PLOUGHSHARE & PRUNING HOOK

Volume 3 Number 3June 1998

Long Time Winchester Resident Kenny Young Remembered

   We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Kenny Young, a long time resident of Winchester. Kenny had lived in the community for 59 years and owned a ranch here for many years. He was also in demand for many years as a square dance caller throughout southern California. Kenny also served in the Navy during World War 2 as a lieutenant from 1934 to 1946. Kenny passed away at age 87, May 26th, the day after Memorial Day. We were fortunate enough to have been able to sit and talk with Kenny about his recollections of life here in Winchester and of his childhood.

   Kenny was a founding member of the Owen Graham V.F.W. Post that was once located in Winchester. He served as it's first Commander.

   Kenny is survived by his wife Julia; a daughter Bertha Cadenhead, a sister, and 2 grandchildren.

  The family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Winchester Historical Society, P.O. Box 69, Winchester, Ca. 92596 of which he was a founding member.

Reunions Highlight May Happenings

   The Alamos and Hyatt Schools combined reunion were held this last month at the Lake Skinner Park. Former students came from all over the United States to celebrate memories of there time in the Auld and French Valleys. Stories and pictures were flowing about as these ex students chatted around tables much like the tables they traded dreams many years ago at lunchtime. Down the road sits the old Alamos School currently being restored by the County Parks Department to be used for a visitors center. The old Hyatt School sits on private land nearby awaiting it's fate. Will it be preserved or fade away like so much of our history does.

   The second reunion took place at Valley Wide Parks as old timers came from all over for the annual Pioneer Picnic. By all reports this was the best picnic ever. People gathered around the displays of historic pictures and artifacts. Again they traded stories and memories.

Window Sold

   In our campaign to restore the Patterson house we are selling the doors and windows as tributes or memorials to organizations and families. We are happy to announce that the Robert Domenigoni Family have purchased one this last month and that others have said they intend to do the same. By years end it is hoped we will have the house secured as far as weather related. If you would like to help the cost of a door or window is $300. Or you may join in one of the windows with any contribution. We have designated at least one window as a community window.

   Also we are grateful to a member of our society for donating the cost of publishing this newsletter for one month. We currently distribute some 175 of these each month at a cost of about $50.

Newspaper Project

   The University of California has taken on a project of trying to record and save old newspapers of the state. They have asked us for our help in locating any old copies of local newspapers. We have some copies of the original Ploughshare & Pruning Hook and the Winchester Recorder. If you or your family have any additional copies please contact the Society so we might have them microfilmed. All originals will be returned unless they are donated to the society. Thanks for your help.

Memories Sought

   With so many  events happening this month it brought to mind one of our goals as a society. We are fortunate to have recorded some conversations with Kenny Young and have received in the past many articles and pictures from people who have lived in the area. We are still looking for any people who want to send us either on loan or a donation things they remember while growing up in the area. To give you an idea of what area we look at think of the triangle not in the area of the three museums in our general vicinity. We have the Hemet Area Museum to the east and Perris to the west then south is the Temecula museum. We also include the Diamond Valley, Menifee Valley, Auld, and French Valley areas.

   We very much would like any writings you might want to send us and we can publish them in the newsletter or just keep them for our future museum.

Historical Tidbits From Our Past

05/18/1893 More farming machinery has been purchased by the farmers of this valley this season than during any other for several years past, so say old residents.

05/18/1893 Rev. I. R. Lovejoy, accompanied by his family, left Tuesday morning for his ranch near Murrieta, where the remainder of this week will be spent.

05/18/1893 Miss. Bessie Rhodes, of Colton, is visiting at the home of her sister, Mrs. F. L. Loveland, two miles east of town.

05/18/1893 S. P. Sowden, the Perris Methodist minister, spent Thursday with friends and relatives in this place.

05/18/1893 To use a popular expression, "one of the crying needs' of Winchester is a good hotel.

05/18/1893 Oscar Wees shipped two carloads of barley last Thursday.

05/18/1893 J. H. Jones has begun the erection of a neat little cottage for Geo. G. Glodfelty on Lincoln avenue.

05/25/1893 Winchester is having a building boom on a small scale.

05/25/1893 Residents near the north ditch are irrigating their orchards.

05/25/1893 H. B. Helfinstine and son have recently purchased a combined header and thrasher.

05/25/1893 For two or three hours Monday Morning we had quite a hrd wind which did a little damage to some of the grain.

05/25/1893 A gay party of surprisers repaired to the residence of John Patterson in East Winchester last Saturday evening at an early hour. The surprise was for Miss. Jessie and was complete. The company consisted of eight or ten young couples, who were quite royally entertained until a late hour.

"A Hairbreath(?) Escape"

   Last weeks Recorder tells of the "Hairbreath(?) Escape" of a young man well known by and in whom the writer feels a great amount of interest. It seems that he was not aware (but he soon found out) of the aversion a horse which he hitched to a buggy had at an open bridle but declared that he was not in the least bit injured after picking himself up from the spot where he struck terra firma, after leaving the buggy, which, finding that it could no longer follow the swift flying steed, (for reason it had  come in contact with a solidly set gate post) had suddenly stopped. But, sad to relate, some of the spectators who did not even have to buy a ticket to see the circus, could not refrain from stretching the story of this young gentleman's "Hairbreath(?) Escape" at the same time giving him consolation to the best of their ability. Sad, but true, nevertheless.

   The "Recorder" mentioned in this 1893 article is the old Winchester Recorder. This like all tidbits come from old newspapers on microfilm at the Hemet Public Library.