‘Bye George

The St. George Hotel, a grand wooden structure, managed to survive several fires that destroyed many early buildings downtown. However, in 1918, George Amerige sold the hotel to the Whiting Meade Wrecking Company for just $1300. Plans were underway to build “business blocks” in the area, so after serving as a hub for local social activities for 30 years, the hotel was demolished. In its place, a row of new buildings was erected on East Commonwealth, each featuring unique tile treatments in the front and at least two different brick colors above. The outlines of the block were designed to resemble the wooden storefronts that once populated the area.

The hotel was located away from the corner, providing space for locals to travel by horse and buggy or bicycle before the advent of modern transportation. New buildings had already been constructed on Spadra while the hotel was still standing. Thanks to Cheri Pape for providing these images, which vividly depict the transformation of downtown into its present-day appearance.

The vintage photo was taken in 1910 when the building that now houses Mickey’s was nearing completion. Despite the extensive planning it took to make each space unique, the Central Business Guidelines of the 1980s seemed to want some sort of cohesive look for signage and even designated what color and type of awnings should be installed. This made it difficult for potential customers driving by to be aware that there were multiple businesses on Commonwealth, Harbor, and their side streets. The Fullerton Downtown Business Association presented a photo study of other downtowns to our City Council, and as a result, the guidelines were relaxed. Today, the row of structures once again reflects the variety of shops and eateries on the “Amerige Block,” named after George Amerige, as was the Hotel.

Chalk On Wilshire

It’s not easy to create a public event with only a handful of volunteers, but the supporters of Walk On Wilshire pulled off C.O.W. on October 5 with a number of booths, live music, giveaways, and, of course, hundreds of budding chalk artists. Shade from the tall buildings downtown helped save the day since it really cooled down the asphalt, and as you can see, most of the area was covered in color.

The original date was canceled during that brutal 100-degree-plus heat wave we experienced last month. This creative and fun event generated a lot of support for keeping the area open, and many signed petitions at the Save WoW booth in advance of the City Council Meeting on October 15. By the time this is published, we may know the fate of this area. Will it once again see vehicular traffic or remain a space for dining and special events?

The Big O

The big ‘O’ donut is on South Harbor; the O is the donut on the sign. You knew that because B&B Donuts has been around for 40 years –their glazing is amazing. 40 years of success is an anniversary any business should to be very proud of, and so they are. With competition on every corner and holes in every product to deal with, you gotta be special to make it in that environment, and they are that. Let us know your B&B story for our next edition when we post some photos of the October 12 event. Maybe you were there for the Lit video shoot years ago, or a special time with friends, or even this morning.

All Aboard

Runaway train? Haunted train? How about Trick or Treat during the day? Why not stop by the Fullerton Train Museum on Saturday, October 19, from 9am to noon. Yes, there will be ghosts, and it’s FREE. Donations accepted of course, bring everyone downtown and give your costumes and candy limit a test run. It’s at the train station, of course.

Photo Quiz

Send answer to Mike at AllMedia@sbcglobal.net

This time: On what block are these blocks found?

Last time: Scott and Cooper knew it was Metallica, but oddly, metalheads Brent and Sasha did not.