This is the Wyllie Mansion that was the residence of G. The property was purchased by G. on December 22, 1902 from the 76 Land and Water Company. On this location he built the 160 acre Karnak Vineyard, on of the early vineyards near Dinuba. and his neighbor, Frank H. Wilson, were the first growers of the Emperor variety of grape in this area. In addition to being an accomplished farmer, G. had als
o been a teacher and a school principal. He served on the Dinuba School Board. He also owned a contracting business that also built the Karnak Building in Downtown Dinuba. The Karnak Building was the largest commercial retail building in its time in the town of Dinuba. It was also the first building in town to have an air conditioning system. He also built the first Dinuba Grammar School located on Sierra Way that later was renamed Washington School. Wyllie was elected to the California State Assembly in 1908 and served three terms. He was one of the progressive politicians that forever changed California politics by bringing Direct Democracy to the People of California. This was done by the introduction of the Initiative, the Referendum and the Recall. Before that time, California politics were controlled largely by the railroads. Wyllie also wrote the Wyllie Local Option Act, which is the law that tamed the Wild West. This law was the first on the California books to control the retail sale of liquor and intoxicants in the State of California. and Emma Wyllie left the Wyllie Mansion in 1927. In 1934 the Alta Post #19 of the American Legion bought the mansion and the adjoining property and used it as their Legion Hall until 1957. Just to the north of the Wyllie Mansion, the Legion built an attraction called the "Legion Bowl" that was a WPA project. The Legion Bowl was a Rodeo Arena and fair grounds. Over the years, several events took place there. There were rodeos, softball tournaments, Christian Evangelistic Revivals, and several entertainers that performed there. In later years, a go-kart track was added and races were also held there. The carnival that was part of the annual Rasin Day Festival was held at the Legion Bowl. In 1957 with the newly opened War Memorial Building in Dinuba, the American Legion moved the Legion Hall to this new facility and sold the Wyllie Mansion and three and a half acres to the Dinuba Buddhist Church. The Buddhist still maintained their church in downtown Dinuba, but began to hold meetings and classes at the Wyllie Mansion. In 1964 the Dinuba Buddhist Church completed construction of their new church building at 657 South Alta Avenue and have been holding services there ever since. In 2007 the Dinuba Buddhist Church agreed to sell the Wyllie Mansion to Joe and Sonya Morgan, and that portion of the church property was split from the Buddhist Church property.
