Friday, January 25, 2008

Anaheim Plaza, El Camino Real, Maag House, etc.

Today's photo shows Anaheim Plaza at Euclid Ave and the 5 Freeway in Anaheim, around 1960. Notice how the train tracks parallel the freeway. It's interesting how each new mode of transportation often just follows the trail of the old. In this case, the stage coach road followed the line of the old El Camino Real. In turn, the train followed the path of the stage road. Eventually the State Highway paralleled the train tracks. And finally, the highway was mostly overlaid by the 5 Freeway. No, you're not stuck in traffic -- You're visiting a historic trail!
.
Joyce Chapman, Frank Chapman’s granddaughter, continues to donate materials to Chapman University's Leatherby Library. Donated artifacts from the family include Charles Chapman’s first wife’s wedding ensemble, dolls, and a diary of Ethel Chapman Wickett.
.
The Centennial Heritage Museum in Santa Ana has a new board, and they've brought with them a renewed interest in raising the funds to restore the Maag House. The house was moved to it's current site on the museum grounds in 1981. I remember walking around inside it when I worked at the museum (in the 1990s) and thinking how much potential the old place had.

3 comments:

Chris Merritt said...

Neat! Any chance you have a picture of Skate Ranch, which was also just off the 5 - near the current kid's museum, I think?

ItsNotAPlace said...

"No, you're not stuck in traffic -- You're visiting a historic trail!"

ha! I'll try to keep that in mind next time I am stuck in traffic!

Chris Jepsen said...

Chris M: I'll see if I can come up with something. I probably can.

itsnotaplace: Excellent. Then my plan worked!