100 years ago
April 16, 1915
The Manteca Palace of Amusement drew probably its largest crowd of outside visitors in the short history of the town last Saturday evening when the doors were thrown open. At times, there were almost 1,000 people inside the new building and dancing was carried on from 10:00 pm ‘till 5:40 am next morning, lunches being served throughout the night in the Palm Grill in connection. The hall was pronounced one of the finest in the San Joaquin Valley.
90 years ago
April 17, 1925
Recommendation of the board of directors of the local Lions Club to the effect that the members finance the construction of a hut for the local Boy Scouts organization has been taken under consideration by the club and action on the question will probably be taken at a future meeting of the Lions, according to information given out yesterday following the regular luncheon meeting of the Lions at Hotel Manteca.
80 years ago
April 18, 1935
Directors of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District Tuesday voted to renew the lease on the old Nile Garden Cannery property for another year for use as a federal labor shelter. The property is owned by the Bank of America and the rental is $100 per month. The men housed in the camp are being used in cleaning out ditches and doing other work through the district without cost to the taxpayers for their labor.
70 years ago
April 19, 1945
Manteca’s Annual Clean-up Day will be held on Saturday of this week. E. G. Fairbank, commissioner of health and sanitation, is serving as captain of the day. He asks everyone to assemble across from the fire house on Manteca Avenue at 10 o’clock and receive assignments. Councilman Fairbank is asking truck owners to donate the use of their vehicles with drivers. City employees will all help during the day and will use the city-owned truck and equipment.
60 years ago
April 14, 1955
Water prospects for the SSJID are possibly the poorest they have been for the past 20 years. Only heavy late rain or snow can help improve conditions. A. MacNeil, general superintendent, gave the present conditions of storage. Melones contains only one-sixth of the water it had last year and Woodward Reservoir had only one-half of last year’s amount. To conserve water, directors have delayed the last two irrigations.
50 years ago
April 19, 1965
John Wilber, superintendent of the Manteca Elementary Schools, and Howard Riddle, superintendent of the Manteca Union High School District, have been working together for the success of tomorrow’s election when the voters will decide whether the Manteca area is ready for unification. Seven rural area elementary schools would be affected should unification pass. The seven schools and Manteca Union High School would become one educational institution governed by a single board of trustees.
40 years ago
April 16, 1975
Joe Widmer, Lathrop farmer and veteran member of the Manteca Unified School District Board of Education, Monday night was elected to succeed himself as president of the seven-man panel. Superintendent Richard Cherry swore in two new board members, Frank Roberson and Ernie Thomsen.
30 years ago
April 18, 1985
Strapped by too many legalities and too few votes, Manteca City Council members Wednesday night were able to make only minimal progress toward lifting a self-imposed building moratorium. With two members not voting, council members finally introduced an ordinance that will establish a method by which the council can later allocate building permits over the next two years.
20 years ago
April 16, 1995
Three age brackets searched out some 12,000 hard-boiled eggs that were placed in the grass at Northgate Park Saturday. The Manteca Noon Kiwanis sponsored the annual event.
10 years ago
April 19, 2005
Big League Dreams—the sports complex that at one time triggered one of the biggest political brawls in Manteca history—is finally safe at home. The City Council gave the signal—a unanimous 5-0 count—Monday night to award West Bay Builders the $23.2 million bid to build the 30-acre complex northwest of the Airport Way and Highway 120 Bypass interchange.
