715-723 S Harbor Blvd. (includes 715, 717, 719, 721 & 723)  

Fullerton, Ca. 92832.

One-story brick building with a frontage of ninety-five feet on Harbor Blvd (previously Spadra) and sixty-five  feet on Rosslyn Avenue, has 5 store fronts.

125 Crowther Ave., Placentia, Ca.

Timeline by Carl Peters (Part 1)

The Orange County Plain Dealer, Jun 25, 1921, page 1

Architect M. Eugene Durfee has just completed plans for a machine shop being built at Placentia by Mr. Kraemer for S.L. Pugh of Anaheim. It will be 40 by 120 feet and will cost between $8,000 and $10,000. Pugh will use it for work upon heavy drilling machinery. It will be equipped with steam hammer and heavy-duty lathes.

Southwest Builder & Contractor, Jul 29, 1921, Vol 58, page 21

A. M. Thompson of Fullerton has a contract for a frame and corrugated iron machine shop, 40 x 120 ft., at Placentia from plans prepared by Architect M. Eugene Durfee of Anaheim: $10,000.

The Orange County Plain Dealer, Aug 12, 1921, page 7

Work is coming along splendidly on the new machine shop east of the Santa Fe Station on the south side of the tracks

The Orange County Plain Dealer, Aug 21, 1921, page 2

The Pugh and Darnell machine shop which has been under construction for several weeks hopes to be opening within the next week or ten days. Some of the machinery is already installed and some of it is on the ground ready for installation and the balance of it is expected within a few days.

The Santa Ana Register, Dec 01, 1922, page 2

The Pugh-Cline Tool Works have taken a five-year lease on the George F. Getty property at Santa Fe Springs and will cease operations here and begin moving there the first of the year.

The Santa Ana Register, Jan 30, 1922, page 13

The Pugh Cline Tool Works will continue to do business here for another month and expects by that time to have the new shop ready at Norwalk. The Gibbs Lumber Company delivered the lumber this week.

The Santa Ana Register, Aug 03, 1923, page 16

Henry Tuffree, a prominent rancher, and son of one of Placentia’s pioneers, and P. J. Harrison of Globe, Arizona, purchased the property east and south of the Santa Fe Station, formally known as the Pugh-Cline Tool Works plant. The property consists of about one and a half acres and includes the large, galvanized building and office building, owned by Samuel Kraemer, and sold for $17,000. The dimensions of the building are 125 x 42 feet and is being ready for the new Feed and Fuel Company the men have opened. The former office building will be remodeled into a residence for the Harrison family, who arrived here about a month ago from Arizona.

The Santa Ana Register, Sept 17, 1924, page 3

Charging fraud in a court action brought against Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kraemer of Placentia, Henry D. Truffee and Paul J. Harrison, whose complaint was on file in the superior court, declared they built a service station and made other improvements on the land purchased from Kraemer, only to find that the property line had been misrepresented and that their station was partly off their land. In July 1923, according to the plaintiffs, they were looking for a site on which to conduct a service station and a hay and grain business at Placentia. They purchased the property for $17,500, they alleged, making a payment of $5,000 on that amount. Kraemer, they declared, conducted them over the premises and pointed out the boundary lines. Acting upon his statements and his advice that they proceed without waiting for the papers to be made out, they erected a service station, took possession of a building to be used as a warehouse for their hay and grain business, and otherwise made themselves at home, the complaint stated.

125 Crowther Ave., Placentia, Ca.

Timeline by Carl Peters (Part 2)

1924 Anaheim City Directory, page 401

Tuffree Henry D (Placentia Feed & Fuel Co) h Caroline av 5 miles E, Placentia.

1946 Valencia High School yearbook, page 69 - TESOROS

On the back pages of the yearbook “Congratulations class of ’46”.  Advertisement by Olander’s Welding Shop, Crowther Avenue, pipe - fittings, phone 5431.

1957 Valencia High School yearbook, page 78 - TESOROS

On the back pages of the yearbook, an advertisement photo of Olander’s Welding Shop, 125 Crowther, Placentia.

Per Placentia Industrial Lands Map, 1964-1969, Olander’s Welding is noted by Industrial site # 20, located on Crowther Ave., Placentia, Ca.

The Los Angeles Times, August 13, 1973, page 77

Olander posts a help wanted ad for a Shear-Press Operator, apply Olander’s Welding, 125 E. Crowther, Placentia, 714/528-1126.

The shop building has been demolished due to redevelopment in the area.

Researched by Carl Peters, grandson of architect M. Eugene Durfee.

February 17, 2023

From:cheri.pape@cityoffullerton.com

To:carl peters

Tue, Aug 3, 2021 at 3:27 PM

Attached are the articles I have about the opening of the garage at 118 W Wilshire, and one photo of the building from the 1940s.

From what I can tell, JJ (Jefferson J) Lilley (sometimes Lilly) just owned the property and leased out to the auto business. The first directory that the address appears is 1924, as GR Jones Autos. The address shifts from 118 to 116 in 1926, and several different auto repairs/dealerships occupied the space until the early 1950s.

Jim Craige operated there from 1940-1945, so the attached photo must date from that time period.

Jefferson J Lilley worked at OC Brick and Tile in Anaheim at the time of construction. Property records are handled at the county level, so I don't have any information about when he actually sold the property.

Note: The street was called Spadra back then. Now its called Harbor Blvd.

The Church appears to have been demolished in 1970 and a new one was built in its place in 1971.

The Fullerton Historical Society could not find any photos of the old Christian Church.

Attached is an advertisement for the Harry D. Riley, Studebaker Agency. Located at 401 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, California. 

Note: Harry D. Riley had two other Studebaker store locations, one at 151 S. Los Angeles Street in Anaheim that Durfee designed and was built in 1924, and unfortunately, it is no longer standing.  Probably destroyed during Project Alpha during the late 1970's when they demolished the whole downtown of Anaheim.

Harry D, Riley, Studebaker: 124 E. Commonwealth Ave and 116 W. Wilshire Ave. The 116 W. Wilshire is the J.J. Lilly Garage. That was an Automotive dealer by manager GR Jones in 1924, which Durfee designed. The 124 W. Commonwealth building is still standing but it is unclear if Durfee designed it or not.

• Performance & Location: The Pirates of Penzance was staged at the Anaheim high school auditorium, drawing a crowd of around 300 attendees as the opening event of the season for the Orange County Choral Union.

• Key Participants: The production was directed by Ellis Rhodes, with musical accompaniment by the Santa Ana Symphony Orchestra and Mrs. Charles McCulloch of Anaheim on the piano; lead roles were performed by Edith Cornell of Santa Ana, Reginald Taylor of Anaheim, and Warren Ashleigh