The first photo above shows the original blacksmith shop in historic downtown Loomis, soon to be home to Pine Star.

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For more than 30 years, George C. Boller served as the town’s blacksmith. Born in 1855, he lived in Loomis for over 50 years until his passing in 1948 at the age of 93. George arrived in 1882, when the town was still called Pino, and opened his shop shortly after. His well and stone trough became essential to daily life in the community, providing water for both people and their horses. In true neighborly fashion, George always kept a water dipper hanging on the side of his shop for anyone to use.

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Before it became Loomis, the town was known as Pine Grove during the mining boom of the 1850s. Early settlers flocked to the area in search of gold in the rivers of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Not long after, the Central Pacific Railroad arrived, making it easier to transport the region’s locally grown fruit.