April 20, 2012

Oroville Mercury Register
May 9, 1962
News of Butte County Servicemen Caption of Picture Out of Boot Camp
Robert Noel, left, and James D. Acklin recently completed navy boot camp at San Diego and are now home on leave. Robert B. Noel, 19, son of Mr. and Mer. S. E. Noel, Midway Dr., has just completed his recruit training at San Diego Naval Training Center, and is home on two-week leave before reporting to the anti-submarine carrier USS Kearsarge, now berthed in Long Beach. Noel is an airman apprentice striking for aviation machinist’s mate. He attended Oroville High School.
James S. Acklin, 19, son of Mrs. Helen J. Cuhre, of Forbestown, has just completed his recruit training at San Diego Naval Training Center and is home on two-week leave. Acklin, a seaman apprentice, will report to the Class A Radioman School in San Diego. He attended Oroville High School.

Two Oroville men are serving together in the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment in Baumholder, Germany. Pfc. Walton W. Judson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walton Judson of Route 4, is serving as a mortarman, and Pfc. Douglas A. Smith son of Mrs. Edith Mary Jo Smith, Virginia Ave. is a scout jeep driver. They are both assigned to the regiment’s A Troop, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron. Both men entered the army last July and took basic training at Fort Ord.

(Continued from last week)
From : The Feather River Territorial Special Edition 1959 By James Lenhoff
Pioneer Railroad Financiers said it was preposterous! Engineers said it was impossible! But the Argonauts of Oroville did it anyway. Thomas Wells, popular local attorney and man-about-town, was sitting in a secluded corner of the Bank Exchange saloon, putting the finishing touches on his welcome oration, while George Crossette, editor of the Butte Record, first newspaper in the county, was discharging his complicated duties as Marshall of the Day. Brigadier General John E. Bidwell had just arrived on the morning stage from Chico to oversee the military exhibitions scheduled for the celebration, and he was presently conferring with his staff at the Armory. Members of the Oroville Brass Band were tuning their instruments, and bartenders were busy hauling choice wines up from the subterranean network of basements which undermined the city. “Soda Bill” was running around town stocking the outdoor refreshment strands with his sparkling, home –brewed ginger beers, and the many innkeepers were rummaging through old store rooms to find enough beds to sleep the large number of visitors who planned to stay over night.
At 10:45 a.m. everyone lined the boardwalks along the parade route, waiting anxiously for the sound of the shiny new steam-whistle to pierce the crisp morning air. At 11:00 a.m. there was complete silence as every ear strained to hear the whistle first. Crossette and Wells stood nervously on the rostrum, surveying the grand assemblage which sprawled before them. Everything had been perfect up to this point. Even the weather had cooperated with crystal-clear skies. The Oroville Artillery were standing in their places behind cannon and powder kegs, and the Oroville Guards stood at parade-rest, proud of their new army blues.

Suddenly a miner on horse-back galloped down the tracks yelling at the top of his lungs, “She’s a comin’! She’s a comin’ like a ------out of h----!”
(To be continued)
Stu: Oroville between Myers and Huntoon, 1864.

Stu’s Notes: Tonight, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, I went before the Oroville City Council to request two modern Flag poles in front of City Hall. Strong enough to fly among the other flags the city has, a Blue Star Flag that represents the Oroville Area Service men and women who are over seas. As I write these words our area has many “Over There”, we must show support for them and this is a proper way. Many over seas have face book, my daughter, Debbie is in the Oroville National Guard, she and others here at home are in contact with them. They could see these flag’s and I think they would really like this back home support. They should always be on our minds. The Oroville Veteran’s Memorial Park for All of Butte County Committee is now raising money to buy these flags. Let’s put them all around Oroville. I recently talked to a board of directors in Thermalito and they are looking into a new flag pole, it would sure look nice flying there. Their name will be in this column when the pole us up.

For some reason I felt compelled to go to our old cemetery on the former Marysville road, now Feather River Blvd, I went right to the Civil War Memorial and was shocked to see the Civil War Cannon Balls gone. More on that next week. Every once in a while, in down town Oroville, things fall into a hole made by those old basements or Gold mines.