Gains and losses
To complete this walk around the block, follow Memorial Way until you reach Camellia Courtyard. The Morning Thunder Cafe, housed in a moderne style building, is on the corner. According to “The Chico User’s Guide,” written by Eric Norlie, Morning Thunder was called the Chicken Kitchen in the early 1950s. It’s older by far than the rest of Camellia Courtyard, which was built in the late 1990s. Its main tenant, Christian and Johnson Co. gift store, started out as Lindo Nursery in 1907.
A story by E-R Business Editor Laura Urseny about the history of Christian and Johnson appeared in the newspaper earlier this month.
The story points out that in the early days, the business was on Cemetery Way because it was the road leading to the cemetery. Ray Johnson, one of the owners, didn’t like that, so he had the city rename it Camellia Way.
Camellia Courtyard is one of Chico’s best looking small shopping centers. I don’t even care to call it a striip mall. I also like the decorative lamp posts that line Camellia. The theme of this walk around the block is loss, but the evolution of the Christian and Johnson property has been all to the good.
Camellia Way is my favorite way of entering downtown. You know it’s just up ahead, but you don’t see it until you cross the bridge and jog to the right.
I especially like the view on Saturday mornings when the Farmers Market is being held. It will be a loss to the city if the parking garage is built here. I’m in favor of a garage, but not at this site.
I don’t recommend you faithfully complete this walk around the block. You don’t have to head west on First Street. This is a part of downtown that’s crying out to be reborn. it’s pretty non-descript right now. Whatever changes happen here, the gains will offset the losses.
You might as well just head west on Second Street, which will take you directly into the heart of downtown.