Camp Roberts demolition unearths historic 1906 bell

When Mark Williams heard that a demolition crew at Camp Roberts found an interesting object while knocking down some World War II-era buildings, he thought it must be another soldier's long-lost wallet.

"They said, 'We found something cool, and it's in our truck.' I wondered what would have to come in a truck," said Williams, who oversees the environmental office at the camp about 15 miles north of Paso Robles. "And when we pulled down the tailgate, it was like, 'Wow!' "

The discovery: an original cast-iron El Camino Real bell, more than a century old.

Within the same week, crews unearthed another surprising discovery -- an old film canister containing a 1952 film reel for the Walt Disney production "Two Gun Goofy."

Demolition of most of the camp's World War II-era structures began last year. The first phase of the project will be complete in mid-June. During the demolition, decades-old wallets have been turning up in the debris, shaken out from the hiding places thieves stashed them in long ago.

When a breakup letter from a soldier's girlfriend was found, researchers chuckled at the woman's desire to leave the man for another suitor who owned two cars while the solider had "just a Ford."

The bell, which dates to 1906 as one of the original markers placed along California's historic El Camino Real, was found in Camp Roberts' landfill. The bells were cast and hung from posts, similar to the more modern bells that now hang along parts of Highway 101.

"I don't think most people, when they look at it, know the whole story of this type of bell. But finding one today is very exciting," said John Kolstad, owner of the California Bell Co. The company was the original maker of the bells and continues to track their history.

For more on this story from sanluisobispo.com plus photos and the film "Two Gun Goofy" click here.

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Camp Roberts demolition unearths historic 1906 bell