People's University & American Art Porcelain - The work of The University City Pottery

People's University (Lewis 1907 - 1912)

   The information found in today's article are excerpts from an article written by Paul F. Evans in the December 1971 edition of Spinning Wheel, The National Magazine about Antiques.  The article demonstrates another example of Edward G. Lewis' ability to attract highly talented individuals to assist in working towards the goal of furthering the opportunities available for communities.  The 1910 Dean and Director of the Art Institute in University City, George Zolnay's bronze, "The Pioneer" may be viewed at the Atascadero Colony Museum.  The statuary fountains around the Historic Administration Building as well as the round "cameo" style insets in the lower rotunda are by Zolnay also.  Pottery and porcelains by Doat and Robineau may periodically be seen on display in our museum on loan from a private collection.

American Art Porcelain – Two

The work of The University City Pottery

   Edward Gardner Lewis, a man of many talents and ambitions which centered largely around a group of co-related publishing, educational, and business enterprises, launched the American Woman's League in 1907.  An editorial in the American Woman's League indicates that the plan and purpose of the League – dedicated to “the integrity and purity of the American home, with wider opportunity for American women” - centered about the People's University.  Members of the League were entitled to enroll in correspondence courses; during the first full year of operation in 1910, a total enrollment in excess of 50,000 had been recorded.  All instruction was given by that means, with one exception: women of superior talent were invited to University City as honor students to study under the personal instruction of the staff there assembled.

   At University City, schools of education, language, commerce and administration, journalism, and photography were planned, but none were developed to the extent of the Art Institute.  The germ of that Institute was Lewis' own artistic interests and his amateur ceramic work, a skill which was self-taught using Taxile Doat's textbook, Grand Feu Ceramics, translated by Samuel Robineau.

   The faculty of the institute was most impressive; George Julian Zolnay, internationally renowned sculptor, was Dean and Director.  John H. Vanderpoel, Director of the School of Painting, was the leading instructor at The Art Institute of Chicago.  Antoinette P. Taylor was the Instructor of Metal and Leather work, and Mrs. Prudence Stokes Brown of Elementary Handwork.  Taxile Doat, known throughout the world for his exceptional work at the National Manufactory of Severes, was engaged as Director of the School of Ceramic Art...

   Both Lewis and his wife, Mable G., modeled, decorated, and fired earthenware and porcelains, and examples of their work can be found with their names or initials.  So great was their interest that when Lewis founded the town of Atascadero, the California colony of the American Woman's Republic...  At one time it was contemplated that the Institute be moved from University City to Atascadero but that never materialized...  Plaques modeled by Mrs. Lewis were made by Doat at University City for the new colony.  These bore the facial designation “Atascadero; Nymph of Springs,” one possible meaning of the town name.

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341

Atascadero Centennial Daffodil Project Has Deep Roots

This project was conceived by Lee Swam as a way to beautify Atascadero in general and Colony Homes specifically in advance of our Centennial celebration which is only 2 years away.  The goal is to plant 25,000 bulbs prior to the celebration.  So far, 3200 bulbs have been planted around town.  Seed money was provided by the Atascadero Mutual Water Company to kick off the project. Among others involved are the Chamber of Commerce, Rabobank, Teens at Work, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. This project has roots and bulbs that go back 88 years or more. For example, the Thalia bulb was introduced in 1916 coinciding with beginning of the Colony Home period; February Gold and Mrs. R.O. Backhouse were introduced in 1923 and the Carlton bulb in 1927.

This week, 88 years ago in 1923 a letter was submitted to the Editor, H.J. Loken, Atascadero News in response to his call for the community to submit ideas for the ‘Atascadero The Beautiful’ campaign.  This reprint of that letter illustrates the timeliness of the current community effort.

“Dear Editor: “Beautify Our Homes” would be a good slogan for Atascadero for the next two years at least.  Your editorial concerning this will no doubt bring ready response from many of us who came here because of the beauty of nature which surrounds Atascadero.  The Nature Club is doing much to enable us to see with our eyes, hear with our ears, in short to use our senses to the utmost to appreciate the beauties so bounteously bestowed by Nature upon us. 

The people will find it ready at all times to render assistance to the limit of its ability.  So far it has utilized its time in learning our flowers, birds, trees, rocks, etc. but what a noble work it could do and will do if everyone interested will do his little to help.  A handful of seed gathered by one is not much but think of the marvelous beauty that could be created if a thousand people brought a handful of seed and the Nature Club saw to the planting and rearing of the seed and its young plant.  The operation of our local experts would certainly be voluntary and the results would make Atascadero stand out above any other place in the state or perhaps the world. 

So far I have had wild flowers in mind but let us go further.  Let us find out what cultivated flowers and shrubs and trees do best here and let us plant them in abundance.  Let us do team work; let us obtain color harmony.  The way to do such things is to get together and talk it over and receive expert advice.  The Nature Club will handle the details, I feel sure, if people show they want such things.  Our pioneer life here is rapidly drawing to a close and the second stage is close upon us, namely, the blending of our architecture to make it harmonize with the architecture that nature has had here for thousands of years.  

Could we spend a few nights this winter to better advantage than to have talks on the different flowers both cultivated and wild which we could use to beautify the places we have rudely scarred the natural beauty.  Because we already have more wild flowers than any other place in the world is all the more reason why we should replace them in the places where we have ploughed them up.

Conservation is a work that is being spoken more and more.  All know that it is a good thing to conserve but all have not realized that the word is applicable right here as well as elsewhere…How many volunteers can we get who will plant just one shrub or tree or flower in the park around Paradise Spring for instance, and care for that plant till it no longer needs attention.  Or perhaps better let us take some place or places nearer for those who must walk-Community House,  Pine and Lookout Mountain, the Highway, Traffic Way, etc., etc.

If this plan meets with approval let us drop the Editor a postal and ask for a meeting with the Nature Club to start action.

Yours truly

CARL H BRYANT “

If you would like more information or you are interested in participating in the Centennial Daffodil Project, please call Lee Swam at 440.0765 or Joe Benson at joe@envisionsgallery.com 

Submitted by

Thomas E. Lewis            

Vice President AHS

Pup in a Cup

Hearty wishes to you from the Atascadero Historical Society as we enter the Holiday season!

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day and found lots of things to be thankful for.  Remember, as Christmas shopping begins; buy American and locally whenever possible.

This photo of a cute little pup in a cup covers a full page in the April 1919 Illustrated Review.

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341

Caladero Pumpkin Flour introduced in 1920

Caladero Pumpkin Flour introduced in 1920

I hope everyone enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.  I am not a fan of Pumpkin pie but it is a Thanksgiving Day tradition in our household not only for dessert but for breakfast the next morning (not eaten by me I assure you).  You pumpkin-eaters may be interested to learn that in1920 Atascadero there was a dehydrating plant located on Traffic Way and Via.  Pumpkin flour was produced there and received a mention in the January 1922 monthly publication, “The American food journal.”  The following is excerpt from an article in the journal.

Rapid Development of Dehydration Since War.

Just as the wars of the last century stimulated the development of canning so did the recent war create a worldwide interest in dehydration. California also felt this call and supplied several million pounds of dehydrated vegetables during the war, the principal producer being E. Clemens Horst of San Francisco. Over 200 dehydrators have been built in California since 1918. These range from small one ton per day dryers to large modern plants of 50 to 75 ' tons capacity. Of special interest among these is, the Caladero Products Company, Atascadero, in whose $200,000 plant a variety of dehydrated fruits and vegetables is produced. This company has recently perfected and introduced an excellent pumpkin flour for pies.

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341.

Another Use for the Caladero Processing Plant

Another Use for the Caladero Processing Plant

Hospitality was alive and well in the young colony of Atascadero according to the article published in the July/August 1920 edition of The Illustrated Review.  E. G. Lewis put the members of the Editorial Association up in tents the first time their conference was in Atascadero but found a new approach to housing them during their 1920 conference.  After writing last weeks article about the Caladero Processing Plant you may find the following article as interesting as I did.

Newspaper Editors at Atascadero

 Recently the Illustrated Review entertained for a week nearly two hundred editors of newspapers of California, at Atascadero.  The great conserving plant of the Caladero Products Company was converted into a hotel.  Twenty thousand fruit boxes were used to build little houses with, each house being completely furnished and all facing on streets leading out from a civic center, in which had also been built from fruit boxes, a city hall, jail, hotel and pawnshop, where needy editors could get small loans on their watches.  Following the convention of newspaper editors, the following resolution was presented by them to Atascadero:

Resolutions

  Whereas, The members of the Southern California Editorial Association four years ago, in 1916, as guests of Mr. E. G. Lewis, while enjoying his handsome hospitality had the privilege of a pre-view of his vision of an ideal illustration of community life at Atascadero, California: and,

  Whereas, Four years later, in the year 1920, we are again the glad guests of the good people of Atascadero and have seen the amazing consummation of Mr. Lewis' dream – a fact accomplished by the cordial cooperation of Mr. Lewis and the wonderful folk he has attracted to Atascadero from all parts of the world; therefore be it

  Resolved, That we congratulate Mr. Lewis and his able assistant Mrs. Lewis on the result of seeing their dreams come true, and the people of Atascadero on their good fortune in their association with such a leader as Mr. Lewis, and the remarkable result of such association; further, be it 

  Resolved, That in returning thanks for Atascadero hospitality, twice enjoyed by ourselves, we give hearty and practical expression thereto by telling the world through our various newspapers that Mr. Lewis and the good people of Atascadero have here actually accomplished what has so often been attempted – a choice community life that people everywhere hope for, but not many besides the fortunate folk casting their lot with Mr. Lewis in Atascadero, have ever actually attained.

Committee on Resolutions

Crombie Allen, Chairman, Ontario Daily Record.

W. O. Hart, Orange Daily News.

W. S. Spencer, Oceanside Blade.

Geo. F. Orgibet, Redondo Breeze.

M. D. Witter, Brawley Daily News.

Harvey Johnson, Banning Record.

R. M. Adam, Lompoc Record

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341.

Atascadero's First Zoo

Atascadero's First Zoo

E.G. Lewis definitely had a sense of humor as witnessed in this excerpt from a very long article he wrote in the January 1920 issue of The Illustrated Review.  He frequently added amusing paragraphs in his articles reporting the progress and events of early Atascadero.  It appears from his writing that  forming a zoo was his desire from the very formation of Atascadero.  It is unfortunate E. G. didn't have Charles Paddock to assist with the Colony's first zoo; the release of his collection may not have been necessary.

Making the Unearned Increment Earn Itself

   The Zoological gardens that I had secured, composed of all the native varmints obtainable, was located close to Headquarters House, the only residence on the vast estates.  They soon learned to sing in chorus, however, with a big black furred coyote name Bob as bandmaster.  They certainly could go some when they got started about midnight; but for the fiercest noise the ear can listen to, commend me to about a thousand cows with their calves inside a corral being weaned, while they talked to them through the rails all night...

   A  great convention had been held, to which came several thousand people from every part of the United States... A tent city, complete in every detail, had been constructed with a capacity of four thousand people, and it was filled to over-flowing... It was during this convention that the Zoo having become such a nuisance, Mrs. Lewis insisted that it be dispensed with.  One clear moonlight night, about 2 o'clock a. m., the nightly concert having become insufferable, I went out and cut the wires of the cages and pens.

   First Old “Bob” the leading coyote, slowly and carefully stuck his head through, then jerked it back, and watched to see what would happen.

   Then he stuck it out again, and jerked it back, then he sat and contemplated the hole in the wires, and the moon, and thought a moment.  Then he stuck his head clear through and carefully examined all the edges and the ground below; then like a flash he went through.

   After gamboling round a few moments he went back and tried to get the rest of the bunch to come out, jumping in the cage and out again to show them it was all right.  Finally one by one he coaxed them out.  Meantime, the bob cats, the coons, the eagles, the foxes, the badgers, the owls and the rest of the varmints had taken their silent departure.  

   The whole outfit struck right over to the tent city and crawled in wherever they could.  There were many heroes in Camp Atascadero that night.  That Zoo outfit stuck round Headquarters House for months and in fact the coons and some others still are with us, as the watermelon patch bears testimony to each summer.  The eagles made a specialty of cleaning up all the cats, while the coyotes feeling that they were the original option holders, helped themselves to Mrs. Lewis' chickens.  One eagle used to sit out on the pergola in front of the house all day, and a visitor with a fine Pomeranian dog, dropped him on the ground one day.  The eagle spotted the pup and not having had any Pomeranian recently, made a dive and I lost a land purchaser when she lost her pup.

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341.

Removed Rotunda Trees to be Utilized by Historical Society

Removed Rotunda Trees to be Utilized by Historical Society

  When you travel across the Lewis Avenue bridge heading toward the Junior High, you will see a sight that most of us haven't seen in our lifetime.  The grandeur of Atascadero's Historic City Hall is a striking sight.  This jewel built as the heart of the Civic Center by Atascadero's founder, E. G. Lewis, is a magnificent work of art.  Now that the trees have been removed from the Lewis Avenue and East Mall sides of the building, also known as the Rotunda, it can stand in its original glory.

  As president of the Atascadero Historical Society my first contact with Bernards, the construction management team contracted to oversee the restoration of the Rotunda, was during an evening when they were walking around the building prior to them being awarded the bid.  They caught sight of the Atascadero Colony Museum.  I happened to be there working on a project and observed them looking curiously towards the museum so I invited them in.  This was my first introduction to them and their first contact with Historical Society.  Bernards was the only construction company that actually spoke to us about the history of the building which made a favorable impression on me.  I spoke in their favor at the City Council meeting and was pleased when their company was awarded the project.  I felt compelled to speak before the council on several occasions after that when concerns about the protection measures for the trees were viewed as a possible safety hazard for the construction crew.  The majority of our board of directors agreed the historic building could be better appreciated if it was not hidden behind the trees.

When the idea of removing the trees came to light I proposed the Historical Society would like to utilize the larger sections to be milled into lumber.  Whit's Turn Tree Care was awarded the contract to remove the trees and agreed to give wood for milling to the Society.  The lumber will be used around the Colony House Museum for future projects.  We have received some of the wood chips for use in our landscaped areas.  Another use will be as a fundraiser for the Society to raise monies to help with Atascadero's upcoming centennial in 2013.

  For the past month or so I have worked on the logistics of lining up the necessary equipment and timing with Bernards, Whit's Turn Tree Care, R. Burke Corporation and Dwight Peterson Low Bed Service to secure the wood after it was cut and move it to a storage area.  Steve Burke of R. Burke Corporation provided use of an excavator with a thumb to pick up the logs and Dwight Peterson provided the trucks and trailers to move the logs.  We are grateful to both companies for working with us to minimize our costs.  

James Wilkins is the president of the Atascadero Historical Society.  The Colony Museum is located at 6600 Lewis Avenue, mailing address: P.O. Box 1047, Atascadero CA 93423.  For more information, visit the website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org or call 805-466-8341.