In 1965, my family moved from downtown Willow Glen, to a southeast pocket of the district now known as Canoas Garden. The tract had been developed on the site of the old Lester/Von Dorsten prune orchard located between the Canoas Creek and the Guadalupe River. Between our neighborhood school (Canoas Elementary) and the Guadalupe River, stood a remaining section of the orchard that would be developed a few years later as “Almaden Estates.” In the meantime, this abandoned area became a playground for my friends and me to explore (without parental permission, of course…).
Most of the Lester orchard had consisted of old prune trees. Walking through the remaining rows of trees, you eventually came to the Guadalupe River, where there were empty structures and prune drying tunnels with carts that ran on rails. On the other side of the river was the Almaden Expressway. The whole situation seemed quite a mystery to us kids, though we certainly had fun pushing the carts through the tunnels, climbing on the stacked fruit trays, and examining the various buildings.
Not far from this area stood the remnants of an old barn. Like some kind of ghost building, only the frame remained without a single plank or shingle. I was fascinated by the structure, and decided to try and climb it. As my friends watched, I found a long board, leaned it against a high beam, and began slowly walking up. About halfway up the framework began to sway, so I initiated a cautious yet hasty retreat.
Fast forward some forty-odd years, and I’m still living in the same neighborhood. At some point I decided to begin researching its history. I was able to locate Lee Lester, whose family had owned the property, and visited his nearby home to interview him. During the interview, he showed me a picture of an old barn. It was a beautiful structure that had been on the property when his family (Von Dorsten, his mother's side) had purchased it from the Colombet (also spelled Columbet) family in 1916. Lee said that he loved the old barn, so he took most of it with him when they moved off the property. He said that he’d removed the planks, and that all that remained was the frame. Aha! So that was the old ghost barn I’d tried to climb as a kid! I asked Lee what became of all of the planks, and he said,”Oh, they’re out in the garage.” We then went out to the garage and climbed up into the rafters to look at the planks, with Lee giving me one of the shorter ones as a souvenir. What a kick to finally learn the story of that old barn and the orchard all these years later.
Further Reading in the California Room
- The Last of the Prune Pickers, by Tim Stanley
- Maps: Brainard Atlas p.4, Santa Clara County Map drawer 8
- California Room Index: June Lester, Canoas Garden, Clemente Colombet, and Columbet
- Aerial photos, 1931, 1948, 1960, 1968, and 1981
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