PLOUGHSHARE & PRUNING HOOK

Volume 3 Number 9December 1998

Winchester Service Organizations Buy Windows

   The Winchester Women's Club and the Winchester Homeowners Association have each purchased a window in the Patterson House. We still have eight windows and one door available on the top floor and depending which spots these two organizations pick a door and two or three windows on the bottom floor. Work has already begun on the bottom floor and will continue. Thanks go to these two fine organizations for their help. Remember we plan to have "community windows" so even a small donation to the fund will let you become a part of this ongoing project.

Remember that life's most treasured moments often come unannounced.

God grant me patience.............and I want it right now.

Word Perfect Taint Perfect

   They tell us that computers are the wave. We have ones that you can talk to and they type. We have word processing programs that will do spelling and grammar check. Now if they can invent one to make it idiot proof this humble writer will not have to blush anymore.

   Here is the living proof that if it can happen it will. In our letter asking  the Winchester Women's Club for their support we typed the following sentence. "A donation of $300.00 to our group will allow us to restore a widow and put an appropriate marker dedicated to the women of Winchester." We have been informed that this brought a chuckle to the club at their meeting and their letter dated November 12, 1998 which had a check enclosed had this response. "As we discussed on 11/11/98, your letter stated that a $300 donation would allow your group to restore a "widow." If this is, in fact, the project your group has decided to undertake, please contact me further, as several of our Club members volunteered -with great enthusiasm- for the project."

   O.K. all as soon as you get through laughing please look and see the bright red glow from this writers office.

Historic List Released

   After many months the consultant that put together the list of historic locations that could be used for a tourism package for the County of Riverside has released their findings. Many sites in the area are included and it is hoped that this list will generate a plan to bring tourist and also funding to restore some sites.

   Do to an oversight however all the sites in the Winchester area were accidently left off. We have been in contact with the county officials in this regards and have been invited to put some input into the final list in the near future. If you can think of any sites to be included that should be added please contact the society at the places mentioned just below

Who We Are

   The Ploughshare & Pruning Hook is published each month by the Winchester Historical Society of Pleasant Valley. The sole purpose is the let the community and others interested in preserving our history a glimpse into our past, present, and future history. We can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 69, Winchester, California 92596-0069 or by phone at (909) 926-4039. Donations to help support this newsletter and other activities are tax deductible as a gift to charity. We also accept gift writings about our local history and will publish them as space permits. Guest speakers and displays are available upon request. E-mail the society at gregg@koan.com.

New Equipment Ordered

   Well digging out the plastic I decided to order a larger hard drive to store more historic papers and pictures for the society. Also I ordered a scanner so we can take pictures and documents and add them to newsletters and our future website. This was done at no expense to the society. So, if you have any old pictures or documents you would like to share with us let us know and when this all arrives we will contact you. Remember we return all originals if you desire them back.

Merry Christmas To All

  The society would like to wish one and all a merriest of Christmas' and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Come join us on our meeting night and take an one hour break away from the hustle and bustle of the season. Bring you favorite story of a Christmas past and share it with us. See below for our meeting time and place.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Tidbits From Our Past

08-09-1894 Feed must be getting exceedingly short in the mountains these days, as deer are trespassing on the foothill orchards of Diamond Valley. Tuesday, we understand, Charlie Stoddard while on a visit to the Winter's ranch in Diamond Valley, killed a deer in the orchard that had evidently been starved out from the mountains and braved death to feed off young orchard trees.

08-09-1894 Rah for the irrigation district! A bid from P. L. Griffin for $20,000 worth of bonds of the district has been received and accepted by the board. A large amount of much needed work can now be prosecuted. Shafts and wells will be sunk, pumping will begin on a larger scale, and a large amount of additional water will be developed.--- Winchester Recorder

08-09-1894 At Winchester developments are under way which promise to be very successful. In an excavation down 12 feet, 20 feet wide, 200 feet long, a 4-horse power engine cannot keep the water down so as to admit of further excavation. The flow seems to come direct from the mountains

08-09-1894 The firm of Brown & Acorn of Winchester, has gone up, leaving many creditors to mourn over bills unpaid.

08-30-98 Mrs John Stuart of Winchester, spent Sunday with Mrs. W. P. Fowler, and remained over to attend the Citizens' meeting Monday evening. Mrs. Stuart is the Populist candidate for County School Superintendent, and she is entirely capable of filling the office in an efficient and satisfactory manner.

08-30-98 A tremendous thunderstorm visited the section lying south of Diamond Valley Sunday evening. The lightening was of the "chain" variety and seemed to split the heavens in two with often three "chains" at one time.

08-30-98 Winchester is to give a Delsarte* entertainment Friday evening, August 31st. *O. K. all what is "Delsarte?" Give me a definition and win a free 1 year subscription to the newsletter, as if we charged for it anyway.

Fun Stuff From the San Jacinto Register

08-09-1894 Green corn reaching to the phenomenal height of twelve to fifteen feet can be found growing around Wright's hot springs. The warm water is an improvement upon cold irrigation.

08-09-1894 Rev. A. W. Thompson writes from Long Beach that the expense of a trip to Catalina only averages $1 per day.

08-09-1894 The young hoodlums that prowl around this town when honest people are at home in bed will soon be shown up in good light by having their names published in this paper. The hoodlums that were at the Rink Tuesday evening while the City Marshal was at the meeting of the City council will have a fine to pay some of these days.

In the year ending August 12, 1894 four children were born to Winchester residents.

On August 16, 1894 the Republican County Central Committee of Riverside county selected the following three people to serve in and upcoming election to select four delegates.

Nelson Beardsley.................Judge

W. Bruce........................Inspector

B McEuen............................Clerk

Polling Place...Lindeberger's Real Estate office.

Never forget the debt you owe to all those who have come before you.

Give everyone a smile.