December 2008 Archives

Casey

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About 85 miles from Los Angeles the stage route reaches the Tejon pass near Fort Tejon State Historic Park . My first of just two stops today, Ft. Tejon is a peaceful little spot surrounded by velvety smooth hills. When Ormsby arrived, Ft. Tejon was an active fort with "some very fine adobe buildings" and "few settlers." Today Ft. Tejon is a state park with recreated and original buildings from the old fort. With Juan and the boys, I arrived after closing time.

Turns out we were not exactly alone — a family of deer was taking advantage of the open space in the closed park. I spent nearly an hour walking around, videoing, and sharing the space with them. It really added to the tranquil feeling of the place and helped transport me to another time when I'm sure wildlife was abundant here.

Tranquility aside, I had to be off. Further up Highway 99  is another town I'd never heard of, but will never forget: Visalia, California . When I arrived, it was already dark out and I was getting quite hungry. After locating the KOA in Visalia  and registering for the night, I headed into town. Being a weeknight, I was worried there would be nothing open in such a small town this late.

Boy, was I surprised! As I approached downtown, I was greeted by a huge party. Not in my honor, of course, but that night just happened to be the 15th Annual Taste of Downtown Visalia .

I was amazed. There was live music. The streets and restaurants and bars were filled to the brim with people enjoying all that downtown Visalia has to offer.

And does it have something to offer! Nearly every kind of cuisine you can imagine was available. Juan and I settled on steak, and soon found the Double LL Steakhouse. I have to say, I've had steak a few times on this journey (when there was no catfish available), and this was hands down the best steak of the trip. In fact, I would venture to say one of the best steaks I've ever had. And the mashed potatoes were to die for! (And you will if you eat all that they put on your plate!)

Unfortunately, the next morning was to be an early one, so I wasn't able to take part in the festivities. After stuffing myself, I headed back to the KOA. Before hitting the hay, I grabbed my copy of Ormsby's book to research for the next day's visit and filming in Visalia and had another "Ormsby moment"....

Megan

I am all for adaptive reuse . There are many creative ways of using an old building for a new purpose.

The trend in Minneapolis right now appears to be towards hotels. Just this year, the Ivy Hotel  opened in a 1930s ziggurat-style building. The W Minneapolis hotel in the 1929 Foshay Tower  followed suit. Last year the Westin opened in the former Farmers and Mechanics Bank building .

"The latest is The Hotel Minneapolis . This one is especially cool since it is in what was once home to Midland National Bank.

The bank started in 1909 as Scandinavian-American National Bank, one of many Scandinavian banks in Minneapolis that began in the early 1880s. In 1915, it moved into the Security Building, built by Security Bank in 1906, complete with Italian marble. In 1917, Scandinavian-American National Bank changed its name to Midland National Bank (scroll down)  and in 1929 joined the newly organized Northwestern Bancorporation (the forerunner of Norwest) in an effort to survive the depression. A 1939 renovation included renaming the building to the Midland Bank Building. Other changes included a drive-through banking window in 1956. In 1984, Midland officially became part of Norwest Corporation, which joined with Wells Fargo in 1998.

The Midland bank building is now the Hotel Minneapolis. Where once you stood in line for a teller, you now lounge and sip cocktails. Those magnificent columns, which once stood for credibility and stability, now lend a cool vibe to the restaurant Max . Midland's gorgeous vault doors, uncovered during a 1978 restoration, now open to reveal a wine cellar. There is a Wells Fargo banking store there still, on the skyway level — they just built the hotel around it.

But it all makes me think that this would be a great idea for a new bank store. Set-up a savings account, get a safe deposit box, eat dinner, hang out at the bar...

Well, maybe not.

Melissa

Continuing our study of the Wells Fargo Messenger, I want to look at an article from the operating officers  that addresses the submission of anonymous letters to the Messenger.

As a publication actively seeking submissions from 35,000 express employees, you can imagine that those operating officers were dealing with a substantial amount of mail for each issue. The writer assures us that not one of the many letters submitted to the house organ would go unread. He says, in fact, "we derive some of the best of our suggestions for the conduct of this magazine," from the letters written by the Wells Fargo employees who read and respond to the Messengereach month.

Any letters, however, that arrive unsigned or are signed "Anonymous" are subjected to the "waste basket rule."  That is, they are torn up and thrown away, not one suggestion or idea from said letter is utilized due to the belief that "suggestions avail little if their maker has not the courage to come out into the open and stand by them."

I appreciate how the writers of the Wells Fargo Messenger are not afraid to say exactly what they think of anonymous letter writers, and call upon their readers to stand by their convictions and to trust that if they send in a confidential letter, it will be honored as such.

How many large corporations would have the courage to be this forthright with their employees today?

It is also interesting to think of the comfort in anonymity in contemporary forums  — on websites, through email, in chat rooms and even on blogs like Guided By History. Whether corporate or personal, many prefer to leave their grain of salt unclaimed , due to any number of reasons. It is certainly a curious phenomenon.

The closing statement of the article is incredibly direct (if not a bit "male-centric"):

Sign your name to what you write. It is a primary step in courage. It is "cards upon the table," a first declaration of good faith with the man with whom you treat. And to him it is an earnest that he is dealing with a man, a real man, who not only makes a statement but puts the force and strength of his personality behind it.

Although today's culture we would likely exchange "man" for "person," the idea remains relevant, as well as rousing.

Charles

We have vid from Wednesday's fete at the Wells Fargo Museum. We presented the Grand Prize in the Someday Stories^SM promotion to Evelyn Krieger.

Check it out! What a crowd, eh?

Casey

My first stop of the day took me to the city of El Monte  , just outside Los Angeles. El Monte was called the "end of the line" of the Santa Fe Trail   by many settlers to this area well before Los Angeles became the mega city it is today.

Having been settled by Texas emigrants, it also has the distinction of being the first permanent American settlement in Southern California. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to spend in this little community, but I was able to make a stop at the Santa Fe Historic Park .

The park is small but full of history — including the old city well. And being the site of the well, it is most likely the spot where the stage stop was located.

When I arrived, the park was gated shut, but thanks to the kindness of one of the maintenance workers I was given access to the beautiful little spot.

Ormsby had great things to say about El Monte and considered it an oasis of civilization after thousands of miles into the wild. For Ormsby and undoubtedly others, civilization meant shingled roof tops....

Charles

This morning, I was at the event that awarded Evelyn Krieger the Grand Prize in the Someday Stories^SM promotion. The event was in Wells Fargo's History Museum in San Francisco, and included donations to Habitat for Humanity , Boys and Girls Clubs of America , and Junior Achievement . The party was attended by media, Wells Fargo brass, and lots of people who followed the contest closely. My fellow Historians and bloggers were there.

Oh, and a Stagecoach, too.

At 10:00am, a Wells Fargo stagecoach, driven by 50-year man Paul Fellingham, rolled down Montgomery Street, bringing Evelyn and her daughter, Leah Larson, to the Museum.

Remember, Evelyn's Someday Story is to take the prize money and help Leah expand her magazine for girls, YALDAH . Enough people voted who wanted Evelyn and Leah to succeed, and they put the two over the top. Their place on the stagecoach was assured.

Also aboard were Monte Walker and Fred Brewer of Habitat for Humanity. People voted for their favorite cause, and Habitat for Humanity got prize money for garnering the most votes.

The coach reached the main entrance to the Museum, and the assembled crowd erupted in cheers. Fellingham handed a treasure box to Stagecoach Manager Lovester Law. The treasure box rode under the driver's feet during the journey, just as in the glory days of the coach 150 years ago. Lovester took the box, brought it inside and put it at the dais. The winners followed.

Bob

Last Thursday at noon, I picked up the phone not knowing who I would find on the line, as I have been fielding questions from the general public on historical questions for more than 30 years. This time, attached to the other end was Carl Nolte, ace reporter, especially on historical subjects, for the San Francisco Chronicle. I know Carl from sailing on the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien.

His query, though, had to do with copious amounts of liquids which were not salt water.

Carl asked for my opinions on the Repeal of Prohibition , which went into effect on December 5, 1933. However, as this was some time before I was born, my memories were a bit hazy — but I gave him something intelligible. Last Friday morning, I saw myself quoted  almost above the fold on the front page of the paper.

Too much strong drink most certainly disrupts society. Employment forms for Wells Fargo & Company Express asked if the applicant drank, yet Wells Fargo Nevada National Bank President Isaias W. Hellman  ran the California Wine Association.

Now, California wine garners raves world wide, making December 5 worthy of raising a glass of red in a city that enjoys pleasant living.

Yet, on December 7, a day significant for other reasons , the Sunday papers posed the dilemma of restriction versus freedom. A columnist for the Chronicle argued that just as Prohibition worked only for "organized crime," the nation might consider relaxing the war on drugs. Another news story announced that Amsterdam is removing brothels and pot cafes from the city center because — you guessed it — they attract "organized crime."

Charles

Evelyn Krieger has won Wells Fargo's Someday Stories^SM Grand Prize of $100,000. She entered the contest in order to invest in her daughter's vision and now she will!

Evelyn's daughter is Leah Larson, a 17-year old entrepreneur from Sharon, Massachusetts, who started a publication when she was only 13. It's called YALDAH , a magazine for Jewish girls by Jewish girls. On her own, Miss Larson raised start-up funds, created a web site, wrote press releases, solicited content, designed the look and feel of the magazine, and found a printer. As Editor and Publisher of YALDAH (Hebrew for "girl"), Leah's mission is to empower creativity and leadership, to inspire girls to follow their dreams, and to celebrate Jewish values.

Leah's magazine has subscribers worldwide, an editorial board and two employees who manage content. But YALDAH and Leah have reached a turning point. Evelyn and Leah wanted the magazine to grow, and with a $100,000 prize from Someday Stories, they can take it in the direction of Leah's vision — expanding the magazine and building a YALDAH line of books for girls.

The Someday Stories promotion kicked off in May. The contest offered people the chance to write a story about their dream and their future, and how Wells Fargo might help them reach it. Five finalists  were chosen in September, and each won a $10,000 prize for their entry. Someday Stories then encouraged everyone to vote for the story they felt should win the Grand Prize. When the web ballots were tallied, Evelyn was the winner!

As part of the Someday Stories promotion, voters were also asked to choose one of three causes selected by Wells Fargo — Habitat for Humanity , Junior Achievement , and Boy & Girls Clubs of America  — to receive a $250,000 donation. Habitat for Humanity recorded the most votes and will receive the top donation from Wells Fargo! Junior Achievement, in second place, will receive a $150,000 donation, while Boys & Girls Clubs of America will receive a $50,000 donation.

There will be a celebration of Evelyn's and Leah's prize on December 10 at the Wells Fargo History Museum in San Francisco. (More information at the Someday Stories site.)

Winning the Someday Stories grand prize goes beyond money, however. "An important part of the contest is the financial consultation with a team of Wells Fargo professionals," says Jennifer Copeland, the Someday Stories leader. "They'll help Evelyn and Leah make the most of the $100,000 and achieve their dream for YALDAH. And three worthy charities will benefit at a time when they need contributions most."

Charles

Thirteen years ago, in 1995, Wells Fargo joined with Banamex , Mexico's largest bank, to inaugurate a program of sending money between people in the United States and Mexico. It became enormously popular quickly — four years ago, Wells Fargo's remittances could be cashed at 4,000 branches and 10,700 ATMs.

This program, while innovative in itself, merely continued Wells Fargo's twentieth-century presence in Mexico. In 1924, following the Revolution , the express business still operated in Mexico, shipping produce to the United States and selling farm equipment. Wells Fargo also ran the largest tourist and travel agency. Wells Fargo's services included Gray Line bus tours  and elegant hotels, such as the Rancho Telva in the silver mining town of Taxco .

These express-related services ended in the early 1960s, to be followed by Wells Fargo Bank's financial services in later decades. On November 9, 2001, Wells Fargo became the first financial services company to accept Mexican Government-issued identification cards and consular-issued Matricula cards as primary forms of identification to open accounts in the United States.

Melissa

The Wells Fargo Messenger is a familiar sight to many. Not only do we see examples of this monthly company magazine in the history museums, but their diverse cover art is seen all over many Wells Fargo office buildings, as well as in many advertisements.

The wide variety of artwork, depicting everything from famous 18th century modes of travel  to holiday themes, makes the Messenger covers an ideal way for Wells Fargo to utilize it's rich past in contemporary marketing.

Due to its high visibility, the Wells Fargo Messenger is a popular topic of conversation for museum visitors.

They have many questions: What was the Messenger? When was it printed? Was it a monthly publication?

So I thought I would blog about it in several parts (there is a lot to research!) in an attempt to shed light about what happened between the covers of the Wells Fargo Messenger.

This "house organ"  began publication in September 1912, running through June 1918. Its inception was overseen by the Company's president, Burns D. Caldwell. In an announcement about the Messenger, he stated that:

In establishing a magazine or house organ the company is following the plan adopted by many large railroad and other public service institutions.

The extensive scope of the company, both in number of employees and wide extent of territory, should make such a medium of communication especially valuable. The primary object, of course, is to bring its representatives into a closer relation and to afford a better knowledge of its policies and of the conditions under which the varied phases of its work are to be performed, as well as to secure unity of aim and effort in serving its patrons.

The Wells Fargo Messenger will contain much that will be interesting, entertaining and instructive, but its principal function will be that of raising the company's standard of efficiency and usefulness by the promotion of higher ideals of individual attainment and of mutual accomplishment.

Anyone who was an employee of Wells Fargo was invited and encouraged to contribute to the Messenger "almost anything that is of interest to you in your work is of interest to this magazine." This included works of fiction, involving Wells Fargo and its employees. The first story in the premier edition of the Wells Fargo Messenger was entitled "The Man Who Fought Tigers" by Wells Fargo Advertising Manager, Edward Hungerford . A great story with suspense, romance  and of course, a dutiful station agent who risks life and limb (I won't give away the ending) .

The Messenger, however, had one very strict guideline for submissions, whether they were contributions or criticisms. That, though, is the subject for another blog....