Barbara Anne Beishline Waite- Will tell of Mountain Life of 100 years ago at Apple Days
Hope you are coming to Apple Days in the State Park Sunday! “Elsie” (also known as Barb) popped by this morning in full costume, from Elsie’s pin, to her boots . She picked some apples from the same trees her family tended over 100 years ago, just a few feet from where they had a motel that burned down many few decades ago.
Barbara’s family has loved Palomar through the last 110 years and for 6 generations.
Her grandmother Elsie first came up Palomar Mtn with her parents in 1904 when she was a 16 year old girl. It was a 3 day horse & wagon trip from Long Beach. They camped at SilverCrest Camp Ground next to the Smith Douglas Hotel, exactly where Apple Days will take place, and the family fell in love with Palomar. They bought an apple ranch and soon Elsie spent every summer on Palomar while her father remained year round to care for the orchard. That orchard is still producing some lovely apples.
Thankful that Elsie kept records. Barb will share what they grew, when the apples were picked, the amount from a single tree and what they were paid for 100 apples. The list of foods grown on Palomar is rather amazing and on Sunday noon Barbara will share some of what Elsie left as a record of those years. They will also display an old apple sorter, used on the farm, that has survived the years.
Barbara is working on a book based on Elsie’s stories and records she left in her journals telling of Palomar history. When Elsie married, and Barbara’s mother Catherine, was born Elsie’s family returned to live and operate the apple ranch in 1918.
Catherine Roberts Beishline grew up climbing apple trees. One of the varieties they grew was called Palomar Giants.
Catherine’s Aunt Mamie used to say they were “nearly as large as baby Catherine’s head”. Barbara will tell about some of the apple history on Palomar. You might be surprised at the large variety of foods grown here on the mountain.
Barb will also share a little about how the mountain folks worked together to create a community that lived off the land.
Come for lunch and taste the fresh squeezed apple juice. Lots of crafts, and fun for kids of all ages!
Palomar Mountain News 