BOVARD-WILSON-HAYES HOUSE AND JAIL

BOVARD-WILSON-HAYES HOUSE AND JAIL
The Victorian house was built in 1887 for Reverend George Finley Bovard who later became the fourth president of the University of Southern California.

Their daughter, Mary Ruth Hayes (1907-1990), was born in the house and lived there all her life. She was a teacher and administrator in the school district for more than forty years. She willed the home and its contents to the San Gabriel Historical Association. The home reflects the lives of one family in San Gabriel for nearly 100 years.

The small stone milk house was used as a jail on weekends to hold revelers from local saloons until they could be taken to the Los Angeles County Jail on Monday morning.  It was later moved to the Wilson-Hayes property.

Dedicated April 29, 2006
by Ramona Parlor #109 Rosemarie Lippman, President
and
The Native Sons of the Golden West
Thomas J. Sears II, Grand President

The Historical Association is the fortunate recipient of a retrospective look back in time from one of San Gabriel's pioneering families, the Mulocks.  This retrospect is courtesy of Sarah Duncan. Below is an excerpt:

A California Retrospect by Dan C. Mulock
As told to his daughter, Sarah Duncan 

Getting an Education

My half-brothers, Henry and McAlpine, went to a school on Mission Drive, about where Sycamore Street is now, on the west side of Mission. My brother, Will, went to the school on Del Mar, south of Huntington Drive. This school burned down and while a new school was being built, classes were held in a building on the east side of Mission, about where Padilla Street is now. I went to the rebuilt school on Del Mar. The next school to be built, in what was then part of the San Gabriel School district, was on the west bank of the arroyo, which is the present boundary between Alhambra and San Gabriel. The school was located about 200 feet south of Main Street. The next school to be built was the Washington School. I walked approximately 1½ miles to the school on Del Mar, about halfway between Longden and Huntington Drive. It was a one-room school, with one teacher and about 25 pupils. My first teacher was a Mr. Warren. He was followed by a Miss Gray, who came here from Maine for her first teaching job. She was followed by Miss Kate Sessions, who later became a noted nurserywoman and horticulturist.

Our water supply came from an artesian well about half a mile from school, brought in 5-gallon buckets, two boys provided the water transportation system. We all used the same tin dipper to drink from. A small wood burning stove warmed the room in winter. Outdoor toilets were located in the far corner of the school ground. There were four or five large oak trees on the school grounds and we sometimes played tree tag - if you got on the ground to keep away from the one who was after you, you had to be "it". Another game was called Prisoner’s Base.  We also played baseball.

If you enjoyed reading this excerpt about life in San Gabriel over 120 years ago, stop by and visit the SGHA Museum to read the rest of his story…