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Have you heard the one about…
...the Eucalyptus Grove located on Borden and Clay Station roads? Sometime
between 1900 and 1908, eucalyptus and Mission and Tokay grapes were planted in
the township of Clay Station by approximately 500 German and Irish workmen who
were hired by the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company. The company subdivided
the land into two- to 10-acre parcels and advertised the land in Eastern
magazines and newspapers. The buyers came. They tried to use the eucalyptus wood
for furniture and the leaves for medicine. The grapes were transported by
railroad from Clay Station and Herald to various parts of the country. However,
the plan didn’t exactly work the way it was originally planned. Because the
eucalyptus twisted and split as it grew, it could not be used for furniture. Though the grapes were good, their yield per acre was low. Since the landowners
could not make a living, they moved and the Sacramento Valley Improvement
Company dissolved. During the 1930s and 1940s the vineyards were removed. Today,
only the beautiful grove remains. Though the venture was financially
unprofitable, our history certainly became more rich. There were several
colorful figures whose descendants still live in this area and whose legacy will
be remembered. One such figure was W.A. Brandenburg(er) from St. Louis, Mo. He
was the local representative of the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company and
the supervisor of the grove planting. He lived in an impressive two-story house
on Clay Station Road that is now occupied by Judge Cruz Reynoso, his wife
Jeanine and their children. Rumor has it that Mrs. Brandenburg, Brandenburg’s
mother, was quite a swimmer. Some old timers in this area can remember Mrs. Brandenburg’s Sunday afternoon swimming lessons at the Laguna Creek. Though the
Laguna Creek has since been leveled into the Silva feed lot, old memories remain
indelibly etched. Memories still drift to sunny Sundays around this tree-lined
swim hole for picnics and baptisms. Another figure in Eucalyptus Grove history
was John B. Duffy, a tall well respected man who sported a Stetson hat and
mustache. He was also hired by the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company to
supervise the grove planting. He was also involved in the planning of the Clay
Township and real estate deals in Galt. This horticultural expert and former
Texas Ranger was also quite entertaining. He loved to detail accounts of his
fabulous adventures. Since he was a staunch believer in a day’s pay for an
honest day’s work, he forbid drinking on the job. Thus, he insisted that the
Steele Store ban the sale of liquor during workmen’s hours. John Duffy was
married to Anna Brown. They had three children, Ray, Ruby, and Don. His great
niece, Nina Hefflin, still lives on Clay Station Road. … that the Ben Salas
Funeral Home in Galt was constructed in 1875 by the Wright Brothers and was then
a general store? The building has been a Wells Fargo transportation station, the
Comstock Funeral Home, Diamond International, a theater, and the Hepper
Furniture Store.
Did you know…
…that Hobday Road was named after Kelsey and Emily Hobday family who settled
in this area in 1872? Did you know that Hi Hobday, one of the five children of
the original settlers, had the first airplane in the Herald Alta Mesa area? Hi
built a landing strip on his property for his Eaglerock. Hi and his flying
machine treated many to their first plane ride. He even started a “journey
through the air on your wedding anniversary” program! He flew Frank and Sonoma
Smith to the Bay area on their first wedding anniversary. Eugene Hold took a
15-minute flight to see his sisters in Sebastopol. How about that! (Is there
anyone out there who took to the friendly skies with Hi?) Hi learned about
planes in World War I when he served as an aviation mechanic for the Marines. After the War, he farmed the Hobday Ranch and flew his Eaglerock.
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