Jan. 12, 2025
Hanford Insider: The 136 Year Legacy of Lacey Milling
Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode!
Rob returns with updates on the traffic signal at 10th & Lacey as well as downtown stop signs and the new flashing stop sign at 13th & Lacey after a fatal accident last month. The city announces a hefty grant destined to sprinkle a bit of magic along the China Alley corridor from the Amtrak station to 10th Ave. And, a shoutout to our local firefighters who are rolling up their sleeves to assist Los Angeles — a perfect moment to rally support for the Red Cross.
Next, we unravel the tapestry of the Lacey family’s legacy in Hanford, spotlighting Horatio Gregory Lacey’s electrifying influence that set the town on a trajectory of growth. The Lacey family opens their hearts, sharing cherished traditions from Christmas gatherings at Grandma Beth’s to the story behind Lacey Boulevard's name. Through personal anecdotes and historical reflections, we paint a vivid picture of their lasting impact, sealing the chapter with an engaging tête-a-tête with the Lacey family themselves. Their narratives of community spirit and familial bonds offer a warm embrace of nostalgia and recognition.
Our journey through Lacey Milling doesn’t just stop at history; it leaps into pop culture! Imagine the mill's unexpected transformation into a film set for a 1989 werewolf flick. But it’s not all glitz and glam; we bear witness to the mill’s closure in 2023 amidst challenges like drought and dwindling wheat. Yet, there's a silver lining as we discuss preserving this slice of history for future generations. We wrap up with exciting updates from Hanford’s sports scene, giving you the play-by-play on our basketball and soccer teams’ latest feats. Tune in for a blend of rich history, community highlights, and sports thrills that make Hanford the vibrant town we love.
You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider
Thank you for supporting the show!
Chapters
00:00 - News and Information
04:33 - Community Calendar
06:22 - The legacy of the H.G. Lacey Milling Family
42:41 - Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:00.541 --> 00:00:06.714
On this episode of the Hanford Insider, rob will have the much-anticipated interview with the Lacey Milling family.
00:00:06.714 --> 00:00:10.346
You'll get an update of Hanford news and the community calendar.
00:00:10.346 --> 00:00:13.053
Then I'll be back later with your sports report.
00:00:34.634 --> 00:00:43.572
This is the Hanford Insider, the podcast where we dive into what makes our community tick, from local stories and hidden gems to conversations with people shaping our neighborhood.
00:00:43.572 --> 00:00:46.326
We're here to celebrate, explore and connect.
00:00:46.326 --> 00:00:47.951
I'm your host, rob Bentley.
00:00:47.951 --> 00:00:58.621
Whether you're new to Hanford or longtime local, this is your source for everything happening in our town, from events and news to unique conversations with people who make Hanford what it is.
00:00:58.621 --> 00:01:00.225
Thanks for tuning in.
00:01:00.225 --> 00:01:02.773
Let's jump right into this week's community news.
00:01:03.804 --> 00:01:07.403
The Hanford City Council meeting scheduled for last Tuesday was canceled.
00:01:07.403 --> 00:01:11.251
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, january 21st.
00:01:11.251 --> 00:01:21.813
It was great to see Hanford Police Department Dispatch Supervisor Richard Johnson get some well-deserved recognition as he retires after a 38-year career in law enforcement.
00:01:21.813 --> 00:01:31.272
Chief Huddleston says throughout his career Richard has been a dedicated public servant, someone who always put the safety and well-being of others first.
00:01:31.272 --> 00:01:33.944
Congratulations on your retirement, richard.
00:01:34.906 --> 00:01:39.930
I've had a number of you ask me if I knew when the traffic light at 10th and Lacey would be repaired.
00:01:39.930 --> 00:01:46.871
If you remember, there was a traffic accident there a few months back and the pole in the northwest corner was heavily damaged.
00:01:46.871 --> 00:01:59.509
After discussion with Public Works Director Russ Sperling, I was informed that the replacement pole was ordered right away, but apparently poles of this type are not readily available and a new one should be arriving in the next few weeks.
00:01:59.509 --> 00:02:05.308
Then the Public Works Department will work with a contractor to schedule installation as soon as possible.
00:02:05.308 --> 00:02:10.872
That said, it's probably going to be another month or so before they're up and running again, so be careful.
00:02:10.872 --> 00:02:24.572
While I had Mr Sperling's ear, I also confirmed that the reason the downtown traffic signals are being replaced with four-way stops is that a traffic study was conducted and the intersections no longer warrant control with a signal light.
00:02:24.572 --> 00:02:28.219
Study was conducted and the intersections no longer warrant control with a signal light.
00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:37.962
If you recall, the old lights began to fail and parts were no longer available for those types of signals either, and since by 2023 standards set by the state, the intersections were no longer eligible for signal lights.
00:02:37.962 --> 00:02:43.704
So what we have is four-way stops at 7th and Harris, dowdy, irwin and Reddington.
00:02:43.704 --> 00:02:51.062
I go downtown quite a bit and I really like being able to back out of parking spaces and not having to wait five minutes just to make a left turn.
00:02:51.062 --> 00:02:53.689
We just have to adjust and pay attention.
00:02:53.689 --> 00:03:01.441
Speaking of stop signs, it was also great to see the new flashing stop signs that have been installed at the intersection of 13th and Fargo.
00:03:01.441 --> 00:03:05.820
That's where a drunk driver ran a stop sign and killed Kelly Rivera back in December.
00:03:05.820 --> 00:03:09.951
Hopefully the county will be putting some more of these types of lights up in the future.
00:03:10.939 --> 00:03:14.431
Winter Wonderland and the Hanford Civic Auditorium Park wrapped up on Sunday.
00:03:14.431 --> 00:03:19.260
I look forward to having Brad Albert on the show in the future to give us a recap of this year's event.
00:03:19.260 --> 00:03:22.889
This is the first year that no sessions were canceled due to rain.
00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:33.340
Even though I can't ice skate anymore, I did visit several times and I thought the drone shows were a nice addition to this year's event.
00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:38.756
The City of Hanford announced Friday that they have received a $15.5 million grant award from the US Department of Transportation's RAISE program.
00:03:38.756 --> 00:04:02.510
The grant will pay for substantial improvements from the Amtrak station east all the way to 10th Avenue along the China Alley corridor, including roadway and intersection safety improvements, ada upgrades, bus stop improvements, wayfinding, signage, micromobility amenities, lighting, stormwater drain improvements, electrical vehicle charging stations and electronic information displays.
00:04:02.510 --> 00:04:08.366
You can find out more on the city website at hanfordcity and on the city's Facebook page.
00:04:08.366 --> 00:04:18.771
Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize members of our local firefighting agencies who have been deployed to the Los Angeles area to help them during this difficult time.
00:04:18.771 --> 00:04:26.031
Please lift all of the affected families and public safety officers up in prayer To ensure people that have the help that they need.
00:04:26.031 --> 00:04:28.447
The Red Cross depends on public support.
00:04:28.447 --> 00:04:31.728
Visit redcrossorg to donate today.
00:04:34.641 --> 00:04:36.749
Here's some things coming up on our community calendar.
00:04:36.749 --> 00:04:44.711
The Kings County Animal Center will be holding a pet pantry drive on Friday, january 17th from 9.30 am to 10.30 am.
00:04:44.711 --> 00:04:48.723
Donations of pet food and supplies are always welcome.
00:04:48.723 --> 00:04:50.846
Check their social media pages for more dates.
00:04:50.846 --> 00:04:57.288
On Friday January 17th, the Hassan Sabetian exhibition opens at the King's Arts Center.
00:04:57.288 --> 00:05:01.906
Check their website for hours and more information at kingsartscenterorg.
00:05:01.906 --> 00:05:11.166
On Saturday January 18th, the Children's Storybook Garden and Museum is hosting a Happy New Years party from 10 am to 1 pm.
00:05:11.166 --> 00:05:14.648
It's a free event for children who dress up in Disney costumes.
00:05:14.648 --> 00:05:18.327
There'll be games, tours, a snack bar and plenty of fun.
00:05:18.327 --> 00:05:21.547
For more information, visit childrenstorybookgardenorg.
00:05:24.161 --> 00:05:30.709
The Woodstackers Dance Club is offering 12 weeks of square dancing lessons at the Hanford Square 8s Hall beginning Tuesday February 4th.
00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:34.951
Classes are $5 a person or $50 for all 12 weeks.
00:05:34.951 --> 00:05:36.685
It's super family friendly.
00:05:36.685 --> 00:05:44.699
For more information, call Sarah Wallace at 559-358-8159.
00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:51.665
The Sierra Pacific High School baseball team is holding a cornhole tournament at the Hanford Fraternal Hall on Saturday, february 1st at noon.
00:05:51.665 --> 00:05:56.850
For more information, email info at sincowbaggerscom.
00:05:56.850 --> 00:06:03.531
The Hanford Rotary Crab Feed is coming up on Saturday, february 1st in the Hanford Civic Auditorium.
00:06:03.531 --> 00:06:07.389
Email rotaryclubhanford at gmailcom for tickets.
00:06:07.389 --> 00:06:12.249
If you have an event coming up and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together.
00:06:12.249 --> 00:06:15.548
Send your information to hanfordinsider at gmailcom.
00:06:15.548 --> 00:06:20.201
Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a complete calendar of events.
00:06:32.913 --> 00:06:34.776
Well, happy 2025.
00:06:34.776 --> 00:06:38.879
It's such an awesome pleasure to be here with the Lacey Milling family.
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:46.742
This interview has been anticipated for over a year and a half since I've been doing this show and I'm so proud to be here with the members of the family.
00:06:46.742 --> 00:06:56.329
With me I have Tim Lacey, eric Lindrum, holly Lindrum, lynn Lindrum, scott Lindrum and our historian, michael Simas.
00:06:56.329 --> 00:06:56.930
Welcome to the show.
00:06:56.930 --> 00:06:59.401
Everybody Welcome and thank you.
00:06:59.401 --> 00:07:00.161
Thanks so much.
00:07:00.161 --> 00:07:02.603
So, tim, let's start with you.
00:07:02.603 --> 00:07:15.211
The Lacey Milling family has a long, deep history in Hanford with the milling plant, and can you give us a little bit about the history of the Lacey Milling family and the flour mill in Hanford?
00:07:16.673 --> 00:07:31.377
1887, I believe Correct, and you know it's with HG being the founder and ran the company until his passing in 1917.
00:07:31.377 --> 00:07:35.569
And that's when Orin Mell took over.
00:07:35.569 --> 00:07:40.711
But he was an innovator and he was a community giant.
00:07:40.711 --> 00:08:05.843
He helped and did everything he could and just through the generations a couple of world wars, everything, depression we've continued to exist and it's always been a family owned and run business and so many people have been employed there over the years and have benefited and I guess we're pretty proud of that the years and have benefited and I guess we're pretty proud of that.
00:08:05.903 --> 00:08:11.440
So Lacey Milling the origins of Lacey Milling are actually older than the city of Hanford, correct?
00:08:11.440 --> 00:08:22.607
Yeah, hanford was incorporated in 1891, and it was in 1890 that Horatio G Lacey and his two sons bought the flour mill and changed the name to the HG Lacey Company.
00:08:22.607 --> 00:08:34.980
Prior to that it was owned by a milling plant from Visalia, and when Horatio was in Kansas he came out to Visalia and he was working for this milling company and they asked him to head up the plant in Hanford.
00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.548
So that's a pretty interesting side note there.
00:08:37.548 --> 00:08:52.674
Michael, one of the big things that comes into the history of the Lacey milling is the contribution of the power supply to the city of Hanford and how Horatio was responsible.
00:08:52.674 --> 00:08:55.929
And we can actually see that plant in action today.
00:08:57.520 --> 00:09:09.129
Right next to the plant, right west of the plant, you'll see a Southern California Edison substation which seems kind of out of the place when you look at it in terms of how the Hanford has been developed.
00:09:09.129 --> 00:09:19.854
And you would have to understand that it was Mr Lacey that brought power, electrical power, to the city of Hanford back.
00:09:19.854 --> 00:09:28.421
I don't know the exact date, but it was an important moment in Hanford's growth to have electrical power brought to it Again.
00:09:28.421 --> 00:09:31.451
I tell people HG Lacey was the guy that brought power.
00:09:31.451 --> 00:09:32.785
That's why the substation's here.
00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:45.799
And that's why we have Southern California Edison and not PG&E, because the company that actually had it originally was the Mount Whitney Power Company of Icelia and it was acquired by Edison in 1920.
00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.909
So that's what I had read on that.
00:09:48.909 --> 00:09:53.772
Obviously, it's a huge family history from generation to generation.
00:09:53.772 --> 00:09:57.831
Tim, do you want to talk about the generational history of this?
00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:11.207
Well, you know, of course it was begun by HG Lacey, Horatio Gregory Lacey, and when he passed in 1917, his son took over control mail.
00:10:11.207 --> 00:10:22.014
Then it passed on to our grandfather, Earl Lacey, and then my dad and our grandma, Beth, who's right here in this picture.
00:10:22.014 --> 00:10:26.977
It's just been enduring and there's quite a story there.
00:10:26.977 --> 00:10:30.822
If you've got about a month, we can continue.
00:10:31.764 --> 00:10:37.533
Well, we may not have a month on the show, but you do have a book that's been put out about the Lacey-Milling history.
00:10:42.019 --> 00:10:47.049
I understand that this was published pre-COVID around 2020 or so 2019?
00:10:47.049 --> 00:10:47.049
.
00:10:47.049 --> 00:10:49.956
We did a couple versions, but the last one was done in 2016.
00:10:49.996 --> 00:10:50.437
Yes, okay, scott.
00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:54.748
Thank you for that Cousin Scott did so much research on putting this together.
00:10:54.748 --> 00:10:55.169
It's just amazing.
00:10:55.169 --> 00:11:01.155
Yeah, it is, I've seen it and it definitely tells the story that maybe we don't have the time for today, but I'd like to hear some of the personal stories.
00:11:01.155 --> 00:11:10.514
I know that, being a family business, a lot of you have memories of spending time all waking hours and maybe some not so awake hours there with family and friends.
00:11:10.514 --> 00:11:15.552
Let's hear some of the stories that you might remember about being together at the mill.
00:11:16.880 --> 00:11:23.913
What I remember most was Grandma Beth always welcoming us after school.
00:11:23.913 --> 00:11:39.404
After school, before I'd go to Generation Gap to work, which my mom owned, we'd stop by Lacey Milling a couple of my friends and I and during the winter she always had a fire going and during Christmas time everybody brought cookies and goodies and anything Christmas.
00:11:39.404 --> 00:11:41.110
It was decorated so special.
00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:47.403
So I have fond memories of going there after school and visiting my grandmother at Christmas time.
00:11:47.403 --> 00:11:50.229
And my dad loved to.
00:11:50.229 --> 00:12:14.669
Chuck Glendrum loved to host holiday parties and most of our parties we had at the Dynasty downstairs in the banquet room, and my dad got a big kick of going and buying all kinds of presents for men and women and children and then he would have all the employees pick a number and they always got the biggest kick out of getting to go up and pick out a gift and there was no exchanging, stealing of the gifts.
00:12:14.669 --> 00:12:24.548
You got your gift and he would always try to buy something local, like something from yeah, it was probably Robert's Jewelers and then Candice and Company, and that was a lot of fun.
00:12:24.548 --> 00:12:29.668
He loved, and so did my mom, hosting parties and so did my Grandma Beth when she was alive.
00:12:29.668 --> 00:12:36.861
I feel like a lot of our Christmas traditions in my family have come from my Grandma, beth Lacey, when she lived on Water Street.
00:12:36.861 --> 00:12:52.826
She had an extremely high ceiling and we used to live in the Bay Area and when we would come down for Christmas the Hanford Volunteer Fire Department would actually put up her Christmas tree in her living room, because that's how big the tree was and it just seemed so magical.
00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:54.599
I used to love to come to Hanford as a kid.
00:12:54.599 --> 00:13:00.273
We'd come on the train and it was just fun to always visit the mill and catch up with everything down there.
00:13:00.273 --> 00:13:14.134
And I do remember in high school I graduated in 1974, and I believe it was 1972, we built our class float in one of the shop buildings and that was a lot, a lot of fun.
00:13:14.134 --> 00:13:18.099
We had a lot of people, a lot of people that weren't in our class, that wanted to come.
00:13:18.099 --> 00:13:25.649
There was probably some beer snuck in, you know, back in the day, but we really did have a good time and I just have so many fond memories of the mill.
00:13:25.649 --> 00:13:37.013
I just it's a treasure and very proud to know that Lacey Boulevard was named after our grandfather and my great grandfather donated the land to Lacey Park.
00:13:37.013 --> 00:13:44.563
So my kids have gone to games at Lacey Park, played at Lacey Park, so I'm very proud of our family history.
00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:51.342
Definitely, definitely.
00:13:51.342 --> 00:14:02.003
Well, in my conversations with Michael, we actually discussed the name of Lacey Boulevard, and we have an interesting story to share with you that you may or may not have heard, but if you haven't heard it, you need to hear this story about why Lacey Boulevard is named Lacey Boulevard.
00:14:02.684 --> 00:14:11.852
There was a contest that was held here in Hanford and the person who won the contest was going to get the opportunity to name that road.
00:14:11.852 --> 00:14:15.667
And the person that won it was a man by the name of Lemon.
00:14:15.667 --> 00:14:37.472
He had a it was a very large Portuguese farming operation in the Lemoore area and he was so humbled by the fact that he had the opportunity to name that road that he said well, we have to name it after Mr Lacey, because he's the one that actually made the town and our community what it is and that's why it was named Lacey Boulevard.
00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.102
Well, it's not necessarily everywhere that you are.
00:14:40.102 --> 00:14:41.024
That's really cool.
00:14:41.043 --> 00:14:45.567
Great, okay, and how about you, scott, oh?
00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:51.153
I can remember what Holly was talking about on Beth's Christmas tree.
00:14:51.153 --> 00:15:05.600
I remember hearing the story that because she got such a big one, it was always somewhat of a competition between her and Bank of America to see who could get the largest tree or who could get it first.
00:15:06.221 --> 00:15:10.082
You know this business has been in five generations of the family now.
00:15:10.082 --> 00:15:18.648
That is to say it was run by five generations of the family who did the actual important work keeping this business alive through the 136 years it was in operation.
00:15:18.648 --> 00:15:26.371
You know myself and my older sister, christina, were part of what I guess you could call maybe the 5.5th generation.
00:15:26.371 --> 00:15:30.495
You know we never ran the mill but we did work little odd jobs there in high school and college I believe Chris did a little bit of.
00:15:30.495 --> 00:15:33.197
She worked briefly in like the secretary's role for a bit, dad.
00:15:34.298 --> 00:15:35.500
Mostly history stuff.
00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:38.442
I mean, obviously she was the one who helped me put the book together.
00:15:38.783 --> 00:16:07.254
Yeah, and then, in my case, you know, I remember, you know, growing up with it as a kid, you know no-transcript, and that was in addition to the old, like red and blue, like antique candy machine, like gumball machine, yeah, where you could get candy out of that.
00:16:07.254 --> 00:16:10.158
And then of course, I would, would go down to Papa's office at the far end.
00:16:10.158 --> 00:16:14.164
My grandfather, chuck, and he also had little something, little goodies to give us.
00:16:14.164 --> 00:16:17.759
So you know, three different stops, almost like a mini Halloween route basically.
00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:19.852
And oh, mom wants to chime in on that as well.
00:16:20.173 --> 00:16:23.182
So do you remember Secretary Maxine Jones?
00:16:23.182 --> 00:16:29.559
Oh yes, Her desk in the bottom drawer that had all the toys and goodies that you guys would get into.
00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:30.640
It was four, four different.
00:16:30.640 --> 00:16:32.945
It was basically mini Halloween every single time we walked through the yard.
00:16:33.070 --> 00:16:37.562
Yeah, you guys would sit on our lap and you would play with the typewriter and play with the toys.
00:16:37.831 --> 00:16:38.855
The antique typewriter.
00:16:38.855 --> 00:16:40.192
Yeah, and of course, dad.
00:16:40.192 --> 00:16:45.913
Again, from when I was very young, dad would joke that one day I'd work at the mill and the joke Mom and Dad always had is I'd be the sweeper boy.
00:16:45.913 --> 00:17:04.855
You know, I would take this old broom, as as old as time itself, you know green handle, yellow bristles, and I would, uh, sweep up the fireplace area which, funny enough, when we were, you know, clearing stuff out of the office, uh, during Thanksgiving break, dad pointed out to me the in the uh, in the fireplace, you know the two uh, you know metal apparatuses that you'd lay the logs across.
00:17:04.855 --> 00:17:07.638
And he told me he said, hey, take a, take a close look at those.
00:17:07.638 --> 00:17:08.500
What do you notice about them?
00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:11.903
And I looked real closely and I was like, wait a minute, those look like railroad tracks.
00:17:11.903 --> 00:17:18.162
And sure enough, they were made of like little fragments of old railroad tracks, so they're pretty heavy to lift up by themselves.
00:17:18.162 --> 00:17:20.896
But anyway, he joked that I would sweep that area up.
00:17:20.936 --> 00:17:30.587
And then, of course, when I finally became a teenager and it was like, okay, time to make some money a little bit and actually work for a living, I did a variety of little things, you know, sweeping around the office.
00:17:30.587 --> 00:17:45.566
But then eventually the main job I took up was dad had to install security cameras, namely for the purpose of whenever we're loading, you know, whenever out on the loading dock we're loading bulk shipments of bags of flour, you know, 25, 30 bags, whatever.
00:17:45.566 --> 00:17:47.932
Just keep an eye on the footage and make sure the count is right.
00:17:47.932 --> 00:17:54.311
You know it's not like a little little good fellows routine that one bag is being skimmed off the top or anything, so make sure the count was right.
00:17:54.311 --> 00:18:02.530
And then also, of course, on the weekends, if troublesome little delinquents would use the uh ramp to skateboard which of course they're not allowed to do use the loading dock to skateboard.
00:18:02.530 --> 00:18:03.672
Keep an eye on that and film that.
00:18:03.711 --> 00:18:08.637
And it was just an interesting experience, you know, to again to grow up with that as a little kid.
00:18:08.637 --> 00:18:16.385
I would literally hide inside the cabinets in that big old counter, like in the front counter, which I always thought it was just really big when I was a kid.
00:18:16.385 --> 00:18:24.064
And then I go back later as we're cleaning stuff out and I look back in that space and realize, oh wow, I could still fit inside there because it's just that big, massive counter.
00:18:24.064 --> 00:18:25.854
But yeah, to grow up with it.
00:18:25.854 --> 00:18:31.682
Obviously, as a kid I appreciate the candy, but as a young adult now I can appreciate the history that this is.
00:18:31.682 --> 00:18:37.125
You know, my family built this town and this business and the business in the town more or less built me.
00:18:37.125 --> 00:18:40.127
So I'll always treasure that.
00:18:40.127 --> 00:18:50.365
And even though I cannot say that I had the privilege of being part of running the business as my dad did and my grandfather did, I can still say it was an invaluable and irreplaceable part of my life.
00:18:50.529 --> 00:18:52.051
I can still say it was an invaluable and irreplaceable part of my life.
00:18:52.051 --> 00:19:15.616
Another special memory that I had was I'm not sure who bought it the car my great-grandfather or my grandfather but they had purchased a Haynes-Apperson horseless carriage and stories were told how it would go to the train station and pick up passengers and take them to the opera house.
00:19:15.616 --> 00:19:26.696
And then, later in life, bud Rold, one of our mill employees, used to be the driver of this car and we would have it in the homecoming parades and the Christmas parades and our family loved to pile in it.
00:19:26.696 --> 00:19:31.942
One year my mom she had us all dress in old school clothes for the era and that was kind of fun, but we only did it that one year.
00:19:31.942 --> 00:19:33.821
But, mom, she had us all dress in old school clothes for the era and that was kind of fun, but we only did it that one year.
00:19:34.442 --> 00:19:42.785
But I feel like that car was a very important part of Hanford's history was this Haynes-Apperson car that our family still has?
00:19:42.785 --> 00:20:13.213
And then, a very interesting story I'm a big Steve Perry fan, so I was talking to my dad several years ago when Steve Perry came back with a new album and we got to talking and my dad told me that his uncle, mr Vieira used to work at Lacey Millie and there are so many people in Hanford that I bump into that'll tell me that they had an uncle or a grandfather or any friends and family, because there was a lot of people that through the years had worked at Lacey Millie.
00:20:14.277 --> 00:20:15.359
Yeah, that Haynes-Apperson.
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.633
By the way, it's 1897 model.
00:20:17.633 --> 00:20:34.593
It was manufactured in Kokomo, indiana, from the Haynes-Apperson plant and I've been in contact with them before, you know, and there was only like 12 of them that were manufactured and most of those were torn up and used for firewood when needed.
00:20:34.593 --> 00:20:47.010
But this one's been around ever since and, yeah, like holly was saying it was, it was used to originally as a as to be a kind of a taxi between hanford of the moore and corcoran and it's an amazing vehicle.
00:20:47.010 --> 00:20:55.154
I mean it's two cylinders opposing and a hand crank to start it and that son of a gun, I mean you could break your forearm on that.
00:20:55.174 --> 00:21:02.078
You know when that cracks back it's dangerous man Kind of pop the valium before you start trying to start it.
00:21:02.078 --> 00:21:04.660
But yeah, it's just part of Hanford's history.
00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:09.883
It reminded me of my first job at the mill was 1959.
00:21:09.883 --> 00:21:14.505
I was five years old, pushing a broom and I thought it was a game.
00:21:14.505 --> 00:21:18.666
You know I was dodging the equipment and everything and dueling with a broomstick.
00:21:18.666 --> 00:21:24.171
You know thinking, ooh, this is fun, can't wait to get back to kindergarten and tell the guys.
00:21:25.051 --> 00:21:38.103
So we've heard lots of different stories and obviously very important, but when it gets down to it, it's about the business of the business, and I know that not only was it a flour mill for you know forever but also feed.
00:21:38.103 --> 00:21:49.651
Can you tell us a little bit about what went on as people drove down Fifth Street or, you know, along the freeway?
00:21:49.651 --> 00:21:49.991
What?
00:21:50.192 --> 00:21:52.398
was going on at the plant while we were driving by, what was going on behind the scenes.
00:21:52.398 --> 00:21:55.748
The alliance with Coast Grain Company when we started manufacturing dairy feed was in 1961.
00:21:55.748 --> 00:22:05.961
And, of course, with the growing dairy industry here in the Valley it serves a good purpose and need and manufactures good products and everything for them, for the consumers.
00:22:05.961 --> 00:22:16.342
Like I was mentioning myself, I spent most summers during school working at the mill and when I graduated from Hanford High School I went back to work for a couple of years.
00:22:16.342 --> 00:22:29.212
Well, grandma Beth, she never said she wanted me to go to college, but she kept increasing my hours to where I was up to like 40 to 50 to 60 to 70 hours a week and she figured.
00:22:29.212 --> 00:22:31.499
Well, that only keeps him out of trouble.
00:22:31.499 --> 00:22:33.511
But he may think about college and I did.
00:22:33.511 --> 00:22:35.054
That's funny.
00:22:37.397 --> 00:23:13.615
Well, the adding the feed mill only made sense from the point of view that when you grind wheat which most of our product became white flour we did have some whole wheat, but when you do that process, about 75% of the volume of the product of the wheat kernel ends up in white flour, and so the remaining 25%, which is used mostly in this area for dairy feed, we would sell it.
00:23:13.615 --> 00:23:27.160
So, having a feed mill, they could use it themselves in that process and then buy other stuff like cottonseed meal and mix different ingredients together to formulate whatever the dairy was after.
00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:41.944
But when I started working there at the mill in 1987, the feed mill had been closed down for five years, so I don't have that much experience with that area of the operation.
00:23:43.070 --> 00:23:45.255
So in later years it became important.
00:23:45.255 --> 00:23:48.883
It became a big supplier of the flour for tortillas.
00:23:48.883 --> 00:23:49.992
Is what I understand.
00:23:51.380 --> 00:24:18.563
Right, we had a salesman, louis Canales, that I believe the only other job he had other than the Korean War was working at Lacey Milling, so he was like a 40-year employee started out and most of the time he was a salesman and so, being Hispanic, he spoke Spanish and it was a natural thing for him to call on tortilla bakeries.
00:24:18.563 --> 00:24:36.186
As they grew, we grew, and so that had always been our main sales channel was to go into tortilla bakeries sales channel was to go into tortilla bakeries, and I remember the side spurs.
00:24:38.369 --> 00:24:42.951
They've been taken out now the railroad, but the loading area there was tracks that actually went right up through to the milling and then they could be transported to other places.
00:24:42.991 --> 00:24:59.061
Well, I can remember that, yeah, they had room for two or three rail cars that would come off of a spur line and they could park them between the office building and the mill building and then they would use a suction system to empty the rail car.
00:24:59.061 --> 00:25:02.255
But that worked way back when.
00:25:02.255 --> 00:25:06.871
But these days you need capacity to do 40 rail cars to make it economic.
00:25:06.871 --> 00:25:18.021
So a number of years ago, when the city was going to repave Fifth Street, they asked us can we take out these spur tracks because you don't seem to be using them and it'd be easier.
00:25:18.021 --> 00:25:19.953
So we were fine with that.
00:25:21.438 --> 00:25:39.509
Well, it's no secret with the family, I shared with them several things about Horatio Lacy, and another thing that two things I'd like to bring up is one shortly before he died he donated a very large flag to the city of Hanford for a flag day ceremony and there's pictures of it in several different history books.
00:25:39.589 --> 00:25:51.955
But it's this giant flag that was put up in front of the courthouse and he was known as the grand old man of Hanford and very patriotic and everybody loved him.
00:25:51.955 --> 00:26:06.342
In fact, during the war the firehouse bell was in danger of being scrapped and so it was hidden and so they took it down, and when they put it back up they couldn't get it all the way up to the top.
00:26:06.342 --> 00:26:19.356
So Horatio donated this archway that stood in front of the firehouse and the old fire bell was hung from that, and then, after the building was demolished, it ended up in a couple of different places.
00:26:19.356 --> 00:26:26.161
I think it might even be out at Fire Station no 2, if I recall out, on 12th and Hampton-Armorna Road.
00:26:26.161 --> 00:26:33.625
But those kinds of things are so important to local history to know hey, how did that happen?
00:26:33.625 --> 00:26:35.905
Because of this person.
00:26:35.905 --> 00:26:38.448
So definitely have a lot of that history.
00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:51.648
During COVID, we had a bit of a business spike, didn't we?
00:26:51.648 --> 00:26:51.732
Dan?
00:26:51.615 --> 00:27:14.703
Like people lining up to do you want to tell that story a little bit, about how, like when the COVID lockdowns hit, like a ton of people were like lining up to get flour well, yeah, you had places like Costco which we didn't sell to, but, uh, sell flour, obviously, and they even had signs out front that they were out of flour at particular times and uh, so, yeah, when it first started, we, our business, actually picked up, uh, because people were trying to stock up and that type of thing.
00:27:14.703 --> 00:27:42.005
But that maybe lasted for like six months and then after that, not all of our bakery customers I mean most of them sold through grocery stores, that type of thing or their own stores, but a number of them also sold to restaurants and so eventually business went down a little bit because of that avenue decrease.
00:27:44.070 --> 00:27:47.628
I'll just never forget because I mean, I was already in DC at that time.
00:27:47.628 --> 00:27:50.375
You know when COVID broke out and everything and dad would still.
00:27:50.375 --> 00:28:01.217
Every now and then he'd send me, you know, screenshots from the camera system that I used to monitor and he showed me the outside cameras and just this massive line of cars like backed all up and down fifth street and I was like what's going on?
00:28:01.217 --> 00:28:09.435
He's like they're all here to buy flour, Cause you know, just like everyone was rushing to buy toilet paper, you know everyone was rushing to buy flour and eventually didn't you say you had to put a limit on like how much people could buy?
00:28:09.457 --> 00:28:21.787
Yeah, actually we did maybe have a couple bag limit, because some people were becoming their own little distributors and wanting to buy a pallet and then go resell it.
00:28:24.532 --> 00:28:25.516
Just little things like that.
00:28:25.516 --> 00:28:31.442
Yeah, I just remember that Because at a time when I felt like the whole world was shutting down, you know, a business like this still stayed open.
00:28:33.252 --> 00:28:44.837
You know I think it was a Hanford Sentinel article years ago that they asked Uncle Chuck Scott and Holly's dad about the business and he said plainly, everybody needs to eat.
00:28:44.837 --> 00:28:54.997
And I was like whoa, I had an epiphany, that's true, and he was such a great guy.
00:28:57.711 --> 00:29:02.950
There were also a couple of very fun you know, maybe more pop culture, entertainment stories regarding the mill.
00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:12.618
That, again, Dad can tell you more about, Because what most people probably don't know is that there have been both a music video and a feature film that were filmed at Lacey Milling Company.
00:29:12.618 --> 00:29:16.300
So of course, I eventually did see the music video and the movie.
00:29:16.300 --> 00:29:24.300
Both are not that great, but Dad can tell you a bit more about what the experience was of agreeing to let the mill be a filming location for however many days it was.
00:29:24.300 --> 00:29:27.259
So, Dad, you want to start with the music video or the movie.
00:00:00.541 --> 00:00:06.714
00:00:06.714 --> 00:00:10.346
00:00:10.346 --> 00:00:13.053
00:00:34.634 --> 00:00:43.572
00:00:43.572 --> 00:00:46.326
00:00:46.326 --> 00:00:47.951
00:00:47.951 --> 00:00:58.621
00:00:58.621 --> 00:01:00.225
00:01:00.225 --> 00:01:02.773
00:01:03.804 --> 00:01:07.403
00:01:07.403 --> 00:01:11.251
00:01:11.251 --> 00:01:21.813
00:01:21.813 --> 00:01:31.272
00:01:31.272 --> 00:01:33.944
00:01:34.906 --> 00:01:39.930
00:01:39.930 --> 00:01:46.871
00:01:46.871 --> 00:01:59.509
00:01:59.509 --> 00:02:05.308
00:02:05.308 --> 00:02:10.872
00:02:10.872 --> 00:02:24.572
00:02:24.572 --> 00:02:28.219
00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:37.962
00:02:37.962 --> 00:02:43.704
00:02:43.704 --> 00:02:51.062
00:02:51.062 --> 00:02:53.689
00:02:53.689 --> 00:03:01.441
00:03:01.441 --> 00:03:05.820
00:03:05.820 --> 00:03:09.951
00:03:10.939 --> 00:03:14.431
00:03:14.431 --> 00:03:19.260
00:03:19.260 --> 00:03:22.889
00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:33.340
00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:38.756
00:03:38.756 --> 00:04:02.510
00:04:02.510 --> 00:04:08.366
00:04:08.366 --> 00:04:18.771
00:04:18.771 --> 00:04:26.031
00:04:26.031 --> 00:04:28.447
00:04:28.447 --> 00:04:31.728
00:04:34.641 --> 00:04:36.749
00:04:36.749 --> 00:04:44.711
00:04:44.711 --> 00:04:48.723
00:04:48.723 --> 00:04:50.846
00:04:50.846 --> 00:04:57.288
00:04:57.288 --> 00:05:01.906
00:05:01.906 --> 00:05:11.166
00:05:11.166 --> 00:05:14.648
00:05:14.648 --> 00:05:18.327
00:05:18.327 --> 00:05:21.547
00:05:24.161 --> 00:05:30.709
00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:34.951
00:05:34.951 --> 00:05:36.685
00:05:36.685 --> 00:05:44.699
00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:51.665
00:05:51.665 --> 00:05:56.850
00:05:56.850 --> 00:06:03.531
00:06:03.531 --> 00:06:07.389
00:06:07.389 --> 00:06:12.249
00:06:12.249 --> 00:06:15.548
00:06:15.548 --> 00:06:20.201
00:06:32.913 --> 00:06:34.776
00:06:34.776 --> 00:06:38.879
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:46.742
00:06:46.742 --> 00:06:56.329
00:06:56.329 --> 00:06:56.930
00:06:56.930 --> 00:06:59.401
00:06:59.401 --> 00:07:00.161
00:07:00.161 --> 00:07:02.603
00:07:02.603 --> 00:07:15.211
00:07:16.673 --> 00:07:31.377
00:07:31.377 --> 00:07:35.569
00:07:35.569 --> 00:07:40.711
00:07:40.711 --> 00:08:05.843
00:08:05.903 --> 00:08:11.440
00:08:11.440 --> 00:08:22.607
00:08:22.607 --> 00:08:34.980
00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.548
00:08:37.548 --> 00:08:52.674
00:08:52.674 --> 00:08:55.929
00:08:57.520 --> 00:09:09.129
00:09:09.129 --> 00:09:19.854
00:09:19.854 --> 00:09:28.421
00:09:28.421 --> 00:09:31.451
00:09:31.451 --> 00:09:32.785
00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:45.799
00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.909
00:09:48.909 --> 00:09:53.772
00:09:53.772 --> 00:09:57.831
00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:11.207
00:10:11.207 --> 00:10:22.014
00:10:22.014 --> 00:10:26.977
00:10:26.977 --> 00:10:30.822
00:10:31.764 --> 00:10:37.533
00:10:42.019 --> 00:10:47.049
00:10:47.049 --> 00:10:47.049
00:10:47.049 --> 00:10:49.956
00:10:49.996 --> 00:10:50.437
00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:54.748
00:10:54.748 --> 00:10:55.169
00:10:55.169 --> 00:11:01.155
00:11:01.155 --> 00:11:10.514
00:11:10.514 --> 00:11:15.552
00:11:16.880 --> 00:11:23.913
00:11:23.913 --> 00:11:39.404
00:11:39.404 --> 00:11:41.110
00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:47.403
00:11:47.403 --> 00:11:50.229
00:11:50.229 --> 00:12:14.669
00:12:14.669 --> 00:12:24.548
00:12:24.548 --> 00:12:29.668
00:12:29.668 --> 00:12:36.861
00:12:36.861 --> 00:12:52.826
00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:54.599
00:12:54.599 --> 00:13:00.273
00:13:00.273 --> 00:13:14.134
00:13:14.134 --> 00:13:18.099
00:13:18.099 --> 00:13:25.649
00:13:25.649 --> 00:13:37.013
00:13:37.013 --> 00:13:44.563
00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:51.342
00:13:51.342 --> 00:14:02.003
00:14:02.684 --> 00:14:11.852
00:14:11.852 --> 00:14:15.667
00:14:15.667 --> 00:14:37.472
00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.102
00:14:40.102 --> 00:14:41.024
00:14:41.043 --> 00:14:45.567
00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:51.153
00:14:51.153 --> 00:15:05.600
00:15:06.221 --> 00:15:10.082
00:15:10.082 --> 00:15:18.648
00:15:18.648 --> 00:15:26.371
00:15:26.371 --> 00:15:30.495
00:15:30.495 --> 00:15:33.197
00:15:34.298 --> 00:15:35.500
00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:38.442
00:15:38.783 --> 00:16:07.254
00:16:07.254 --> 00:16:10.158
00:16:10.158 --> 00:16:14.164
00:16:14.164 --> 00:16:17.759
00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:19.852
00:16:20.173 --> 00:16:23.182
00:16:23.182 --> 00:16:29.559
00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:30.640
00:16:30.640 --> 00:16:32.945
00:16:33.070 --> 00:16:37.562
00:16:37.831 --> 00:16:38.855
00:16:38.855 --> 00:16:40.192
00:16:40.192 --> 00:16:45.913
00:16:45.913 --> 00:17:04.855
00:17:04.855 --> 00:17:07.638
00:17:07.638 --> 00:17:08.500
00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:11.903
00:17:11.903 --> 00:17:18.162
00:17:18.162 --> 00:17:20.896
00:17:20.936 --> 00:17:30.587
00:17:30.587 --> 00:17:45.566
00:17:45.566 --> 00:17:47.932
00:17:47.932 --> 00:17:54.311
00:17:54.311 --> 00:18:02.530
00:18:02.530 --> 00:18:03.672
00:18:03.711 --> 00:18:08.637
00:18:08.637 --> 00:18:16.385
00:18:16.385 --> 00:18:24.064
00:18:24.064 --> 00:18:25.854
00:18:25.854 --> 00:18:31.682
00:18:31.682 --> 00:18:37.125
00:18:37.125 --> 00:18:40.127
00:18:40.127 --> 00:18:50.365
00:18:50.529 --> 00:18:52.051
00:18:52.051 --> 00:19:15.616
00:19:15.616 --> 00:19:26.696
00:19:26.696 --> 00:19:31.942
00:19:31.942 --> 00:19:33.821
00:19:34.442 --> 00:19:42.785
00:19:42.785 --> 00:20:13.213
00:20:14.277 --> 00:20:15.359
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.633
00:20:17.633 --> 00:20:34.593
00:20:34.593 --> 00:20:47.010
00:20:47.010 --> 00:20:55.154
00:20:55.174 --> 00:21:02.078
00:21:02.078 --> 00:21:04.660
00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:09.883
00:21:09.883 --> 00:21:14.505
00:21:14.505 --> 00:21:18.666
00:21:18.666 --> 00:21:24.171
00:21:25.051 --> 00:21:38.103
00:21:38.103 --> 00:21:49.651
00:21:49.651 --> 00:21:49.991
00:21:50.192 --> 00:21:52.398
00:21:52.398 --> 00:21:55.748
00:21:55.748 --> 00:22:05.961
00:22:05.961 --> 00:22:16.342
00:22:16.342 --> 00:22:29.212
00:22:29.212 --> 00:22:31.499
00:22:31.499 --> 00:22:33.511
00:22:33.511 --> 00:22:35.054
00:22:37.397 --> 00:23:13.615
00:23:13.615 --> 00:23:27.160
00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:41.944
00:23:43.070 --> 00:23:45.255
00:23:45.255 --> 00:23:48.883
00:23:48.883 --> 00:23:49.992
00:23:51.380 --> 00:24:18.563
00:24:18.563 --> 00:24:36.186
00:24:38.369 --> 00:24:42.951
00:24:42.991 --> 00:24:59.061
00:24:59.061 --> 00:25:02.255
00:25:02.255 --> 00:25:06.871
00:25:06.871 --> 00:25:18.021
00:25:18.021 --> 00:25:19.953
00:25:21.438 --> 00:25:39.509
00:25:39.589 --> 00:25:51.955
00:25:51.955 --> 00:26:06.342
00:26:06.342 --> 00:26:19.356
00:26:19.356 --> 00:26:26.161
00:26:26.161 --> 00:26:33.625
00:26:33.625 --> 00:26:35.905
00:26:35.905 --> 00:26:38.448
00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:51.648
00:26:51.648 --> 00:26:51.732
00:26:51.615 --> 00:27:14.703
00:27:14.703 --> 00:27:42.005
00:27:44.070 --> 00:27:47.628
00:27:47.628 --> 00:27:50.375
00:27:50.375 --> 00:28:01.217
00:28:01.217 --> 00:28:09.435
00:28:09.457 --> 00:28:21.787
00:28:24.532 --> 00:28:25.516
00:28:25.516 --> 00:28:31.442
00:28:33.252 --> 00:28:44.837
00:28:44.837 --> 00:28:54.997
00:28:57.711 --> 00:29:02.950
00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:12.618
00:29:12.618 --> 00:29:16.300
00:29:16.300 --> 00:29:24.300
00:29:24.300 --> 00:29:27.259