Historic Packing Houses and Other Industrial Structures in Southern California

Hemet, CA

All photos by Marty Quaas

Copyright 2009, 2011 by James E. Lancaster, Ph.D.

Notice: The photographs on this web page are the property of the contributor and may not be used for any purpose without permission.

These photos of Hemet were taken in July 1964 by Marty Quaas. In photos 1 and 2 the view is south-southwest and in photos 3-8 the view is north or northeast. The photo locations were determined by referring to 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps and Google Maps. The Google Maps Street View was particularly helpful.

The diagram below shows Hemet track numbers and is from a 1985 Santa Fe CLIC book. Highgrove and San Bernardino are to the left and San Jacinto to the right.

Hemet track diagram from 1985 Santa Fe CLIC book (Cliff Prather collection).

In the photo captions that follow, references to building names from the 1933 Sanborn maps are noted as (S) and references to track numbers from the 1985 CLIC diagram are noted as (C).

Photo 1. This view is looking southwest across East Latham Ave with the Hemet depot in the distance behind the MoW cars. The red bus says "Frank Trevino, Del Rey, Calif." on the side. The track with the MoW cars is #3187 (C). The lumber yard at the right is possibly Dill Lumber. The CLIC book says Dill Lumber leased track #3187 in 1985. The depot can currently be seen in a Google Maps street view from East Latham. 

Photo 2. Looking southwest with East Latham Ave in the middle of the photo. Albers Feeds is on the left. Note the red bus. In 1933 the building on the right was the Hemet Orange Growers Assn (S). The track curving off to the left was #3188 while  the siding at the packing house was either #3189 or was un-numbered in 1985 (C).

Photo 3. Looking northeast across North State St toward East Latham Ave, Albers Feeds and the red bus. Michael's Market is at the far right. The cars are parked on Front St. The MoW box car is sitting on the switch between track #3187 and #3188 (C). The market building is currently visible in a Google Maps street view from N. State St.

Photo 4. Looking northeast toward East Latham Ave, Albers Feeds and the red bus. The track at the right with the box car is #3188, also designated the Hemet team track (C). The track at the far left next to the stacked lumber is #3186 (C). In 1933 Albers Feeds was the Hemet Valley Milling Co. (S)

Photo 5. Looking northeast across East Latham Ave (near) and North Harvard St, with the San Jacinto local's Geep in the middle distance. The red bus is gone in this photo.

Photo 6. Looking northeast across North Harvard St. Albers Feeds is at the right. The building on the left with the red base was the Hemet Orange Growers Assn in 1933 (S).

Photo 7. Looking north from East Devonshire Ave. In 1933 the building at the right with the red gas pump was Valley Ice and Laundry (S). At the near left the sawtoothed-roof building was the Growers Packing & Warehouse #5 in1933 and beyond it (with the word COMPANY showing) was the California Cooperative Canneries (S). The siding into the latter building appears to be #3189 (C). The two buildings on the left are still visible in a Google Maps street view from East Devonshire Ave.

Photo 8. Looking north from East Oakland Ave toward San Jacinto. In 1933 the buildings on the left were the Hemet Packing Company and the building on the right was the Hemet Walnut Growers Assn (S). The siding on the left is track #3191 (C).

To tour other Riverside County cities, or other counties, return to the Virtual Tour of Riverside County Page.

Return to the Historic Packing Houses and Other Industrial Structures in Southern California Home Page.