Per a Neighbors, NE & PL article regarding Loomis published on Sunday, April 9, 1995 and written by Joey Franklin, the Loomis Memorial Hall history highlights are outlined below…
The 71 years old Loomis Memorial Hall doesn’t yet qualify as a “historical site” but it’s already earned its place in the history books of the community. It stands at the corner of Horseshoe Bar Road and Library Drive on a one acre lot donated to the American Legion Post 775 in the 1940’s by the late E. E. Gates, then principal of Loomis Grammar School. At the urging of many people, the Placer County Board of Supervisors agreed to erect a building as a tribute to those who had served in WWI and/or WWII.
Tony Aguilar and Ed Leak, Both WWII veterans and active members of the Post, remember Loomis residents’ enthusiasm on hearing the news. “After all” said Aguilar, “this was the first commercial building to go up in the town in 100 years.”
Leak credits many people for getting the project off the ground but says the late John Boyington, a Placer County supervisor and a decorated veteran of the Spanish-American War, “really took a personal interest in it. He got involved in raising the funds needed and in getting others to join in.”
George Sellon, a Sacramento architect, was hired to design the building, and John Piches of Roseville was chosen as the building contractor.
Excitement was high countywide when ground was broken in 1948, and the fervor continued throughout construction. The nation was just recovering from WWII, and the first major post-war project in the area seemed to symbolize the return to peacetime.
Piches recalled, “People came from all over to stand and watch the progress. Boyington stopped by almost daily, and Brick Paolini, the supervisor from Roseville, would stop on his way to and from Auburn. Everyone was enthused, particularly the veterans and the families of those who had lost their lives in the war.”
Completion of the hall was planned for mid-1949, but several events delayed the work. Industries, just getting back into peacetime production, didn’t always have supplies to meet the demand or they used jobs through to keep up and “when they (materials) were received they often weren’t the best quality, so a lot of inspecting had to be done with each shipment,” Piches said. “And in those days the architect was the boss, the contractor had little say. When one phase of the job was completed you didn’t go on to the next until it got his OK. If something didn’t suit him other work waited until changes were made to his complete satisfaction.”
Extra time was also taken to carefully check every piece of lumber, making sure it wasn’t too green for use.
Bad weather brought more delays. The roof also formed the ceiling, meaning the building had no attic so roofing and insulation were installed in one step. When it rained, work was halted to avoid wet and soggy insulation. Flooring was postponed until the weather was dryer to avid warping the solid oak boards.
Another slowdown occurred when it was time to pour concrete. “There was a brand new technique for mixing the sand and gravel”, Piches recalled with a laugh. “It was called “ready-mix cement”.”
Crews, used to mixing by hand, were a little skeptical of this new process, so each batch had to be closely scrutinized for quality and consistency before it was poured, and once poured had to be rechecked several ties.
Despite all the obstacles and delays, unsolicited advice from sidewalk superintendents and even a carpenters’ strike, spirits remained high and the building was finally completed in late December 1949. The landscaping, sidewalks and retaining wall were done by legion members and other volunteers.
On February 18, 1950 the hall was dedicated during a gala celebration. There were refreshments, dancing and music provided by the Loomis Fire Department. The festivities drew people from throughout the county, including city and county dignitaries, the Gold Star Mothers in the area and Loomis’ 25 legion members.
Superior Court Judge Lowell L. Sparks officially turned the hall over to Post 775, by then known as it is today as The John A. Stacker Post, in memory of the first Loomis casualty of WWII.
The 7,634-square foot building, still owned by the county, has become much more than an American Legion Hall. Sharing it are the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Vietnam Veterans, the Lions Club, Scout troops and other civic organizations. It even served as the site of the Justice Court Offices from 1960 through 1990 and the Loomis Town Council used to hold its monthly meetings there.
The hall also is rented out for private events and parties – many dancers have trod the solid oak boards during wedding parties or the annual Fireman’s Ball, which was held there for many years before being discontinued. It was the site of several annual community events including the Lion’s Club Crab Feed and the American Legion’s Cioppino Feed before the Blue Goose Event Center became available.
The county received one sobering, if not humorous, piece of news when it looked into replacing the old swamp cooler with a forced-air unit. The estimate came in at $42,000 – just a few thousand dollars less than the building’s original cost of $57,000.
The hall stands much as it has for years with the exception of a bar-meeting room added at the back of the building in 1960, a few new coats of paint and some minor repairs.
American and veterans’ flags stand in the corner. On the walls are military posters and pictures, reminders of the war years. In the entry way is a picture of John A. Stacker and a large plaque with gold nameplates listing those from Loomis who served in WWII.
To date, the old building has been treated with kindness and with continued care it may well be listed as one of Loomis’ official historical landmarks in the year 2050.
