Madera at the turn of the 20th century

For The Madera Tribune

Barnett’s meat market as it appeared on the inside in 1900.

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Any observer who happened upon Madera in 1900 would have found a community bustling with activity, and if that person had arrived on the train and decided to take a stroll east along Yosemite Avenue, businesses of all sorts stood ready to satisfy every need.   

Moving from the depot to the northeast corner of E Street and Yosemite, he would pass Mace’s Yosemite Hotel. The two-story brick building occupied the entire half block on the north side of the street and contained the hotel office, saloon, parlor, dining room, and kitchen. Boarders occupied the rooms on the second floor. At the east end of the Mace building was a jewelry store and Jay’s undertaking parlor.

Crossing the alley and moving east on the north side of Yosemite, one would find  a dry goods store, a billiards parlor, an insurance office, and another jewelry store. Just east of this establishment was the pioneer drug store of W.W.W. Hunter and another saloon. On the northeast corner of Yosemite and D Street stood another two-story brick building — the first Rosenthal-Kutner store, The bottom floor of this building was the home of another drug store, while the second floor provided offices for Dr. Wing, an early Madera dentist. (Today this building has just a single floor.)