I have found the new proposed update of the City of Anderson General Plan very interesting and very well done. John Stokes, the planning director, and his staff held meetings in various areas of the city to gain input from interested residents.

The proposed housing development of higher cost homes on the hills above Wal-Mart reminded me of the first large quality subdivision that began along the Sacramento River in the late 1950s. In May1951 the county approved the first subdivision map for this development before the city was incorporated. The standards for the map reflected the development standards used by the county at that time. This in turn explains why MarMac Drive is only a 40-foot wide street.

Thomas (Mac) and Marge McNulty arrived in Anderson from Rochester, New York around 1947. They purchased the property, which extended along the northwest side of the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District ditch to the Sacramento River. I am uncertain who owned it at the time of their purchase, but the Bank of Italy had rented it out for dry land farming for many years. The area where they started the first phase of their subdivision had always been a sandy, star-thistle area where people ran horses, cattle or sheep. I do not remember ever seeing that ground grow any grain; it was just too sandy and dry and not irrigated.

Shasta County approved the first phase of their subdivision in May 1951. It consisted of 29 lots. The portion of the subdivision fronting on the river consisted of nine large lots along Riverside Drive. The McNultys had already constructed a nice cabin overlooking the river where they lived. MarMac Road, Bardick Road, Riverside Drive and Bowery Road bordered the original 29-lot subdivision. The name MarMac Road was the combination of Marge and “Mac” McNulty; Riverside Drive was self-explanatory; Bardick was the name combination of their son Dick and his wife Barbara and Bowery Road was an offshoot of the Bowers from New York, relatives of the McNultys. These homes were very nice and are still standing today. At one time they were owned by many of the executives of the different lumber mills, such as the owners of the Morgan and Reiser Oil Company and other well-to-do families.

The second phase of the subdivision consisted of 17 lots on the southwest side of Thomas Avenue; 25 lots between Thomas and Bardick roads; 16 lots between Bardick Road and Riverside Drive — all bordered on the northwest by Crest Drive. The final five lots facing the river along Riverside Drive were very large lots. This subdivision map was approved by the City of Anderson after it incorporated in 1956.

My father, Ed Rupert, owned the land along the river from this subdivision to what is now Rupert Road. He allowed the City of Anderson to cross his property, free of charge, to connect the sewer line to the existing old sewer plant located where the ball fields are presently located across from the boat docks. The only stipulation was that the land be left level enough to irrigate and manholes be installed in certain places. Later he regretted the decision because they came in and re-assessed all his farmland along the river as seventy-five foot wide river lots. This in turn raised the assessed value so high he could not afford to pay the taxes on the river front lots and had to sell his property, much to his sorrow. We dearly loved the area and it had been in the family since the early 1900s.

The name of Thomas Avenue was named for Thomas (Mac) McNulty. B.E. Reiser drew up the plans for the development.

I wish to thank Rick Barchus of the City of Anderson, for providing the copies of the subdivision maps that were approved following the incorporation of the City of Anderson and Barbara Caldwell for filling in the back ground on the McNultys. The maps of the subdivisions approved by the City will be on file at the Historical Society.