C L Neely

1954 C L Neely

Bertha Miller was a photographer and newspaper correspondent in the 1950s. Although her career launched in 1955, her interest in photography began in 1954, and she started taking photographs of the area and community activities that interested her and her family. Her husband Jack was the storekeeper at the Western Pacific Railroad and took photos of the roundhouse, which are included in this book. The railroad began dismantling the old roundhouse in 1953 and were continuing their efforts in 1954. A new overpass was built in 1954 which spanned the railroad tracks and the Feather River. A swimming pool the town, desired for over a decade, was being built; and the mill in Deleker was shut down. An auction was held to sell all the properties. Bertha and Jack Miller recorded all this with just a box camera and an old Kodak Tourist folding bellows camera. There are over 450 photos in this book, and some of Bertha's first articles published in the Portola Reporter, the Sierra Booster, and the Sacramento Bee.