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Historic Packing Houses and Other Industrial Structures in Southern California Virtual Tour of Bryn Mawr, CA Copyright 2007 by James E. Lancaster Photos and Maps provided by Lee Gustafson, John Signor and Joe Warren Notice:The images - photographs, drawings, maps and track diagrams - presented in this web site are the property of the respective contributors and may not be used for any purpose without permission. For more information see Photo Credits and Restrictions. Bryn Mawr (SP) Bryn Mawr is located on the ex-Southern Pacific mainline between Los Angeles, CA and Yuma, AZ, a few miles east of Colton, CA. The main highway crossing of the SP tracks in Bryn Mawr is Barton Road. An SP valuation map from the 1900s shows two packing houses, Fuller and Son and Bryn Mawr Oranges, on the southwest side of the tracks north of Barton Road (Figure 1). The 1928 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the same two packing houses but identifies them as Henry Fuller and Son and Allen Break and Son, respectively.
Another part of the valuation map shows two more packing houses on the northeast side of the tracks and south of Barton Road. They are both identified as W. F. Whittier Packing House (Figure 2). The 1928 Sanborn Map shows the same two packing houses but identifies them as Norwood & McCormick (left) and Bryn Mawr Fruit Growers Ass'n (right).  Figure 2. Valuation Map showing two packing houses southeast of the SP-Barton Road crossing in Bryn Mawr, CA.Lee Gustafson Collection. An aerial view of the location of the two W. F. Whittier packing houses from the early 1950s identifies the entire complex as Bryn Mawr - Coachella Valley Groves. Figure 3 shows the northwest end of the complex facing Barton Road in 1971. Note the cull bin on the left. The SP tracks are out of sight to the right.
The SP Redlands Branch left the mainline just east (left) of the station in Figure 2. It curved to the north and crossed Barton Road on the east side of Bryn Mawr at a location known as Motor Junction. The Mission Citrus Association packing house was located on the east side of the branch and north of Barton Road. Figure 4 is a view looking north along the Redlands Branch from Barton Road on November 28, 1976. The closed Mission Citrus Ass'n packing house is off to the right. The 437' spur was still in place, but very weed grown at that time.
By 1985 the only thing left from the packing house was the foundations, but the spur was still there. The smudge oil tanks north of the packing house lasted until just recently. Joe Warren provided a close-up view of the tanks (Figure 6).
The tanks have been removed along with the foundation of the Mission Citrus Ass'n packing house and the property subjected to an environmental clean up, similar to that of gas stations that have had leaky tanks. According to Glen Icanberry, the area is now all houses. Jim Lancaster To tour other San Bernardino County cities, or other counties, return to the Virtual Tour of San Bernardino County Page. Return to the Historic Packing Houses and Other Industrial Structures in Southern California Home Page. Return to the Trains Page. |
Figure 1. SP Valuation Map showing two packing houses northwest of the SP-Barton Road crossing in Bryn Mawr, CA.
