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Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com September 25, 2009
Reflecting on the storied history of Pioneer Inn
PAM WIESENDANGER
Special to the Pioneer
A recent post to local blog
Claycord.com has stirred up new
interest in the old building at
6055 Main St. in Clayton. The
post was a picture of a matchbook
from Chubby Humble’s
Pioneer Inn.
Chubby Humble’s was just
one of several businesses and
organizations on the property
over the years, but the Pioneer
Inn (later John Jawad’s Pioneer
Inn) was the most famous.
Frenchman Romero Mauvais
built a tavern on the site in 1858,
the year after Clayton was founded.
The tavern burned down in a
fire that destroyed most of
Clayton in 1864.
The structure was rebuilt to
be fireproof (with stone mortar
and faced with wood) and named
the Clayton Hotel. The hotel was
a stagecoach stop and hostelry as
it was on the main road from
Stockton to the Bay Area.
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK
The release of Windows 7 to
manufacturing promises to make
a large impact on our computing
lives.
Windows 7 is a replacement
operating system for the ill-fated
Microsoft Vista and should be in
stores for the holidays. Windows
7 has done a marvelous job at
fixing bugs, placing options
where they belong and adding
features that are not only cool
but useful.
In addition, they have made a
major concession to Windows
XP users by including a “virtual”
environment where XP can run
in a native mode. This allows XP
users to migrate to Windows 7
and still maintain and run critical
XP code.
If you just purchased a new
computer, you may get a free
upgrade. Buy a new computer
before the official introduction
of Windows 7 and Microsoft will
provide a free upgrade from
Windows XP Professional or
Vista Home Premium or above
to an appropriate Windows 7
product.
According to TechARP,
“Microsoft will allow resellers to
purchase Windows 7 upgrade
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media, which they can then offer
to customers who buy a Vista
power system between July 1,
2009, and a date to be determined.”
In my opinion, this is the
bridge to the future missing from
Vista. Business networks incorporating
both XP and Vista
encountered problems when trying
to make XP computers talk
or recognize Vista computers.
This problem is fixed in the new
release. You may now consider
upgrades to your existing fleet of
computers without fearing a network
compatibility issue.
At the same time, buying new
computers to replace aging ones
is no longer the problem it was
under Vista.
The 7 (short for Windows 7)
desktop looks the same as the
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The Atchinson Stage ran
from 1898-1914 and carried
mail, bank deposits and passengers
from Clayton through
Nortonville and Sommersville to
Antioch and back.
The rock and mortar rear
wall collapsed in 1901 and was
replaced with a frame construction.
The building was still two
stories. Sometime between then
and 1946, it was no longer operated
as a hotel but was Tat’s
Place – owned by Francis “Tat”
Murchio and serving “dinner
and liquors.” The tavern also
housed the Post Office.
In 1946, Susan and Randall
“Chubby” Humble bought Tat’s
and renamed it Chubby
Humble’s Pioneer Inn. A fire in
1951 wiped out the top floor.
The Humbles rebuilt without the
second story and added a larger
dining room on the east end. A
huge collection of big game trophies
along the walls kept watch
over the patrons.
In 1960, the inn was featured
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in the movie “The Wild Ride,”
produced and directed by
Harvey Berman – a familiar
name in local theater. Jack
Nicholson starred as a rebellious
youth who brought his friends to
Chubby’s to celebrate a win at a
dirt track race (the Antioch
Speedway).
Anita and John Jawad bought
the Pioneer Inn in 1961 and for
the next 29 years, John Jawad’s
Pioneer Inn was famous for
steaks. Jawad was a cattle rancher
and state brand inspector
whose trademark 21-day aged
beef was considered the best
around. Patrons loved stopping
at the meat counter to select the
perfect cut for their meal.
Many a wedding reception
was held on the back patio and
celebrities such as John Wayne,
Gary Cooper, Woody Herman,
Benny Goodman and Count
Basie were welcome guests.
Jawad was ahead of his time
by offering free transportation to
locals to keep drinking drivers
Windows 7 upgrades sure to please
Zukowski, 43, and Foster, 57.
The three – dubbed “The
Chi Chi Mama’s” – will walk
Nov. 21-23 in San Diego. They
will walk for a long list of friends
and family who have both survived
and lost their battles with
cancer. Zukowski’s sister, Stacy
Williams, who was diagnosed
earlier this year, tops the list.
The women follow a 24-week
training program prepared by the
Susan. G. Komen Foundation.
“Anyone can do this,” says Emry.
“If you follow the program, you
can finish.”
Training begins with daily
walks, building distance until the
week includes back-to-back 18-
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off the road. He started a takeout
service and set up tables and
umbrellas on the front patio. In
1986, he remodeled, installing
the glass overlay doors and windows
that look like stained glass
and still exist today.
Jawad was in a serious accident
with a garbage truck that
same year, leading him to sell the
Vista desktop and other similarities
exist, but the operating system
seems to work much better
than its predecessor. Some of the
support screens are like Vista.
However, gone are the glitches
and annoyances that gave Vista a
bad name.
According to Preston Gralla
of Computerworld, “Overall,
Windows 7 is a more functional,
more efficiently designed operating
system than Windows Vista,
with far more attention paid to
the user experience. From
revamped User Account Control
(UAC) feature to better home
networking, improved search and
nice interface tweaks, the entire
operating system has gotten an
overall polishing. Even Windows
Backup, one of the worst applications
ever shipped with an
Breast Cancer, from page 1
mile walks, cross training and
one day of rest.
Participants in the San Diego
event will walk 20 miles a day for
three days, returning to a base
camp each night to shower and
sleep in tents.
“You don’t walk the whole 60
miles in three days during training,”
Emry notes. “You just build
up strength with the cross-training
and the back-to-backs.”
The point is to build calluses
as well as endurance, she
explains. Creams, files and
pumice are all off limits during
training.
“Don’t touch my calluses,”
Zukowski says with a laugh. “I
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building in 1990.
In 1992, Ed and Marion
Mergy, who owned the Clayton
Club, bought the Pioneer Inn
and changed the name to the
Stagecoach Inn. In the winter of
1993, a 100-year-old eucalyptus
tree fell on the newly remodeled
Victorian banquet room. Three
eucalyptus trees next to the
Photo courtesy of The Clayton Historical Society and the Clayton Pioneer
Chubby Humble’s Pioneer circa 1946. A fire in 1951
destroyed the top floor. Today the building houses the Clayton
Community Church offices.
operating system, has been
turned into something useful.”
The operating system is at the
heart of the computer, as it provides
a place for applications to
come alive and perform the
functions users want most. For
example, the operating system
provides a link between your
word processor and your printer.
Whenever you command the
application to print, the operating
system takes over and moves
information from the word
processor to the printer – making
printing appear seamless to the
user.
Integrating Windows 7 into
your home life can be fun and
interesting, because it provides
several fun features like the
“gadget” bar. Gadgets are little
programs, or applets, that run on
need them.”
The Chi Chi Mama’s typically
train together and have forged
close bonds on their long walks.
“We walk and laugh,” Emry says.
“And talk,” chimes in Zukowski.
Despite the seriousness of
their purpose, their sense of fun
is reflected in the team name. In
Spanish, “chi-chis” is slang for
breasts. “More like boobs or
hooters,” Foster says with a
laugh. “We wanted something
cute and easy to remember.”
Wearing the trademark breast
cancer pink T-shirts, the women
are easily spotted in the community.
“We have people come up
to us all the time saying, ‘I just
lost my mother or best friend or
wife to breast cancer,’ ”
Zukowski says. “It’s very emo-
building were removed to prevent
further damage.
Repairs were made, but the
restaurant never reopened as the
Stagecoach Inn. Friar Tuck’s Inn
opened around 1995 for a short
time, followed by an Italian
restaurant.
In 2002, the Clayton
Community Church purchased
the building and remodeled the
inside for use as a meeting room
and church offices, keeping a
section of the original bar and
preserving a segment of the siding
where local ranch brands
appear.
Next time you are downtown,
take a closer look at the
old inn and feel the more than
150 years of history it holds.
Stop by next door at the Clayton
Historical Society Museum to
see pictures of the hotel and inn
and old postcards, wine lists and
menus. It will surely make you
hungry for more of Clayton’s
history. The museum is open 2-4
p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays.
your desktop. The one I find
most interesting is the stock market
report. This little gadget displays
stock market prices on your
favorite stocks right on your
desktop.
Geeks like me may find the
control panel improvements to
their liking. Although the control
panel does not convey the “classic”
look and feel of Windows
XP, it is well-organized.
Microsoft has added new features
to many familiar icons.
I can say with confidence
you’re going to like this product.
It’s clean, polished, organized,
compatible and useful.
As always, seek the advice of
a licensed professional before
committing to such a sweeping
change. Find out what’s best for
you.
Will Claney is the CEO of
Computers USA! in the Clayton
Station. Contact him at 925-672-
9989.
tional.”
“I stopped in Starbuck’s one
day,” Emry adds, “and a lady just
walked up and handed me $40
for the walk.”
Participants commit to raising
$2,300 for the foundation.
Emry and Zukowski have each
reached their goal. The Chi Chi
Mama’s will donate proceeds
from a large weekend garage sale
toward Foster’s goal and expect
that to put her over the top.
Since her first walk, Emry has
raised more than $30,000 for
breast cancer research.
To support the Chi Chi Mama’s,
go to www.the3day.org. Click on
donate, then enter Jeanne Emry,
Stephanie Zukowski or Patty Foster.
Or call 800- 996-3DAY to donate
over the phone.
Call today for a personal tour
& complimentary lunch
(925) 524-5100
“I like living here. I still feel very
independent and I’ve enjoyed making
new friends. We have a good time.”
- Lou Oppido