648 E Palm

Charles and Henrietta Ratcliff pictured along with their children Clarence, Blanche, and Doris.

It proved impossible to take a picture from the same angle as the old photograph, as there was a fence in the way (and dogs behind the fence). Items from a yard sale as well as a large bush obscured most of the porch (left). Here is my best effort:

By changing position slightly with the camera, and cropping the old photograph, the outline of the distant building (on the left in both photos below) is quite clearly the same [notice the roof line in each photo], although the building on the right has changed.

[Distinguishing features are also stated word-for-word in A Tour of Old Towne Orange by Douglas Paul Westfall]

"640 E. Palm -- 1900 c Board & Batten Cottage NRHP 1997

Hip roof this [house] is a small pioneer type, probably hand built, structure with a

simple box plan and steep pitched, hip roof echoing the Classical revival

tendency of the period. Board and batten siding, however, is an indication

that it is probably not contractor built. There is a nearly full-width

porch in the front which has its own separate shed rood overhand supported

by wood posts with ornamental brackets in between."

Apparently the ornamental brackets, clearly visible in the 1923 picture, were removed at some point after 1997.

It is odd that the Ratcliff's are not listed, but Orange County Archivist Phil Brigandi comments, "I would not get too worried about what the directories say. Like many records, they are useful in the aggregate but sometimes unreliable in the particulars."

During the time the family lived in the house, one and perhaps both houses to the left (East) of 640 E. Palm were built. The house immediately next door, 648 E. Palm, was first recorded in the Street and Household Guide in 1923, the year the Ratcliff's arrived, and the house just East of that new house, at 654 E. Palm, was first listed in 1924. However, both houses are described as being built in 1923 in A Tour of Old Towne Orange, and I was told by the current occupant of one of the houses that originally the houses were almost, if not completely, identical. The construction of these houses may be significant as Charles would later in his life build several houses, as would his son Clarence. Both Charles and Clarence possessed considerable skill in home construction, and helping build one or both of these houses may have been formative in acquiring that skill. If nothing else, it seems very likely they followed the construction of the neighboring houses with interest.

According to "The Ratcliff Family History" [a privately published account of Charles and Henrietta Ratcliff, as recalled by their children and that I edited in 1988], Charles and Henrietta Ratcliff moved to Orange from Corona, California--about 20 miles away--in September of 1923. The purchase deed is dated October 16, 1923, the house being purchased from Frances R. Montgomery, a widow. Charles worked part time picking oranges and spraying the trees. A neighbor, a retired railroad man, often would hold Blanche on his lap. The man loved flowers, but when Doris picked one of the flowers, he locked her in his garage. She screamed and cried, as did Blanche who thought her sister was being hurt. The man soon released her from the garage, and that was the last time she picked his flowers.

The family history states that they felt the house was quite beautiful, and especially appreciated the inside bathroom, something common in Orange, but not as common elsewhere in the country. Since they had no money for toilet paper, they used the Montgomery Ward catalog--as they had with outside privies in the past--but soon the commode was overflowing! The author recalls that in the 1950's and perhaps even 1960s, Charles and Henrietta lived in a house in Ohio that still had an outside privy, and they still used catalogs instead of paper!

While in Orange, Clarence slipped off the side of the tub one day and knocked his toe out of place. Rather than consult a doctor, Henrietta just pulled the toe until it went back. The history also records that Clarence was poisoned by loquats. A letter written by eight-year-old Clarence to his grandmother provides the details.

The family attended a Mennonite Church, which later became a Missionary Church. When Clarence became ill with appendicitis, the church people prayed for healing, and he recovered without the operation that physicians thought would be needed. Blanche recalled standing on the seats to be able to see what was happening in the church services, and listening to the crickets as they walked home after church.

The family recounted that the Ratcliff's rarely could afford candy, but they often had to clean up candy wrappers people left in the yard, probably dropped as they left the store that was next door. Henrietta did babysitting to help with family finances. Clarence, age 8 (in the back right of the family photograph) recalled seeing chain-driven trucks, and when it got dark the drivers stopped and lit the kerosene lights on the trucks.

A disabled grocer, who used a wheelchair, lived nearby and wanted to trade houses so he would be closer to his store. The history states that after the family left Orange, they traded houses with the grocer. The trade is verified by the deeds, which record 640 East Palm being sold to E. F. Patterson and his wife Laura Patterson, and the same day (October 15, 1925) the Ratcliff's purchasing another house from E. F. and Laura Patterson. The store to the right (West) of the house--608 E. Palm--is listed in the 1924 and 1925 Orange "Street and Household Guide" as "Patterson's Grocery." There is currently a store there, although the second floor reportedly was added at a later date.

On April 2, 1926, the Ratcliff's sold the second house, although there is no indication they ever lived there. According to the family history, in September, 1924, the Ratcliff family moved to McFarland, California, a little over 150 miles north of Orange.

County Archivist Phil Brigandi found evidence that the "Mennonite Church" was in fact a "Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church." A 1931 history states that it was established in 1912 and had 21 charter members. They bought property at the corner of Sycamore and Olive in 1918 and built a church there. A larger church was built in 1925 and 1926. The church was located at 149 W. Sycamore, which is one block West of Glassell Street. In the 1940's it became the "United Missionary Church" and by the 1970's they were called the "Missionary Church of Orange." Records held by the denomination indicate that the only Orange church on record was the "Hope Missionary Church" which was located at 275 Glassell Avenue in 1975, however the archivist with the denomination said there could be records of another church that are at present inaccessible.

Below is the official courthouse record of the property, with 640 E. Palm highlighted in blue. The lot to the left (West) is the store and the two lots to the right are the houses built at the time the Ratcliff's lived at 640 E. Palm [an arrow points to one of those houses].

Back of the house--with added window

[notice the original board and batten siding]

Side of house taken from back yard

Inside the house--a door, although it seems unlikely that it would be the original door, to the only bedroom I could see. Everything else in the house appeared to be 1960s to 1980's vintage.

Many thanks to Janet Glover Crenshaw for her help in finally discovering which house the Ratcliff's really owned, and for having a friend help us gain access to the house.