Thursday, April 26, 2007

I changed my mind, I don't want to marry Stockton blvd., I want to marry the City of Stockton. We tore that town a new one yesterday and I ate so much good food that I want to cry thinking about it. The ethnic diversity of the restaurants and markets there outdoes that in Sac, a city four times Stockton's size! They have at least four Cambodian restaurants, for Gods sake. I don't want to post too much, because I'm writing it up for the June issue of Midtown Monthly. And I'm going back tomorrow for that Morrissey concert at the Bob Hope theater, which I guess is all movie-palace style.

Here's an appeal from Sacramento historian Bill Berg. Let me know if you would like me to put you in touch with him:

Actually, this is an opportune time for me to mention that I am working on a history of Southside Park for Arcadia Publishing, and I am looking for a couple of photos of whatever sort of backyard punk rock parties that people may have had in the vicinity of Southside Park (321 U Street, 6th and T, etcetera) in the 1980s or early 90s to use in the part of the book covering the recent past. I'll bring my portable scanner thingamabob to this event, but I can meet people at any semi-convenient place and time.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, Bill Berg-o

I was wondering if you could verify the origins of the pond at Southside Park. Is it the remnants/result of brickyard quarrying? Lake Greenhaven in the Pocket is one such lake and used to be called Brickyard Pond in ye olde days. There are lots of brickyard quarries in Sac!

Anyways, I'm looking forward to the book...

President,
Sacramento Appreciation Society of San Francisco

Anonymous said...

Steve, I don't know if this is accurate or not, but a very old relative of mine, who's father was the groundskeeper of southside park for a million years (I think 20's through the 40's) told me that it was a natural lake, once much bigger. The park stretched over to where the baseball field is, and so did the lake. Her dad watered that whole park with hoses and sprinklers! They lived across the street in one of the old alley houses between 6th and 5th. It was then a heavily Portuguese speaking neighborhood. Mr. Berg should (if he hasn't already) check out the book "Portuguese Pioneers of the Sacramento Area" for it's old southside park info.

Several of my old relatives have told me how the neighborhood was called "Arizona" by the white folks. It is most likely from Azoriana / Azoriano, since most people there were from the Azores.

Hope he is covering the late 80's tweaker/hooker/bum world period too.

Ella

Anonymous said...

That's great info, Ella. Yea, I've also heard that the lake was a natural body of water, and supposedly the deepest natural lake in town. Back when I lived at 605 Tee I always wanted to paddle onto the island in a rubber raft during the wee hours--that was back in the late 80's tweaker/hooker/bum world period. I remember seeing a free Death Angel show at the park around that time!

Pres,
SASSF

Jackson Griffith said...

Stockton Is Great! Take a Look!

Anonymous said...

It's the Sunrise Seaport! Stockton: Someplace Special!

Love,
Ralph Lee White