Urban legends

In no particular order, the following is a list of Chico Urban Legends. If you can confirm, deny, or otherwise support with documentation any of the following, then leave a comment and let us know the facts. Have fun!

Here's a random urban legend: In the nineties, the DARE officer got busted for possession of pot.

• Chico is home to the national GBBA (Gay Black Bikers of America), who hold their national Black Gay convention each year at Riley's bar.
  

• Chico was almost wiped off of the map in a nuclear missile accident. However, the potentially catastrophic event was overshadowed in the national news by the launch of Scott Carpenter into space. (See Missile silos)

• In 1976, student protesters occupied the Kendall Hall administration building, upset that the University Police had been armed after students had been led to believe they would not be. The protesters remained in the building for about a week before vacating it. The University Police remain armed to this day. However, Officer Mike Storm shot his desk in the leg within weeks of the protest. (see Gun Strike)

• The famous astronomer Carolyn S. Shoemaker is a Chico State alumna and as such is a "Wildcat," as everyone knows. One of the asteroids that Carolyn has discovered was named "Wildcat" (it's solar system object 17493). Unfortunately for Chico, Carolyn is also an alumna of the University of Arizona, where she did her graduate work. The asteroid is named after the Arizona Wildcats.

• For a time, Tracy Chapman lived in Chico.

• The world's largest Valley Oak, the Hooker Oak Tree, is no longer. However, Chico still has one of the largest oak trees in California, near the end of the runway of the Ranchaero Airport on Santa Clara Avenue.

• In Chico, "almond" is pronounced "Aă-mun." When the farmers harvest the nuts from the tree, they use a shaker that grabs the trunk of the tree and shakes the "L" out of it.

• John F. Kennedy Jr. went to Chico State for a while and lived under the pseudonym "Jake." The Records Office at CSUC has confirmed that a "John Fitzgerald Kennedy" was enrolled at CSUC sometime prior to 1992.

• Chico has the third largest lesbian population in the State of California.

• Prior to the completion of the Chico Library, Chico was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere without a public library.

• There are two echo chambers in Chico. One is on top of the Roth Planetarium, and the other is at the Tri Counties Bank at Fifth and Salem.

• Elvis ate at Jack's Family Restaurant (when it was Denny's).

• Kelsey Grammer partied it up as the grand marshal of the Pioneer Day Parade.

• The original claim for the land encompassing Chico was challenged all the way to the Supreme Court.

• The stone walls in the areas surrounding Chico were built by Portuguese and Italian laborers.

• There was a hoax phenomenon of falling rocks reported in Chico in the early 20th Century.

• The ruts from wagon wheels of over a century ago can still be seen in the Old Humboldt Road.

• The Madison Bear Garden was at one time the Prohibitionist Party headquarters.

• The flumes built a century ago along the Centerville Road are still there, and in parts of that area, one can see where the water flows uphill. However, the water moving uphill in a flume crossing a downward trending road is an optical illusion.

• West First Street, which was called Highway 32 at the time, was closed as a result of a demonstration on the first Earth Day in 1970.

• The university address is "First and Normal," but the university is neither.

• The Constitution of the Chico State Associated Students is the result of a political doublecross perpetrated by the university on the students. University president Robin Wilson threatened the AS with taking over the student owned businesses if they did not pass constitutional reforms that diluted the student power to govern the organization. The student government passed the reforms, and the university attempted to take over the businesses anyway. The conflict was ended by state legislation forbidding the university from taking over the businesses.

• There was a drug bust in the Whitney Hall dorm in 1996. Ten students were arrested for drug possession as a result of an undercover sting operation initiated at the beginning of the school year. A narc was placed in the dorms as a resident. All charges were dropped when it was discovered that the narc was sleeping with underage students, and furnishing them alcohol. (See Whitney Hall Drug Bust)

• Chico used to have a public "Solar Clock" at Fourth and Main. However, the regular 'AA' battery was always clearly visible in the back side of it.

• Herb Caen called Chico the city where you get Velveeta in the gourmet cheese section.

• Chico is the subject of the book Who's running this town? by Ritchie Lowry, although not mentioned by name.

• National Geographic said of Chico, "It's not the edge of the world, but you can see it from there."

• Ted Knight once wore a Chico State sweatshirt on Too Close for Comfort.

• An episode of Becker features Ted Danson's character frustrated about these calls on his phone bill to Chico, which he thinks doesn't exist. The episode was written by Chico State graduate Russ Woody.

• Alex Mahone's ex-wife relocates to an address on "Victorian Park Lane" (a fictional variation from Victorian Park Drive) in Chico in the last episode of Prison Break.

• There is a four-leaf clover patch somewhere near the Teichert Ponds.

• In the nineties, the DARE officer got busted for possession of pot.

• As a result of superstition, there are no addresses on North Cedar, Warner, Hobart, or Citrus starting with "1300." All the addresses skip from 1200's to 1400's at West Fourth Avenue. 13th street, a discontinuous street, also seems planned so as to avoid having many addresses on it.

• When the Olympic torch came to Chico in 1996, arriving at the Amtrak Station, there were thousands of revelers along the torch path cheering the event. When the torch came through Chico again in 2004, there was no planned stop. The train carrying the torch sped through town with only the motorists at the rail crossings as its witnesses.

• The north-south streets intersecting the numbered streets are generally named after trees. However, the street that used to be in between Fir, and Bartlett before Highway 99 was built was Clover Street. A small section of it exists today at the end of East Tenth Street and Humboldt Avenue.

• Normal Avenue used to be "Sycamore". West Lindo used to be "Winding Way." Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd used to be Whitman Avenue, East First Street used to be "Sierra Street." Oakdale Street used to be "South Main Street". Bidwell Avenue used to be "Creek Road". West First Street used to be "Front Street".

• For some reason, several streets named after Native American nations were misspelled: Sequoyah, Shoshonee, Algonkin . . . and Zuni, if we are strict about the tilde.

• The Esplanade used to be the "Shasta Way," and the curved stretch of it leading into downtown still is.

• When Nixon received word about the breaking of the "Checker's" issue, he was at the pay phone at the Amtrak station in Chico.

• Ronald Reagan stayed at the Matador Motel room #9 (the rooms have since been renumbered). Ronald Reagan also made his famous comment "You've seen one tree you've seen them all" while at the Matador in Oct 1966. His daughter Patti supposedly attended Chico State.

• The reason why the Bidwell Oaks, a home for the retired, was built next to a loud bar, The Graduate, is so that the neighborhood would be more likely to qualify for federal grants.

• Jujitsu was first introduced to America in Chico.

• Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady on TV, attended Chico State in the early 80's. Supposedly she was in the Pi Phi sorority.

• The wheelchair, and high-heel accessible strip of flat surface down the middle of downtown crosswalks is called a "Studebaker strip" in honor of Jonathan Studebaker, local resident, planning commissioner, and motivational speaker.

• The "Retro" McDonald's on Palmetto and Mangrove used to be where Egg Roll Express is now. It was the third McDonald's ever.

• The Trinity Hall bell tower has no bells, but rather plays a recording.

• The first airplane hijacking on United States soil occurred at the Chico Airport.

• The Latin name for Chico is "Chiciense."

• "Superbad" Jonah Hill will be attending Chico State Fall 2008.
  

• "Superbad" Jonah Hill partied in Chico sometime between December 2007 and January 2008. He does not, however, attend the University as previously reported.

• Chico has more clear days than any other metropolitan area in the nation.

• The Adams House on Esplanade is symmetrical because its original owner got divorced and wanted to still live with his ex-wife. One side was for his ex-wife, and the other for him.

• The American version of the rice cake was invented in Chico, and the first rice cake factory, Chico San, was just outside of Gridley.

• Connie on King of the Hill declares in one episode that she wants to go to Chico State.

• Bob Dole fell off of a stage in Chico during his campaign for President in 1996. "I think I just earned my third purple heart going over the rail," Dole said. "You can always say I've fallen for Chico."

  True story! I saw it happen when I was 6 and I met him too! — 75.93.94.126

• Jessica 'Flica Flame' Smith of Survivor Cook Islands, although born in Palo Cedro and raised in Redding, listed herself as from Chico in her Survivor Bio.

• Chico was designated to be the provisional capital of California in the event that a disaster occurred that caused Sacramento to be evacuated. ¹ (See Operation Chico)

• The apartments known as The Zoo unofficially, and by many and various official names over the years (including "Sierra West," "Jefferson on Fifth," and now the Timber Creek Apartments) got the nickname because historically when the circus would come to town they would set up on the vacant lot that previously occupied that property.

• In the film Magic Town, Jimmy Stewart stepped off the train into Chico at the Amtrak Station. This is the story of a pollster who discovers the perfect small town that reflects all of Americas trends. Eventually the town is spoiled by all of the media attention.²

• Chico is a nuclear weapon free zone. - This is true, Chapter 9.60.030 of the Chico Municipal Code addresses it. See also Illegal in Chico.

• No Volkswagen was unearthed with the CSUC time capsule opening in 2000 as had been rumored. However, a bag of marijauna, a pipe, a lighter, matches, and a book on the subject of growing marijuana were all included in the capsule. http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=6800

• Warner Street was named after the Warner Brothers studio which produced scenes for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Gone with the Wind (1939) in the Chico area, primarily in Bidwell Park.http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=6800

• The Concow Maidu Trail of Tears also known as the Nome Cult Trail began in Chico.

Comments:

2008-01-07 19:16:09   This list is great and hilarious! I look forward to seeing what others think of these legends. I know at least some of them are true... —StaceyEllis

2008-01-28 22:33:14   Some?! The only one I think isn't true is the four leaf clover patch! —GregBard —GregBard

- You're probably right about the four leaf clover patch, but I can debunk one more. There is no way Sequoyah could be 13th Avenue, since it runs between 11th and 12th. The last Ave is 12th and after that, they're all cul de sacs until East Ave (except the super curvy Lindo Ave). Otherwise it's a great list and I could confirm at least a few of them for certain. We'll save that for another day... —StaceyEllis

2008-03-07 22:34:09   Hmm, is it The Village Timbers or Timber Creek Apartments? I have it labeled as the latter on Apartments. It sure has had a storied history with management changes and attempts at shedding off its past. I don't think it'll work since I've yet to hear students refer to it by anything but The Zoo. —RyanMikulovsky

You are correct. Village Timbers is the former Transpacific Gardens I. —GregBard

2008-05-11 00:26:19   is the lesbian one really true??? —71.177.146.155

- I don't know, but it captures the imagination. — GB

2008-05-11 18:41:16   Sublime played one of their last shows in the downtown park. Nirvana played here to a crowd of about 25 people in 1991, just prior to their international fame, there are pictures of the show at the KCSC radio station. —76.204.227.69

2008-05-20 21:24:14   The Kelsey Grammer story is fact, not legend. I was at that parade. Although it was all over the news that he had a drug problem and had gone through rehab, he did party it up while here, and was arrested within a few weeks of the event for possession of cocaine. I believe it was 1990 or 91. —ideagirl

2008-05-20 21:29:45   Susan Olsen worked at the McDonald's on Palmetto when I was in jr. high in the mid-70s. The Brady Bunch was still on regular re-runs, and it was big talk at school if you actually were served by her. —ideagirl

2008-08-12 18:30:27   Five of the "tree streets" spell CHICO (Chestnut, Hazel, Ivy, Cherry, Orange)...There were a few other movies that I know of in the 90's filmed mostly in and around Chico: Disney's "Under Wraps" about a mummy, ABC's "Stolen Innocence", and ABC's "Ruby Ridge" with Dennis Quaid. Universal Studios wanted to make all or part of the old North Valley Plaza mall into a permanent sub-studio, but for some reason it fell through. —72.156.165.112

- I seem to remember something about the old mall being used for something related to making the Ruby Ridge film. I think my friend went there to try to see Dennis Quaid and get an autograph or something, but it was a while ago and the details have since been lost in my mind. You might be interested in the Movies Filmed in Chico page, since it turns out Chico has been quite a popular place for filmmakers. —StaceyEllis

2008-08-12 18:36:06   I'm not certain about the one on the library. There was an old city library downtown for decades and a county library accross from Chico Jr. High. The two were consolidated in the early 80's into a new library on First Avenue. the city library became a museum, and the other one a Veteran's Administration office. —72.156.165.112

2008-08-12 18:59:25   I remember a local legend about an alleged ghost in Stilson Canyon east of town. —72.156.165.112

2008-09-11 09:18:12   the movies robin hood and under-wraps were also filmed here in chico —205.155.141.10

2008-09-11 09:19:55   chico is also where the lead singer of sublime scored the bag of heroine that killed him —205.155.141.10

2008-09-17 15:06:44   Just watched an old series like the twilight zone..one step beyond.... a british knock-off... that talks about the mysterious rocks.....made me look it up....thats how i arrived on this page...very interesting facts...thanks! angie b. —66.94.98.87

-actually there is a twilight zone episode about it too!

2008-10-14 11:27:08   Not sure if this debunks the Susan Olsen or not but: http://foolery.typepad.com/foolery/2006/03/chicos_own_geek.html "Now, I have always been MOSTLY blond, but I have never had a lisp, or boing-boing piggy tails.  I couldn't imagine what could have made anyone think I resembled Susan Olsen.  Or why she'd be living in South Hall at Chico State, wearing fatigues and pretending to study in public.  Apparently the rumor du jour involved Susan Olsen, of "The Brady Bunch" fame, enrolling in Chico State.  Slow news day." —205.169.30.251

2008-10-14 12:37:33   In reference to the movie filmed in part at the North Valley Plaza (I think you're right — "Ruby Ridge" if memory serves me): Mervyns had just built their new building on the far end, and the old Mervyns was standing empty (where Tinseltown now stands). The movie production crew turned the old Mervyns into a sound stage, I guess; no one I know was ever allowed inside. I was a store owner at the mall at the time. The only actor I ever saw from the production was the guy who played Rizzo on M.A.S.H. — G.W. Bailey. —98.208.92.24

2008-10-14 12:39:04   Oops — that last comment was not made by G.W. Bailey (who was the actor I was referencing) but by me, Laurie LaGrone. — Laurie —98.208.92.24

2009-03-02 12:21:12   So is it an urban legend that there aren't Chinese tunnels or is the whole Chinese tunnel thing debunked? Curiosity's got me asking. Thanks. -John —24.10.12.23

- I haven't heard anything about the tunnels. My bet is that they don't exist or there's a partial truth associated with the installation of a sewer system. Beats me. Can anyone elucidate this legend? —RyanMikulovsky


- Hmmmm... I think the way it's currently written is that it's been debunked rather than the legend saying there are not Chinese tunnels. I've always heard the urban legend stated that there are tunnels under downtown built by Chinese people. I've also heard it's not true, although I don't have anything to cite to debunk it. If I'm correct, it would be best to either remove the "not" from the legend, or move it to the "debunked" section with some sort of evidence. Greg, you posted the legend, could you please clarify when you get the chance? —StaceyEllis

::The truth is that there are NO Chinese tunnels in Chico. There was a legend about such a tunnel under the buildings on the west side of Broadway and First. However there is only an adjoined basement. No Chinese ever owned any buildings on that block. The "tunnel" legend is just a legend. At some point Tim Bousquet debunked it in the Examiner.-GB

2009-04-17 10:33:28   Hey Love this site! One correction: the reference to me and the episode of Becker—the one about Ted Danson tracking down a phone call to Chico—was actually written by Matt Weiner. But I threw in the Chico reference (since sitcoms are often written by many people). I was delighted that it was recognized in Chico. In fact, several weeks after it aired, a couple of young guys from Chico came to the show and, after the filming, leaned over the railing and called out to Ted that they were from Chico. Ted, of course, had nothing to do with the writing and, in fact, usually forgot everything about the episode the week after it was shot... so I stepped over and said hi to them. (Point of fact—bring up any Cheers episode with Ted, no idea.)
Anyway, thanks for the mention.
Russ Woody —207.200.116.69

2009-05-01 20:11:18   I can confirm the one about the CARE officer getting arrested for marijuanna. His name was Ray Beka, no joke, and the is probably still an article in the RE about it. He was my DARE officer so my friends and I enjoyed the irony. also I remember when Bob dole "fell" for chico. —67.126.85.165

2009-05-01 20:18:10   Sorry... I meant DARE officerD —67.126.85.165

2009-08-15 22:44:17   It wasn't Jonah Hill who came to party in Chico, it was McLovin, and he was here to check out the vibe as he was considering attending Chico State. A friend of mine partied with him, and took pics with him that night. He had a shitty night because all the house parties he went to there were piss drunk people who wouldn't leave him alone and were freaking out because he's McLovin!!! hahaha —71.197.124.0

2009-09-05 08:02:31   To all of you guys talking about Ruby Ridge: It wasn't Dennis Quaid in the movie, it was his brother Randy. —68.3.217.112

2009-09-29 18:55:28   There ARE tunnels in Chico. There's a 60 year old man who lives next to me (I'm a Chico State student) and he says a house he owned (OAk st) had one that came up down on 3rd street, and another opening somewhere else downtown. -Alex —76.105.35.41

2010-01-08 08:43:34   There's a published version of the rocks raining in Chico in a book when I was a kid. Here's an online version with some names and Newspaper references for further investigation: "In November 1921, rocks began to fall from the sky over the town of Chico, California. J.W. Charge, the owner of a grain warehouse along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, complained to City Marshal J.A. Peck that someone was throwing rocks at his building everyday. Peck, believing it was nothing more than local youngsters playing pranks on the man, paid little attention to the report. His conclusions, after a very brief investigation, were that he had seen the stones fall but could not explain them. He suspected that “someone with a machine was to blame.” The stones remained a nuisance to Charge but were largely ignored by everyone else until a few months later, on March 8, 1922. On that day, stones ranging in size from peas to baseballs came raining down on the warehouse, seemingly from nowhere. They continued to fall for days and a search by police officers of the area failed to find anyone throwing the rocks.

In the days that followed, Charge’s warehouse sustained quite a bit of damage, from broken windows to split boards and collapsed roof shingles. Stones also began to rain down on a cluster of houses that were located near the railroad tracks and individuals who stood in the open, perhaps trying to determine the source of the mysterious projectiles, were often struck. The investigators and officials present often became targets too. Fire Chief C.E. Tovee and Traffic Officer J.J. Corbett were narrowly missed by a large boulder that came from nowhere and struck a wall behind the spot where they had been standing just moments before. The force of the stone’s impact left a large dent in the wood.

The fall of stones continued throughout most of the rest of the month, attracting a large amount of publicity and a number of curiosity-seekers. The origin of the stones was never solved but a Professor C.K. Studley added to reports by saying that some of the rocks were so large that they “could not be thrown by ordinary means”. He also noted that they did not seem to be of meteoric nature. The famous chronicler of anomalies Charles Fort asked a friend, writer Miriam Allen deFord, to go to Chico to investigate personally. Throughout March a series of articles appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and the rocks were described as being warm and “oval-shaped”. Miriam Allen de Ford, wrote: “I looked up in the cloudless sky and suddenly saw a rock falling straight down, as if becoming visible when it came near enough. This rock struck the earth with a thud and bounced off on the track beside the warehouse, and I could not find it.” She also stated that at one point a rock fell from the sky to “land gently at my feet.” —208.106.50.113

2010-01-08 08:44:44   sorry the quote is from http://www.prairieghosts.com/falls_sky.html —208.106.50.113