Olive Avenue Odyssey

The streets in Lompoc are primarily named after trees, plants, flowers and letters of the alphabet or numbers and Olive Avenue is a fine example of Lompoc heritage as it runs east-to-west for about 3-miles on the south side of Lompoc. The founders of our city decreed that major Avenues should be "wide enough to turn a wagon around" and Olive Avenue is a good example of that policy.

We begin our adventure at Olive Avenue and "7th" Street near Beattie Park. Beattie is a beautiful park situated in the rolling terrain leading up to the foothills. The park is ringed with houses hanging off of the side of the foothills. Their decks and porches make the houses appear much larger than they actually are.

The soccer fields are in a setting similar to an ancient Roman amphitheater with the exception that well kept green grass has replaced the barren stone viewing stands of ancient Greece. Soccer players are plentiful in Lompoc and there seems to be more players and teams than there are playing fields. On game day at Beattie proud parents bring a picnic snack and sit all around the playing field and on the grassy slopes to watch the spirited contests. For fans, this is the best soccer field in Lompoc!

Beattie also has the traditional barbeque pits and on most weekends the smell of tri-tip, beans and garlic bread wafts over the park and the surrounding neighborhood as families prepare their meals. Anxious adults and playful children gather around the pits eager to snap up any samples that the cook has to offer. Once the meal is complete the kids run off to play and the adults lie around in the grass or sit at tables and spin family yarns in the afternoon sun under brilliant blue skies.

There are also trails and walkways that wind their way through the park. Oak, fir, and willow trees (and poison oak) are abundant alongside the paths on the south side of the park. Deer and other animal tracks can be readily seen in the early morning before the many groups of people arrive and start their park adventures. There is also an exercise course for the more hardy picnickers in the group that has several exercise stations to test your stamina.

As we drive west down a low hill some of the rural charm of Lompoc can be seen as we pass a house on a large lot with old chicken or rabbit houses, numerous fruit trees and freshly plowed ground for a new crop of vegetables. Most of the chickens are gone now but the fruit trees and vegetable gardens remain.

A very aerobic stairway leads from Bluff Street up the hill to Olive that challenges the fittest of citizens. Large flower displays are also abundant in the yards and the colors are magnificent year-round as the different varieties offer their blooms for our pleasure.

Hawthorne is the next cross street. Thousands of lights and well thought out displays greet the visitor during the holiday season. The people in this neighborhood take pride in their home Christmas displays and all of the people in town anxiously await the arrival of the holidays for a chance to visit this neighborhood and "ooh and awe" their appreciation of the work needed to erect the displays.

Soon we cross some railroad tracks. The tracks are part of a spur line leading from the "White Hills Siding" near Laurel Avenue and Second Street to the Celite mine entrance in Miguelito Canyon. This line has been used to ship thousands of tons of diatomaceous earth to manufacturers of products such as swimming pool filters, toothpaste and women's makeup for decades.

The spur line isn't so active now since trucks are used to move the majority of the diatomaceous earth output south down Highway 1 to Los Angeles. As you look south from Lompoc you can plainly see the mine tailings, which fill a large canyon in the shape of a large white "V". Many fine Lompoc residents are employed at the mine, which has been a cornerstone of the community for many decades.

Old Victorian houses are abundant along this stretch of Olive Avenue. Many of them have been restored with remarkable results and some are listed in the cities historical register. The wavy glass placed in the window frames 100 years ago has survived scores earthquakes and rocket launches and can be easily seen as we pass these beautiful homes. I often wonder how the owners feel about being surrounded by the historical aura of these ornate homes.

One of these homes at Olive and "H" Street (the Wright-Peck House, built in 1880) has been restored to remarkable condition. The glassed in sun porch and ginger bread wood trim has been freshly painted and crisply starched lace curtains hang in the windows. As you look at this home you can almost imagine a horse and buggy or Model "T" parked out front waiting for the owners to load baskets of food to make a trip out to Ocean Park for a day of camping and fishing for steelhead salmon. These times have passed and now we speed about on our errands, pop in for some "fast food" along the way and give little thought to the preparations that our forefathers had to make for a simple day at the beach.

A several-block long grove of Italian Stone Pines was planted by the city on South "H" Street in 1940. These trees are unique and have often been referred to as the "best kept grove" of Italian Stone Pines in the west. The cities urban forestry division certainly takes pride in these trees and they are always well trimmed and provide a beautiful shady setting for the homeowners in this area.

Another interesting home is a small wood-frame house across from the Catholic Church near Olive and "J" that always seems to be decorated for the season. It stands on a large bare lot and the occupants seem to always put a lot of effort into decorating their home. It is October now and scarecrows, pumpkins, witches and goblins adorn the front porch. Other timely decorations are used for other seasons of the year. The size of the house seems to compliment each of the decorating themes.

Miguelito Creek and the flood control basin now come into view. The creek had a history of flooding during the rainy years in the early history of Lompoc and the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a holding basin and the concrete channel leading to the Santa Ynez River so that homes would not be flooded. The City of Lompoc urban forester has created some appealing views by constructing a bicycle path and creatively planting trees and flowers along the channel route. This adds a nice touch to the bland concrete walls of the flood channel.

The sports yard of Lompoc Middle School is near "L" Street on the right. The Lompoc Civic Auditorium on the school property is a treat to see. The open beamed ceiling, thick walls and high windows of this entertainment venue reminds me of the wonderful era of the past when school children entertained us with wonderful stage plays and musicals. Stepping into the lobby area of this wonderful old building takes you back many years as you think of all the audiences who have passed through this portal.

Today the school district, Lompoc Theater group, the Lompoc Pops Orchestra and various other musical groups provide wholesome entertainment for the entire community. Many fine dramatic and musical productions occur throughout the year to the delight of faithful audiences.

The Bodger Seed Company is near Olive and "V" Street. The seed processing, green houses, experimental growing sheds and equipment yard are clearly visible from the street. Imagine driving through Lompoc in the early 1940's and coming across a huge 12-acre American flag made up of red, white and blue flowers.

In 1942 Bodger Seeds decided they could do something really spectacular to support the war effort. The flag was their way of saying thanks to all the Americans who were fighting the good fight. The company planted "flags" at Olive and "V" in 1942, '43, '45 and 1952.

Bodger currently has many large seed fields planted in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez River valleys. Hundreds of acres of the brilliantly flowering plants are a remarkable, and highly visible bi-product of this industry. As late as the 1970's flowers dominated the Lompoc Valley each season. Today many acres of flowers have been replaced with row crops and cut flowers. The agricultural and flower fields of Lompoc provide a beautiful tapestry for all to see as the blue-gray of broccoli mixes with the green of lettuce and the reds, whites, blues and oranges of the flowers.

Bodger Road leads up to "Lookout Point" where you can see the entire town site and the flowering fields of the valley below. The seed workers houses have been removed from Bodger Road and full-grown pine and yucca trees are all that remain of the fine gardens that were grown by the occupants. Well-nourished flower and vegetable gardens adorned each of the little houses, the family wash was hung on clothes lines and the women attended to the children living in the cabin-like houses. The people who lived in these little houses may have been poor, but they had pride in the place they called home.

Finally we wind up our short journey at Bailey Avenue three miles from our start. The Lompoc landfill can be seen to the south, and except for the sign pointing the way and the sporadic truck traffic leading into the canyon you can't even tell its there! The city workers take pride in their operation and you never see paper or trash blowing out of the landfill. The city has received numerous awards for the operation and management of this facility and the entire community supports the recycling efforts, which have significantly extended the life of the landfill.