Dutch Corners
(1870 - 1890)
In 1870, the Henry Hoffman family arrived in Hills Ferry from San Francisco. They moved about two miles west of Hills Ferry and established a hotel. This establishment was run by Hoffman's sons-in-law, Ernest Voight and Ernest Gysin.
Three miles west of Hills Ferry, on November 22, 1873, Ernest Voight and H. Weitman/Widman purchased 16.42 acres of land from William Wilson for $340.00. This acreage is on the present site of the road between Hills Ferry and Newman. The small settlement that grew up there was known as "Dutch Corners" because of the Dutch/German ancestry of its founders.
Dutch Corners had a store run y George DeMont; a blacksmith shop run by Judson Packard Sr.; a flour mill run by Heinrich Hill; a Chinese laundry; a school; a saloon; and later a race track. The chief business in Dutch Corners was the butchering of cattle and furnishing meat to the ranches throughout the country side. Ernest Voight and Herman George Weitman/Widman were butchers. The delivery wagons would leave Dutch Corners at 2 A.M. All the meat had to be delivered to the cooks before sunup. If the meat wasn't delivered before the weather got hot, the meat would snot be fit for human consumption.
Weitman/Widman and Voight set up a race track and various other businesses catering to the local sporting crowd. It was called a summer retreat where all sports could be indulged in, in their proper season.
Henry Hoffman left Dutch Corners, moving to the Los Banos area and built another hotel.
Ernest Voight died on September 19, 1985. The railroad was built down the west side of the valley and many Dutch Corner buildings were moved to the new town. The building used for the school was moved to what is now Main Street in Newman. Charlie Poy opened a restaurant in the building in the late 1890's. It is still in use today as a restaurant.
The Dutch Corner Hotel was moved several times. Miller and Lux moved the hotel to what was known as "Camp 13". It was used as his sheep ranch headquarters. The building was later moved from the "Los Banos Plains" to "Dogtown" (Los Banos) and served as a hotel.
What was left of Dutch Corners was destroyed by fire, July 31, 1890.