This series of pictures of old Southern California were made by Thomas Milholland using the technology of the 1880s in which the photographer had to mix all his own chemicals and prepare the glass plate negative in a dark room on his wagon.

Milholland lived in Valle Vista and traveled on many five-day trips to various areas to ply his trade.

He traveled to the lumber mills near Idyllwild to make this week’s picture.

We published some pictures of logging near Idyllwild last November, but I missed a couple. This week’s picture is of the inside of a lumber mill.

I believe but can’t prove that it is of the mill belonging to Angelo Domenigoni.

The photo shows saws and planes of the time, plus the machine at far left that looks like the valve-springs of a gas engine.

Since internal combustion engines were just coming on line at the time, it isn’t likely that it was an engine, but what is it?

Like most machine shops of the time there was only one prime mover for all the machinery and it was most likely a steam engine driving a large heavy flywheel and a system of belts to transfer power to where ever it was needed.

The steam engine usually was in a basement or first floor with the machines above to reduce the exposure to workers getting caught in the machinery.

OSHA would have a field day with the setup shown here.

Again, I marvel that Milholland was able to get such a clear picture indoors without flash with his slow film speed and lens. The exposure must have been measured in minutes!

Angelo Domenigoni immigrated to the US in Advertisement
1874 and homesteaded in the area that became known as Domenigoni Valley.

Through hard work by every member of his family and brilliant investing for the future, he became a wealthy farmer/businessman.

When I was a child my family knew the Domenigoni family, as we all used the Blackmore store and Winchester school. The Winchester alumni meet once a month at various restaurants and I see Elsa, a granddaughter of the patriarch.

Domenigoni Lake and Parkway are named for the family. They have been recognized by the US Congress for their citizenship and for being examples of the American dream working.

We will be hearing more about this amazing family in the years ahead, since they continue to invest wisely in Riverside County.

If you have pictures such as this or if you recognize the site, please call Bill McBurney at (951) 304-3417 or e-mail billmcb2@msn.com.

The Temecula Valley Historical Society (TVHS) will award a copy of their new DVD, "Early Boom Town Temecula," to the person who best identifies the subject of the picture.

The TVHS meets the second Monday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Pujol schoolhouse on Santiago St. in Temecula. The public is invited to attend.

On June 8, speaker Annie Borel will discuss the Borel family history and "growing up in the area."

McBurney is also interested in helping people to scan and preserve their old pictures. "History should be saved," he says.

He sends his thanks to all who have responded to the past articles.

Bill McBurney is a retired Navy Commander who was born in Hemet in 1928 and raised in the Auld Valley, Winchester and Fallbrook.

1. Heather Whisnand says :

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