January 2009 Archives

Casey

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After leaving Visalia, I headed north toward Fresno . Fresno is not on the actual route, but I had been invited to speak to a group of 4th and 5th graders at Riverview Elementary School. So, I took a small detour and was glad to do it!

I met with Tim Rios, Senior Vice President Community Development Manager, and Kim Andersen, a member from his team who did a wonderful job of setting up the event. I had a great time with the kids and they, as well as the teachers, seemed to enjoy my tales from the road and stories of Wells Fargo's history.

Next I headed toward San Jose. This was to be a relatively short day, as the event in Fresno was the only one on the schedule. The road to San Jose was beautiful -- the weather was amazing and the views were stunning. In the little town of Hollister just off Highway 25 I passed (but could not pass up!) Casa De Fruta.  This is a fruit stand extraordinaire! It's a combination fruit stand, gourmet food and candy shop, and amusement park that has been in operation for 100 years.

The stop provided a much needed break, a chance for the dogs to take a walk, and for me to stock up on my favorite candies and fruit. I'm a Jelly Belly  freak, and this place has flavors even I haven't had before.

With my belly full and my wallet emptied, I headed north. About 33 miles south of San Jose is the town of Gilroy.  Ormsby passed through this area 150 years ago and made note of the fact that he came across the first "croaker"; of the whole trip. Dictionary.com  describes a croaker as someone who grumbles or forebodes evil. This is exactly what Ormsby had in mind when describing this guy as "the only man that was not glad to see the stage and to speak well of the enterprise.";

Lucky for me I met no such croaker on my journey. The area today is much as it was in Ormsby's day: a fine agricultural district with lots of farms and fresh fruit.

Further north I came to the town of Morgan Hill , where I found the Coyote Valley RV Resort.  Wow! This is the Hilton of RV parks and where I decided to stay for the night as I was not to arrive in San Jose until tomorrow. Juan had a friend who lived nearby, so he escaped from our 24 foot abode for a restful night in a real home.

But I was content. I had my dogs, beautiful surroundings and a bucket full of Jelly Bellies. I spent the evening pondering sentimentally my journey thus far — a little sad that it was quickly coming to an end, but looking forward to my San Francisco arrival.

One more day to go!

Charles

Last week, as I was getting Marianne's ghost story post ready, I went to the Archives to retrieve the Express Gazette she describes. While I was thumbing through these ancient issues, I kept running across stories that were contemporary then, but legend now. It always amazes me that stuff we understand as timeless, once had a time of its own.

The Gazette from 1882 comments on the death of the famous outlaw Jesse James.  James was killed April 3, 1882 by his confederate, Robert Ford.  James had a certain heroic status by the time of his death; afterwards, he became a legend. This is due in large part to a fascination with the Wild West that Americans had in that era. (Outlaws in general have commanded a certain interest. ) But for many, including the editors of the Express Gazette, the greatness accorded such miscreants as Jesse James was deplorable.

"The public peace and safety, as well as respect for the law, alike demanded the annihilation," intoned the Gazette. "No law abiding citizen will shed a tear over the death of the most desperate and fiendish of modern criminals."

In a later issue, the Gazette lamented the popularity of Frank James  upon his surrender to authorities, and the inexplicable sentiment that suggested forgiveness for James' violent past. "There should be no amnesty," the Gazette declared, calling for life in prison.

We today have a romantic, "Wild West" memory of guys like the Jameses. We think of them as part of a rascally past, one of the "hits" of our national heritage. But they were robbers and killers, whatever the motivations behind their acts, a reality of terror for anyone who was a victim.

The Express Gazette was bucking the James Gang legend, which won out. But their forgotten call for accountability over 125 years later is actually the responsible position.

Charles

Well-placed sources tell me that Wells Fargo's history was present during yesterday's Inaugural events  in Washington.

The Secret Service  has codenames  for the people it protects and for the various components of their operations. Presidents are codenamed "Deacon," "Hunter," etc. Planes and helicopters are called "Chariot" and the like.

Yesterday, President Obama's limousine, I am informed, was codenamed "Stagecoach."

We at Wells Fargo congratulate the new Chief Executive, and we are proud to have been "part" of the festivities!

Charles

Today is Inauguration Day, as the nation swears in its 44th President of the United States. It's a big day on all levels, which I needn't detail here — everybody knows them because everybody feels it. Politics and government are very personal.

Most important for all of us — I'm speaking historically, now — is the great Change we embark upon. Not just in the person of President Obama himself, but in the dramatic break with where we were, to where we are headed. Whether or not we actually get started (politics and government are as cumbersome as they are personal), a historic shift in attitudes has taken place. The gift of our system is that a collective will makes itself known. Your will.

Congratulations, everybody. It's YOUR day!

Charles

I watched a movie last night called Talk to Me , starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Taraji P. Henson. It's about a street-wise guy who dreams of being a DJ in 1960s Washington D.C. There is a scene where the staff at the radio station learns of Dr. King's death — while the city around them burns, the DJ expresses sadness and rage at the same time.

It's funny I picked up that movie as we approach the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday  weekend. King's life was so eventful: marches, speeches, organizing, traveling. A lot of really hard work, and all of it with everyone's safety at risk.

His accomplishments are many, but I just thought about how one doesn't become great without extraordinary effort. We should remember his actual labors as an organizer, Minister, and family man — Dr. King worked very hard, pretty much non-stop, for several years.

Appropriately, the very next day after the Martin Luther King holiday  we will inaugurate Barack Obama as our 44th President. Mr. Obama has quite a bit of non-stop work ahead of him, too, and the results of that labor will determine his measure as a President. But if not for Dr. King's hard work and sacrifice, it's likely Mr. Obama would never have had the opportunity to be elected to office, therefore limiting his measure as a person to just his physical appearance.

This Monday and Tuesday are very important days. We have the chance to experience — actually hear, see, feel — how far we have come. Just by keeping your heart open, you can be a part of an important moment in history. You can be great.

Marianne Babal

One of the wonders and frustrations of history is that you often find what you needed after you don't need it anymore. In early October I got an unusual request from a bank team member asking if we had any ghost stories  in Wells Fargo's history. Searching my brain and my files, I couldn't come up with any haunted history.

Then sure enough, on the first work day after Halloween , I came across a story from an 1882 issue of the Express Gazette, a trade magazine of the express business. It repeated an item in the Reno, Nevada newspaper entitled "Ghosts on the Rail" that told the tale of Wells Fargo & Co's Express car No. 5, said to be haunted.

The Express railcar had been involved in an accident west of Truckee, California, which killed the train's conductor and an express messenger. Since then, strange happenings had been reported on board.

In one macabre incident, a corpse in transit rose  in ghostly form from its casket, looked around the car, called the messenger by name, then vanished. In another haunting shortly afterward, a messenger heard strange noises on the roof, but looked out and saw no one atop the moving train. Returning to his station and his dinner, the messenger observed several boxes of freight  rearranged.

When Car No. 5 went into the shop for an overhaul, the company's express messengers familiar with the car hoped the mysterious happenings on-board No. 5 would end. But on the first run out from San Francisco, the messenger swore that he was visited by an unseen ghost who rearranged boxes of freight, tolled bells, made mournful music, and called the messenger by name.

"The Express boys say Car No. 5 is known to all the company's employees, and they all tell the same story for the truth," reported the paper.

For all I know, the ghost of express car No. 5 may still be riding the rails.

Charles

Greg Wellman is our man on Alcatraz. (As a Historian, that is.) He wrote a book about it and blogged on some connections between Wells Fargo and the historic island in San Francisco Bay. As I was going through some old stuff the other day, I found another one.

(Note to Greg: I scooped   you on this one!)

James A. Johnston  was Warden of Alcatraz  from 1934 to 1948, the "glamour" years of Al Capone  and "Creepy" Karpis . Johnston had served earlier as Warden at Folsom and San Quentin. His public service also included a stint on the San Francisco County Board, and as Chairman of the State Control Board. After Alcatraz, Johnston served as Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He wrote often about prison work, education and reforms.

In 1927, Johnson's work at improving prisons in California was interrupted. He took a banking position, as Vice President at American Trust Company in San Francisco. ATC was busy with a new concept in banking at that time, opening several branch offices in the City and around the area. The Company's head office was at 464 California Street in the Cast Iron Building.

Beginning in 1959, the Cast Iron Building was razed and a shiny new building replaced it at 464 California Street. American Trust and Wells Fargo merged in 1960. The combined Companies kept the name Wells Fargo, and located the headquarters in the brand new building. That address and building remain Wells Fargo's headquarters to this day.

Charles

Casey moves inexorably to the Butterfield's finish in San Francisco.

Here's the video report from Fort Tejon and Visalia!