Revisiting Atwater, California

In June 2009, I took a trip to see my hometown of Atwater, California. I lived there between 1985 and 1994 as my family was stationed at Castle Air Force Base, which shut down in 1995. I had not been back in 15 years and spent three days riding around town on a skateboard. Footage includes Castle AFB, Castle Air Museum, Ralston Park, Shaffer Elementary, Bloss House, etc. Music by Jesu.

[@jeffreywallace3657]

My family moved to Atwater in 1956, lived on Elm Ave and then High St. and went to Shaffer elementry 4th thru 6th grade. Mitchell Jr. High 7th and 8th and Atwater HS 9th, 10th and 11th, then family moved to Maryland. Played little league baseball for coach Bledsoe with the Savemart sponsored team and celebrated with root beer floats at the A&W, played baseball for coach Bill Pickle at Mitchell both years, played tennis and golf at AHS under coach Bill Burrows 1962, 63 & 64. Delivered via Vespa motor scooter the SF Examiner 7 days a week in 62, worked at Castle View golf Course in 63 and 64 under Pro Jim Vinum. Fished the Merced river for trout, the Snelling pot holes for bass, panned for gold in Mariposa and chased after girls all the time. Had a great time with good friends and neighbors growing up in Atwater. Still have childhood friends that live there and we keep in touch. Only regret is that I didn't graduate from AHS.

[@mercilessradio1770]

I probably saw you at some point. I lived at the corner of Juniper and Eucalyptus.

[@Nightowl76028]

My parents were living in Atwater from 1967 until my mother's passing in 2015. It has been "home base" until then even though I now live in Texas since 2000. My son was born in Modesto and graduated from Tracy High. The Central Valley has been our home in the past . Son now lives in Washington state. Have been back and forth from Texas to Atwater until my mother died and I had to take care of the property for a few years. Your video brought back a lot of memories. My Dad was stationed at Castle AFB and retired from there. He died in 2004 and is buried at Santa Nella and my Mom joined him there in 2015. 'sigh' Memories............

[@alexmartinraiderfan7695]

Beautiful city of Atwater California raised here since a baby and still live here I love my city

[@mercilessradio1770]

Still awesome. I know I have made many comments about this but now that I left California I feel liberated and at the same time nostaligic for Atwater since my family was a big part of atwater. I live in NW Montana now.

[@72Rdrunner]

Went through Castle Nov 1967 to Mar 1968 as a student, spend 1973 - 1978 as an IP in KC135s. Lived in Merced. Went back there a few years after base closed. Sad to see.

[@mercilessradio1770]

Love it. The building my grandfather owned for a half century shows up at 6:15.

[@candacehawley4915]

Thanx for the trip down memory lane. This was a nice remembrance of a great place to live.

[@stevehuggins1012]

Thank You. I used to live in thoses dorms you showed. I was on the second flor on the end. Great memories. I hated it when I was there, but I do miss it now.

[@MrChopperJim]

Thanks for the video, I was stationed there from 1989-1994. Sure do miss that place, best yeas of my life......

[@carmenhannah5652]

Just found this video today, thank you for posting. I also lived on Diablo Court as a child. My fondest childhood memories are from that area. My Mom and Dad split right after we moved from there. Again, thank you for posting.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

This video is 10 years old now, and I'm amazed that people are still finding it. Thanks!

[@mightaswellbe]

Thanks for the tour man. I was born on base in 1950, lived there till late 1957 when we were transfered to Altus AFB, Ok. The first place I remebr living at was in Castle Gardens, don't rmemeber the address. In '55 we moved to 1199 Palm ave, new housing development then. I might point out that Palm ave. was short, it only went from 3rd st to Linden st. West of Linden was wheat fields. There was an irrigation ditch parallel to Linden and it turned NE there at Palm. That was our playground.

[@debbiemccarthy572]

MY DAD AN MOM CAME TO CASTLE AFB IN APRIL 1956,I WAS 6 MONTHS OLDE. MY DAD RETIRED FROM THE BASE IN 1974, MY HUSBAND RETIRED FROM THE BASE WHEN IT CLOSED.IAM STILL HERE, OH AN IN 1960 MY DAD AN MOM BOUGHT A HOUSE ON 3RD STREET,STILL LIVE IN IT,WE DID LIVE IN THE OLDE BASE HOUSING ON FIRST ST. ITS A SHAME THE BASE CLOSED,

[@4fmlylove]

Hey! This my hometown! I love our little town! :) Hope you enjoyed your visit!! Come back and see us again!

[@Xoyy]

Same

[@TrixiRose]

This should be the visitor's video. It was great, I lived there my whole life ( 23yrs) and moved to Hawaii for school. I just showed my friend what home was like and this hit all the points. GREAT JOB!

[@popebutter]

My family was stationed at Castle between 1983 to 1989...We lived in "New Base housing on Caliente Court...Then later moved over to Orchard Park close to the high school....I miss those days

[@adriannavarro2536]

i remember seeing this video quite some time ago. i might have messaged you about it. i always think of my time in atwater. I lived on Diablo Ct (i think it was 2090 Diablo) roughly from 1992 -1994. I have a lot of great childhood memories there, i'm pretty sure i remember you from those days.

[@hoarsecox]

just saw your video,I grew up in Atwater and watching the video made me home sick, thanks for posting, gives me something to look at for memories

[@xixcorps]

I lived in "new" base housing from '80-'85 at 2076 Whitney court, went to Saint Anthony's for a few years then Mitchell, thanks for the memories

[@MrSteelDream]

Nice vid! When it got to the Schaffer school basketball court it reminded me that that's where I first dunked a basketball! Thanks!

[@Xoyy]

MrSteelDream I use to go to shaffer

[@Wes_burgundy1127]

I lived there 1985-1995 my childhood years miss that place

[@kenwilson3066]

This was a very good quality video. Thank you.

[@emilynavarro9593]

Isn't My home town beautiful?

[@Timlewandowski08]

thats my city where i live today. we are getting bigger the old 2 way street of buhack is now a 4 line street thay are making it bigger we now have super target let us no when ur back i wouldn't mind hereing old stories about our lil old town

[@doverhaden]

I still live in Atwater and my mom has opened a store here so I will stay here for awhile

[@jeffegask]

Lived there from 1976 to 1982. Go Falcons!!!

[@TigergirlM]

So cool! I was born at Bloss Memorial Hospital in 1966. My great-grandmother lived in Winton until her death at 104 years old in 1998, I believe. My dad worked on their ranch when they had me. My dad and I went back to visit my great-grandma on her 100th birthday and I met the mayor, which I was very excited about, and they declared the day "Ruby McKinney Day" :)

[@mercilessradio1770]

Born at MCMC in 72 myself.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

Awesome, thanks! I came back with expectations of everything being completely different from what I remember when I was a kid, but I wound up being more surprised by how much was exactly the same, especially my elementary school. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would come back... Perhaps when I go to Yosemite National Park again by way of Merced.

[@jeremynelson1818]

Stationed at Castle AFB from 1993 - 1994. I think Atwater has grown enormously since I was there. I know they have demolished the base dorms and headquarters along with a few other buildings. I also saw Merced had huge floods last year.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

@mctrlsys I moved out of Atwater in '94. My family was based at Castle AFB. Since then I've lived in Texas, the Phoenix area, and now Seattle. This footage is from a trip I made in 2009, fifteen years later. We probably don't know each other, but Jesu is one of my top favorite bands!

[@NicholasGreenwood]

I stayed at the Applegate Inn and walked over the bridge to see the Super Target... I live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, so I see those kinds of corporate chain stores ALL THE TIME. This video was more about me capturing all the places that I remember from my childhood in the early '90s. If I return (and I am certain at some point that I will; just don't know when), I will try to take more video. I'm surprised by the number of people who have asked me to come back and do more!

[@cj-iz4kf]

I lived here in the late 80's to 90's. Went to shaffer (go road runners) Mrs Costa was my teachers name I think. Best friend was philly, had a girlfriend called bridget. Used to ride my bike up at Mitchell jumps. Great times

[@patrickboland3340]

I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE THARE. THE PLACE WARE I WAS BORN.

[@jriddridd1742]

Thanks for the great post....I don't understand why the government closed Castle AFB....

[@NicholasGreenwood]

Wikipedia states that Castle AFB was closed under the "Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990".

[@NicholasGreenwood]

@pimpalicious209 I live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, which is the sixth largest city in the U.S. The "size" of Atwater is absolutely miniscule compared to the sprawling metropolis I'm used to. It was a delight to traverse the whole of Atwater on a skateboard in just three days.

[@mctrlsys]

Yeah I remember him, we didn't hang around in the same circles but apparently those two circles used to collide at times. I spent most of my time around some of the less cool metalheads. Actually spent some time with some of the local metal bands. That is if Willow Wisp was considered metal. Sometimes hung around Fatal Rage although I doubt they knew I was there.

[@vickyflores9313]

Im happy to see this with me growing up here too,a teenager. I hate this place now but I’ll miss it.

[@robertwilkins8357]

I remember because I was stationed at Castke AFB. I cut a lawn there for a buddy he was friends with a husband a wife that were officers. He had to go to his home to visit his parents they live in Rialto.

[@robertwilkins8357]

Castle!

[@sarahfay288]

Shaffer's my school and this vid was posted when I was 2 and the track is cement now

[@mctrlsys]

Oh my god, do I know you? I grew up and lived in Atwater for 22 years. That and you are playing Jesu which makes me think you might have hung out in the same circles I did.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

I'm a young'un... I was born in 1985 in Illinois, and my family moved to Atwater shortly thereafter. I was nine years old when I moved away in 1994. You wouldn't have known me. I'm considering re-editing this video, all the footage I took was in HD but I didn't know how to work with it in Adobe Premiere at the time. I intend to return to Yosemite Nat'l Park by way of Merced sometime soon, so if I do, I'll definitely make sure I come back to Atwater.

[@virgo825]

wow, we lived on diablo court as kids too in new base housing.. back in 1989-91, i was about 7 or 8

[@adriannavarro2536]

wow indeed, i lived on Diablo ct from 1992-1994. went to Elmer Wood. my best childhood memories are in that place.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

This video has unintentionally become the "visitor's video" for Atwater... If I would have known four years ago that it would receive such a response, I would have left the opening airport stuff out and given it different music. Probably would have left out some of the extended footage from Shaffer Elementary, too. So much of my childhood wrapped up in that place.

[@mctrlsys]

Oh yeah, I remember Vince. It took me a while and I don't think I hung around him alot but I can remember his face in my head.

[@eggsbythedzn]

I live in Atwater right now and I went to Shaffer in 2010 for kinder -6th now I'm at Mitchell for 7th and 8th next year im going to Buhach HS

[@nornd]

I lived here from 67 to 73, I would like to visit sometime in the near future, now 50 yrs old.

[@PS_Tonyc]

That’s my school!

[@aspjake123]

Thanks for the video. Best watched with sound off though sorry.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

I don't blame you for turning off the heavy music. I didn't know what kind of audience would be watching this video when I made it.

[@bumklot4785]

love my hometown but never new it look this depressing haha 21 years in the a town

[@mctrlsys]

Heh, thanks, just thought I would ask.

[@NicholasGreenwood]

A camera that takes HD video and some editing software. Adobe Premiere Elements goes for about $100.

[@hipeople5486]

a lot different

[@NicholasGreenwood]

@decidedvoter08 Yes! I lived in "new" base housing!

[@NicholasGreenwood]

@popebutter I lived on Mojave and later Diablo Court in "new" base housing.

[@7camscdan249]

Did you know Castle Air Museum has the largest display of military aircraft in the state? Yep it's true..

[@popebutter]

Did you ever know a Mike or Danny Acosta? I pretty sure they lived on Diablo around that same time....

[@NicholasGreenwood]

@popebutter I'm not sure. My memory is failing me here.

[@popebutter]

@penguinrock Did you ever know Mike or Danny Acosta...??? I belive they lived on Diablo as well....

[@popebutter]

@penguinrock Did you ever know Mke or Danny Acosta...??? I think they lived on Diablo....

[@209purplebannana24]

what elementary school did you go to

[@ramirocarlos8448]

I live right next to there

[@sarahfay288]

I'm ten now

[@alternateneo5221]

Wait I live there

[@alternateneo5221]

Wait I live thereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@jonniez62]

Don't miss it one bit. AHS 80