Welcome to the Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce

(#1) 1975 The three room Clay School Building (temporarily closed in 2008 for structural repairs) and Restrooms were purchased for $1.00 from the Clay Joint Elementary School District and moved from the NW comer of Smith and Saginaw Avenues, (5 miles NE of Kingsburg) their original location, to the Kingsburg Historical Park. The building’s roof was taken off, with the remainder of the building cut into 3 sections, moved and put back together. The building was built in 1913 and served the Clay District for 62 years. Before the move, the bell in the tower was transferred to the new Clay School building. The bell in the belfry today is the Harrison School bell. The Harrison School was located on the NE comer of Zediker (Road 24) and Kamm Avenues, 3 miles NE of Kingsburg. The Clay School building was the first building to be located in the Historical Park.

Housed in the Clay Museum Building are early day artifacts of clothing, household items, pictures of the city and surrounding area, pictures of schools and class pictures, musical instruments, military uniforms, communications media systems, business machines, a loom, just to name a few categories.

Pictures of schools and pictorials with students from Kingsburg High School, Clay, Canal, Kings River, Traver, Roosevelt, Washington & Lincoln schools are displayed. One room in the Clay Museum Building is a replica of an actual Clay Schoolroom of the 1920s - 1970s. By the 1940s the wood stoves had been replaced by oil burning heaters. The Museum visitor will enjoy seeing much more than what has been described above. For example, the year 1854 carved upon a wood stake denoting John Charles Fremont's visit to what would become the NW comer of Academy and Kamm Avenues, Kingsburg, California! Also one can view and read the very first issue of the Kingsburg Recorder which made its appearance on November 30, 1904!! The Recorder celebrated its 100th birthday in November of 2004!!!

(#2) 1981 The Olson/Ball House was moved from 1400 Earl Street (SE comer of Marion & Earl Streets) in Kingsburg to the Historical Park. The Kingsburg Catholic Church donated the house to the Society. Peter Olson built the house in 1908 and lived in the house with his family. Olson was a carpenter by trade. The family of Joe and Etta Bernice Ball (local merchants) and daughter Pocahontas Ball Edginton and Grandson, John Edginton, were long time residents of the house. Jean Smith, Madeline Kinsman and Elsa Smith are credited with supervising the interior redecorating. Various citizens of the community made substantial donations to the refurbishing. There is a 12 place dinnerware setting, pieces of which are brought out at various times, hand painted by a local artisan.

(#3) 1979 The Tank House was moved from Jack Tapp's farm on Conejo Avenue (Sierra St.), just west of the Kingsburg Industrial Park, to the Historical Park. When the tank house was in use, there was water pumped by a windmill, (later by an electric motorized pump), to an approximately 600 gallon galvanized tank (many were uncovered) at the top of the 3 story building. The 2nd story was used for sleeping quarters or storage. The ground floor, in some cases, was lined with brick and plaster or cement and used as an above ground cellar.

Now began a collection of farm machinery, equipment, early printing presses and household items; thus adding to the collection in the Depot Museum.

(#4) 1990 The Medical Building houses many of the fixtures and equipment from the office of the late Ewald Larson, MD, an early day physician and surgeon. Dr. Larson's daughter, Carolyn Larson Moen, donated financially towards the construction of the building. The fixtures in the Dentist's Office are largely from the office of the late Conrad Kolander - DDS. The two doctors were Kingsburg Elementary and Kingsburg High School classmates. Pharmacist, Gordon Satterberg, (Model Drug Store owner) a Kingsburg native and one who served as Kingsburg's Mayor for 18 years, was instrumental in collecting the items and furnishing the Drug Store that is located at the North end of the Medical Building.

(#5) This Pole Shed was originally built to house farm equipment; however a need for a picnic area became more important - hence, the Barbecue/Picnic Shelter became a reality.

(#6) The William Moore Barn, on Road 40 (South of Avenue 400) was dismantled and rebuilt at the Park.

(#7) Every historical park should have a shop; and this is ours!

(#8) 1983 The Combined Grain Harvester (a Harris Combine) was donated by Don Jackson and arrived at this Historical Park in December of 1983. The Harvester was on the South Lake Farms property in the Tulare Lake Basin approximately 56 miles Southwest of Kingsburg when Don Jackson and two partners purchased South Lake Farms in 1981. A write-up about this harvester is posted on the harvester as written by Mr. Robert Hull who joined the South Lake Farms Staff in 1959 and was the Farm's Superintendent from 1967 - 1981. Mr. Hull credits Fred Salyer, Ed Anderson, Bill Franks and Bill Lemay with giving him pertinent information.

(#9) The Heritage Building in the NW comer of the Historical Park was completed in October 2004 with a generous financial grant from the Larry Hillblom Foundation. This building houses a covered wagon, several buggies, an old truck and other large artifacts.

(#10) An early day service station with several gas pumps displayed.

(#11) The Tractor Shed houses some vintage tractors and several other pieces of early day farm equipment. This shed received a cement floor in 2003.

(#12) 1982 The Olson Brothers Implements & Farm Machinery Display Building was built to house examples of farm equipment sold by the company which had its beginnings in the Reedley, California area on the farms of Andrew Olson and his brother Olaf Olson. The business moved to 1530 Marion Street in Kingsburg in 1910. The Olson Brothers built and sold some of the earliest farming equipment in the San Joaquin Valley.

The business was subsequently taken over by another set of brothers namely Ray and Archie Olson, sons of Andrew Olson. The Park visitor will be able to read a description about and view some of the many items exhibited. The Olson Brothers Manufacturing business closed in 1976.

(#13) 1991 The Bottle & Antique Items Room on the South end of the Olson Bros. Building was built by Archie Olson, Stanley Ahlstrand and Manford Munson to house some of Ray Olson's collectibles of which the Bottle Collection is of major emphasis. Ray's brother Archie furnished the room, making the display cases. Also notable in this room are miniature replicas of some of the Olson Brothers Manufacturing Company's farm equipment and miscellaneous items. The room was built as a Memorial to Ray Olson who was one of several Founding Fathers of the Kingsburg Historical Society.

(#14) 1994 A replica of an early day City of Kingsburg Firehall-Hose Company No. 1 was built to house a 1928 Lafrance fire truck, and a more "modem day" fire truck, (GMC Model 630) plus a retired ambulance, all having been donated by the City of Kingsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Also, along with the above donations, came many Fire Department pictures and firemen's clothing which are of special interest.
In the North room of the Firehall one can view several pieces of printing equipment used by the Kingsburg Recorder in days of yore.

(#15) 1975 This Restroom Building came with the Clay School Building. The inside of the building has been modernized while keeping the outer shell in its original form. This was done by the City of Kingsburg and completed in March of 2006.

(#16) 1989 Rieffel's Grocery Store was built and the many furnishings came from the original Kingsburg Meat Co. located at 1398 Draper St. - the SW comer of Marion & Draper The Rieffels were grocery merchants, at this location for a number of years.

(#17) 1989 The Hall of Fame was built with a gift from the late Harry and Freda Aslan; he a local Grower, Packer & Shipper of Fruits & Grapes. Mr. Aslan was a very active Kingsburg Lions Club member and Past President of Lions Club International. It houses memorabilia presented to him on his worldwide travels. The building also houses pictures and data on many local residents such as pictures of the City of Kingsburg Mayors, and the Junior and Senior Citizens of the year for Kingsburg. There are also pictures and/or materials related to other Kingsburg notables, namely Rafer Johnson, Jimmy Johnson, Monte Clark and Weston Anderson. Honored too is Bruce Thiesen, a past Commander of the National American Legion. Much of his memorabilia is also housed in the Hall of Fame.

(#18) 1989 Mrs. Al Marshall donated the Covered Wagons (4 of them were seen when you entered the Park) and Windmills (the windmills were seen earlier on your tour) her husband during his lifetime was a local dairyman. The wagons had graced the yard in front of the Marshall Dairy on Avenue 384 east of Freeway 99, Kingsburg, California.
** See note below.

Many tourists and school children came to the dairy to admire these wagons over the years. The Marshall’s daughter, Maxine Marshall Olson of Kingsburg, a noted artist in her own right, restored the wagons in the spring of 2004.