Happy Valley Mansion viewed by committee as public icon

BETTER WITH AGE - Members of the Happy Valley community would like to see the Alexander Mansion designated as a historical landmark.

Imagine a ranch with the historical status similar to the town of Chico’s famous Bidwell Mansion and Park, but in Happy Valley.

Well, that’s what a local committee of about seven concerned citizens, some who have resided in Happy Valley for decades, would love to see happen to the old Alexander Mansion on Palm Avenue.

The whole concept started when Happy Valley area resident Dennis Possehn became interested in the history of the Alexander Mansion on Palm Avenue that for years was a thriving olive operation and major part of Happy Valley agricultural ambience.

“When I heard about Dennis’ interest in the old mansion, built in 1890, I became interested, too,” said Sandy Winters, a longtime resident who has done much research herself in Shasta County history.

She also said that an anonymous individual is also interested in the mansion becoming part of the community and is willing to help purchase the remaining 41.7 acre parcel of property and two story mansion if the community shows the support to maintain it and put it to practical use. The property and structure is currently owned by John and Geraldine Villasana of Redding who agreed to sell it.

Winters said Possehn had already done a lot of research a couple of years ago on the Alexander Ranch that dates back to the early days of Samuel T. Alexander, the former holder of a cache of acreages in the Anderson area. Alexander Avenue in Anderson was named after him according to history.

“Word got out about Dennis’ idea to restore the mansion to historical status and then be ultimately used by the community,” said Winters. “So a committee was formed to pursue the possibility of purchasing the Happy Valley mansion and property. During the 1900s it was owned by Freda Ehman, who bought it from Alexander in 1913,”

The ranch name was then changed to the Monte Vista Ranch, historical land documents reveal. The mansion and existing land around it is located just west of Olive Street on the south side of Palm Avenue.

“Freda had a strong interest in the olive industry and brought Bernardo Romero and his uncle Raphel Peral from Spain to run the operation,” Winters said, adding that Possehn’s research revealed the ranch won a grand prize for ripe olives in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, World’s Fair in San Francisco, bringing the operation to the attention of the world and “making if famous.”

Historical documents state that Samuel Alexander also had a partnership in the sugar business in Maui, Hawaii in 1869. When he founded the Alexander Ranch in the Happy Valley area in 1887, he gave the community the name Olinda after a community in Maui. The ranch originally boasted 1,740 acres planted in fruit trees and inter-planted with olive trees in 1897.

West Coast Products eventually purchased the land from Ehman and Bernardo Romero’s family continued to manage it for the company, Winters said.

In later years, the eldest Romero son, Roy, took over the operation for his father and for many years, his brother Manuel ran his own olive operation in the valley.

Gary Pepe is an olive grower in Olinda and produces extra virgin olive oil that he markets in the North State and other areas of California.

“We see it as Happy Valley‘s Bidwell Mansion as it has a lot of character and charm,” Pepe said. “It should be a historical landmark and we are hoping the land and house can be utilized, at first the grounds and later the mansion itself.”

Although it needs some tender loving care, the committee views the mansion and land as a means for agricultural education for school children and Possehn is currently looking into gaining the site status in the national registry of historical places.

“The committee’s job is to help create community support, going to groups, clubs and agencies as well as schools for that support,” Pepe said. “We see it as a place to hold cultural events, rent it for weddings, and other activities and perhaps even make it home to the Happy Valley Strawberry festival some day.”

Winters said there will be a display of the mansion project at the Strawberry Festival on Saturday May 28. Committee members will be on hand to answer questions and hear ideas from the community.

For many decades Happy Valley was known for its olive industry and orchards are still producing quality olives for a number of active growers.

School children in the fourth grade are studying California history in the education cycle and the mansion and orchards fits in, he said, adding that environmental education would also be valuable use of the property.

The committee members envision the project being addressed in two stages. Stage 1 would address the exterior upgrades, landscaping and so forth. Stage 2 would address the structure itself, eventually restoring it to qualify for historical status.

“It would be an asset to the community far into the future,” Pepe said.

Anyone interested in the committee project can contact Pepe at 246-4104.