March 2010

Roseville’s “History Mile” Walking Tour

Exercise with family & friends while learning Roseville history… 

In December, city workcrews installed colorful pedestrian signs throughout the Riverside Avenue Streetscape project area. The seven signs present historical tidbits related to Downtown Roseville. Each sign provides two artwork panels that mimic the orange crate artwork popular in California some years ago. Pedestrians walking along Riverside Avenue will now have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about Roseville’s past.  The “History Mile” signs were designed by Lisa Wood and Dave Piches and fabricated and installed by Ellis & Ellis Sign Systems.

 

The Gazebo at Depot Park Located near the train station, Depot Park was the centerpiece of the first stop in California for many Easterners. The park also housed a gazebo that hosted a variety of community activities.  Placer County Exhibit Building The Placer County Chamber of Commerce constructed this building in 1915 near the Old Roseville Train Depot.   Working on the Railroad For over 120 years, the railroad was Roseville’s largest employer. In the early 1900s, people migrated to the area in search of the jobs and opportunities presented by the railroad.   The Big Move In 1906 Southern Pacific Railroad announced that it intended to move its railroad switching yards from Rocklin to Roseville. The transition, labeled the Big Move by local historian Leonard “Duke” Davis, would take two years to complete.   The World’s Largest Ice Plant It supported the Pacific Fruit Express and allowed refrigerator cars carrying fruits and vegetables to the East to be iced or re-iced. The completed storage facilities could hold up to 70,000 tons of ice in 1909.   Ice Plant Workers During peak production, as much as 2.5 million tons of ice was placed in refrigerated cars in a year. Icing at the PFE plant was an organized and efficient operation that iced cars at the rate of two per minute.   Placer County Winery Established in 1905, the Placer County Winery was hugely successful until it was closed due to Prohibition in 1919.   Johnson Pool Roseville’s first public swimming pool was opened at the corner of Vernon and D streets on October 4, 1921.   Roseville Votes for Lincoln The earliest known newspaper reference to Roseville appeared during the 1864 presidential race. According to the report, the people of Roseville and vicinity cast 20 votes for the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln…   Roseville Goes to War During World War II, the Roseville community sent 1,250 men and women to war. This was approximately 20% of the city population; a percentage that is speculated to be one of the highest in the nation.   Riverside’s Giant Orange Long-time Roseville residents may recall the Giant Orange stand on the west side of Riverside near Fifth Street. The drink stand was an example of the businesses which were shaped like an orange that began in California in the late 1920s.   Highway 40 The California segment of this highway was decommissioned in 1964. Historic Highway 40 signs now occasionally mark the path of this road which traveled along Riverside Avenue and Vernon Street.   Sheepherding on Douglas Boulevard Annually, sheep were herded through the intersection of Riverside Avenue, Douglas Boulevard, and Vernon Street. It wa common for students of the Vernon Street School to leave their classrooms and watch the herd pass by.   King Orchard Lewis Leroy King, Sr. and his wife, Annie Hellar King, arrived in Roseville in 1890 and acquired a large piece of land between present day Riverside Avenue and the creek. They planted thousands of fruit trees and established the King Orchard.

Cozy, Comfy, Clean and…

Looks like NEW!

Roseville Home FOR SALE

• 3 Bedrooms  /  2 Bathrooms
• $249,000
• $1368 estimated P.I.T.I. (with 20% down)

If You Are Tired of All The Distressed Properties On The Market, This One Will Be Refreshing!

Pride Of Ownership Shines in This Home! Super Clean & Ready For New Owners To Move Right In. Very Well Maintained Home. Bright Open Floor Plan w/Separate Family and Living Rooms. Nice Laminate Wood Floors Throughout, Custom Exterior Paint, Cabinets in The Garage, Fruit Trees, Covered Patio With Lattice. Washer,Dryer and Fridge Included! Short Walk to the Community Park in This Great Neighborhood.

Call Todd Slack @ 916-508-4972

tslack@primecalifornia.com

What You Get for … $280,000

Yesterday my father was inquiring about the type of homes he could buy in Roseville  for 300K  or less. So when I ran across this article in The New York Times this morning, I realized I had to post it! 

-Dave Roe

 

From The New York Times
By MIKE POWELL, Published: March 2, 2010

A three-bedroom, two-bath Victorian built in 1875 is currently on the market in Calvert, Tex., for $275,000.

Michael Stravato for The New York Times

CALVERT, TEX

SETTING: Calvert is a city of about 1,400 residents in east Texas, roughly in the middle of the triangle formed by Dallas, Austin and Houston. This house is on a corner in the city’s historic district, a section of homes and low-lying businesses dating back to the late 1800s. There are a few shops and restaurants along Main Street, including a European-style chocolatier. For more options there is Hearne, a city about nine miles down the road. The closest big city is College Station, home to the main campus of Texas A&M University, about 45 minutes south.

INSIDE: The living areas — a living room (with bay window), dining room and den — have 13-foot ceilings and hardwood floors. The kitchen, which wasn’t added until the mid-1950s, has a breakfast room off of it, and off the breakfast room is a sun porch. One of the bedrooms has an outside entryway, and is currently used as an office. It shares a bathroom with the master bedroom, which has a gas fireplace and a bay window. The third bedroom is across the entry hall. A tower on the front of the house, originally used to let out hot air in the summer, has been sealed up. The former carriage house — now a two-car garage — has a second level used for storage.

OUTDOOR SPACE: A front yard, a front porch, a backyard and a brick patio shaded by live oaks

TAXES: $1,400 (approximate)

CONTACT: John Kennedy, for sale by owner (979) 364-2409; oldhouses.com

 

PHILADELPHIA

WHAT: A three-bedroom two-bath row house

HOW MUCH: $289,900

SIZE: 1,140

PER SQUARE FOOT: $254.30

SETTING: This house is on a residential block in East Falls, a neighborhood in Northwestern Philadelphia along the banks of the Schuylkill River. (The neighborhood was named for a group of falls about a mile west of this house, submerged when the Fairmount Dam was built four miles downriver during the early 19th century.) The Schuylkill River Trail, a multi-use path projected to run 130 miles once completed, is about a half-mile from the house, and continues along the edge of the river through the eastern section of Fairmount Park. The neighborhood’s main commercial street, Ridge Avenue, is about a block and a half from this house.

INSIDE: The house was built around 1910, but stripped to its party wall and renovated by the current owners about three years ago. On the main floor is an open-plan living and dining area, as well as a kitchen. Twelve-inch pine planks held down with hand-cut nails run through the living area. Upstairs are the bedrooms. The biggest, at the front of the house, has southeastern exposure, and all of the bedrooms feature closets and built-in cubbies designed by one of the current owners, a carpenter.

OUTDOOR SPACE: A brick patio and garden with raised beds, accessible from the kitchen.

TAXES: $1,227 a year

CONTACT: Robert Lamb, Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors (215) 248-6541; lambgroup.prudentialfoxroach.com

 

LIVINGSTON, MONT.

WHAT: A two-bedroom one-bath house on Wineglass Mountain

HOW MUCH: $279,000

SIZE: 1,698 square feet

PER SQUARE FOOT: $164.31

SETTING: This house is set on 20 sloping acres on Wineglass Mountain, where the southwestern end of Livingston fades into the Gallatin National Forest and Yellowstone National Park. Livingston is a city of about 7,000 on the Yellowstone River. The area is popular for its outdoor activities, but the city also supports an active arts community; a fly-fishing shop, in business for more than 70 years, is two blocks from about seven different galleries. Downtown is about 15 minutes away.

INSIDE: The house was built in 1998, with a log-sided exterior and knotty pine interior. On the main level is a great room with cathedral ceilings, a wood-burning stove and a wall of windows facing east toward central Livingston and the Crazy Mountains (or, for short, the Crazies, as the locals say). The kitchen cabinets have nature scenes burned into them, all done by one of the house’s owners. Two of the bedrooms are downstairs. Upstairs, there’s a lofted sleeping area that serves as a master bedroom, taking advantage of the top set of windows in the great room. Next to it is an office area.

OUTDOOR SPACE: Twenty acres with mountain views.

TAXES: $1,235 a year.

CONTACT: Gillian Swanson, ERA Landmark Western Land (406) 220-4340; gillianswanson.com

 
ROSEVILLE, CA

WHAT: A five-bedroom three-bath home, over 3000 sq ft

HOW MUCH: $289,950

SIZE: 3,046

PER SQUARE FOOT: $95.19

SETTING: This home shines with pride of ownership. Five bedrooms, 3 baths, over 3000 sq ft. Separate living/family rooms plus a grand game room upstairs big enough for everyone. Seller has updated with new roof, carpet, paint, bathrooms, lighting, fans, windows and more in 2007. Big 3 car garage and fabulous backyard you’ll want to relax in. Walk to elementary school, park and grocery store. This one is really unique in today’s market.

INSIDE: The house was built in 1993 and boasts a Bonus room, Master suite, Separate family room, Carpet Floor(s), Linoleum/vinyl Floor(s), Tile Floor(s), 220 Volt hook-up, Laundry room inside, Breakfast Nook, Formal Dining Area, Pantry Closet, Remodeled/Updated Kitchen, Tile Kitchen Counter, Dishwasher, Microwave, Oven – Double, Double Sinks in Master Bath, Remodeled/Updated Master Bathroom, Shower stall(s) in Master Bath, Tub in Master Bath, Walk-In Closet, Ceiling fan(s), Full dual pane, Whole house fan OUTDOOR SPACE: RV access possible.

TAXES: $3,624 a year.

CONTACT: Todd Slack, Prime California Homes & Lending (916) 508-4973; primecalifornia.com