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R.C. Merryman Reuben Colburn Merryman was born in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, into a nation—and a family—on the rise. Named for his maternal grandfather, Reuben Colburn, a prosperous Maine ship captain, young Reuben inherited both maritime ambition and frontier nerve. His father, Andrew Curtis Merryman, was already a successful timber operator in Marinette, Wisconsin, when Reuben entered the world. After his mother died when he was four, he was helped along by his au

According to Caltrans statistics, about five million cars pass by Merryman Station each year. It is doubtful that many of those travelers have any real sense of the history of that location. The current owner of the Merryman Station Event Venue, however, does. Amanda Hill-Thomas was gracious enough to give me a tour of the facility ( https://merrymanstation.com ), a delightful place where many couples each year celebrate their weddings in classic style. Amanda has poured an e

Exeter’s premier historian, Joe Doctor, interviewed dozens of pioneer citizens in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s, capturing firsthand accounts of Tulare County’s earliest years. Those interviews provided rich material for his many articles on local history. In a small way, I have tried to emulate that process by interviewing a number of Exeter’s senior residents, including Fran. Those interviews are preserved on our website media tab. Fran Crosson bottom center I recently met with

I began this month’s article intending to tell the story of the Merrymans — father and son — and their influence on Exeter in the early 1900s. But I quickly realized that their story cannot be told without first introducing the man who brought them here: George Frost. The Man Who Started It All George Thomas Frost (1854–1904) was an intriguing character. He was described by contemporaries as: “A cultured gentleman who made many friends…” “A jovial, dapper, little Southern Cal

That old bit of advice has been passed down through generations as a way to avoid conflict in social situations. Yet the September 10th assassination of Charlie Kirk—and the reactions that followed—brought both topics squarely to the forefront of national conversation in recent months. The divisive nature of today’s political discourse led me to wonder:  Has it always been this way? Looking back through history, the answer appears to be yes. Every decade offers examples of bi

Exeter’s American Legion Post 94 was chartered in September 1919, the 94th chapter established in California. This group of World War I veterans carried forward a tradition begun with veterans from America’s earliest wars. Such as the aging veterans of the Civil War. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) were familiar figures in community parades every July 4th. Confederate veterans had their own organization, the United Confederate Veterans (UCV). Even the brief Sp

My fascination with local history began only five years ago, sparked by the story of the Invincibles—the Exeter semi-pro football team that captured two state championships in the 1920 and 1921 seasons. Their victories are immortalized on the wall of Holaday Gym at Exeter High. That discovery set me on a path of deeper involvement in our community’s past, eventually leading me to join the Board of the Center for Art, Culture, and History–Exeter (CACHE). In June 2022, the Exet

Researching old issues of the  Exeter Sun  to learn more about past festivals in Exeter has been a true joy. There’s so much to share that I decided to write a second article summarizing Exeter’s festival history. I’ll include even more anecdotal details during my presentation on August 18, 2025, at CACHE. From the first community celebration—the Citrus Fair in 1908—until last year, there have been 28 years without a festival. The cancellations were due to a range of causes:

Community festivals are an age-old tradition across every country, culture, and nationality. They often arise from religious observances, commemorative dates (like a town’s founding), or seasonal milestones such as the harvest. Nearly all of these festivals begin with the enthusiasm of local volunteers and are powered by community spirit. Youth involvement is almost always a central feature, symbolizing the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. Beyond celebrat