The SN Route on the D St. Loop

The 1960s has arrived, the D St. Bridge is no more, but the high number of head-in parked cars signal that D St. is still the center of Marysville commercial opportunity. North view, Aug. 1, 1960.

L219-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7609-3, Detail , (Image 1 of 46)

Now looking southeast, the E St. Bridge is in place, and all that remain the of the D St. Bridge are the supports. Two structures that would achieve National Register of Historic Places designation, the Bok Kai Temple, red arrow, and Ellis Building, green arrow, in 1975 and 1976, respectively, have survived the turmoil. The Western Pacific, WP, and SN gained by losing a grade crossing, purple arrow in exchange for the E St. Bridge overpass.

L219-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7609-2, Detail , (Image 2 of 46)

Backing up in time to this north-facing aerial from March 7, 1958, the D St. bridge is in place as is the WP-SN grade crossing.

L219-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5886-3 , (Image 3 of 46)

Speaking of that grade crossing, here is a closer northwest view coming off the D St. Bridge on Sept. 3, 1947. This may be the best close-up view of the Ellis Building you may encounter, with Herboth Tractor and Truck Co. occupying the confines of 100 D St. Better yet in the next detail.

L219-20-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1252-10 , (Image 4 of 46)

A closer view of the architectural detail of the circa 1875 Ellis Building, northwest view, Sept. 3, 1947. William Turner Ellis, Sr. contributed to Marysville with his general merchandising business, and held several local elected positions. There is an informative piece about his family on the Yuba-Sutter localwiki.org.

L219-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1252-10, Detail, (Image 5 of 46)

The empty space south of the Ellis Building use to have a building as seen in this north view up D St. in 1923, taken north of the grade crossing.

L219-30-Robert T. Hill-Sappers Coll. 1873, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 129736cv, (Image 6 of 46)

A detail of the north view up D St. in 1923 shows the local businesses, the Atkins Theater to the right or east being very notable as will be expanded upon soon.

L219-35-Robert T. Hill-Sappers Coll. 1873, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 129736cv, Detail, (Image 7 of 46)

A north view from 1st St. down the 100 block of D St. in 2018 from the same spot as the previous image.

L219-40-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 8 of 46)

The architecture of the same north view from circa 1910 shows much of the same architecture as 1923, except with 2nd story balconies and arcades, and no cupola on the Western Hotel. Northern Electric, NE, car 25 is seen turning off D St. onto 2nd St. According to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, that “Huntington Standard” car was built by the St. Louis Car Co. in 1908. Next, note the Marysville Theater on the extreme right.

L219-45-Robert L. Stein Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 103400sn, (Image 9 of 46)

From several sources, it appears the Marysville Theater was built in 1907 at 103 D St. At some point it was renamed Atkins, then National, the latter burning down with the adjacent Elks Building in 1926. It was replaced by the Liberty Theater, which was later renovated, expanded and opened as the Tower by 1941.

L219-50-Northern Electric Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121381sn, (Image 10 of 46)

An east view of the Art Deco-inspired Tower Theater in 2018.

L219-55-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 11 of 46)

The second story balconies with arcades are still present in this north view of D St. toward 2nd St. from June 1913, but they will not survive the decade. Unlike the slightly earlier image in L219-45, a cupola now sits upon the Western Hotel.

L219-60-George Beam Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 144292sn, (Image 12 of 46)

Finally to the corner of 2nd St. and D St. looking to the north down the latter in 1923. No evidence of any balconies or arcades remain.

L219-65-Robert T. Hill-Sappers Coll. 1874, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 129733cv, (Image 13 of 46)

Next a look back at D St. between 2nd St. and 3rd St., the circa 1907 date based on the NE rolling stock shown. The balconies and arcades are present, and, in particular, on the building at the southeast corner of 3rd St. and D St.

L219-70-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 126016sn, (Image 14 of 46)

A view of the building at the southeast corner of 3rd St. and D St. as seen from 3rd St. in a southeast view circa 1910 with a north-bound NE passenger train approaching. This picture has been published elsewhere, but its identity not discussed. Continue reading.

L219-75-Northern Electric Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121388sn, (Image 15 of 46)

This second image circa 1910 of the same building is more revealing. Aside from A.F. Meyer at the south end, the main occupant was a bank.

L219-80-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121384sn , (Image 16 of 46)

From this detail of the previous circa 1910 southeast view, it is the Rideout Bank, started by the banking-pioneer Rideout family, with wife Phoebe as the first woman president of a bank in California. She would later sell the the bank to the Bank of Italy, later morphed to the Bank of America. The building for the latter was built by another first lady to be discussed momentarily.

L219-85-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121384sn, Detail , (Image 17 of 46)

Back to the northeast corner of 2nd St. and D St., circa 1942, northeast view, with Birney 68 passing the Lyric Theater at 213 D St. ready to turn onto 2nd St.

L219-90-J.G. Graham Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 47340sn, (Image 18 of 46)

All of those buildings in the previous view are gone by 2018, northeast view of the northeast corner of 2nd St. and D St.

L219-95-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 19 of 46)

Further north up the 200 block of D St., the SN tracks remain in this view from Oct. 7th-9th, 1944, prevented from being removed due to the war-time restrictions. Note how the single track used to negotiate the tight turn between D St. and 2nd St. has again split into two. Two places for drink and entertainment, Brunswick Billiards and Club Rendezvous, are on the left or west.

L219-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1015-2 , (Image 20 of 46)

Turning 180 degrees to the south, the Colusa local train 206, here SN 107, approaches the switch and the Lyric Theater. The “Star Maker” was released in 1939, but the image was dated Oct. 20, 1940, just 10 days before abandonment of SN interurban passenger service north of Sacramento.

L219-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68856sn, (Image 21 of 46)

Birney 68 sits on the D St. switch in this southwest view from May 30, 1938. Behind the car is, left to right, the Western Hotel, Payless Drugs, and the Decker-Jewett Bank. The bank was added to the National Register of Historic Places with the Ellis Building in 1976, and like the latter, it too was razed in 1977.

L219-110-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke and Garth Groff, (Image 22 of 46)

Back to 1923, this north view shows four large buildings on the right or east side of D St; the Rideout Bank Building sans balcony-arcade with Schneider’s sign; crossing 3rd St, the Odd Fellows Building with second floor window awnings; the four-story Water Co. Building on the southeast corner of 4th St.; and the First Presbyterian Church with its large steeple at the southeast corner with 5th St.

L219-115-Robert T. Hill-Sappers Coll. 1874, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 129733cv, Detai, (Image 23 of 46)

Same north view, now 1940. The Rideout Building is gone, in its place the 2nd generation successor, the Bank of America. This building was designed by Phoebe Rideout’s friend, Julia Morgan, first female licensed architect in California, who designed many buildings in Marysville, including the long gone Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Everything else on the east side looks the same except the steeple of the First Presbyterian Church is gone.

L219-120-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 161838sn, (Image 24 of 46)

Same north view, now 2018. All that remains of the four large structures on D St. from 3rd St. to 5th St. is the Water Co. Building.

L219-125-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 25 of 46)

This north view has been shifted north past 3rd St. SNRR car 51, a Chico Electric Railway original from 1904, served in Marysville from 1920-1930. Originally an open car, it was enclosed in two stages by 1923 according to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, providing an approximate date for the image. The Water Co. Building and First Presbyterian Church with steeple are present, and the castle-like structure in the distance is the original Yuba County Court House.

L219-130-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125449sn, (Image 26 of 46)

This image shifted slightly more to the northwest ca. late 1930s with Birney 69 provides more details of the local businesses.

L219-132-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 222709sn, (Image 27 of 46)

This south view down the east side of D St. from the Water Co. Building on the southeast corner of 4th St. with Birney 68 on the last day of service, Feb. 15, 1942, serves as a way to review the major buildings outlined so far. In the distance is the Tower Theater, then moving north, the Lyric Theater, then the Bank of America, and across from it, the Odd Fellows Building.

L219-135-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68905sn, (Image 28 of 46)

Same south view down the east side of D St. from the Water Co. Building on the southeast corner of 4th St. in 2018, and the architecture has survived north of the long-gone Odd Fellows Building.

L219-140-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 29 of 46)

Car 50 is totally enclosed, so the date assigned to this image of July 15, 1923 is probably accurate. Enclosing car 50 and 51 allowed for one-person operation. As shown, the Water Co. Building four-story design is unaltered in this southeast view at D St. and 4th St.

L219-145-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54243sn, (Image 30 of 46)

In 2018, same southeast view at D St. and 4th St., and the Water Co. Building has been reduced in stature. The building dates to 1859, and use to contain three tanks on the top of the building. The top of the building had a fourth story added circa 1910, and removed in the 1950s.

L219-150-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 31 of 46)

Now back to Louis Bradas, Jr.’s series on the last day of streetcar operation, Feb. 15, 1942. This north view down D St. features Birney 68 along with Arnette's, Beal’s, Breit's, Hall’s, a decapitated First Presbyterian Church, and across 5th St., Home Dairy. One block north, the Yuba County Court House is seen. The First Presbyterian Church at 427 5th at D. St. was designed by Warren Miller, built in 1859 for 33,000 dollars, and demolished in the 1950s.

L219-155-Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69123sn , (Image 32 of 46)

The buildings on the east side of D St., south of the First Presbyterian Church site in this ca. 1940 southeast view with Birney 63, are largely preserved today, but they do not reflect the beginning of the residential district at this juncture when the NE started out here in 1906.

L219-160-Tom Gray Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 149846sn, (Image 33 of 46)

The same southeast view ca. 1910 shows homes adjacent to the church.

L219-165-NE Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 161839sn , (Image 34 of 46)

Appreciation to both the Sutter County Museum’s permission to use this ca. 1900 northeast view and the California State University, Chico Digital Collection for posting it to prove the point about the residential border by showing a slither of the first commercial property along the right edge.

L219-170-Sutter County Museum and Meriam Library. California State University, Chico sc8528, (Image 35 of 46)

Moving to the west side of the last portion of D St. at 5th St., this south view of a streetcar approaching ca. 1910 highlights a wide variation in architectural styles.

L219-171-Aitkins Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162298sn, (Image 36 of 46)

This panoramic northwest view of the west side of D St. between 4th and 5th Sts. from 1935, based on the license plates, introduces some of the businesses on the block to be viewed in more detail in the images to follow.

L219-172-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 223832cv, (Image 37 of 46)

Birney 69 begins the turn from D St. to 5th St. in this south view from 1938 based on the license plates. The white building with classical features and columns viewed above the streetcar is still present, contrasting with its absence in Oct. 1944, as seen in L219-100.

L219-173-Silleman Bros. Photo, Homes Bros. Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 159495sn, (Image 38 of 46)

The Northern California Bank of Savings at 420 D St. is shown in 1915, left, in this west view, just one of many banking concerns headed by Norman Dunning Rideout. The application to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 for the entire block listed a structure at 420 D St. built circa 1937 with the faded lettering of “Woolworth”, as seen in the west view of no. 420 in 1990. There was no mention of the former bank building. Ref: right, Jeff Moreau Photo and Collection

L219-174-Courtesy Yuba County Library, YCL 118, l, BAERA, WRM Archives, r, (Image 39 of 46)

The Colusa local, SN 109, finally starts to head west, making the turn from D St. onto 5th St. Unlike the situation at 2nd St., the wider spacing and absence of additional routes on city streets allowed the double-track configuration to be maintained on the curve. By the way, Bradley’s was apparently started by Marysville’s first female entrepreneur. North View D Street, ca. 1940.

L219-175-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 98844sn, (Image 40 of 46)

The same north view at D St. and 5th St. in 2018.

L219-180-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 41 of 46)

The set of images produced by the NE included this south view of D St. from about 8th St. showing the residential district with the Court House and First Presbyterian Church in the distance circa 1910. There is no evidence from old NE-produced maps that the tracks ever extended down this way, but for some reason the image is labelled as “on the NE RY”.

L219-185-NE Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121367sn, (Image 42 of 46)

A southeast view of the Court House, at 6th St. and D St., circa 1910. It was also designed by Warren Miller, built in 1854 for 49,000 dollars, and demolished in the early 1960s. The current courthouse resides at 215 5th St. in what was once Cortez Sq.

L219-190-NE Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121387sn, (Image 43 of 46)

That covers the lost architecture from the entry of the D St. bridge and the Ellis Building at 1st St., green arrow, to the County Court House at 6th St., red arrow as indicated on this northeast oblique view circa 1945.

L219-195-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 146438sn , (Image 44 of 46)

The license plate on the car indicates it is 1959 in this north view down D St. taken just north of 2nd St. The train tracks are long gone, but the plethora of cars paints a vibrant scene, architecturally reflecting a construction renaissance in Marysville that began in the 1850s, evolved, and was essentially complete by the start of WWII. Appreciation to the Yuba County Library for permission to use this image.

L219-200-Courtesy Yuba County Library, YCL 045, (Image 45 of 46)

A more oblique view of D St. in a more northwest angle from Aug. 1, 1960, however, highlights the loss of the Western Hotel and First Presbyterian Church, iconic structures from the 1850s, with no replacements in sight, and no room to compete with the suburban strip-malls to come in the 1970s. On the next visit to Marysville, the buildings along the SN path down 5th St. will be highlighted.

L219-205-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7609-1 , (Image 46 of 46)