For the last decade we have seen signs on 50 telling us to visit Historic Vacaville. On this westward migration, we decided to stop. We only had a brief amount of time so we chose a visit to the Vacaville Museum.
We were excited to see the exhibit on the Nut Tree as it is a place we never got to experience in its heyday, sadly. It screams, "DENISE"!The Vacaville Museum’s Nut Tree Centennial exhibit tells the story of the Nut Tree and the local family who, through a commitment to quality and innovation, created a world renowned “oasis of good taste” that was fit to serve the Queen, and did. The exhibit features all things original Nut Tree, including displays of the restaurant, retail shops and the Post Office. In 1921, when the Power Family set up a modest fruit stand along I-80 in Vacaville, who would have imagined they were starting a business that would become a driving force in retail for most of the 20th century? But so it was.The Nut Tree simply took off. In no time it was the state's first major road stop, drawing Californians in droves with its eclectic mix of western California cuisine (which some say it originated), packaged dried fruits, miniature railroad, fly-in airport, and retail offerings. It set retail trends across the nation and became an icon as it hosted events for everyone from stars and sports celebrities to dignitaries and even royalty. And its success was no accident. Beyond the Powers' uncanny business sense, the Nut Tree had something very special going for it: the perfect location.Conveniently located along the heavily traveled corridor of Interstate 80 between San Francisco and Sacramento, the Nut Tree was literally right off the highway (according to Helen Power, "you still left two wheels on the road when you pulled up"). You simply couldn't miss it. If you were one of the millions of drivers passing by, you didn't.Since I knew nothing about this cool place, I had to learn more. What intrigues me the most is the fact that the Nut Tree was a good example of mid-century modernism in a public commercial plaza (mid-century modern is my thing right now). The period of significance for this modernist plaza dates from its design and construction beginning in 1953 to 1996 when it ceased operations.
It was designed by the California landscape architect Robert Deering and Sacramento, architecture firm Dreyfuss & Blackford. The restaurant and site-wide graphic design was supervised by graphic designer Don R. Birrell, who was associated with the Nut Tree for 40 years.These were pretty famous dudes. Robert Deering was known for being the inaugural chair of the landscape architecture program at University of California at Davis, beginning in 1950, and as a pioneer in site cooling and heating through design. Don Birrell was the Director of the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento from 1951- 1953, prior to joining the Nut Tree staff. Nut Tree mixed outdoor living concepts with restaurant and retail services and amusement park-style entertainment.
The spatial organization of Nut Tree was based upon an outdoor plaza flanked by shed-like pavilions housing restaurant and retail spaces. The design was “all about using concrete and glass, steel and clean lines, indoors and out–buildings, graphics and landscape were supported as Design by a great family client…Ornament, color and plants played big roles.”. Designed by Robert Deering, the parking lot was one of the first in California to incorporate trees as a shading device to moderate the heat.I loved what the museum choose to showcase including the souvenirs you could buy there. I would have literally been a kid in a candy store with all the treats they had for sale. Wow.The year 1962 was not only big for me (my birth), but the Nut Tree saw some of its more amazing additions arrive, including the railroad.And it had its own Post Office. So dang cool.Celebrities arrived by airplane at the Nut Tree Airstrip or by automobile. Visitors of note included Ronald Reagan (pictured on the train), Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover, Will Rogers and Bing Crosby, to name a few.
The plaza featured a striking sales booth with a Googie feel to the scalloped roofline. It was well-suited to the amusement park feel of the place. An outdoor fireplace crafted of steel was another feature of the original Nut Tree landscape.I always lament that I was born in the wrong decade. I would have loved being the mom in this photo, rocking my son on a giant giraffe. Oh well. At least I had the Nut Tree Centennial: 100 Years of Food, Family and Fun exhibit to experience the magic and fun for an afternoon.
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