News From Jamul Haven

We're continuing to acquire and display original artwork at the B&B. You may notice a new oil painting of a Victorian London street scene in the parlor, and a new oil painting of two peacocks in the Peacock Room. This is part of our long term strategy of building a strong arts focus for Jamul Haven. Future activities may include art focused dinners and entertainment, on-site art related workshops and performances, and even an artist in residence program. As guests, you'll be able to enjoy the activities, appreciate the art, and perhaps even get involved. More to come.

The photo with this column is a picture of one of our resident chickens, Goldie, taken by a guest, Kristi Lato. We're getting booked enough that we're thinking of adding a couple of chickens to the flock just to keep up with the demand for fresh eggs.

Legendary Jazz musician John Coates Jr. stayed with us on May 31st while he was in town for a jazz piano concert. It was a fun opportunity for the guests to get to know the performer in an informal, relaxed environment and to then watch him perform on stage.

We're in the process of putting together an outdoor olive museum. We're looking for donations, loans, and purchases of related turn of the century farm equipment including olive vats, presses, picking equipment, farm delivery wagons, and so on.

We're starting to put up Victorian garden benches along the various garden pathways.

Jamul Haven History, The Growth of the Olive Empire

Gifford settled in Jamul in 1888, where he planted a grove of orange and olive trees which he watered from a nearby spring (still present). He later purchased one hundred and one acres adjoining, on which twenty acres were devoted to an orchard and the remainder to general farming. While engaged in these activities, he became aware of the growth potential in olives, and sold his ranch in 1895 to devote himself exclusively to olives. Interestingly, the year of the initial mortgage on Jamul Haven was 1895. By the time Gifford filed his application for a United States Patent on the Mexican Canyon property in 1896, he clearly had a small olive industry in operation. The 1898 Patent and 1899 addition to his Queen Anne Victorian farm house coincided with the success of his olive orchard and Gifford Olive Mill industry.

A brief note in the 1899 newspaper reported olive orchards and grain fields in the Valley of Jamul “tell of fruitful soil” (San Diego Union January 1, 1899). An article in the San Diego Union remarked that fifty years earlier, on March 31, 1906, C.M. Gifford took out a permit to construct his olive factory at 13th and Market Street (San Diego Union March 31, 1956). Another article in 1933 mentioned the Gifford plant received what was believed to be the first award given for canned olives. By that time, they processed 400 tons of olives into 18,000 to 24,000 cases for wholesale and retail sales. C.M. Gifford & Sons estimated they produced 10 million pint cans of olives since they began their operation in 1899. The 1905 San Diego City Directory shows the Gifford Olive Works was located at 525 9th in downtown San Diego. By 1907 they were at 13th and M, and by 1918 they were at 13th and Imperial. An April 20, 1930 article in the San Diego Union entitled “Gifford’s Olives ‘Grow’ With Passing of Years” states: In a small square adobe shed with crude wooden barrels and vats, Gifford sought ways and means to improve the processes of curing the fruit, at the same time delivering his small output to local stores and other business concerns by wagon and team. He was the entire force, factory owner, manager, help and deliveryman.’

“… It is interesting to know that the Gifford firm was the first in the world to successfully can ripe olives. Outside markets soon sought Gifford olives but being an entirely new product canned ripe olives were slow to meet with public demand outside of California.

“…Many of C.M. Gifford’s original customers are still buyers in large quantities of Gifford packed olives today, [1930), including Klauber-Wagenheelm company, Hotel del Coronado, Hamilton’s grocery, the original Heller’s stores, now the MacMarr chain, and the Southwestern Grocery company, then Cook-Haddock company. The Gifford business has remained under family control since its inception and Gifford ripe olives now have national distribution."

Romantic Getaway #6: Retreat to Childhood

Childhood romances have an innocence that is a unique form of romance. If you had a wonderful childhood, here's a chance to retreat back to that childhood for a period o time. If you had a terrible childhood, here's a chance to experience a romanticized ideal of what your childhood should have been. Spend some time with your date playing childhood games (hopscotch, jacks, jump rope, hide and seek, and so on). Pass notes to each other. Climb a tree together and just hang out. Ride bikes together, preferably with a playing card held against the spokes with a clothes pin. Share a milkshake. Maybe, just maybe, find yourself playing doctor.

Fireworks

July 3rd is a big event at Jamul Haven. Steele Canyon Golf Course has a spectacular fireworks display that evening, and we are all able to sit on the balcony of the Angel House and watch the fireworks. Perhaps best of all, the sound echos down Mexican Canyon, creating a unique audio experience as well. And before the event, there's always a cook-out with grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, and so on. So if you'd like to enjoy the show, join us on July 3rd.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Local Events

Selected fun San Diego events that are worth a trip.

6/9-6/15 US Open Golf Tournament

6/14 -BMX Motorcycle Olympic Tryouts

6/14-7/6 San Diego County Fair is Open

6/28-6/29 - La Jolla Festival of the Arts

7/3 - Fireworks at Jamul Haven

7/12-7/20 San Diego Over The Line Tournament

7/19-7/20 Gay Pride parade and festival http://sandiegopride.org/

For information about any of these events, email us!

Jamul Haven Specials

We are continuing to offer our introductory rate special of $199 per night, holidays excluded, which includes a gourmet breakfast for two cooked to order.

Innkeeper Update

William spent a weekend at the Book Expo America tradeshow in Los Angeles. A highlight of the show was having lunch with Dean Koontz. They are both fans of TS Eliot, which is how they have connected.

Regina has bought tickets to visit Europe this summer. Will is taking summer classes at the local community college. Liz's husband Daniel was transferred to Costa Rico so he's flying cargo planes from there, returning home during his off weeks.

Marianne's gift shop is really starting to look like a gift shop. She's even been getting some sales!

Glenda's taking off a few days to attend her grand-daughter's graduation in Texas and catch up with relatives she hasn't seen for a long time.

In The News

For links to articles and reviews, visit http://www.jamulhaven.com/links.html.

Hints from Yesteryear

Hints from "The Everyday Cook-Book," (c) 1889 and found in the Jamul Haven Angel House.

To get rid of insects and vermin, dissolve two pounds of alum in three or four quarts of water. Let it remain over night, till all the alum is dissolved. Then, with a brush, apply, boiling hot, to every joint or crevice in the closet or shelves where Croton bugs, ants, cockroaches, etc. intrude; also to the joints and crevices of bedsteads, as bed bugs dislike it as much as Croton bugs, roaches or ants. Brush all the cracks int he floor and mop-boards. Keep it boiling hot while using.

Recipies from Yesteryear

Recipies from "The Everyday Cook-Book," (c) 1889 and found in the Jamul Haven Angel House.

Chowder: Cut some slices of pork very thin, and fry them out dry in the dinner-pot; then put in a layer of fish cut in slices on the pork, then layer of onions, and then potatoes, all cut in exceedingly thin slices; then fish, onions, potatoes again, till your materials are all in, putting some salt and pepper on each layer of onions; split some hard biscuits, dip them in water, and put them round the sides and over the top; put in water enough to come up in sight; steep for over half an hour, till the potatoes are done; add half a pint of milk, or a teacup of sweet cream, wait five minutes before you take it up.