‘Merced County Memories’ books are here and ready to buy

“Merced County Memories” has arrived.

Copies of the 128-page book chronicling Merced County’s history are now available for purchase. The hardbound book is a collaboration between the Merced Sun-Star, Los Banos Enterprise, the Merced County Courthouse Museum and the Milliken Museum in Los Banos.

Those who pre-ordered the history book can come by the Sun-Star office at 3033 N. G St. during regular business hours and pick up their copy. There are more available for purchase at $39.95 each.

“Merced County Memories” is divided into sections showing views and street scenes, schools and education, commerce, community, agriculture and industry, public service, transportation, recreation and celebrations and business profiles.

The book includes vignettes of vintage homes, businesses and thoroughfares dating back to the late 1800s and shows how much the local landscape has changed over the years.

The book captures scenes when West 16th Street was Highway 99, before the highway bypass was created in the early 1960s. Early homes, a few of which still remain, featured ornate Victorian designs.

Pictures also illustrate how recurring floods, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires erased some landmarks.

Although many early school buildings haven’t survived, many educational traditions remain to this day. Vintage pictures chronicle students and their classrooms from a century ago, along with cheerleaders and football players. Merced County’s main library, which began as a high school, still faces M Street between 21st and 22nd streets.

History buffs will get a glimpse of the marked transformation of commerce from blacksmith shops and livery stables to more modern shopping complexes.

While dress has changed over the years, the importance of community organizations and celebrations has remained strong. This history book chronicles a number of celebrations by civic and fraternal organizations, some remaining to this day.

Pictures in “Merced County Memories” show the community’s diversity, with Chinese, Italians, Portuguese, Basque and Greeks enjoying their lives in unique cultural celebrations.

Farming and ranching are still the bedrock of the county’s livelihood. How these practices are carried out has changed dramatically, as evidenced by historical photos.

History aficionados will enjoy vintage pictures of fire, police and military service personnel. Considerable space is devoted to Castle Air Force Base which was a major player in the area for half a century before its closing nearly 20 years ago.

This story was originally published December 2, 2014 at 7:58 PM with the headline "‘Merced County Memories’ books are here and ready to buy."