Newberry Springs celebrates 50 years as a CSD

Newberry Springs resident Ardene Weeks vividly remembers the construction of the Community Service Building in Newberry Springs 50 years ago.

Ardene remembers the sacrifices her husband, Billy, endured. Because of those sacrifices the citizens are celebrating 50 years of the Community Service Building and district’s existence.

She remembers her husband working tirelessly while constructing the roof in the oppressive heat.

“His face was all red except for his sunglasses,” Weeks recalled of her husband when he was constructing the roof. “I remember telling him that with the sunglasses on, it made him look real funny.”

Little did Billy and the other 30 families that contributed to the building of the center that established the Newberry Springs governing body and became a place to hold community events which still stands today. Their work was honored at a July 3 party with fireworks commemorating 50 years of the Community Service Districts existence.

The governing body of Newberry Springs, acts as a city council although the area is unincorporated. The Community Service District hosts community service events, controls fire protection, street lights, parks and recreation for the community.

The community had bake sales, played Canasta, and held square dances in order to pay for the construction of the community center in 1958. Newberry Springs hosted square-dancing parties with a sign that said “ladies bring six sandwiches, gentlemen bring a bottle,” at Bodine Ranch, long-time resident Virginia Coppi recalled.

“A lot of people chipped in, and everyone helped in one way or another. They participated in luncheons and the many different things that we had,” Coppi said.

Newberry Springs, in those days, was the quintessential definition of rural. Newberry Springs’ economy was dependent on alfalfa fields, rice fields, and chicken farms. It didn’t receive telephone service until 1965, which was an eight-party line, and didn’t have television until the mid-‘60s. The town was very much in need of a community center for its entertainment.

“The community center gave us some place to go,” Weeks said. “It really gave the kids something to do. In those days, there were places that still had outhouses, and a lot of places still didn’t have electricity at that time.”

Newberry Springs has seen a lot of changes over the years, including a change of its name in 1965. When Margeret Orcut, who was originally from Chicago, came into town in 1965, she decided that the name Newberry wasn’t eloquent enough. Orcut got 15 signatures to change the name to Newberry Springs.

Donna Mumford, Virginia Coppi's daughter who lived there for most of her life, said she wouldn’t trade living in Newberry Springs for anything.

“I did leave here for short time after I graduated from high school, Mumford said. “I would say the biggest difference between rural and city life is that children here know how to entertain themselves, and those people living in the city, don’t know how to make their own entertainment. We made our own fun and played games, cards, and went outside and kicked the ball around.”

Mumford also said Newberry Springs was a great place to grow up and claimed she had several parents in the community.

“When you were growing up, you just know everyone, and you didn’t know a stranger,” Mumford said. “My friends were still my friends. Everyone cares about everyone, and the families are just close.”

Many things have changed in Newberry over the years with the advent of technology, but Mumford said the one thing that remains constant is their emphasis on community, and things like the community center make that possible.

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(760) 256-4122 or jason_blasco@link.freedom.com