Local historian Terry Ommen likes to attach the dots.
His analysis typically leads him to grasp how the seeds of the previous planted the fruits of the current. One of probably the most fertile eras for Tulare County was the Great Depression and the Nineteen Thirties. It included rampant migration, social and pure catastrophes, and infrequently the treatments to these issues with the arrival of the social security web.
Ommen plans to discover a few of these occasions in his discuss for “Tulare County Voices@210” along with his program, “Voices from the Great Depression: Stories of Tulare County.”
The program might be from 7 p.m. to eight:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 210, 210 W. Center Avenue in Visalia. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Ommen is Visalia’s preeminent storyteller of native historical past, and for this program, he’s additionally in search of the tales that his viewers can inform.
“My presentation would include some general context history about Tulare County during that time period,” mentioned Ommen, “but my focus would be audience involvement. I would like to hear not only from Dust Bowl migrants and their families that evening but anyone with any Depression-related story.”
Those who attend will also be ready to see classic photographs and accounts of the period.
Among the occasions which have attracted Ommen’s curiosity:
The “Okie migration” of farm households displaced by the Dust Bowl.
“I am told that the Dust Bowl migration was the largest migration of people in American history,” Ommen mentioned. “About 2.5 million people moved out of the Plains States, and of that, 200,000 moved to California. Tulare County received a good share of them.”
Their experiences had been recounted within the novels of John Steinbeck, within the music of Woody Guthrie, and the poetry of Tulare’s Wilma McDaniel, the “Okie poet.”
The rise of public works initiatives and social applications in response to the Depression.
Bigotry and violence, together with labor unrest and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
Ommen expects to mine the work of all of them.
Ommen additionally plans to recall the facilities of the migrant expertise, resembling Linnell Camp and Tagus Ranch.
“I have heard some of the stories from many of these dust bowl migrants and others over the years,” Ommen mentioned. “Not all the stories were of hardship, persecution, and dread; some were inspiring and uplifting.”
Those who might need a narrative to share can contact Ommen at histerry@comcast.net.
The Times-Delta/Advance-Register requested Ommen to touch upon among the options of his work in historic analysis and the weather he plans to speak about at 210.
VTD: What a part of your work as a historian do you most take pleasure in doing? And what’s the most minor favourite factor you do as a historian?
Ommen: Clearly, my favourite a part of what I do is the analysis —the invention.
As a historical past buff, what I attempt to do is perceive how individuals lived in earlier instances. Once I give attention to a subject, then get an “aha” second, I get a way of achievement and satisfaction.
As a easy instance: Some early Visalia maps present a avenue in downtown Visalia named “Sakie,” rather than the road’s true title of Acequia. That made no sense to me.
How does that occur?
One day I regarded into the phrase Acequia and found it meant “ditch” in Spanish. Now that made sense to me, as the primary man-made waterway in the neighborhood was a ditch that was lower from the Matthews Grist mill race, going west down the road that grew to become Acequia.
So one thriller was solved. Acequia was named that due to the water ditch that was dug alongside its path.
That nonetheless didn’t reply the Sakie downside. When I heard the pronunciation of the phrase Acequia, I used to be amazed! It is pronounced “a SAKE ia” utilizing the right Spanish pronunciation. Early map makers heard the Spanish pronunciation and mistakenly thought they heard “Sakie” and put that on their map. This was executed by map makers who had been clearly not native.
A few “aha” moments there for me.
My least favourite half is organizing the tales, and so forth., in such a means. Not being very technically savvy means quite a lot of handbook recordsdata and cross-referencing.
VTD: History is continually being revised due to contemporary revelations, typically by devoted researchers such as you. What issues have you ever found that modified native historical past, so to talk?
Ommen: So true about historical past being dynamic! An enormous one for me is the well-known image presupposed to be Nathaniel Vise, the namesake of Visalia. So many good historians have used the only picture of him repeatedly. I’ve executed the identical factor.
One day a member of the family contacted me and mentioned the image was mistaken and gave proof – our image of Nathaniel Vise is definitely William Francis Turner! Photos have been misidentified a lot that it appears unattainable to set the file straight.
VTD: You have chosen the Nineteen Thirties in Tulare County as your focus for this 12 months’s program for “Tulare County Voices @210.” What makes this period so intriguing?
Ommen: I picked the Nineteen Thirties (the Great Depression period) this 12 months as a subject as a result of so many first- and second-generation experiencers are leaving us.
The Great Depression, for a few years, was an occasion that brought on individuals to shiver with anguish, having both gone by it or heard about it by their dad and mom. Nowadays, the idea of the Nineteen Thirties Depression, no less than for the youthful crowd, simply doesn’t have the identical impact or understanding.
I hope the oldsters who attend our program at 210 on Dec. 13 might be keen to share their tales earlier than the reminiscences fade away.
The Nineteen Thirties period in Tulare County was, in some methods, “ground zero” for essential societal adjustments and experiences.
Inspire: Many researchers say they encounter an “A-ha! moment” in the midst of their work. Could you share an “A-ha! moment” you had in your encounter with Nineteen Thirties historical past of Tulare County?
Ommen: I believe for me, through the years, as I examined the Ku Klux Klan, I stored ready to seek out proof of violence by the Visalia Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Lodge No. 48 or different county KKK lodges, however “reported” violence was very scarce. There had been plenty of social occasions, picnics, parades, and so forth., and it included, I’d say, cities in Tulare County and past. I discovered no reported “lynchings” that gave the impression to be racially motivated.
Of course, the KKK was a really secretive group, so I’m positive they had been lively in underground actions, which weren’t reported.
My tackle the Klan regionally was that they tried publicly no less than to come back throughout like some other service membership. I believe this, for me up to now no less than, is an “Aha” second.
Inspire: What was the excessive level of occasions in Tulare County within the Nineteen Thirties? And what was the low level?
Ommen: One of the excessive factors in Tulare County within the Nineteen Thirties for me was the opening of the Fox Theatre and the enjoyment it introduced to people who might afford to see films.
Another is Tulare County is and was a “bread basket,” so meals was obtainable for many, particularly these linked with farms or farmers.
My father was from a Minnesota farm household, and within the Nineteen Thirties, I bear in mind him saying meals was by no means a problem for them with cows, pigs, chickens, and so forth. At least, that was his take as a small baby.
Another constructive level of the Nineteen Thirties was the creation of welfare nonprofits. There had been quite a lot of neighbor-helping-neighbor efforts.
Another biggie was the quite a few public works initiatives made doable by the federal authorities. Buildings had been constructed [such as the Tulare County courthouse, now “The Darling” hotel], and initiatives just like the “Mineral King Bowl” had been dug with federal cash, hiring groups of horses and males — all executed by hand with pretty primitive instruments.
One low level would have been staff, particularly farm laborers, who oftentimes lacked a voice within the office, and that resulted in labor unrest —strikes, violence, and demise. Racism was practiced, as within the case of the Exeter Race Riot of 1929. In that occasion, Filipino staff had been “run out of town,” actually.
Inspire: If a typical resident of Tulare County from, say, 1938 [if there was such a thing], had been transported to this time, what would most shock them?
Ommen: Your “typical 1938 resident transported to today” query is a troublesome one. All revolves across the phrase “typical.” But I believe the quantity and variety of presidency providers obtainable to these in want at present would shock everybody.
Inspire: Let’s flip that query round: What would a resident from our time and place discover most shocking about 1938?
Ommen: I believe at present’s particular person would discover a lack of presidency providers, each in quantity and variety. Definitely shock, I’m positive.
Inspire: What native occasions of the current day will historians be analyzing 100 years from now?
Ommen: I believe COVID, for positive, would be the large subject wanting again 100 years from now. The pandemic has so many features — affect on schooling, economic system, relationships, authorities response, and so forth.
I’m unsure if that is an occasion, however … The unlucky decline and disappearance of print media, newspapers particularly, may also be examined.
How to attend
Terry Ommen would be the featured speaker on the subsequent installment of “Tulare County Voices @210.” His program is “Voices from the Great Depression: Stories of Tulare County,” from 7 p.m. to eight:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 210, 210 W. Center Avenue in Visalia. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This occasion is free.
Visalia’s Mr. History
Terry Ommen is commonly acknowledged as Visalia’s preeminent authority on native historical past, having inherited the mantle from his mentor, the late Annie Mitchell.
Ommen has written extensively concerning the historical past of Tulare County. He is the creator of 4 books and actually lots of of articles in native publications, together with the Visalia Times-Delta, Fresno Bee, Valley Voice and Direct Magazine. He is at present a daily contributor to Lifestyle and The Good Life magazines.
Ommen is a member of a number of historical past organizations together with Visalia Heritage, Inc., the Tulare County Historical Society and the Wild West History Association.
Although historical past is Ommen’s old flame, it’s his second calling. After graduating highschool, he enlisted within the U.S. Army and spent three years within the navy police corps. After his navy service, Ommen obtained a bachelor’s diploma from Long Beach State University and a Master’s from Chapman University. In 1972, Ommen joined the Visalia Police Department. He retired in 1997 with the rank of captain.
Ommen and his spouse of fifty years, Laraine, have a daughter, Lindsay, and two grandchildren.
Throughout his profession in regulation enforcement, Ommen nurtured his curiosity within the historical past of the Old West and Tulare County’s position in it. He has written on a broad vary of topics.
“But as a career lawman, I must admit I have a special interest in the early peace officers and the badmen they pursued,” Ommen mentioned.
For a number of years Ommen wrote and printed a weblog known as “Historic Happenings,” which stays on-line at www.visaliahistory.blogspot.com.
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