned in July, 1908, he publicly announced that it was over friction between himself and the newly appointed state horticulturist, J. W. Jeffrey of Los Angeles. Jeffrey snapped back with a response in which he explained that there was no friction, but that Isaacs had agreed to resign so that Jeffrey could appoint a secretary himself. However, we think that there WAS friction, and it had something to do with our bug man, Edward K. Carnes.

   In July, 1908, J. W. Jeffrey presumably spared Edward K. Carnes, our Entomologist from an ousting proposed by John Isaacs. Some people were not too happy with Carnes after he made his destructive tour of California's citrus orchards, insisting that farmers destroy trees to eradicate the white fruit fly. John Isaacs was in the incensed camp, perhaps due to his own perceived "ousting" from the Board. He did not let it lie. In September 1908, Isaacs came out with an outrageous claim, that the state-mandated destruction of the Northern area orchards was a plot by the Southern fruit growers to injure the Northern Citrus Belt. Furthermore, that Edward Carnes had even PLANTED the fly on the Marysville orchards in order to facilitate the destruction of those orchards under the premise of eradicating the pest. 

J. W. Jeffrey came to the bug man's defense, again. ​

"The statement that Mr. Carnes went to Southern California at the beginning of the Marysville trouble to arouse political activities is defective in one or two points. Carnes would not know politics if his head was in the sack. He puts in more hours of hard work per day for the State than any other man ever connected with this office. A man cannot do politics and his duty at the same time, and I never knew him to neglect a duty. " -J.W. Jeffrey statement in Oroville Daily Register, September 1908

  Sticking with the State despite some bad blood in this 1908 transition, Carnes next big project was the installation of the State Insectary and construction of the building in Sacramento. San Francisco had lobbied to be the location of the State Insectary, but Sacramento was deemed the better location, being more central to agricultural production in the state. Also, the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco made Sacramento seem a safer choice to house the State's Bug Collection.

  The State Insectary still stands in Capitol Park, just East and North of California's Capitol Building. The marble tablet referenced in the article below is also still there. Ellwood Cooper, whose name appears on the tablet, was the first State Horticulture Commissioner, from 1885-1907. Cooper was one of the pioneers of "parasitology", and believed that "every insect pest has an insect enemy, and where they exist together, the insect pests are kept in such condition that there is no danger of loss"  Carnes was one of the entomologists that Cooper employed to collect, identify, and research insects for the purpose of protecting the State's crops. They discovered through their research that the introduction of the ladybird beetle (we just call them "ladybugs") to a crop infested with plant lice or scale would wipe out the unwanted pests without damaging the harvest. Ellwood Cooper had begun this work in San Francisco, but much of the original insect collection was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The remnants of the insect collection were scooped up and taken to Sacramento, where our Entomologist, Edward Carnes, was instrumental in the establishment of the State Insectary. The State Insectary provided a means for the California State Horticulture Commission to collect these insects, store them, and distribute them as needed to farms throughout the state. ​ Prior to the widespread use of insecticides, this pest management technique allowed California to establish many crops that would not have otherwise survived. 

By the time Edward K. Carnes purchased the home on Q street in late 1910, he was a well-established bug man for the State of California. The San Francisco Call ran an entire page feature on the Insectary in the Sunday, November 13, 1910 edition. Carnes moved into the Q Street Bungalow that Fall, with the new title of  Superintendent of the State Insectary. 

The Carnes became friendly with their Bungalow Row neighbors, with Mrs. (Kathryn) Carnes often playing bridge or having tea with the other ladies of the neighborhood. In February, 1911, Mrs. Carnes hosted a Lady Washington tea at the bungalow, which was evidently a pretty popular thing in 1911, when there were whole clubs devoted to Lady Washington. 

 In September, 1911, the Carnes visited Honolulu, and stayed for 6 weeks, as Mr. Carnes thoroughly investigated the Mediterranean fruit-fly infestation on the Hawaiian Islands. He was sent by State Horticulture Commissioner J.W. Jeffrey, and after he returned with his findings, was reportedly almost canned by incoming Commissioner A. J. Cook, who was accused of playing favorites and appointing recent Pomona College Graduates to positions that had previously been held by "capable men". In April 1912, the popular Chief Deputy Quarantine Officer, O. E. Bremner, who was in charge of the San Francisco Quarantine Station, was dismissed due to his alleged refusal to go along with Cook's schemes.  It was rumored that Carnes was next on the chopping board, but the uproar was so great, and the support in his favor so strong, that Carnes retained his position at the Insectary, once again escaping a politically-motivated ousting. However, he ended up resigning his position with the State at the end of 1912, possibly due to his differences with Cook.  

​

Having solidified his reputation as a bug man in the agricultural field, Carnes left the State employ at the end of 1912. Before Carnes resigned, there was a movement amongst fruit growers and county horticulture officials to appoint Edward Carnes the "Chief Quarantine Officer for the Pacific Coast" under the supervision of the US Dept. of Agriculture, "rendering it free from the influence of State politics, as was the case under past administrations." A September 12, 1912 article in The Sacramento Bee described the "fruit men" behind the over 100 petitions that were sent to Washington on Carnes behalf. Evidently the petitions were not successful, since Carnes took a job with the Natomas Consolidated in 1913.
  The Natomas Consolidated was a mining company that was working on turning some mining interests into agricultural interests. Carnes, with his solid scientific background in pest management, was tasked with managing the experimental orchards. Later in 1913, he and Kathryn moved Eastward to Nimbus, in order to be closer to his new position with the Natomas Consolidated Company. They rented out their Q Street Home, and later sold it. 

When the Carnes moved to Nimbus, Dr. George Foster, who had a practice near 10th an K streets, moved into the Q Street home, but the Carnes kept their neighbors close.  In April, 1914 Mrs. Carnes invited a number of her City neighbors out to the Country Home. Instead of playing cards, they gathered flowers. 

Mrs. Leavitt Renschler lived at 2608 Q Street, which was later burned down by frat boys and replaced with a 70's apartment building.
Mrs. Walter Renwick lived at 2611 Q Street, which still stands today. Her husband was a bookkeeper for
the Standard Oil Company. 
Mrs. Clyde Tharp should be familiar to us, as she lived just a few doors down from the Carnes Home on Bungalow Row, at 2505 Q Street. 
Mrs. Charles Battelle (Edith), lived at  1611 26th street, another gorgeous bungalow that still stands today. It is just around the corner from Q street, and within the Bungalow Row Historic District.
Mrs. Charles (Cary) T. Wells (Olive) lived right next door from the Carnes Home on Q Street, at 2523 Q Street.
Mrs. C. E. Mahoney of 1631 26th Street was the wife of County Supervisor C. E. Mahoney, and their home still stands at the North East corner of 26th and Q. They later sold the home to Newspaper man Herb Caen's parents, which made the home somewhat famous, as Herb wrote about the neighborhood and his experiences growing up here (he was as charmed by the Bungalow Block as any of us). 
Mrs. Frank McKenzie lived at 2608 P Street
Mrs. Milton Browning lived at 1527 27th street and her husband ran a grocery store at 1601 28th.
Mrs. Charles E. Weinrich lived on N Street, Mrs William Todd lived at 1617 26th street, one of the first homes built on the bungalow block, which still stands. Mrs. William Dunster lived at 1316 26th Street, and Mrs. Fred Dumont, we're not quite sure about her.

Edward Carnes continued with his employment with the Natomas Consolidated from 1913-1916, working with the company to build nurseries and develop irrigated farm sites. He also diversified his interests, expanding from raising insects to raising prize hogs, a few of which are pictured below.  

It wasn't all good times for the Carnes at Nimbus, however.  In September, 1914, two mysterious fires broke out at Nimbus, destroying both the Natoma Winery Building and the house of Edward K. Carnes. The hay in the Winery building was valued at $10,000 while Carnes' house was valued at $3,500. The biggest tragedy, though, was the loss of Carnes' valuable bug collection, which he had taken with him when he resigned from the State Insectary.

  Back at Q Street, after Dr. George A. Foster secured a home of his own in Elmhurst, a new Doctor moved into the bungalow at 2519 Q Street. The new Dr. was Horace T. Wells, a dentist practicing at 714 K Street, using the "Painless Parker" method.  "Painless" Parker actually had his name legally changed from "Edgar Randolph Parker" in 1915. He would use a cocaine solution to numb patients, but he was also famous for creating a traveling dental circus in 1913, in which he would roll into town with a brass band, contortionists, and dancing women. Wearing a necklace of pulled human teeth, he would use the traveling salesman routine of pretending to pull a tooth painlessly from a plant in the audience, then other townspeople would step up for treatment. Parker would squirt the cocaine mixture into their cavities, but it probably didn't work too well, so he also had a way of tapping his foot on the ground to signal the brass band to play louder, drowning out the patient's screams as the tooth was (not painlessly) extracted. Getting a tooth pulled in this manner, via a traveling circus, performed publicly on the town's square, sounds absolutely horrifying, doesn't it? After Parker's dental circus phase, he came to California and opened about 30 Painless Parker Clinics on the West Coast. Even though Painless Parker's methods weren't perfect (or painless!) he was the first to advertise and open a chain of dental clinics, and he may have been a con man, but he also inspired the industry to implement ethics and good patient care practices. So, Horace T. Wells ran the Sacramento branch of Painless Parker while he lived at the bungalow at 2519 Q with his wife, Amy. On December 17th, 1917, a daughter was born to Horace & Amy at the home, named Amy Eleanor Wells. A few years later, the next renters at 2519 Q, Robert L. Jones and his wife, had a daughter as well, Dorothy Ann Jones, born July 20, 1921. But where were the Carnes by then? Not in Nimbus anymore.  

It seems that the Carnes did rebuild their home in Nimbus after the tragic 1914 fire, because they remained there through 1916, and continued to have their Bungalow Row neighbors over for cards and flower-gathering. By 1917, the Carnes were once again on the move. Edward accepted a position with Libby, McNeil & Libby Company, to manage their pineapple productions on Honolulu.   Recall that one of Carnes' early assignments with the State of California had been a weeks long study of the Mediterranean fruit fly on the Hawaiian Islands, back in 1911. So, it seems that things came full circle , Edward and Kathryn ended up relocating to beautiful Honolulu. There is a strong Honolulu connection with our Bungalow Row (and California's growing industry), as Gertrude and John Snow, original residents of 2531 Q Street, also ended up living in Honolulu. 

Of course, our Q Street neighbors couldn't let the Carnes leave California without a party. You will see Joseph Light and his wife, who rented  2501 Q Street along with many of the neighbors previously mentioned. It is always heartwarming to us when we look back and see how close our neighbors were when Bungalow Row was just a baby.  

The Carnes took a six month trip around the world in 1925, possibly funded by the sale of their little bungalow on Q Street and their photo company.  

When the Carnes returned to Honolulu, Edward became involved in real estate.  He had recently made a large land purchase of apartments and land in Honolulu when he passed away in 1930, at the age of 55. 

Kathryne Carnes passed away in San Francisco in 1944. She had left the island in 1941, and was traveling during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Being unable to return to the Oahu, she stayed in San Francisco until she passed.

The home at 2519 Q Street next sold to Charles W. and Elizabeth Jefferds. He was a shoe salesman, who managed the shoe department at Montgomery Ward Co. and later worked at the Gallan-Kamp shoe store in Petaluma. While Charles and Elizabeth Jefferds lived in Petaluma, at 320 Keller Street, their daughter, Lucille, moved into the bungalow with her husband, Carl F. Quiggle, who was involved in the local rice industry. Lucille was granted a divorce from Carl in 1926 and she remained in the home, while he moved to a home in Curtis Oaks, at 2140 Marshall Way. Lucille worked as a clerk at the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company. Lucille lived in the home until 1931, when she married Mark J. Bacon and moved to Ione, Amador County. The Jefferds family kept the home, with various family residing in it. Charles and Elizabeth eventually returned from Petaluma and resided in the bungalow until Charles passed away in 1943. Elizabeth stayed on until at least 1949, when her daughter Lucille's husband Mark, passed away in Ione. Elizabeth may have gone to live with Lucille at that time, because the Charles T. Francis family moved in sometime in 1949. 

​

So, now we know a lot about the beautiful bungalow at 2519 Q Street and her residents. We're midway through the block, as we started at the East end of the block, at 2501 Q Street. The names of the local residents are becoming familiar to us, as they appear again and again in articles about tea parties and business dealings. The fabric of the neighborhood is starting to reveal its layers, and we're excited to discover more about the people who made Bungalow Row not just a series of beautifully built homes, but a neighborhood community that we enjoy to this day. 

2515 Q Street's first residents were newlyweds Tullis S. and Letha Menefee (Voorhees)

The bungalow, built on the East 1/2 of Lot 7 in the block bound by P and Q, 25th and 26th. Building  started in the Spring of 1907, and was certainly finished by May, 1908. Wright & Kimbrough had built 12 bungalows on the block by this time, 11 of which stand today, looking much the same as they did in 1908. The Menefee's had purchased the home by May, 1908 and moved in by November, 1908.

Back to the story of the clinker brick beauty at 2515 Q Street.

​The Menefees- Tullis Stephen and Letha Menefee (Voorhees) were the first couple to call the house a home.

Tullis Stephen Menefee was a decorator who owned a papering, tinting, frescoing, and picture framing business with his brother, Joseph J. Menefee. 

In 1905, Tullis had recently purchased a home in Highland Park (now Curtis Park), located at  2331 Bonita Avenue (present-day 2nd avenue). He lived there with his wife Nellie (Maud), and three children, Eva, Stephen & Myrtle. Things were not going well for Tullis and Nellie, who had wed in 1893, about a month before Nellie's 18th birthday. Just over a decade into their marriage, it seemed that Nellie had lost interest in home life. We do wonder about Nellie's side of the story (she was married at 17 and had her first child at 18), but Tullis filed for divorce in December, 1905, on the grounds of cruelty and desertion.  Nellie reportedly was going out with other men to saloons, leaving the children to their own devices. She sold the household furniture for a pittance, and when confronted by Mr. Menefee, she said she would "do as she damn pleased" and she "hated him".  

Whatever the back story of Nellie's revolt was, the divorce wasn't finalized until nearly a year later. In the meantime, I'm sure the split was tough for the children. Still, the broken home didn't stop Eva Queen Menefee, their eldest, from winning a beautiful French doll as a prize for her rendering of "Sleep, My Dolly, Sleep" at a  "doll music" recital she performed at in June, 1906.

Tullis was also keeping himself busy, with a new companion, Miss Letha Voorhees. She worked as an operator for the Sacramento Telephone Company. By February, 1906, Tullis was spending Sundays with Letha in her hometown of Woodland. 

Tullis didn't waste any time marrying Letha when his divorce was finalized. The decree of final divorce was issued on December 31, 1906 and the couple wed on January 1, 1907. (It never takes long)

Sometime after their wedding in January 1907, and prior to November 1908, the Menefee's moved into the newly built Bungalow at 2515 Q Street. They could have possibly moved in as it was being finished, since he was a decorator. 

Nellie Maud Menefee, the ex-wife of Tullis, did not even have time to assume her maiden name again before she died in a drowning accident, at the age of 31, in March 1907. 

Tullis and Letha lived at 2515 Q until 1911, when they sold the home to the Hauser family. 

In October, 1911, Catherine & Valentine Hauser, a rancher and meat merchant, purchased the bungalow at 2515 Q from The Menefee's. The Hauser family had previously resided in Broderick, present-day West Sacramento. Valentine and Catherine (Kate) Hauser  had a son, Fred A. Hauser, and a daughter, Gertrude Regina Hauser, who were grown. Fred was 25 years old, employed as a machinist and Gertrude was 23 years old, working in a millinery shop.  Valentine was already slowing down by the time they purchased Q Street, and had finalized his will in 1910. He passed away in 1918, but the Hauser family continued to live there for many years.

​Valentine's Will stipulated that $2,000 should go to Gertrude and $500 to Fred. In modern day spending power, that's about $54,000 for Gertrude and $13,000 for Fred. The rest was left to his wife, Catherine (Katie).

In June, 1912, Valentine's daughter, Gertrude was married to Charles Y. Brown at the home on Q Street, with over 50 guests attending. The newlywed Browns lived with the Hausers.  Valentine, Catherine, Fred, Charles, and Gertrude all lived together in the bungalow for a time.

   Meanwhile, Uncle Fred's namesake, Fred Hauser, Gertrude's brother, had moved back to Broderick and was farming grain in Yolo County. He became a  partner in the Yolo Meat Packing Company, then the Washington Water and Light Company. ​

Catherine Hauser passed away in 1931.

Uncle Fred Kast, Catherine's brother, passed away in 1938, at the age of 79.

Gertrude and Charles Y. Brown continued to live in the home. In 1941, Gertrude gave her opinion on SPAM for $2. It makes sense that the Hormel Girls would knock on her door, and that she would have both SPAM and Chili on hand, since she was from such a meaty family. ​

Gertrude passed away on March 8, 1944, well before both her husband, Charles and her brother, Fred.

Charles stayed on at 2515 Q Street for years, and became very active in the Sacramento Kennel Club, serving as President, showing, and breeding dogs. He was also remarried in 1947, to a widow named Maud Weule. I think 3 years is a more acceptable turnaround time for a new wife, but the Browns did not have any children to care for at home, so Charles had the leisure of taking his time. Did he really take his time, though? Maude Weule was listed in the Sacramento City Directory, residing at 2515 Q Street, in 1945. Perhaps she rented rooms from Charles prior to their marriage?  Hmmmm 

Sometime in 1954-1955, Charles and Maude purchased a nearly new (built in 1953) home at 1411 Carrousel Lane, in the elite South Land Park Estates neighborhood, built by Ruben Weber as his own home in an area that he built up. We will have to take a detour to Land Park and check out these Weber homes soon. 

​

    Elizabeth passed away in 1989, at the age of 83. The home on Q Street was listed for sale in 1974, when Elizabeth was retiring, and likely downsizing or moving in with others. She moved into a duplex in the South City Farms Neighborhood of Sacramento.

  Maude Brown, Charles Y. Brown's widow, had passed away in 1971. When Charles Y. Brown passed in 1964, I presume that the home at 2515 Q Street was part of the "other real estate" holdings that were all passed on to Maude. Or, the home could have been seperately owned by the family. Perhaps the home was sold in 1974 as a part of Maude's estate liquidation, or perhaps Elizabeth or another family member owned it by the time. Either way, the home stayed in the family for over 60 years, which is pretty amazing. Valentine Hauser's late life purchase of this pretty, clinker brick bungalow on Q Street paid off in dividends, as his family grew and thrived there for many years after his passing. 

​​This 1974 Ad is the first known advertisement for sale of the home since it was built, between 1907-1908. The Hauser family owned and lived in the home for over 60 years. 

In the Spring of 1907, the real estate development company of Wright & Kimbrough was busy building "modern, artistic homes" on the block bound by P and Q, 25th and 26th. This bungalow, located at 2511 Q Street, was built on the West 1/2 of Lot 7. We know that the neighbor's home on the East 1/2 of Lot 7, was started in the Spring of 1907, around the same time as many other homes in the row. 

Many of the new homes on the block were finished by the Fall of 1907.
​
The future residents of the bungalow at 2511 Q Street were meanwhile residing in Oklahoma.

Milton James Ferguson had graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1906, and was serving as the librarian of the University of Oklahoma when he was offered an exciting opportunity to come  West and serve as the Assistant State Librarian for the State of California. 

When Milton and his wife, Rose, first arrived in Sacramento, the pair were welcomed warmly by Lauren Ripley, the President of the California Library Association and Librarian of the Sacramento City Library, and his wife. The Fergusons continued to socialize with the Ripleys during their time in Sacramento, so I suppose those librarians are a tight crew. The Fergusons resided at 10th and F street until they moved to the home at 2511 Q, sometime before November, 1908. Perhaps they were involved in putting the finishing touches and personal additions on the cottage that had been started the prior Spring. I do remember reading somewhere that the home was "built for" Milton Ferguson, but it was certainly started well before he came to town, based on the permit activity.

In November, 1908, Ferguson was one of the many residents of the bungalow block who opposed the placing of railroad yards and sheds  on the block bound by Q and R, 25th and 26th. The petition was published in The Sacramento Bee along with the names of the residents who opposed or did not oppose the railroad yards and sheds. This article has been a very useful tool for me in establishing the pre-1910 census residency in the block. In fact, between finding that article and deciphering the lot numbers used to delineate the block, I am very close to putting together a timeline of the entire block being developed, but you will have to keep watching for that one! 

In 1917, Milton Ferguson was appointed State Librarian, as a successor to James L. Gillis, who had passed away. Rember how I mentioned that these librarians were a tight crew? Milton's pal Lauren Ripley was also in consideration for the position, but withdrew in Milton's favor, and he was appointed unamimously. 

Milton celebrated by building himself a garage in 1918, as cars were becoming THE THING. He listed the house at 2511 Q Street for sale in 1919. He bought a new Paige Touring Automobile in 1920. 

The September 1919 Advertisment in the Sacramento Bee reads:

The need for a larger home has decided the owner of this handsome bungalow at No. 2511 "Q" to sell at a very attractive price.

It is a bungalow of unsual beauty and home charm, one that will awaken you to a full appreciation of the convenience and completeness of the bungalow type of dwelling.

And it is in a fitting setting for its attractiveness, the entire block being built up with bungalows of very pleasing appearance. 

There are five rooms--the front living room, about 14x30 feet, will win your instant admiration with its clinker brink fireplace, built-in bookcases, tapestry wall paper, casement windows, side wall and beam lights--and from there on you will voice your approval of every detail in this splendid home.

A special feature of the bungalow is the large number of bearing fruit and nut trees in the back yard, worth hundreds of dollars. The harvest each year would easily pay the taxes on the property. The lot is a 40x160 with splendid cement-floored garage on the alley.

Inspect this bungalow Sunday any time between 2 and 5 p.m. You'll want it if you want a fine modern home of your own. Easy terms.

No. 2511 "Q" -- See it Sunday, betwen 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. 

The Carmichael Co.
1005 8th Street                                                                                                                                                               

Ferguson was making quite a career for himself, and both his wife, Rose and daughter, Ruth were  enjoying Sacramento society. He had his sights set on a bigger home, as evidenced by the listing and advertising of his home for sale in 1919. I'm sure that the house on Q Street being burglarized in 1921 did not help matters.

    By 1922, that opportunity to own a larger home finally presented itself in Wright & Kimbrough's Tract 24. ​Wright & Kimbrough had been marketing their new development, located in present-day East Sacramento, to families like Ferguson's, who were looking to move to a new suburb, a bit more removed from the indelicacies of city life. The three happy faces in the below ad might as well have  been Milton, Rosa, and Ruth Ferguson. This ad ran in March, 1921. In November, 1921, the Fergusons purchased a lot in Tract 24. In January, 1922, the Milton's sold the home at Q Street to their neighbors, William L. & Ethel B. Brodie. The Brodie's had previously resided just around the corner, in another of the Wright & Kimbrough Bungalows of Bungalow Row, at 1616 25th Street. Unfortunately, William passed away shortly after the couple moved to Q Street, but Ethel lived at the home until 1928, when she remarried. The Fergusons began construction of their new home, at 1430 40th Street in Wright & Kimbrough's Tract 24, in February 1922.

    Weeks and Day, the architects of the Ferguson's new home on 40th street, were in town for another large project- the plan to build two buildings as part of the State Capitol Extension. One building woild house the state library, the other would be for state offices. How interesting that the architects of Milton J. Ferguson's home were also the architects of his new office, the state library extension building at the Capitol.
     WIth the erection of their new home in Sacramento's prestigious new suburb, the Fergusons had truly arrived. In 1922, Milton was part of a committe responsible for organizing a "Day's of '49" celebration, celebrating Sacramento's mining history. He put out a public call for mining artifacts to be donated for preservation. From the sounds of it, the event was similar to the "Gold Rush Days" events that Sacramento has put on more recently. The goal was to re-create the atmosphere of Sacramento as a mining town in 1849. Tents were pitched and costumes were donned. Some nicely preserved photos of Milton wearing his costume are held in the California History Room Collection

  In 1923, Ruth Ferguson went away to college at Berkeley, and the Fergusons would visit her there often. She also brought friends home to Sacramento for Thanksgiving, to visit her parent's lovely home on 40th street.
    In 1928, another opportunity called both Milton and Rosa to South Africa, where Milton would team with a librarian from Scotland, to make a survey and recommendations for the foundation of a library system in South Africa. The study was funded by the Carnegie Corporation. While Milton was in Africa, Mabel Gillis, the daughter of his predecessor, James Gillis, would serve as State Librarian. 

When Milton returned from Africa, in May 1929, he was reappointed as State Librarian, with Mabel Gillis returning to the role of Assistant State Librarian. Mabel didn't have to wait long for her turn to step up again, as Milton was snapped up for a position that would take him to Brooklyn, New York in 1930.

​ 

The Ferguson's home in East Sacramento went on the market in May, 1930

The Sacramento Community mourned the loss of Milton J. Ferguson, and he made himself even more lovable with his parting words, a warning against the invasion of personal rights, and explicitly against prohibition (swoon!)

Milton J. Ferguson made a deep impression upon the City of Sacramento and the State of California during his two decades here. California obviously made an impression on him, as well. When he returned to Sacramento in 1939 for a visit, the Rotary Club recreated the atmosphere of 1921-1922 in his honor. According to the June 16, 1939 edition of The Sacramento Bee, Milton spoke and  praised the city thusly,

"It looks like someone is doing a good job of civic house-cleaning, to see everything so spick and span and so many flowers blooming everywhere. I am sorry to say many of our eastern cities do not look like that. I had forgotten until I returned that there are so many beautiful trees in Sacramento. You certainly ought be proud of them and should guard them" -Milton J. Ferguson

Yes, Milton, we are and we should. I'm not sure why they changed our water tower to no longer proclaim that we are the "City of Trees", but there are lots of folks here in Sacramento who still care about the trees. I'm sure that you would be proud of the work that the Sacramento Tree Foundation
is doing to steward our urban forest. 
​

The May 1908 ad reads

​The Last Bungalow
On "Q" Street, Between 25th and 26th Sts.
                                                          $400
                                                              Gives You The Deed

                          You pay this much yearly for rent and only have a bunch of Rent Receipts to show for it. Won't buy you a thing. 
                      Pay the rent to yourself; enjoy the feeling of posession. Settle down in your own home, one that you actually own. 
___________

                There is but one block of Bungalows in all of California north of Los Angeles, and this is the last one remaining unsold in the block.
Five beautiful rooms; quaint panels and plate rail; open fireplace; built-in sideboard; splendid kitchen; porcelain tub and patent toilet; hot-water connection; gas and electricity; beamed ceilings; walls and ceilings tinted. Everything a home should be. Shades and fixtures go with the house. All ready to move in. Large lot, well graded and filled. House 30 feet back from walk. No front fences. Cement walks. Sewer in alley, all connected. Two car lines within a block and a half. Good property all around.

The price is low. The terms are generous and easy, and this is absolutley the LAST ONE out of the 12.
The opportunity for a modern home in block where everything is new--where the owners are proud of their possesions, and where you CAN be in yours now.
By ringing up Main 96 one of our salesmen will call on you. Will surprise you at the moderate price asked, show you through the property, and for your own good try and break you from the rent-paying habit. Our number is Main 96
___________________________
Wright & Kimbrough
607 J Street                       Main 96

The October 1907 ad reads

Another Los Angeles Bungalow Ready

$400 Cash Makes it Yours
EACH BUNGALOW WE BUILD HAS IT'S OWN CHARACTERISTICS. WE NEVER DUPLICATE.
​
It's a little beauty-- even case-hardened, super-critical salesmen say that, and every nook and corner in it spells comfort. Its location is on Q Street, between 25th and 26th, on a 40 x 80 high-graded lot, with cement sidewalk down, not only in front, but all around the house.

From the broad, generous, sunlit porch you enter a combined reception hall and parlor with a quaint window seat and paneled walls. This in turn opens into the dining-room, whose massive pillars, open, clinker brick fireplace, old-fashioned beam ceiling, high panels, and plate rack suggest infinite comfort and good taste. Here, too, is another wide window, with deep window seats fitted with lockers, and also a combination china closet and sideboard cut through into the pantry behind.

There are two splendidly light and airy bedrooms, with a snow white bathroom between, containing porcelain tub, washstand and medicine cabinet, and ample closet room has been provided.

The back porch has patent toilet and stationary tubs. Gas is piped for cooking and electric light is all through the house.

Then there is- but, no, the ad man has taken too much space already, and a whole page in The Bee would fail to do it justice. It must be seen to be appreciated.

The keys, the price (which is absurdly low) and a host of interesting details can be obtained in our office, where you are cordially invited to come and see us about it. Come quickly, though, for be it ever remembered that a unique little home like this will go like winking, and it's "First come, first served."

Wright & Kimbrough
Sacramento's Specialists in Real Estate
607 J Street​​​​​

Architectural Features: Low-pitched, end gable roof with overhanging eaves, four-over two sash windows in the front, eight-over two sash windows and a craftsman style oriel on the West side of the house to accomodate the window seat inside. Sunny, open porch.

 Early Residents of 2505 Q Street:

Newlyweds Clyde J. Tharp & Marie Edna Tharp (Belchee)

The groom, Clyde J. Tharp held a "responsible position" for the Standard Oil Company, and the bride, Miss Marie Edna Belchee was the youngest of 7 daughters. All of Marie's sisters were married already, so Marie's wedding was the last one, and all of the Belchee girls were married off. The couple were married at noon on Thanskgiving Day, 1908, at the residence of Marie's Sister, Mrs. Warren Myers (née Luella Belchee) at 616 3rd Street in Woodland, California. Marie was not the only one of Luella's sisters to be married at the noon hour at the pretty c. 1890 Victorian on Third Street. Many wedding were held there at sister Luella's house, which seems practical when there are 7 daughters to hold weddings for. Warren Myers, Luella's groom, was manager of a Woodland Creamery, built in 1895 and burnt to ashes in a fire in 1904. He oversaw the rebuild, modifying plans taken from a Modesto Creamery. The Myers were also later very active in Real Estate   
     The Tharp wedding in Thanksgiving, 1908 was quite the event, juding from the mentions in various news articles. After the wedding, the newlyweds departed by train to Sacramento, where the new Bungalow at 2505 Q Street was already prepared for their arrival.  The grooms parents, Mr & Mrs. E. J. Tharp (née Lulu Gray) gifted the newlyweds with "the complete and elegant furnishings of one room of their new home." Oh, how I wish I had photos, but in the meantime, the descriptions from a newspaper article, printed in the Woodland Daily Democrat, paint the picture. 
​

                                

Weddings of
       Thanksgiving


Clyde Tharp and Miss Belche Married in Woodland







A pretty Thanksgiving wedding was solmenized at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Myers at the noon hour Thursday. 




The interior decorations of the Myers home were very artistic and attractive. The color scheme in every room was pink and green....pink ribbons radiated from the center chandeliers in all directions. 

















The bride wore a lovely gown of cream silk messaline, cut directoire style and trimmed in point lace. She carried an exquisite boquet of white carnations.

The bridesmand, Miss (Alta) Myers, was attired in a blue silk costume of pretty design and her bouquet was of pink carnations.

The pretty little ring-bearer (Roma Tharp) was dressed in white. 

wedding presents...consisted of silver, cut glass, pictures, linen, bric-a-brac, and a wide range of valuable articles, both useful and ornamental.

A complete silver set presented by the Sacramento employees of the Standard Oil Company was much admired.

The most valuable as well as the most useful remembrance was from the parents of the groom, the complete and elegant furnishings of one room of their new home.

...amid showers of rice and many good wishes, they left for Sacramento, where Mr. Tharp has prepared a pretty bungalow for the reception of his bride. The number is 2505 Q street. 

    The Tharps, while they resided in Sacramento, visited Woodland often, sometimes bringing along their new Q Street neighbors, and they tended to return to Woodland for a Thanksgiving celebration each year. Clyde went to work for the Bert McDowell Wholesale Grocery Company sometime around 1912, and worked there until he passed in September, 1936, at the age of 52. While the Tharps lived on Q Street, they were quite social with their neighbors. Marie played bridge and was active in the Busy Bee sewing club with many of the neighborhood ladies.                                                                                                     In June, 1927, the Tharps sold the bungalow at 2505 Q to Reverend I. W. Young, the pastor at the Church of the Nazarene located at 28th & S streets. At the same time, they bought a home in the new St. Francis Oaks subdivision (present day Curtis Park) from William Murcell. You may rememer architect and builder William Murcell from my post about the Judge Shields Home. By 1927, the Tharps had lived in the little bungalow on Q Street for nearly 20 years. Their daughter, Dorothy (Dorothea) was born in February 1913 and grew up on our bungalow block. The Tharps must have started outgrowing the home, with the new baby, and also the house guests from Woodland or Oakland that were often visiting. In 1920, 2505 Q was listed for sale, but it didn't sell. Instead, the Tharps had a Summer Home built up near Phillips resort, where they had rented cabins and traveled with their neighbors in prior seasons. I imagine that this Summer Home gave them the space that they were seeking while they waited to sell Q street and upgrade to a larger home. When Dorothea was married in 1933, her wedding reception was held at the Tharp's new home, 2161 Markham Way. William Murcell was the builder of this home, with a permit filed February 12, 1927 to construct the dwelling and garage at 2161 Markham Way at the cost of $2,800. In June 1927, the Tharps purchased the home for $8,600 and sold their Q Street bungalow for $4,000. They left the little bungalow in the hands of Reverend Young, and they moved out to the next layer of suburbs, as many of their contemporaries had.
     The Tharps were the first family to make 2505 Q Street their home, and were deeply entrenched in the neighborhood's social scene. These little bungalows were perfect for newlyweds, and for starting families, and a deeply connected community began to form around the bungalow block. Even those who left the block found themselves returning to visit the familiar row of bungalows and their friendly neighbors. 

*To be fair, these homes are not on Bungalow Row, and were built roughly 5 years after our little Bungalow Row on Q Street, but I am easily distracted, and these are just a few blocks away, in Sacramento's Poverty Ridge Historic District.

Wright & Kimbrough advertised the newly constructed Praire Style Home at 2007 23rd street (which is now 2009 23rd street) in November, 1914.

The ad reads:

Open for your inspection to-morrow--Sunday--1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
No. 2007-23d (T and U Streets)
​
One of Sacramento's most beautiful homes
​

THE style of architecture of this home is suggestive of the Italian Renaissance. The artistic lines of design, the buff stucco walls, the many French glass doors, the cement terrace and veranda with brick steps and stucco buttresses, the lawn, flower beds and auto driveway--all complete--give it an exterior appearance decidedly elegant.
    It is a very beautiful home with so many qualities of unusual merit and with such an inviting air about it that it immediately appeals to the family wishing a home of true distinction and real comfort. 
    Convenience is prominent in the interior arrangement. There are ten rooms and a sleeping porch, the bath room, butler's pantry and reception room lavatory.
    Artistic French doors open from the spacious veranda into the front living room, the reception room, the dining room and the sun room and also connect the different living rooms.
      The finish in the living rooms is very rich--white enamel with mahogany trimmings. The coved ceilings are tinted in colors that harmoniously blend with the particularly beautiful imported paper on the walls.
    Very handsome ceiling and wall electrical features.
    Hardwood floors in the living rooms. Tile fireplace in the front living room and the dining room. This front room is 16 x 27.4 feet and is an unusually fine room. The library is off the reception room and contains built-in bookcases and large closet. The fireplace in the dining room is flanked on each side with built-in china closet. The sun room is just off the dining room. Lavatory off the reception room, butler's pantry and kitchen complete the lower floor.
    Upstairs there are four bed rooms, sleeping porch with southern exposure and a complete white enamel bath room. Each bed room floor has a hardwood border. The front bedroom is 14 x 27.4 feet and has a fireplace, two closets and a dressing room with built=in chest and a clothes cabinet.
    The entire house is heated by furnace in the cement basement.
    Roof garden over the garage.
    This beautiful home is No. 2007--23d Street--(T and U)--occupies a valuable 60 x 80 ft lot on an improved street in a district of many handsome and expensive homes--just off Sutter Heights. It is  brand new---never been occupied. It is for sale at a price that makes it a splendid home buy. In fact, the lot could not be purchased and the house built for the amount of the selling price. Easy terms will also be arranged if desired.
    It will be open to-morrow--Sunday--from 1 p. m. to 5 p. m. An inspection will prove a home treat for you.
    There are so many features and artistic qualities about this home that it is impossible to describe  them all in this space. In addition, a word picture is never the same as the picture registered on the eye. You must see the home yourself to thoroughly appreciate it.
    The immediate sale of this property at the surprisingly low price is assured, so do not delay inspecting it, 

Wright & Kimbrough
817 "J" St.
Phone
M. 721

 
In 2015, the home at 2007 23rd Street was opened to the public as a part of Preservation Sacramento's Annual Home Tour, and I was fortunate enough to tour it. The Sacramento Bee also did a nice article about it, with an interview with the current owners and some photos. I've linked that below, along with a couple of other resources.

Sacramento Bee Article- Peter J. Shields Home
​
Newton Booth Neighborhood Association- Peter J. Shields Home

UC Davis Alumni & Friends- Peter J. Shields

​

The advertisement in The Sacramento Union on Sunday, January 30, 1910 reads:

-$5,000 Buys
THE HANDSOMEST AND MOST ARTISTIC HOME TO BE FOUND IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO FOR THE MONEY

A Modern Beauty- Cleverly Designed
COMBINING EVERY ATTRIBUTE ESSENTIAL TO A HOME

Ideal in Location---on corner of Sacramento's show block.
If you are in the market or contemplate the purchase of a home we cannot urge you too strongly to see this superb buy, and without delay.

House Will Be Open for Inspection Today
Street Number is 2501 Q. Phone
Main 3722

A very small cash payment will put you in possession.

Architectural Features: Deep eaves with exposed rafter tails, clinker brick porch column and chimney, 5 rooms with sleeping porch, large dormer allowing for spacious attic.

 
​Early Residents of 2501 Q Street, located on the Northeast Corner of Q and 25th:

Real Estate Salesmen Nathan A. Bradley & Charles Avery Phillips


​Nathan A. Bradley,  salesman for the real estate firm of Wright & Kimbrough, later salesman for the real estate firm Hawk & Carly. 
​
The lot on the corner of Q and 25th was purchased by Bradley on Wednesday, November 6, 1907, through the Voorhies Investment Co. Many of the lots in this block were purchased through the Voorhies Investment Co. 



​Nathan A. Bradley was new to the Real Estate business when he joined Wright & Kimbrough, and when he lived at house on bungalow row. This is strikingly similar to the story of another little bungalow, on the opposite end of the block, 2531 Q Street.

Charles G. Snow, also a Wright & Kimbrough salesman, also new to the Real Estate business since coming to Sacramento from Chicago, was the first to reside at 2531 Q. Perhaps the salesmen lived in the houses as they were being built, or bought them only to be resold, living there for the convenience of showing the place? I'm not sure what the arrangement was, and perhaps there is more to discover there, but Bradley was certainly involved in the early buying and selling of 2501 Q Street.  

Bradley, however, may not have been the first to reside at the house at 2501 Q. In fact, another Real Estate salesman moved into the newly built bungalow in March of 1908.

The following announcement appeared in The Sacramento Union, Volume 115, Number 12, published on March 8, 1908

          Mr. and Mrs. Charles Phillips are now established in their new bungalow at 2501 Q Street

                                                                                      A clue! 

Charles A. and his wife, Lucy Phillips, along with their daughter, Beth, who would have been 8 years old in 1908, were likely the first family to call 2501 Q Street home. I wonder if Beth Phillips found a playmate in little John Snow, the 7 year old son of Charles and Gertrude Snow, who, in 1908, lived at the other end of the block- where my own 7 year old son plays today, at 2531 Q Street. 
​
Charles Avery Phillips was a partner in Sacramento Real Estate Firms Hawley & Phillips, Hawley, Bohl & Phillips, and Phillips & Estes. Charles, Lucy, and Beth resided at 2417 M Street (which is now Capitol Avenue) prior to moving into the Q Street bungalow.

   The Phillips family later moved to San Francisco, then Colusa, where Charles was instrumental in the emerging rice milling business, shipping rice via barge from Colusa to the P street wharf, at Front Street and P in Sacramento. He was a managing member of M. Phillips & Company, which controlled the Phillips Rice Milling Company of Sacramento. Phillips Milling Company was a major business in Sacramento at the time, and presented exhibits at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco as well as many state and local fairs.
   Charles and Lucy eventually returned to Sacramento and  resided at 1218 17th street , where Charles passed away in 1944.  Beth married George A. Berkey, the son of Colusa County Supervisor Peter V. Berkey. Lucy lived at 17th street in Sacramento for awhile after Charles' passing, but was with her duaghter, Beth, in Carmel by the time she passed away in 1967. ​

These were the first residents at 2501 Q. Like many of the homes on this block, it later became a rental, often renting by the room, when the suburbs became more fashionable. It was owned and rented over the next 100 years by a series of Sacramento people, and still stands today on the corner of 25th and Q, looking much the same as it did a century ago,  

​Charles grew up in Sacramento, and  was the son of Frank Thomas Phillips, who operated a grocer on the Southeast Corner of 4th & K street from 1869-the early 1870's.  Frank later became the Sacramento City Health Officer, then left that job to become a travelling canvasser for the Sacramento Union. ​

    Though the house at 2531 Q Street is dated 1910 in public documents, there is evidence that the home was built, or at least in the process of being built, by 1908. 

​
The first resident at 2531 Q Street was Carl G Snow, or Charles Gardiner Snow, as I discovered through my research, utilizing resources available at my local Sacramento City Libray and the California Digital Newspaper Collection.               
  
   The first clue was located in the Sacramento Union, Volume 118, Number 20, 14 September 1909- on page 12. "Fifty feet of garden hose was stolen from the home of C.G. Snow at 2531 Q Street Sunday."









​First of all, LOL, because to this day, we can't leave anything out in the yard without the possibility of it being stolen. Through the years, we've had strollers, bike trailers, garden supplies, Christmas decorations, you name it lifted from the very corner that C.G. Snow experienced this petty theft in 1909.

But more importantly, who was this C.G. Snow, and what was he doing living at 2531 Q Street in 1909, much less getting his hose stolen, when everything I'd seen before dates the home to 1910? I had to know. The library, and specifically the Sacramento Room's  collection of city directories, helped me with the next step of finding out this need-to-know information. I stole away one afternoon and stopped into the quiet oasis that is the Sacramento Room of the Central Library.   This began a journey into the lives of Sacramento residents from a century ago, and into the rich History of our little corner.