Olive Through the Ages

Citrus industry: Stories and images

Crate labels | Packing houses | Stories and images | Other
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1928 Olive Hillside Groves packing house building

When Merlex Stucco owner Susan VerBurg found this Web site a few of years ago, she emailed to let me know how much she enjoyed her visit to the site and also shared some interesting stories. I thought I'd include her email in this section along with photos of the 1928 Olive Hillside Groves packing house building in which Merlex Stucco began operating three years after Olive Hillside Groves closed — from 1963 to 2016.

The black and white image from 1969 is courtesy of Orange County Archives. I took all other photos in 2009 on separate outings that found me capturing the packing house building from different angles for a more complete view of the entire structure.

From: Susan VerBurg
To: Daralee
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 1:01:55 PM
Subject: Olive

Hello Daralee,

I enjoyed your history of Olive. The history of the area has always intrigued me. I have owned and operated Merlex Stucco for the last thirteen years. I love my old building and the neighborhood. You may not know that there are old tunnels in the basement of my building that went across the street to the old [Olive Heights Citrus Association] Sunkist plant and also in the back of our building. As far as I know they have been sealed for as long as my family has owned the property.

When the Sunkist plant burned down [in 1988] my Dad [Merle VerBurg] spent the night on the roof of Merlex with a garden hose.

Thank you for all the wonderful research and history.

Susan VerBurg
Merlex Stucco

Click/tap the thumbnail images below to view larger images in a separate browser window or tab:

	Northeastern view of former Olive Hillside Groves packing house and Lawrence Kokx office, taken in 1969.			Northeastern view of the former Olive Hillside Groves packing house building from 1928.
	Southwestern view of the rear (to the left) and side (to the right) of the Olive Hillside Groves building.			Looking west at the side of the former Olive Hillside Groves building that faced a railroad spur.
	Pictured are Merlex Stucco buildings, formerly Olive Hillside Groves and Lawrence Kokx packing houses.			Looking southeast at a citrus era structure on Olive Avenue at Buena Vista, across the main Merlex Stucco building.

          

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