Plaque Celebrates Dr. Hildreth’s Life

Dr. Herman L. Hildreth

By Bobbi Zane

Abronze plaque placed in front of the old Hildreth House on Third St. in Julian celebrating the life and work of Dr. Herman L. and Ada Waite Hildreth will be unveiled on Aug. 17.

The new plaque is result of an effort by the Julian Historical Society to identify and mark significant historic sites in town. So far 21 sites including the Pioneer Cemetery and the old Julian Jail have been designated, making it possible to learn about Julian history by walking the plaque tour.

Valorie Ashley, current owner who transformed the historic Victorian into a bed and breakfast, will host the unveiling and a reception afterwards. Members of the Hildreth family, including grandson Warren Hildreth, who grew up in the house and now lives in Julian just around the corner, have been invited.

Ashley, who purchased the house in 2000, was drawn by the fact that “it was a house of healing and that Dr. and Mrs. Hildreth did extensive work” with the impoverished Native Americans who lived in around Julian from 1917 through the mid-1930s, when Dr. Hildreth died.

The Hildreth legacy is considerable, according to Ashley and local historians. “Through taking care of people for nearly 20 years, they changed the community,” says Jan Mattias, secretary and past president of the historical society. The Bureau of Indian Affairs recruited the Hildreths to the mountains in 1917, when they set up an office to serve patients on remote reservations: Mesa Grande, Sycuan, Barona, Pala, and Santa Ysabel. While the doctor ministered to the ill and injured, Ada, fascinated by native life and culture, kept a journal detailing her experiences with them.

By the early 1920s, the family moved to larger quarters in Julian, at the time a mere shell of a house that they remodeled to suit their needs, including an office/surgery where the doctor met his patients. In short order, the medical family established itself. Dr. Hildreth “always gave more attention to the people he helped than he did to himself,” according to Mattias. “He was so well loved that when he died at a young age, the whole town closed down for his funeral.”

Ada was equally loved, according to Mattias. “She founded the Julian Woman’s Club in 1926 and served on its board many times. She was also a large advocate for the local Indians, who were severely impoverished. She collected clothing and food and distributed them to the Indians. She also held fund– raisers for them. Ada even organized a recognition event for Indians in Balboa Park, where many tribes came together to display arts and hold traditional ceremonies.”

Mattias sums up the significance of placing this plaque at the Hildreth House, “It was a great way to honor the humanitarian work these two people did for our community.”

Now a bed and breakfast inn, Villa de Valor Hildreth House holds a collection of period photos to illustrate life in Julian in the 1920s. Three rooms are available. For information about the unveiling, contact Ashley at (760) 765-3865.