View towards the town of Avenal in the Salinas valley with the Santa Lucia mountain range in the distance, Avenal, circa 1929
Description
View down a dirt road towards the town of Avenal which appears as a narrow band of buildings and power poles along the main road through town, with the Santa Lucia mountain range in the background. The buildings appear to be mostly houses, a few businesses and a church on the far right. There is also an oil rig on the center-right side of town. Legible signage in the photograph includes: Golden Rule Shoe Shop, The Republic Supply Co. of California, and H. C. Smith MFG Co., The identification of the town as Avenal was made on the basis of the visible signage in the photograph and the presence of the oil rig. In 1928 the Milham Exploration Company struck oil, turning this agricultural community into a boomtown. The Republic Supply Company is listed in Wikipedia as one of the first business established at Avenal at this time. In 1929, the California-based H. C. Smith Manufacturing Company was sold by its founder, Herman C. Smith, to Global Oil Tools., Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds.