The Holland Branch – Greg Merwin’s Tour of Greendale and Central

Heading north from Silverdale, the tour of the Holland Tract will cover Greendale to an uninhabited place indicated on maps labelled as Newtown or Newton. This tour was made possible by longtime Holland Tract resident Greg Merwin of Wetherbee Ranch.

L225-05-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 1 of 39)

Here is Greg in a south view at the remains of the SN crossing of the main canal in 2015. Greg was exactly the type of person the founders of the Holland Tract were looking to attract; college educated, with a degree in civil engineering from Stanford in 1956, and dedicated to the land, his family, and his community by assuming numerous leadership positions in the area.

L225-10-Stuart Swielder Photo, (Image 2 of 39)

A list of landowners and their holdings in the area in Mar. 1921 included Lester J. Holmes, Greg’s uncle. In summers during high school and college, Greg worked the land. He initially stayed on to farm one of the family fields after college, but in November of 1956 he moved to Bishop to join District IX’s Division of Highways to survey the freeway bypass of Tehachapi, among several projects.

L225-15-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 40990sn , (Image 3 of 39)

The SN obtained the right-of-way at Greendale from Greg’s Uncle Lester and Aunt Sarah, as well as the land for the freight station. The land for Central was also obtained by Lester Holmes’ dad and his brothers, George being one in particular. Greg was drafted into the Army on Apr. 1, 1957, and would spend about two years in California starting in the 549th Engineering Company focusing on topographic surveying.

L225-20-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 41015, (Image 4 of 39)

This map from 1920 of the Holland Tract landowners provides the location of the key parcels just presented. Among several Army-related projects, Greg’s highlight was a hike from White Mountain Peak at 14,242 ft. to Pellisier Flat to triangulate with surveyors near US 6, a hike he would have paid to do. After much time in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, he left the Army on Feb, 1, 1959, back to his family calling in the Holland Tract. Ref: G4363 Y6G46 1920 P7

L225-25-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 5 of 39)

As the Homes’ property was subdivided in the 1930s, Greg’s dad Herbert and Uncle Adolph formed a partnership, Merwin Bros., about 1931, buying property that included the Wetherbee Ranch for asparagus. After this partnership dissolved in 1959, Herbert with his brother-in-law Pete Hunn bought other Holmes’ property between Jefferson and Central, and the Guy Fraser Ranch, east of the SN and north of Clarksburg Rd. S.H. Merwin and Sons acquired Lester Holmes’ property in 2000. Ref: G4363 Y6 1939.S7

L225-28-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, G4363 Y6 1939.S7, (Image 6 of 39)

The railway trip from Silverdale first crossed the Main Drainage Canal by trestle. The trestle was filled in by 1984, and removed sometime between 1999 and 2002 leaving the trestle supports. The evidence for this follows.

L225-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64588 , (Image 7 of 39)

A view of the crossing from north-oriented aerials. The home built here dates to circa 2008. It is the first encountered since leaving Oxford that was built on the SN right-of-way after abandonment. It is conventional in design having been erected prior to condemnation of the levees. UC Davis Refs: 1937, ABB-50-118, 8-18-1937; 1957, ABB-70T-83, 9-18-1957; 1984, WAC-84C 5-152, 3-20-1984; 2014, Google Maps

L225-35-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 8 of 39)

The top two views and the bottom left image of the trestle support remnants were taken on the north-northwest rim of the crossing in 2015. The land on the north side is now part of the road to the private residence facing the crossing. The bottom right image faces northeast towards Jefferson Blvd. in 2015.

L225-40-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 9 of 39)

The four north-oriented aerial views show that the storage facilities at Greendale perished sometime after the railway stopped its deliveries in late 1972. The home here was built prior to the one to the south, dating to circa 2005 based on aerial reviews. Greg remembers Levi and Zentner written on the roof of the warehouse, which may account for the writing on roof in the 1937 aerial. Refs: same as L225-35

L225-45-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 10 of 39)

The organization of the facilities at Greendale in mid-1936 is shown here. The letters of negotiation between the SN and the original proprietors have not been found.

L225-50-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 26779sn, (Image 11 of 39)

The Greendale facilities on Sept. 4, 1936 were occupied by Holly Sugar and included a beet dumping platform. Greg recalls the warehouse office served WWII aircraft spotters. According to the 1957 Western Pacific, WP, Circular No. 167-E, Holly Sugar was still there with a 20 boxcar capacity. J. L. Russell Co. also shipped their vegetables, onions according to Greg, from this location with a capacity of 5 boxcars. The proposed buildings were never built.

L225-55-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 37071, (Image 12 of 39)

Then ahead to Apr. 23, 1969 to a diagram prepared for agricultural concern E.M. Mallett, Inc., a company particularly known for onions production, growing and shipping. Greg does not recall their presence here. Note the SN property line, quickly retreating to the east or top of the figure heading south or right.

L225-60-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 38560 , (Image 13 of 39)

As addressed in “The Road to Sorroca”, development of abandoned SN property has not been seamless. At Greendale, Greg would use the road south of 84 at Greendale to get to his land to the west, and the original owners of the house on the right-of-way told him not to trespass. His son Jeff, jointly with the homeowner, had it surveyed, and found it was his land, and the issue never came up again.

L225-65-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38560, Detail , (Image 14 of 39)

Next for details of the Greenville facility and surrounding area in the late 1940s-1950 era. A northeast view from the inspection trip of May 18, 1948 with MW 302 shows the shells of former railway cars. The Holly beet loader can be seen in the background. It reminded Greg when he would haul beets to the beet dump at Oxford, a device previously covered.

L225-70-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 113746sn, (Image 15 of 39)

A complementary southwest view, likely from the same 1948 inspection, shows the deserted car to the left that will be discussed next.

L225-75-W.S. Billings Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85165sn, (Image 16 of 39)

According to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, St. Louis Car Company built streetcar 22 for the Chico Railway in 1905, but it would end up being rebuilt in 1920 for interurban service on the SN Suisun-Vacaville line. It was converted to a caboose in 1928, and used until 1933. As seen here on May 18, 1948, it served as railway living quarters for an undetermined time afterward.

L225-80-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 129778sn, (Image 17 of 39)

The next series of images will follow MW 302’s entry into Greendale from the northeast. They all appear to be taken during the same May 18, 1948 inspection of the Holland line. This northeast view sets the stage for this event.

L225-85-Holmes Bros. Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 100242sn, (Image 18 of 39)

MW 302 is seen among the beet fields northeast of the Jefferson Blvd. during the May 18, 1948 inspection trip, northeast view.

L225-90-Courtesy BAERA, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85180sn, (Image 19 of 39)

In 2015, this is the southwest view of the former SN grade crossing at Jefferson Blvd. showing the Greendale sign added post-SN, and the two mailboxes denoting the two homes built along the road that have been mentioned above. The former right-of-way is overgrown, to the left or east of the sign.

L225-95-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 20 of 39)

Back to northeast views, MW 302 glides over the Jefferson Blvd. grade crossing during the May 18, 1948 inspection trip.

L225-100-Courtesy BAERA, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85179sn , (Image 21 of 39)

The same northeast view in 2015 along the now private road, the site of the former grade crossing to the right.

L225-105-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 22 of 39)

MW 302 moves further south prior to reaching the storage facility, northeast view.

L225-110-W.S. Billings Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85182sn, (Image 23 of 39)

By the second half of 1972, business south of Willow Point consisted solely of carting refrigerated boxcars or “reefers” to and from Greendale for onions. Dave Stanley was at the Greendale area documenting one of the last such trips, here SN GP7 711 with five empties to be dropped off at Greendale on August 7, 1972, with the diesel returning north without any cars later that day.

L225-115-Dave Stanley Photos, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018 , (Image 24 of 39)

One more image showing the surrounding area, with SN GP7 711 starting back from Greendale on August 7, 1972, south view. At this point these freights were moving at 15 mph or less due to the poor track conditions and overgrown vegetation.

L225-120-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 25 of 39)

Greg provided the four images shown are circa 1986 showing the beginning of the track removal in the Silverdale-Greendale area. He remembers once having shifted a boxcar of fertilizer to the warehouse at Silverdale using an old International TD 40 tracklayer diesel. It kept rolling when he stopped, and it bent the tractor roof sideways.

L225-125-Courtesy Greg Merwin, (Image 26 of 39)

Onward to Central.

L225-130-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64588 , (Image 27 of 39)

The MW 302 inspection train awaits boarding for the next destination, Central Ave. Northeast view, May 18, 1948.

L225-135-Ken Meeker Collection, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 28 of 39)

Like Oxford, the facilities at Central have endured the test of time, but they are falling apart. The black arrow indicates an addition made to the south warehouse, and Greg noted this occurred during WWII. There is one home on the property that is approximately 40 years old. All north-oriented aerials. UC Davis Refs: 1937, ABB-49-52, 8-18-1937; 1957, ABB-70T-81, 9-18-1057; 1984, WAC-84C 5-211, 3-20-1984; 2014, Google Maps

L225-140-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 29 of 39)

The layout at Central from Nov. 29, 1929 is shown. A detail follows.

L225-145-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39093, (Image 30 of 39)

A detail of the arrangement of packing houses from Nov. 29, 1929 is shown. According to the 1957 Western Pacific, WP, Circular No. 167-E, F.S. King was still using the facilities for vegetables, with a siding accommodating 4 boxcars. Greg noted that J.L. Russell’s son-in-law, Bob Beach, moved the business to the south warehouse where they operated out of into the 1960s.

L225-150-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39093, (Image 31 of 39)

Central appears to be the first place since the Oxford starting point where the SN would sell some of its property in the packing house areas during operation, based on this letter from 1946. Why this deal was arranged has not been uncovered.

L225-155-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 40996 , (Image 32 of 39)

Ted Wurm may have walked the whole line in 1940, but this north view at Central Ave., top, is all that has been accounted for. From about the same spot in 2015, below. An impressive thicket of blackberry bushes occupies the right-of-way. Greg noted that the south warehouse collapsed due to rust, because it was constructed with primed, rather than galvanized tin, and it was never painted.

L225-160-Ted Wurm Photo, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch. and Stuart Swiedler, (Image 33 of 39)

A rare south view heading to Central in 1969, left, contrasted with 2015, right. It almost appears as if some of the rail is missing, but not if the date is correct and the switch track is set for straight-ahead travel. Greg noted that Peters Wheeler Seeds occupied the other warehouse, through at least the 1970s, but he was unsure if they ever used the SN.

L225-165-Tom Irion Photo, Courtesy John Snyder, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 34 of 39)

SN GP7 711 with the iced reefers shown heading to Greendale were greeted at Central as they headed south to the former on Aug. 7, 1972. Greg commented that the building furthest north constructed of cement blocks was part of an alfalfa dehydrator that he doubts was ever used by the SN.

L225-170-Dave Stanley Photos, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 35 of 39)

Harre Demoro visited the site with Vernon Sappers, seen in the image, in 1985 and documented this north view. The lone aluminum-framed window seen here in the now collapsed section marks Bob Beach’s office according to Greg.

L225-175-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 36 of 39)

A complementary south view from 1985. As a child, Greg remembers when green peas they grew went to Central and Valdez where the hampers were showered with ice water, or inundated with it, both methods using conveyor belts. After this cooling step, they would go directly into the SN reefers.

L225-180-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 37 of 39)

For the record, a north view from north of the abandoned packing houses, left, and a south view from Central Ave., right, both from 2015. Thanks to Greg Merwin for the tour and his insights. He was honored by the Yolo Land Trust in 2016 for his eight years of service on its board and his conservation efforts. The founding fathers of the Holland Tract would have been pleased.

L225-185-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 38 of 39)

As for Newton or Newtown, no information has been found, and Greg didn’t know it existed until he saw it on a map. The 1937 north-directed aerial, right, including an insert showing its position relative to Central, reveals a long siding filled with boxcars that spanned the joining of the Tule Canal and Main Drainage Canal. In 2020, there appears to be a collection of lumber at that site. Onward to Coniston.

L225-190-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 39 of 39)