Tidewater Southern Railway
The Old Mill Cafe
The Old Mill Cafe is/was a long-time Modesto landmark with years of fond memories, stalwart regular customers, excellent food and a surprising murky history. Its location at the corner of Ninth
and Needham Streets coincided with the entry of the Tidewater's rails onto the north end of Modesto's Ninth Street. The tracks travelled so close to the Ninth Street side of the building that a large person could probably put one hand on
the glass and touch car sides with the other outstretched hand! For years, photographers captured TS trains passing the Old Mill. Meals there were regular agenda items for those chasing Tidewater (and SP) runs. I have
been told that TS, WP and UP crews were also not immune to the odd little cafe's charms. In late 2000, plans were finalized for the Old Mill to be demolished (the building that is, the name, menu and employees will live on at a
new location farther south on Ninth Street) to make way for a highway overpass. It appeared that this landmark would only outlast the TS tracks nearby for a year or so. Then, in February 2001, an item appeared on the Sacramento
Northern e-mail list asserting the fact that the Old Mill had once been a Tidewater Southern depot! In attempt to learn the details, I was joined by Mr. Dick Shelley, a Modesto resident, rail and bus fan, and all-round fine gentleman, to
get the straight story. Although the building is now gone, the final chapter on this quest is not yet written. What we have found so far is summarized below. Also included, at left, are three documentation photos I
took of the cafe on March 9, 2001. Not my best lenswork, but its a portrait of the place in the weeks before the bullet comes. I hope to add more images of the TS around the Old Mill soon.
The Old Mill Cafe Business opened: 1934 (according to the Modesto Bee) Building built: Unknown, but
sources indicate it dates from the late 1800's. One source (mentioned below) indicates that the structure was moved from a previous location to Needham and Ninth. Previous use: Mr. Shelley and I are fairly confident
that the structure was not used as a TS depot (there are no references to a depot near the site and the documented TS depot was several blocks south across from the SP depot), unless perhaps the depot was moved between 1932 and 1934 to become
the Old Mill. We have not been able to rule out whether it was affiliated with the railroad in some manner. We both suspect it may have been. One source indicates it was a blacksmith shop on the current site. Another
states that the building was moved to its current location in the early 1900's. Yet another states that it was moved (date unknown) and used as a railroad shop.
Could the Old Mill
have been used as a workshop for the TS in the interurban years? Was there a shop presence there at the north end of Modesto to service the equipment? The only other suggestion I have received came from a site visitor who remember
an REA office nearby. Could this have been the Old Mill? Though the original building has now been demolished and the Old Mill Resturant relocated south (ironically, a few blocks from the old TS Depot site), I will continue trying to
find new information on its relationship to the Tidewater.
The Old Mill and the Tidewater.. Robert Williams
Of further interest is a conversation I had with the late rail historian Al Rose of Modesto. He was a virtual library of local rail
history. On the day in question we spoke about the Tidewater depot on 9th street in Modesto. He advised me that, "The Tidewater Southern depot was South of the Old Mill location. It was located in the former
Greenberg Plumbing Co. building. Apparently the track alignment had also changed over the years. The original alignment was a much more straight approach from Virgina Ave. and heading south onto 9th street just north of the
Greenberg Plumbing Co. location. Until some paving work in the early 1970's one could see the cracks in the pavement where the former tracks crossed Needham Ave. by the pump station which still remains today." Another time I had
occasion to speak with a retired building contractor that was called out of retirement to work for the owner of the Greenberg Plumbing Co. He was involved in a small remodel job building new office space in the long unused upstairs
portion of the former Tidewater depot. Digging through many years of debris, they found many blank forms and unused tickets. They also discovered a cast builders plate that appeared to have been removed from one of the locomotives.
Perhaps an old map will disclose the original track alignment before it was changed to the serpentine route past the Old Mill. During my employment on the Southern Pacific in the early 1970's, I would frequently be assigned to work one of
the local switcher jobs in Modesto. Whether it was the day or night job, many breaks were taken in the Old Mill. The dispatcher's phone box was in eyesight of the Old Mill on the mainline just South of Kansas Avenue. We
could keep track of the passing trains and know when to return and ask for more time on the mainline. --Robert Williams
map by Eugene John Vicknair