Remember When: July 15, 2009

MAE LOOMIS MEMORIAL MUSEUM: Alvin and Rollie Arbuckle began construction April 15, 1925. It took two summers to complete the museum. In 1927, Mr. Loomis had an addition added to the building. This annex was for the exhibition of wild life, animals, birds and fish.

This past week, the community of Anderson lost a wonderful friend at the age of 103.

Alvin Arbuckle's gardens filled with iris gave much pleasure to many of our citizens. Thanks, Alvin, for the many memories.

Alvin Arbuckle was born in 1905 in the same home that he has inhabited on Martha Street all these years.

The unincorporated community of Anderson had just received its first electricity three years before Alvin's birth.

Prior to the establishment of Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District, water for households was either pulled from 30-foot wells by bucket or citizens used a one lung gas pump to pump water into a big tank sitting in a large tank house many feet above the ground.

Arbuckle once told me that it was a great day when the water flowed in the canal and water was piped to various houses to water their yards. He still used the irrigation water to irrigate his large lot.

His father helped build the first bridge across the river at North Street. Then his brother Rollie taught him the building trade.

Alvin and Rollie helped build the original Loomis Museum at Lassen Park starting in 1925 and ending in 1928. They then returned in 1929 to build the portion of the building where Mrs. Loomis sold her pictures.

Alvin was also involved in helping in the reopening of the Museum at Lassen Park. The last project in Anderson he and Rollie were involved in was building the old jail on Freeman Street in 1934.

While attending Anderson Union High School, Alvin had the job of making ice cream for Lottie Barney's ice cream parlor. They had a machine much like the hand-cranked ice cream makers, except this one was much larger and it was attached to an electric motor.

He worked for Robert S. Bryant construction for 18 years; some of the projects he worked on were Redding's first sewer plant, one of the schools and many commercial buildings. His job was to review the plans, purchase the materials and hire the crews.

Another of his loves was fishing, an activity that he and his wife, Peggy, enjoyed for many years and later, he practiced with his son, Bob.

He leaves behind his son Bob Arbuckle of Anderson and his daughter Ellanita of Old Shasta.