Dotting the i’s and Crossing the t’s

The date is Sept. 3, 1947, and Marysville is in the midst of a post-WWII boom. The Hotel Marysville can be seen in the background, positioning the photographer at 4th and E St., looking north up the latter. After reviewing 100-200 images of Marysville’s electric railway era, now to use architectural landmarks to locate images not so easy to place in the city.

L243-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1252-9 , (Image 1 of 22)

Yuba River Sand Co., a Western Pacific customer, sits at the eastern end of the WP-SN Yuba River levee freight spur on Mar. 7, 1958. The D St. Bridge and WP Bridge can be seen in this southwest view, left. In the right panel is a detail from the same image, focusing in on the levee and 1st St. between C and D Sts., and the grade crossing for the spur at D St.

L243-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5886-1, (Image 2 of 22)

British Columbia Electric Railway’s 1225 advances at excursion speed along the levee spur on June 15, 1958, left panel. The WP Bridge and the grade crossing with D St. can be seen in the background. Less obscured in the right panel from 2021 is the Bo Kai Temple, the second building from Yuba County placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the E. St. Bridge overpass of the abandoned right-of-way. Ref: Stuart Swiedler Photo, r

L243-15-Ernest Haas Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Archives, 167265sn, l, (Image 3 of 22)

Either SN 653 or SN 654 sits with a SP boxcar on Sept. 4, 1959, left. The dirt piled up is from the process of removing the D St. bridge. The location couldn’t be anywhere else on earth as defined by the Ellis Building seen behind the steeple-cab freight motor, and the Tower Theater marquee, both reviewed previously. The right panel from Mar. 7, 1958 contains all of these elements, but go on to the next panel for a closer view.

L243-20-Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., Copyright California Dept. of Transportation, 5886-, (Image 4 of 22)

This detail from the previous north aerial from Mar. 7, 1958 shows where the SN motor in the previous image was located, the middle of the three cars in the cleared space. Coincidently, there is also a freight motor in that position as well. Follow to the right or east and you will see the Ellis Building, and across the street, the Tower Theater. As a bonus, note the Jim Beam billboard and the Bo Kai Temple to the left or west of it.

L243-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5886-3 , (Image 5 of 22)

Or if you prefer, a south view of the same scene on the same date, Mar. 7, 1958.

L243-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5886-2, (Image 6 of 22)

By the time this north view was taken on Aug. 1, 1960, the D St. Bridge had been replaced by one using E St. This D St. grade crossing was replaced by an E St. overpass of the freight spur.

L243-35-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7609-3, (Image 7 of 22)

The location of this image with SN 1005 from the June 17, 1962 excursion is easy to locate by the position of the E St. overpass, left. The same scene in 2018, right.

L243-40-Robert P. Townley Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, l, Stuart Swiedler, (Image 8 of 22)

This view of SN 654 from 1960 would be challenging if the photographer had not included in the image the Hart Building on 4th St., just east of E St. The unidentified buildings along side the right-of-way also helps date the image as seen in the next aerial.

L243-45-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125282sn, (Image 9 of 22)

This east view from Dec. 24, 1955 during the flood shows all the elements of the last image, and positions SN 654 just to the south where the track from the warehouse-station area and joins the Yuba River levee spur. The annotated version follows.

L243-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-14 , (Image 10 of 22)

The red arrow indicates the position of SN 654 in image L243-45. This version also labels buildings still present in 2021 important for the picture at hand, white, other existing buildings previously discussed, red, and those razed by yellow. After reviewing this, go on to the next image.

L243-51-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-14 , (Image 11 of 22)

SN 410 is actively switching boxcars in Aug. 1949 in this east view. The buildings in the background indicate the street along the left edge is 3rd. St., and should provide the exact location of the freight motor.

L243-55-Holmes Bros. Photo, Jim Holmes Coll. Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 1594, (Image 12 of 22)

This east view from Dec. 24, 1955 during the flood shows all the elements of the last image, and positions SN 410, red arrow, just about where a SN 650s freight motor is located in this image. This is where the WP mainline is joined by spurs from the levee and freight house.

L243-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-14 , (Image 13 of 22)

Now back even further in time to Feb. 15, 1942, the last day of streetcar operations in Marysville-Yuba City. The Birney 70 could be seen on a track not usually frequented by streetcars, but a clue is the track coming in located in the right corner. Note the sign to the right and left of the streetcar indicating the presence of two groceries along F St.

L243-65-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 167251sn, (Image 14 of 22)

Standing next to Addison Laflin, photographer of the previous image, was Art Lloyd, and his image taken from a slightly different angle from Feb. 15, 1942 will be examined in more detail in the next annotated image.

L243-70-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 129805sn, (Image 15 of 22)

In this detail from the northeast view from Feb. 15, 1942, the edge of the Randolph Tractor building is marked by the white arrow, at the southeast corner of Orange St. and 3rd St. Across 3rd St. at no. 302 F St. is a Purity Stores grocery, part of the chain begun in the Bay Area in 1929. Three automotive-related businesses on the east side of F St. are indicated by the orange arrows. The sign on the top of the Hotel Marysville can be appreciated in the background.

L243-75-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 129805sn, (Image 16 of 22)

Based on this 1940 southeast view, the last two images of Birney 70 locate its position along the broken green line. The next sequence should show it joining the SN mainline, orange line, and then heading on track toward the Yuba River, turquoise arrow, or the levee spur to head north on the WP mainline, red arrow.

L243-80-Dorothea Lange Photo, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, NARA-521573 , (Image 17 of 22)

Birney 70 is now on the SN mainline, approaching the second critical switch track in this northeast view from Feb. 15, 1942. The green arrow marks Randolph Tractor, the yellow arrow the Masonic Lodge at E St. and 3rd St., the red arrow the Water Co. building at D St. and 4th St., and the orange arrow the steeple of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at C St. and 7th St.

L243-85- Art Alter Photo, Moreau Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 18 of 22)

Birney 70 is still in the same spot, but the angle is different such that the Hart Building, turquoise arrow, and Hotel Marysville, purple arrow, Randolph Tractor, green arrow, and Purity Store, gold arrow, are now in view in this northeast view from Feb. 15, 1942.

L243-90-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 166758sn, (Image 19 of 22)

In this final image of the sequence, Birney 70 has taken the switch directed toward the WP mainline and the Yuba River Bridge, northeast view, Feb. 15, 1942. The orange arrow marks the steeple of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at C St. and 7th St.

L243-95-Art Alter Photo, Moreau Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 20 of 22)

Many other buildings of architectural or historical distinction remain on the periphery of the SN route in 2021. Starting top, left to right, Ramirez-Ellis House at 5th and Elm Sts. as a law office; Miller-Aaron House at D and 7th Sts. as a museum; the U.S. Post Office at C and 4th Sts. as a post office; Forbes House at D between 6th and 7th Sts. as a restaurant; and Packard Library at 4th and C St. as a theater. However, the Nakagawa Co. Building at C and 3rd St., bottom right, was razed in Mar. of 2021.

L243-100-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 21 of 22)

It is worth a trip to Marysville to walk around and experience a glimpse of architectural excellence and history in many unexpected places. D St., between 6th and 7th Sts., Northeast view, left, north view, right, 2018.

L243-105-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 22 of 22)