The Hotel Rossmore, Santa Ana

An early view of the Brunswick/Rossmore Hotel, Santa Ana

The Hotel Rossmore, which stood at the northwest corner of 4th and Sycamore streets in Santa Ana, opened in about 1887 as the Hotel Brunswick: a "boom era" tourist hotel financed in part by city father William "Uncle Billy" Spurgeon and operated by W. W. Ward. 

Of course, the railroad boom went bust, and by the early 1900s, it was redubbed the Hotel Rossmore. It eventually became known for catering to traveling salesman. 

The Woolworth's building, on the same location, as of Sept. 2025.

The Rossmore was badly damaged in the so-called "Long Beach Earthquake" of March 10, 1933. In fact, two people were killed as they exited the hotel onto 4th Street and were immediately buried by falling rubble. In the quake's aftermath, the hotel was largely demolished and only partly rebuilt. The new iteration, called the New Rossmore Hotel, had 32 room -- half its original number.

Postcard image of the destruction at the Rossmore Hotel in 1933. Arrow over the door shows where two people were killed by falling debris.

Having finally become unprofitable, the hotel closed on May 1, 1950 and plans were made for a new Woolworth's "five-and-dime" store to be built in its place. Woolworth's had previously been in another building on 4th Street, which had also been badly damaged in the 1933 quake.

The leases for the last tenants in the hotel building were up in 1952 and demolition began promptly thereafter, followed by the construction of Woolworth's. The new store opened in February 1953. 

Woolworth's was a fixture and a staple for locals in the years before shopping malls took over the retail landscape. But the times did change, and in 1992 Woolworth's closed. In the decades since, the building has housed other businesses, including Fallas Paredes and now the El Vaquero clothing store.

Anaheim Valencia Growers Association

Famed attorney, congressman, and Secretary of State Daniel Webster (1782-1852) adorned The Webster Brand of citrus from Anaheim Valencia Growers Assoc. It was likely a sly reference to founder and manager William Webster.

In late 1922, the booming growth of Orange County's citrus industry led to the formation of yet another citrus cooperative: The Anaheim Valencia Growers Association (AVG). By December, organizers William L. Benchly of the Benchly Fruit Co. of Fullerton and William Webster of the California Fruit Growers Supply Co. were trying to sell stock in the new venture. It appears they only convinced one other investor to come aboard -- Fullerton attorney Guss Hagenstein -- as these three men were later listed not only as the company's first board members but also as the only stockholders.

On January 3, 1923, the Anaheim Valencia Growers Association filed incorporation papers with the County Clerk. From the start, AVG was affiliated with the California Fruit Growers Exchange and its fruit would carry the Sunkist brand and benefit from their promotional and distribution prowess. 

As historian Phil Brigandi liked to say, "Sunkist could have taught Disney a thing or two about marketing."

Anaheim Valencia Growers stock certificate (Courtesy Gil Gerhardt)

Coordinating with the formation of AVG, the Santa Fe Land Improvement Co. built a new 90-foot by 130-foot packing house along the railroad tracks at 805 E. Center St. (now Lincoln Ave.) in Anahiem. The architect was Frank K. Benchley, and the builder was Dan Coons -- both of Fullerton. The Santa Fe immediately leased the packing house to the new Anaheim Valencia Growers, which began operating in the building on May 28, 1923. Once in operation, William Webster served as the association's manager and L. E. Cameron worked as their field representative.

AVG's brands included Lincoln (fancy), Webster (extra choice), and Robert E. Lee (Red Ball).

Crate labels helped commercial buyers easily spot specific brands and qualities of citrus from across large produce warehouses back East. 

As author Tom Pulley put it, the Association "failed to attract enough acreage to become profitable." So AVG looked for additional revenue streams in an effort to stay afloat. In June 1924, they began promoting their new orange juice and made free samples available in local stores. And in 1925, Orange County Citrus Products began subletting AVG's packing house as their own plant, producing orange, lemon and grapefruit juice, as well as their Golden Orange and Royal Orange drinks, made from "culls."

But the efforts with juice only forestalled the inevitable. In March 1926, the Anaheim Valencia Growers Association closed. They sold their stock, supplies, and lease on their packing house to the Olive Fruit Co. Olive had by then become the largest "cash buying organization" in the area and needed a larger facility to pack the ever-increasing quantities of oranges. 

AVG was dead. 

How dead? 

In 1928, it made an appearance in the delightfully titled Marvyn Scudder Manual of Extinct or Obsolete Companies. 

That's pretty dead.

But at least the organization's name would make a comeback. 

On January 9, 1936, the Anaheim Orange & Lemon Association -- having not handled lemons since 1931 -- finally decided to change its name. It was hard to imagine a more succinctly descriptive replacement than "Anaheim Valencia Growers Associaton." And thus, the old name was rinsed off and recycled. This was an entirely different organization than the original AVG, and with utterly different management (Gerald W. Sandilands was secretary/co-founder/manager), but would similarly find itself expanding into the orange juice business to bolster revenue. 

The "new" Anaheim Valencia Growers Association ceased operations at the end of the 1957 season and closed the following year, as Orange County's golden citrus era drew to a close.

Is it a cooincidence that General Robert E. Lee -- the commander of the losing Confederate States Army -- was used to represent AVG's second-quality "Red Ball" citrus, while their highest quality fruit was represented by The Lincoln Brand?

Many thanks to Tom Pulley and Jane Newell for their help with this article.

Weber's Bread bakery in Santa Ana

Kilpatrick's Bread Bakery stood about where a brick building is today at 2670 N. Main St, Santa Ana (From ad in Huntington Beach News, 11-1- 1928)

Although gone for over 45 years, the Interstate Bakers Corp complex (a.k.a. Weber's Bread Plant #28) is one of those Orange County spots that generates a lot of nostalgia and questions from the public. It was built in 1927 as a beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival at 2656 N. Main Street, along the State Highway (now Interstate 5) in Santa Ana. It was Kilpatrick's Bakery until March 1930, when numerous local industrial bakeries -- including Kilpatrick's and Weber’s -- amalgamated as the Interstate Bakers Corp. The factory would bake for many brands, including Millbrook, Weber's Bread, Dolly Madison, and Four S Bakery. 

Glass advertising slide from Colonial Theater, S. Glassell St, Orange, mid-1920s (Courtesy Orange Public Library. Thanks Roger Fitschen.)

From this point on, the names Weber Baking Co. and Interstate Bakers Corp. seem to be used almost interchangeably for the facility. Numerous additions were built onto the bakery, including in 1941, 1963, and an attached retail bakery store in 1968. 

The bakery is well-remembered by many who attended elementary school in Orange County during the 1960s. Back then, this facility was a popular place for class field trips. Busloads of students from schools as far aways as San Clemente and Olinda were brought to the bakery to see baked goods being made with all kinds of large-scale equipment. Each child got a piece of bread to eat while on the tour and received a whole free loaf of fresh Weber's Bread to take home to their family. *

North Main St. at the I-5 in Santa Ana, 1959

In a strange twist of corporate diversification, Interstate was acquired by Data Processing Financial & General Corp. in 1975. By 1978, most locals associated the place more for its "thrift bakery" retail shop than for the factory itself. And the Carter Era "malaise" made discounted day-old bread even more popular.

But it was also an era of corporate consolidations and streamlining. After closing the Main Street facility, Interstate Brands Corp. sold the property in 1980 to the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Santa Ana. Between city redevelopment efforts and new freeway expansions and overcrossings by the State, the entire area underwent significant change. Along with the nearby (and also-well-remembered) Skate Ranch, the bakery complex was soon demolished.

Snoopy shills for Weber's in a 1970s TV ad.

* - Thanks to Randy Goodno, Chris Farren, Duncan Wilson, and others who shared their school tour memories. For those under 50 who don't know what a "field trip" is,... Back in the days before Sacramento wrested most of the power and money away from local school districts (and before teaching was focused on standardized tests), California consistently ranked near the top among states for education. A small but not insignificant part of that education was taking children different places on "field trips," where they could learn about the world first-hand. They might learn how a goldfish farm worked, or how widgets were made in a factory. Or they might go to a museum or attend a classical or folk music concert. Having fun while learning was a good thing.

Early Catholic property transactions in O.C.

Santa Maria Catholic Church (1912-1968), Fullerton, 1910s.

I won't claim I’ve captured every transaction, but the following list covers most of the real estate transactions of the Roman Catholic Church in Orange County that were filed between Aug 1, 1889 (the moment of Orange County's birth) and the end of 1926. Perhaps this will come in handy someday for someone researching Church history. Please note that Orange County did not always have its own diocese and over the years was part of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Abbreviations used in this timeline include MM (Miscellaneous Maps), Deeds (Orange County Book of Deeds), OR (Official Records of Orange County), all of which are government record series available through the County Archives.

Diocese Property Transactions in Orange County, California - Filed 1889-1926 (and related data)

1887 Aug 12 -- Bishop (Francis Mora) sells a portion of "downtown" San Juan Capistrano to the San Bernardino & San Diego Railway Co. (Deeds 219/54)

1892 Aug 20 -- Bishop sells to M. A. Forster: Land near Olive St. in the Mission Tract, San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 55/78)

1892 Nov 11 -- Bishop sells to Southern California Railway Co.: A 60-foot strip of land alongside the railroad tracks in San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 78/60)

1892 Nov 17 -- Bishop sells to Mrs. Zaneta Lecroq of Anaheim: Most of the W 30 acres of the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 8, T 4 S, R 10 W, SBM for $1800. (Deeds 78/148)

1895 Aug 13 -- Bishop sells to Pia Baker & Seraphina Maerz of San Francisco: 0.022 acres at Palm St. near Center St, Anaheim. The deed reads, “Beginning at a point on the center line of Palm St. 459.25 ft N 15 ½ degrees W of center line of Center St., thence S 15 11/2 degrees E 6.1 ft, … thence S 74 ½ degrees W parallel with Center St. 165 ft … thence N 15 ½ degrees W 6.1 ft … thence N 74 ½ degrees E 165 ft to the point of beginning...” (Deeds 102/397)

1896 Aug 31 -- Francis Mora of L.A. grants to Bishop Montgomery the following 40 acres of land for the building and maintaining of St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Anaheim: NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 25, T 4 S, R 10 W, SBM. The deed is subject to reservations contained in the deeds made by the Stearns Ranchos Co conveying said land and is subject also to a life estate (a written request which accompanied the conveyance) in said property for and during the natural life of John Timney by whom said land was conveyed to Mora. [Note: The notary for this document was William R. Burke.] (Deeds 29/6)

Pink rectangle on modern map shows NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Section 25, T4S, R10W SBM

1896 Aug 31 -- Francis Mora also grants to Bishop Montgomery the following property: A) Lots 1, 2, 6 and 7 of Block 9 of the Town of San Juan Capistrano, B) A 20-ft wide, 493-ft long strip of land (for a road) on the W boundary of Section 6, T 8 S, R 7 w, SBM, running from Spring St. on the N to the land of Francis Mora on the S. (Deeds 29/8. Also see Deeds 219/54)

1897 Jun 12 -- Bishop sells to William F. Strohschein: One acre in Mission  Tract #4, San Juan Capistrano, for $250. (Deeds 33/49)

1897 Oct 9 -- Bank of America, L.T. & Cecil J Garnsey (of L.A.) sell to Bishop Montgomery some land at Center St and Palm St [likely for St. Boniface]. Deed reads, “…Commencing at the intersection of the center lines of Center St. and Palm St. [in the City of Anaheim] … and running thence N 15 ½ degrees W 358.15 ft; thence S 74 ½ degrees W 185 ft; thence N 15 ½ degrees W 358.15 ft; thence S 74 ½ degrees W 185 ft; thence S 15 ½ degrees E 358.15 ft to the center of Center St.; and thence N 74 ½ degrees E 185 ft to the place of beginning; containing 1 ½ acres, more or less, and being a portion of Vineyard Lot D6 . . . reserving therefrom the S 35 ft and E 34 ¾ ft for ½ of Center and Palm streets, respectively.” (Deeds 35/157)

1899 Dec 18 -- Bishop sells to William F. Strohschein: A little over an acre near Spring St, San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 47/87)

1901 Jun 20 -- Bishop sells to William F. Strohschein: A little over an acre near Spring St, San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 62/214)

1902 Jan 17 -- Court finds in favor of defendant Clementina Langenberger and Bishop Montgomery, who'd been sued by the City of Anaheim. Ruling confirmed that the Bishop now owned this land: Commencing at the SE corner of Lot 15 of the Langenberger Tract, running thence N 150 ft along the E line of Lots 15 and 16 to the S line of 1st North St, thence E along the S line of said 1st North St 110 ft to the W line of Palm St., thence S along the W boundary line of Palm St 150 ft to the N boundary line of Center St, thence W along the N boundary line of Center St 110 ft to the place of beginning...  (Deeds 72/202)

1902 Jul 12 -- John Timney died

1902 Nov 17 -- Bishop sells Original Building Lot 15 [of Anaheim] to the City of Anaheim for $350 (Deeds 85/12). A small Catholic church is depicted on this W. Cypress Street site in the 1891 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Anahiem. (See image below.)

Detail of 1891 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Anaheim (LoC)

1902 Nov 17 -- Bishop sells to J. M. C. Hill of Orange County: (40 acres) NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Section 25, T 4 S, R 11 W, SBM, for $1575. (Deeds 83/99)

1902 Dec 19 -- The property of the late John Timney goes to Bishop Montgomery. Specifically, the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 25, T 4 S, R 11 W, SBM (40 acres)

1903 Oct 29 -- Sarah & May I. Flood sell the E 10 acres of the N 20 acres of the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 17, T 4 S, R 10 W to the Bishop. (Deeds 97/373)

1903 Nov 13 -- The Stearns Ranchos Co quitclaims to the Bishop any remaining interest in the following: E 10 acres of the N 20 acres of the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 17, T 4 S, R 10 W to the Bishop. (Deeds 103/46) 

1904 Feb 15 -- Bishop sells to Marcos A. Forster: Tract 5, containing about 29 acres of lands at the Mission San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 103/214)

1904 Mar 16 -- Bishop sells to Michael Litten: The 6 acres immediately above Holy Cross Cemetery (Anaheim) for $850 (Deeds 103/264)

1906 Mar 26 -- C. N. Flint, trustee of the city and county of Los Angeles, sells Lots 6 through 10 in Block 9 of the Benedict Tract (MM 4/38-39, Deeds 96/359)

1909 Sep 17 -- Superior Court grants St. Dominic Female Religious Order the right to sell Vineyard Lot C6 in Anaheim for $10,000 (Deeds 177/77)

1910 Mar 10 -- St. Dominic Female Religious Order sells land (probably Vineyard Lot C6) to Albert Muckenthaler.

1912 Feb 6 -- A. J. & Fannie Backs grant the following to the Bishop: lots 11 & 12 in Block A of the Laird Subdivision (MM 6/12)(Deeds 209/274)

1912 Apr 23 -- S. N. & Jennie Fuller sell property in Fullerton to the Bishop: Lots 28, 29 & 30 in Block 29 of the Townsite of Fullerton. (Deeds 211/124)

 1912 May 15 -- Peter F. & Emma J. Johnson sell property in Fullerton to the Bishop: Lots 26 & 27, Block 29, Townsite of Fullerton (Deeds 212/141)

1912 Jul 18 -- J. W. & R. Illa Hand and G. W. & Kate Hamlin sell property to the Bishop: Lots 17 & 19, Block 310 of Huntington Beach. (St. Mary's By the Sea)(Deeds 141/334)

1912 Jul 18 -- Frank A. J. & B. Yulu Diss of Los Angeles sell Lots 21, 23, 25 & 27 in Block 310 of Huntington Beach to the Bishop. (St. Mary's By the Sea) (Deeds 218/354)

1912 Jul 18 -- Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey & L.A. sells the E 16.25 ft of the S 427 ft of Vineyard Lot D6 to the City of Anaheim (Deeds 224/58)

1912 Nov 15 -- Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey & L.A. sells land in or adjacent to Vineyard Lot D6 to City of Anaheim for the purpose of extending Chartres Street. Until the street is expanded, the Church will retain use of the property. (Deeds 224/59)

1912/1913 -- Plat Map shows Catholic Cemetery on E. Center St., near today's Evergreen St.

1913 Jul 26 -- The Yoch Co. (of Santa Ana) sells to the Bishop: Lot 92 & 93 of Laguna Beach. (Deeds 242/185)

1914 Jan 30 -- Leo & Marie E. Borchard sell to the Bishop: Lots 24, 26 & 28 in Block 205 of Huntington Beach. (Deeds 247/257)

1914 Sep 10 -- Rev. H. Eummelen sells to the Bishop: Lots 5, 6 & 7 in Block 75 of Town of Santa Ana East (MM 10/43-44) (Deeds 295/113)

1915 Feb 15 -- Estate of Clementina Langenberger is settled. A few excerpts from her will: Her brother, Gustave Zimmerman, gets 5 shares of stock in the Anaheim Sugar Co. She left $1,000 to St. Catherine Orphan Asylum of Anaheim, and $1,000 to the Catholic Church of Anaheim. She left $500 to the city for the purposes of erecting a fountain in memory of her and her husband, Augustus, "in the Plaza at the City of Anaheim." (Deeds 264/383)

1915 Aug 6th -- Catherine E. Measor Leieritz sells to the Bishop: Lots 1 & 2 in Block 4, Tract 39.(MM 9/37) (Our Lady of Guadalupe) (Deeds 269/256)

1915 Sep 8 -- Ruth C. Fairchild (widow of O. G. Fairchild of San Francisco) sells to the Bishop: Lots 25 & 26, Block 4 of Aliso City (MM 1/44) (Deeds 270/18)

1915 Sep 25 -- Bishop allows State Highway Dept to build a State Highway across Lots 6 & 7, Block 9 of Mission Tract No. 1, in San Juan Capistrano (Deeds 278/151)

1918 Jun 5 -- Bishop sells Lots 9-11 of Tract 50, in San Juan Capistrano, to Standard Oil Co. (Deeds 324/195)

1918 Sep 25 -- Bishop sells Lots 9-11 of Tract 50, in San Juan Capistrano, to the State of California (Deeds 328/187)

1919 Jun 18 -- Bishop sells Lot 6, Block 9 of Town of San Juan Capistrano to Etienne Oyharzabal (Deeds 321/113)

1919 Dec 4 -- Bishop sells Lots 11 & 12 of Block A of Laird's Hotel Del Campo Tract in Anaheim to Catherine Larsen (Deeds 346/335)

1920 Jan 26 -- Bishop sells Lot 8 of Tract 50, in San Juan Capistrano, to Otto John Lierman (Deeds 355/394)

1920 Feb 2 -- Ashby & Josephine Mottz Turner sell to Bishop: Block 73 of the Town of Santa Ana East. Also that portion of Wellington Ave abutting said block on the N side, which was abandoned by the City. (Deeds 356/353)

1920 Mar 11 -- Bishop sells Lot 7 of Tract 50, in San Juan Capistrano, to James Monroe Walmer & Ellen Marie Walmer (Deeds 357/245)

1920 Mar 17 -- Bishop sells Lots 3-6 of Tract 50, in San Juan Capistrano, to Leon Eyrand, et ux (Deeds 357/328)

1920 Jun 18 -- St. Catherine Orphan Asylum sells 2/9th interest in some property at the corner of Lemon & Santa Ana Streets in Anaheim to Maria C. Shanley (Deeds 363/108)

1921 Jun 16 -- Bayside Land Co. (P. A. Stanton, president) sells to Bishop: Lot 17 in Block 209 of the Bayview Tract (MM 91/8) (Deeds 388/356)

1921 Aug 3 -- Bayside Land Co. sells to Bishop: Lot 15 in Block 209 of the Bayview Tract (Deeds 403/82)

1921 Oct 20 -- M. J. Galvin sells to the Bishop: W 1/2 of Acreage Lot 61 of the Townsite of Fullerton. (Deeds 405/417)

1922 Jan 27 -- Orange Methodist Episcopal Church sells to the Bishop a parcel commencing at the NE corner of Chapman and Shaffer Streets, as shown on Henry Grote's Addition to Orange, running thence N along the E line of Shaffer St 162 feet, thence E 170 ft, thence S 162 ft to the N line of Chapman St, thence W 170 ft to the point of beginning. (Deeds 412/57)

1922 May 27 -- Ignacio (or Ygnacio) 7 Cyrille Cervantes grant to the Bishop: S 50 ft of the N 200 ft of the E 1/2 of Lot 3 of the Town of Westminster (Deeds 426/328)

1922 Aug 8 -- Mary C. Measor of Washington, D. C. sells to Bishop Cantwell the land at Central Ave and Halladay St in the Delhi area of Santa Ana that would become Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. (Deeds 436/171)

1922 Sep 15 -- Bishop sells Lots 1 & 2 in Tract 39 in Santa Ana to Mary C. Measor (Deeds 436/170)

1922 Dec 11 -- Bishop sells a portion of Block A in Tract 124 in Santa Ana to Ashby Turner (Deeds 448/38)

1923 Jan 11 -- Bishop sells another portion of Block A in Tract 124 in Santa Ana to Ashby Turner (Deeds 450/362)

1923 Mar 15 -- The Pacific Electric Land Co sells to the Bishop: Lots 19, 20, 21 & 22 of Block 14 in Tract 234 (Deeds 465/174)

1923 Mar 21 -- Patrick Browne sells to the Bishop: A portion (see deed) of the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 5, T 5 S, R 10 W, SBM (Deeds 460/198)

1923 Apr 4 -- Bishop sells Lots 26-30 in Block 29 of the Townsite of Fullerton to A. H. Rothaermel and A. D. Moodie (Deeds 472/113)

1923 Apr 18 -- Leo & Marie E. Borchard and D. E. & Polly O. Ford sell to the Bishop: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 of Block A of Tract 352 in Santa Ana. (Deeds 470/176)

1923 May 14 -- Charles D. & Lydia M. Smith quitclaim to the Bishop: E 1/2 of Lots 28, 29 & 30 in Block 29 of the Townsite of Fullerton. (Deeds 472/112)

1923 May 14 -- H. H. & Margaret L Crooke sell to the Bishop: A parcel near the intersection of Amerige Ave and Commonwealth Ave (near the Richman Addition) in Fullerton. (Deeds 590/58)

1923 Jun 28 -- A. & P. L. Ruiz sell to the Bishop: Lots 7 & 8 of Block B of Bartlett's Adition to Santa Ana (Deeds 475/303 & 512/107)

1923 Jul 26 -- Bishop sells a portion of Block A of Tract 124 in Santa Ana to Ashby Turner (Deeds 481/388)

1924 Jan 2 -- Carl J. & Lena A. Klatt sell to the Bishop: Lots 21 to 26 in Block 75 of Santa Ana East (Deeds 512/146)

1924 Jun 9 -- The Bixby Land Co sells to the Bishop (for less than $100): Lots 13, 14, 15 & 16 in Block 30 of the Town of Los Alamitos (Licensed Surveyors Maps OC 1/25)

1925 Feb 11 -- John & Ida M. Rudolph and Henry Emmelen sell to the Bishop: Lots 27 & 28 in block 75 in the town of Santa Ana East. (Deeds 566/310)

1925 Jul 24 -- James C. Doyle sells to Bishop: A parcel adjacent to Lot 4, Block 8 of the Golden State Tract, Placentia. (Deeds 597/283)

1925 Dec 15 -- Eustace R. & Emma D. Parsons sell to the Bishop: Lot 66 in Block A of Bradfords Resubdivision of Blocks H & I of Placentia (MM 8/65) (Deeds 627/17)

1926 Jan 2 -- A. M. & Lou B. O'Brien sell to the Bishop: The E 45 ft of the W 510 ft of the S 220 ft of the N 440 ft of the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 9, T 5 S, R 10 W, SBM (Deeds 625/25)

1926 Jun 9 -- Jennie & Jennie E. McFadden sell to the Bishop: Lot 18 of Block E in Tract 245 (in Santa Ana). Covenants only allow for houses to be built. (Deeds 655/295)

1926 Sep 23 -- Bishop sells to A. H. & Clara Stetson Reid: Tract 2 and Tract 3 of the Land at the Mission San Juan Capistrano (L.A. Patents 1/588; or part of Tract 808 in MM 24/23)

1926 Sep 24 -- A. H. & Clara Stetson Reid sell to Bishop: Lot 5 in Block 6, Tract 808 (San Juan Capistrano; MM 24/23)(Deeds 681/325)

1926 Oct 23 -- Bishop of San Diego & L.A. sells Tracts 1 & 2 of the Land at the Mission San Juan Capistrano (now part of Tract 808) to A. H. & Clara Stetson Reid (Deeds 681/324. Also see MM 24/23 and L.A. County Patents 1/588)

4th of July, 1950, Huntington Beach

The photo above shows longtime city and county leader Thomas B. "Tom" Talbert (left) on his horse, Easter, and A & S Petroleum manager James Albert on his horse, Duke, on Main Street in the 43rd Annual Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade in 1950. 

That year's event was dubbed the "Golden California Centennial Parade." The parade drew about 100,000 attendees and lasted two hours. According to a timeline held by the Huntington Beach Public Library, the 1950 celebration also included "daytime and evening dancing, jalopy races, bathing beauty contest, carnival on the beach, fireworks," a talent show, and an air show, but was "marred by a plane crash of one of the show's performers." Parade participants were served a lunch buffet at Lake Park. 

Parade route map (Santa Ana Register, 7-2-1950)

The city's traditional Fourth of July Parade and celebration began in 1904 to mark not just the anniversary of the nation's independence, but also the arrival (just a few days earlier) of the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" trolley system to the town. 

The Red Cars were to be a lynchpin of the new town's success and everyone was excited. The day's festivities were organized by the Board of Trade (Chamber of Commerce) under the direction of Jesse A. Armitage of Sunset Beach. 

About 50,000 people came to the event, many of whom were encouraged to attend by the fifty (or so) real estate men promoting lot sales in Huntington Beach. In addition to the parade, there were speeches, games, a fireworks show, and (perhaps best of all) free barbeque!

Aqua Viva of Silverado Canyon

The Orange County Historical Society recently received a donation of an Aqua Viva Brand Water bottle (empty) from antique dealer James Parker. The printing on the bottle brags that it contained "a natural mineralized water from a deep well at Silverado Canyon... In the Shadows of Old Saddle Back Mountain" – a reference Terry E. Stephenson’s classic 1931 local history volume: The Shadows of Old Saddleback.  

A 1976 report from the California Division of Mines & Geology says that Aqua Viva Mineral Spring is located at the "south edge of Section 7, Township 5 South, Range 7 West, SBM, El Toro quadrangle, on the south side of Silverado Canyon Road, about 1 1/2 miles from Santiago Canyon Rd. directly across from Santa Clara Coal mine. Spring (well) is marked by a white tank in front of the house.”

From the back of the bottle.

William Timothy "Bill" Rafferty (1913-1967) operated the business that sprang from said spring, bottling the water and selling it under the name “Aqua Viva” from 1955 to 1961. It was available via free delivery only (not in stores) in cases of six half-gallon bottles.

Raffety and his wife, Anna Alice Rafferty, lived in Ladd Canyon from at least the mid-1930s until around the mid-1940s, and then moved next to the spring at 27472 Silverado Canyon Road at a spot which is now called Tiptoe Ranch. 

Bill was president of the Holy Name Society at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orange and was involved in Knights of Columbus. Over the years, local directories listed his occupation as laborer, mason, and employee at General Motors’ Southgate auto assembly plant. The Raffertys were, by most accounts, well known and well-liked in the canyon community.

Bill Rafferty and the shrine he built at Atwood's Catholic church. (Santa Ana Register, 10-17-1947)

It took the Raffertys a while after moving onto the property to figure out how (and whether) to turn the spring into a business.

The 1976 State report described the composition of the Aqua Viva spring/well: “Well water of the calcium sodium sulfate type with a total dissolved solids content of 2,380 ppm and a pH of 7.3. Important trace element contents include 0.5 ppm boron, .01 ppm arsenic, both of which are within the recommended limit for drinking water standards as designated by the U.S. Public Health Service (1962).” They gleaned this information from 1963 testing, as reported by C.F. Berkstresser, Jr. of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The big marketing blitz for Aqua Viva – as brief and localized as it was – came during the summer of 1955, when Rafferty put ads in the Orange city newspapers, manned a booth with free samples at the Orange County Fair, and got his friend and fellow canyonite, Florence Lobdell, to repeatedly talk up Aqua Viva in her “Kanyon Kapers” column in the Orange Daily News.

In late July, Lobdell gushed, "Aqua Viva Mineral Water is here! It's been here for centuries (no doubt) but its wonderful mineral content and health-giving properties have just become available to the public. . . Its heavy natural fluoride content should hasten the dentists to recommending it, its alkalizing effect should be a boon to over-indulgence..."

Florence Lobdell at the 49ers Day Celebration in Lorge's Cafe, Silverado, 1940s (Courtesy Silverado Branch Library)

Likewise, Rafferty’s advertising touted “the value of fluorine in the protection of the teeth of children [which] is recognized by leading dental authorities,” and that the “alkalinity of Aqua Viva is sufficient . . . to counteract an upset 'acid' stomach and maintain a sweet breath."

In August, Lobdell followed up: “At the Orange County Fair, spotted Bill Rafferty making millions of friends for the Canyon with his fine display of Aqua Viva Water . . . Surprised to see two salesmen from other water companies standing in front of Bill's booth, drinking his water and exclaiming what a wonderful flavor it had."

And for her September 13th column Lobdell had a legitimate news hook on which to hang her continued promotion. Bill Rafferty had "sent his good Aqua Viva Mineral Water up to quench the flames" when a nearby house fire in Silverado Canyon turned into a fifty-acre brush fire. Lobdell declared that the burned ground would undoubtedly grow back with lush new vegetation at a prodigious rate thanks to having been soaked with the near-miraculous Aqua Viva.

But most of Rafferty’s advertising continued to focus on the water’s many benefits to the heath of humans, not scrub brush. “Four glasses of Aqua Viva contain approximately as much calcium as one glass of whole milk," claimed a newspaper ad.

Ad from the Orange Daily News, 7-27-1955. (Courtesy Orange Public Library)

In 1960, Silverado resident and airline pilot Keith M. Niles accused Bill Rafferty of numerous crimes, including attempting to sell him a half-interest in Aqua Viva, Inc. for $9,000 in 1948 without a permit from the Commissioner of Corporations. Superior Court Judge Karl Lynn Davis ruled that there was "reasonable doubt" and dismissed all charges. Still, it was the most attention Aqua Viva had received since its 1955 marketing push.

By 1973, the property was owned by William F. Collar, who owned the gas station at the mouth of Ladd Canyon and was part of the Silverado Volunteer Fire Department. But Rafferty still had charge of the well.

Mike Boeck, who knows the canyons better than anyone and is a longtime local history buff, says, "The actual Aqua Vida Mineral Spring definitely was a spring (I have been to it and these days it is mostly dry due to prolonged drought), not a well, that was dug out to access the water. These days it is just a hole in the side of the slope, just off the property [once] owned… by Bill and Ann Collar. Ann was our postmaster for many years and is fondly remembered.” 

Ad from the Orange Daily News, 8-10-1955. (Courtesy Orange Public Library)

Based on newspaper coverage, it appears Ann was also the unofficial social events coordinator for Silverado Canyon.

Today, members of the "Silverado The Good Ole Days" group on Facebook also say they’ve found the water’s source on the Collar property, and that it still has water in it. 

The spring, Boeck says, “is on the boundary of the St. Michael's Abbey/Collar property, which today is a horse compound... The Bond Fire burned off most of the heavy brush that previously covered and obscured the Aqua Vida spring, so today it is pretty easy to find, although it's in rough terrain. As for the water itself, it was not a successful enterprise because it gave drinkers the runs!"

Rafferty referred to this last feature as “a mild laxative effect” and one of the key benefits of drinking Aqua Viva. He attributed this to the water’s "high content of the sulfates of calcium magnesium and sodium,” and said it was, “truly, ‘Nature’s Way.’”

Considering all the health claims he attributed to Aqua Viva’s heavy mineral content, it’s surprising that Rafferty also consistently advertised that "the purity of this water has been established by a leading laboratory." It was pure, but most of its selling points were derived from its impurities.

So, there, in a nutshell – or really in a bottle – is the history of another Orange County hole in the ground.

[Thanks to Rob Brown, Mike Boeck, and Susan Deering for their assistance with this article.]

PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berkstresser, C. F., Jr.  Data For Springs in the Southern Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges of California, United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey Water Resources Division, 1968, pp B-6 & B-7

"Canyon Man Not Guilty," Orange Daily News, July 27, 1960

"Grand Theft Case Set for June 22," Anaheim Bulletin, 5-24-1960, pg 16.

“Grand Theft Suspect to Enter Plea Soon,” Orange Daily News, 5-9-1960.

Lobdell, Florence. "Kanyon Kapers: News of Silverado and Modjeska," Orange Daily News, 7-29-1955

Lobdell, Florence. "Kanyon Kapers: News of Silverado and Modjeska," Orange Daily News, 8-16-1955

Lobdell, Florence. "Kanyon Kapers: News of Silverado and Modjeska," Orange Daily News, 9-13-1955, pg 3

Morton, Paul K., Environmental Geology of Orange County, California, California Division of Mines & Geology, 1976, pg 246 (Report also cites Aqua Viva Mineral Spring on accompanying "Map No. 64,” which I could not find.)

“Silverado News,” The Register, 12-12-1963, pg 42.

“Silverado Prepares for Prayerful Easter,” The Register, 4-4-1969, pg B1.

"Theft Suspect Awaits Hearing," Anaheim Bulletin, 4-18-1960, pg 4.

The Lido Buffet at Robinson’s, Newport Beach

The Lido Buffet Tea Room – a 165-seat cafeteria-style lunchroom – was located at the northwest corner of the top floor of Robinson's department store in Fashion Island, Newport Beach from the 1960s into the 1980s. Its good food, amazing views, and association with time spent with my mom are why I remember it. Combining the tools of history with fuzzy nostalgia, the following tale of the Lido Buffet is just one small example from the golden age of department store restaurants.

The Lido Buffet Tea Room opened along with the store, which in turn opened along with the rest of the Fashion Island shopping center in September 1967. It was Robinson's second Orange County store, following the one that opened at Anaheim Plaza in 1963.

Robinson’s was the largest of the fifty-six stores in The Irvine Company’s posh new Fashion Island shopping center, and was 225,000 square feet on three floors. The store was designed by William Pereira, who'd also provided the architectural designs for the nearby University of California, Irvine and the master plan for the entire Irvine Ranch. The store’s façade featured an eighty-foot wall of enormous bronze bells by artist Tom Van Sant, which were declared “the world’s largest windchimes.” (Rumor has it that the facade was inspired by the Shangri La temple set in Frank Capra's 1937 movie, "Lost Horizon.")

Pereira’s design would be used for a number of Robinson’s stores in that era, as the retail chain looked to separate itself from the pack. Architect Bruce Allen Kopytek of the Department Store Museum blog writes that Robinson's "trio of late 1960s stores located in Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, and San Diego took innovation" of department store architecture to a new level, "wholly rejecting the 'department-store-as-box' concept, and housing Robinson’s in a highly sculptural composition of cantilevered masses, interspersed with tile-roofed colonnades and a bell-tower and carillon as a focal point."

Illustration of the soon-to-open Fashion Island Robinson's, from an ad in Orange County Illustrated magazine, Sept. 1967

Jeff Qualey, who worked at the Aramis counter in Robinson’s men’s fragrance department throughout the 1980s, remembers, “It was a great place to work. It was a good store. It was top tier, like Neiman Marcus, with outstanding merchandise and employees. They treated their employees well. Patti Farmer was feisty but an excellent store manager.”

Other employees viewed it differently, including eminent Orange County writer Jim Washburn, who worked there one summer as a janitor and "learned that if there's anything worse than working for the rich, it was working for the people who work for the rich. Boy, did the Robinson's sales staff put on airs."

Another former employee, commenting at the Department Store Museum blog, claimed, “I think I still have welts where [Patti Farmer] used to hit me, or at least lung cancer from having been forced to sit directly across from her in meetings while she blew … cigarette smoke in my face.”

But whatever happened behind the scenes, the customer experience remained pleasant. 

Most of the department stores in Fashion Island had a restaurant of some kind in the early years. Buffums had the Franciscan Room, Neiman-Marcus had the Zodiac Room, and even Penney’s (later replaced by Atrium Court) had a coffee shop. (This was back before people thought “coffee shop” meant something like Starbucks.)

Windows of the former Lido Buffet visible on top floor in this Sept. 2024 photo.

Growing up in Orange County in the 1970s and ’80s, my family lived less than a nine-mile drive from four major malls, of which Fashion Island was the schmanciest. (Their slogan around 1982 was “Fashion Island: A Class Distinction.”) We went to all four malls occasionally, depending on what we were shopping for. And when a trip to Fashion Island overlapped lunchtime, we’d inevitably eat at Robinson's. It was good and, despite store’s high-end reputation, affordable.

A 1981 ad in the Los Angeles Times succinctly described the Lido Buffet as offering "Cafeteria style dining overlooking Newport Center and the ocean. Selections include sandwiches, soups and salads." The menu was large and was very similar to the menus of tea rooms in other Robinson’s stores.

The Lido was home to charity events, special brunches, seasonal staff breakfasts, holiday events for children, backgammon classes, and regular fashion shows. But I remember none of that.

"The restaurant was just beyond the women's department and had young women modeling clothing while you ate your lunch," remembered my mother, Susan Jepsen. 

Robinson's logo from 1967. The chain begain as the Boston Dry Goods Store, opened in Los Angeles by Joseph Winchester Robinson in 1883. It was later renamed the J. W. Robinson Co.

The models would stop at each table and say something like, “I’m wearing [name and brand of dress] and you can buy this in the _____ department on the second floor.”

"You and I had lunch at Robinson’s many times when you were very young,” said my mom, “and you had no idea what those women were doing, drifting around the dining room. When they came by our table, you'd tell them what was good to order for lunch. At first, I was embarrassed, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. 

“You were much more interested in the view of the ocean out the windows and watching the sailboats cruise through the harbor. I told you, 'When you're older, you'll want to come here just to see the models.’ You asked why, and I said, ‘Oh, you'll find out someday.’”

So I don’t remember the models. But I do have some other hazy memories of the restaurant. First of all, it did indeed have a remarkable panoramic view of Newport Beach, Newport Harbor, the Pacific, and Catalina Island. (I confirmed this recently by sneaking into what used to be the Lido.) Unlike the sit-down restaurants in some Robinson’s stores and in other store chains, this one was run cafeteria-style. But the overall high-end vibe remained. 

You entered the Lido Buffet through a long hallway. Then you’d take a tray from a stack of clean trays (often still damp and warm from the dishwasher), hang a right, and then walk across the room to a cafeteria-style counter. On one side was an array of small pre-made salads, desserts, and sides. The uniformed staff took your entrée order separately. Then you’d walk along the counter with your tray, adding items along the way. And at the end of the counter, the cashier would ring you up. While this happened, your entrée would emerge from the kitchen and was added to your tray. You’d then take your tray out to the dining room and find a place to sit. 

The dining area was in two sections – the main dining room with its ocean view, and a second smaller area with a smaller bank of windows that looked out onto the mall. 

Windows of the smaller dining area are visible in the distance on the upper left in this 1967 illustration of Fashion Island. 

While one wall of the main dining room showcased the Pacific, another wall was adorned with a huge, vibrant blue and green, bas-relief map of the ranchos of Orange County. This was just one of the many large pieces of art with which Robinson’s decorated the store. Although I remember the colors, the map meant nothing to me at the time. I’d dearly love to look on it again with the eyes of an Orange County historian.

I believe the restaurant also had a decorative partition that somewhat hid the “busboys’” workstation from the rest of the dining room. Rolling their carts back and forth from that station was a team of seemingly very elderly (by kid standards) Asian men in matching uniforms and bow ties. They went about their tasks swiftly and with an air of earnestness.

I also remember the food. Of course, as a kid, I had a little different perspective on that. I went through a phase where hot dogs were my favorite thing, and the Lido (which we just called “Robinson’s lunchroom”) had hot dogs on the children’s menu. Better still, the hot dog came with potato chips of an exotic brand (either Laura Scudder’s or Granny Goose, I think) which my family never had at home. Fine dining, indeed! 

A page from the Panorama City Robinson's lunch room menu, with essentially the same items available as in the Lido Buffet. (Courtesy Denise McKinney)

A few years later, I came to appreciate something else at the Lido. (No, not the models yet. I was still a kid!) I fell for their Tostada Salad – with a giant fried flour shell, ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and zesty dressing. It was great, and it was my first exposure to this staple of 1970s cuisine. I still seek a comparable version today.

It’s said the concept of the tostada salad began with the “Ta-cup” -- a tiny version using Fritos as a base -- which was served at Disneyland’s Casa de Fritos starting in the 1960s. The idea spread, was upscaled by replacing the handful of Fritos with a big fried flour tortilla bowl and became widely popular in the 1970s. The Ta-cup also spawned the “taco salad” – which added Catalina or French dressing and substituted of Doritos (which were also invented at Casa de Fritos) and kidney beans in place of the Fritos and refried beans.

I’ve been told by several people that the Lido also had remarkable egg salad sandwiches. In fact, I have yet to find anyone who disliked the food at Robinson’s. 

“The employees called it the ‘Lido Barf-ay,” said Qualey. “We were being cheeky, but we loved it. It was a beautiful space and a great restaurant. A lot of employees ate lunch there. In the store’s early years, I think the employees had to eat in a separate lounge adjacent to the dining room, but that rule was gone by the time I arrived around 1981.” 

Another page from the Panorama City Robinson's lunch room menu. (Courtesy Denise McKinney)

As good as it was, and although it kept customers in the store longer, Robinson’s did little to promote the Lido Buffet. For many customers, stumbling across it for the first time was a happy surprise. I never remember seeing the place crowded. And with relatively low prices, the restaurant likely wasn’t generating a lot of income for Robinson’s. None of this put the Lido in a good position when sweeping changes came to the store.

Robinson’s parent company, Associated Dry Goods, was taken over by The May Co. in 1986, and in 1993 the Fashion Island Robinson’s joined the rest of the chain in becoming Robinsons-May. By the time the name officially changed, most of the features unique to Robinson’s had already been removed.

“Quality went down when the May Company came in,” said Qualey. “They lost a lot of the top vendors, like Armani and St. John Knits, and a lot of the customers went away as a result. All the artwork, including the bas relief rancho map, was also removed from the store and sold.”

The Lido Buffet was still open in November 1986, but seems to have closed not long after that -- Just about the time I would have started becoming too nervous to talk to those models. The restaurant area was soon walled off and for a short time that space was used as a storage area for store fixtures. 

The "room with a view" (part of the former Lido Buffet dining room), Sept. 2024.

But the beautiful view from the windows of the former Lido Buffet eventually convinced store management to turn a large part of the main dining room into a multi-purpose meeting room known simply as "the room with a view." The store used it for staff meetings but also leased it out in the 1990s and early 2000s. And at some point, the rest of the restaurant space was carved into offices for management and hiring.

Federated Department Stores bought May Department Stores in 2005, and the following year the old Robinson’s became a Macy’s. Naturally, even more changes were made to the store and today one must be a bit of an urban archaeologist to find elements of the building’s interior – like a bit of the original floor tile – that hearken back to Robinson’s. 

As of 2024, the “room with a view” and Macy’s local corporate offices remain in the old restaurant space, hidden from public view. With most malls failing and the whole brick-and-mortar department store model on its last legs, it’s doubtful we’ll see the likes of the Lido Buffet again.

[Thanks to Jeff Qualey, Alan Hess, Susan Jepsen, Stephanie George, Denise McKinney and Nancy Leckness for their help with this article.]

"Pioneer Bird Man" Roy Chamness

Ad for Orana Bird & Goldfish Co. in the Anaheim Bulletin, 8-30-1926.

Orange County's "Pioneer Bird Man," Leroy Hood "Roy" Chamness (1890-1947), started out as an auto mechanic in Santa Ana around 1908 and worked on some of Glenn Martin's early airplanes, including his first. Roy was also a locally well-known hunter, regularly bringing down large bucks with a single shot and even capturing a bobcat to keep as a "pet." But neither the experimental airplanes he helped build nor the wild birds he shot were the source of Roy's nickname.

Glenn L. Martin's first airplane, built in an abandoned Santa Ana church (Los Angeles Times 8-4-1910)

Roy married Beatrice May "Bessie" Shaw in 1910. Somewhere along the line, they were given a canary as a gift. Bessie then bought a femalem, and soon they had a little flock. The Chamness' growing love of birds would direct the course of their lives. Throughout the early 1920s, Roy was running Chamness Brothers Bird Yard, at 915 E. Pine Street in Santa Ana, raising "fancy and song birds" with his brother, J. L. Chamness. In July of 1921 Roy and Bessie's son, Charles Herbert Chamness, was born.  

By late 1923, Roy, Bessie, and business partner William Paterson had their own Rare Bird Farm on Newport Blvd near 21st Street in Costa Mesa. While the focus was on their thousands of birds -- from finches, to macaws, to pheasants -- the farm also raised bull terriers, rare water plants, and fish. 

Charlie Chamness with macaws, parrot, and puppies in Costa Mesa. (Santa Ana Register 1-19-1924)

After a big article about the farm in the January 19, 1924 edition of the Santa Ana Register, the farm became quite popular. It was said that film comedian Buster Keaton was looking for a way to use the property in one of his films. 

On May 16, 1925 -- Roy and Bessie sold their interest in the farm to Paterson. They moved north and opened the Orana Bird & Goldfish Co. at the north end of Main Street at Chapman Ave. (Highway 101) in the little community of Orana. They were advertising in the Register in time for Christmas 1925.

Orana Bird & Gold Fish Co., circa 1928 (Courtesy Santa Ana Public Library)

Historian Phil Brigandi described the community of Orana in his book, Orange County Place Names A to Z: "In 1913, local rancher L. E. Smith built a garage  at the southwest corner of Chapman Avenue and Main Street, on the route of the new state highway through Orange County. Smith and his mechanic, Otto Buer, coined the name Orana because the spot was midway between Orange and Santa Ana. A 'scruffy business district' (as Jim Sleeper once described it) eventually grew up there. The name was well-known by the 1950s."

In 1927, the store expanded to include many more aviaries and a lily pond. But in August 1929, Chamness dropped "& Goldfish" from the store's name. It would remain the "Orana Bird Store" until at least 1934. 

Roy (left) and brother J. L. Chamness (right) with three-point buck Roy shot in Verdugo Canyon (Santa Ana Register 10-3-1922)

From 1936 onward, the store didn't even appear in local directories. But it seems Roy was operating a version of his store just up the highway from his old location, across from the Melrose Abbey mausoleum in what's now part of Anaheim. 

Chamness continued to be listed as a seller of birds and/or a gunsmith through at least the mid-1940s. Indeed, hunters from all over the country brought their guns to Chamness for repairs. Roy was already in poor health in September 1945, when a drunk driver crashed into the Anaheim store. The store closed, and Roy died on June 5, 1947. Bessie married widower William Isaac "Will" Donica of Costa Mesa in October 1948. Will died in 1965, and Bessie followed in 1973.