California Nursery Historical Park
The Roeding Family Home
under construction
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Over 100 years later, the Roeding Family House remains on the
California Nursery property in Niles of Fremont. The home is a
significant symbol for the growth that the Roedings experienced,
both personally and professionally.
George Roeding Jr. and Francis Baldwin wed in 1927 in Hawaii,
where Francis’ family shared large holdings in the Sugar Cane
Industry. During this time, George Jr.’s father, George Roeding
Sr., managed California Nursery Company. Unfortunately, George
Sr.’s health began to debilitate and the California Nursery
operations were signed off to George Jr. The newly wedded couple
traveled to the California Nursery Company property and moved into
a building initially inhabited by the Lehmann family, who had once
worked on the property. This would become the Roeding’s lifelong
home.
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In 1928 the Roedings’ first child Bruce was born, followed by
George III. Because their family was swiftly growing, the house
required renovations. Two bedrooms were added and the living room
was expanded. A two-car garage was included on the west side of
the home to store the family’s two Buicks. Diana, their fourth and
final child, was born in 1938. With the renovations complete,
George Jr. and Francis delved into their pursuits.
As an artist who loved to landscape and create floral displays,
Francis placed flowers around the house and in the backyard. She
won many awards for her stunning floral arrangements. She also
became involved in civic causes, specifically those that dealt
with children. George Jr. participated in Niles politics and
lobbied for the establishment of Fremont in the 1950s. He later
became a member of the East Bay Regional Park Commission and grew
involved in Fremont’s recreational projects. However, Francis and
George Jr.’s most remarkable work was done within the expansion of
the California Nursery Company.
To increase the company’s retail sales, George Jr. began holding
bulb and tulip shows on the property for clients. Planning
sessions for the event were held at the Roeding Family House. The
first bulb show began in the 1930s and became an annual event
well-known throughout the Bay Area. As many as 5,000 clients per
weekend from different districts attended to learn about and
purchase the flowers being showcased. Over 100,000 people would
visit each year. The bulb show took place from mid-March to
mid-April, displaying over 100,000 flowering bulbs. Visitors were
taken on customized trucks for tours of the flower displays,
gardens, large nursery property, and the growing grounds. The bulb
and tulip shows were highly successful and the nursery became a
destination for horticulturalists and garden lovers. Landscape
design services were soon incorporated into the company.
Since the California Nursery Company prided itself on producing
high-quality products, George Jr. had his trees and plants
assessed by height, quality, and viability. In the 1930s, he
obtained a Grades and Standards Law for trees passed in California
and applied this methodology to the company. During the 1930s and
1940s, the nursery offered landscape design services in which the
company provided and installed plants for businesses and large
mansions. The nursery created pre-designed layouts for compact
homes to accommodate the growing suburban market for residential
gardens. George Jr. also had new display gardens built around the
main nursery office and the “Old Adobe” building. The Adobe became
such a favored stop for guests that it was turned into a tea house
by landscape design father-and-son team Johannes and Frederic
Reimers. Throughout these changes, the Roeding Family House
witnessed the family’s growth and prosperity.
George Jr. and Francis resided in their home until their death.
Their first son Bruce has currently resided in the home for the
past 91 years. When foreclosure of the nursery property, not
including the Roeding Family House, grew imminent in 1972, Bruce
attempted to save as much of the California Nursery Company’s
archives as possible. Two large trailers placed on the Roeding
home site were filled with various memorabilia. This material
remained in the containers until members of non-profit
organization Math Science Nucleus began to work with Bruce in 2010
to organize these artifacts. Math Science Nucleus President Dr.
Joyce Blueford states, “These materials tell the story of one of
the most prominent businesses in Fremont that defined Niles for
decades. We want to have exhibits and fundraising events. Because
there are so many documents to sort through, we need help
organizing the history.”
Contribution by: Joyce Blueford, Charlene Dixon
(TriCity Voice)
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