Black's Station In Yolo County, California Photograph, circa 1890

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Summary

Abstract:
A photograph of Peter Roth's residence at Black's Station in Yolo County, California, a way station and depot for farmers, travelers, and others during the early years of development.
Extent:
1 photographic print
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Black's Station In Yolo County, California Photograph, MC385, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.

Background

Scope and content:

A photograph of Peter Roth's residence at Black's Station in Yolo County, California, a way station and depot for farmers, travelers, and others during the early years of development.

The photo shows a farmhouse with seven people standing on both the upstairs and downstairs porches (a man on the lower porch wearing a hat may be Peter Roth). A horse, buggy, and baby carriage appear on the road in front of the house, and a windmill can be seen on the far right in the background.

Biographical / historical:

Historical description supplied by the bookseller.

Located on the Northern Railway, the settlement of Black's Station, also known simply as Black's and later as Zamora, was originally the home of pioneer James J. Black, who settled there in 1865. When the railway reached Black's farm during its extension from Woodward to Red Bluff, he donated ten acres for the depot and grounds, establishing Black's Station. After purchasing three lots from Black in 1875, C. H. Smart constructed a house and a blacksmith shop. William Dorgan and Robert M. Huston followed Smart and bought lots in 1876. Robert Huston and his brother Edward opened the first store in 1876. In 1879, Black's Station Post Office was established, and Huston was appointed postmaster. In 1877, the plan for the town of Black's Station (10.8 acres) was filed. A. C. Turner opened the first hotel in town, and later a grain warehouse was erected.

Black's Station, from its inception, was an important shipping depot for the large farms in the vicinity. The arrival of the Yolo County Consolidated Water Company in 1903 added much to the importance of the place and stimulated business. A new packing plant was finished in 1903, adding a fruit center to the Station. Black's was also home to an Odd Fellows lodge. Black's Station became Zamora in 1906.

Peter Roth, the house owner in this photo, was originally from Tulare, California. Roth married Mary Flynn in 1878, and in 1890, he served as Vice President of the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union. In 1890, he was also the President of the Odd Fellows Hall at Black's Station. Roth's brother was the California Senator John Roth, a prominent figure in the Farmers' Alliance movement.

REFERENCES:

Gregory, Tom. History of Yolo County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county… (Los Angeles: Historic Record Co., 1913) at The CAGenWeb Project online

Woodland Daily Democrat (Woodland California, 22 Oct. 1890)

Pacific Rural Press, Vols. 39–40 (1890), p. 475.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from James E. Arsenault Company in March 2024.
Processing information:

Vanessa Cardona Ocegueda created the finding aid with information supplied by the bookseller, James E. Arsenault & Company.

Physical location:
Researchers should contact Archives and Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored off site.
Physical facet:
Bromide print 6.15" x 8.25", on a larger paperboard mount. Captioned in ink on mount below.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Black's Station In Yolo County, California Photograph, MC385, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Davis, Special Collections, UC Davis Library
100 NW Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292, US
Contact:
(530) 752-1621
speccoll@ucdavis.edu
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