All three of today's images show
Villa Park in December 1965, and come from the
Orange County Archives. The first image (above) shows
Bruno's Villa Park Market near Wanda Rd. and the railroad tracks.
Here's
Villa Park High School in its second year of existance. Sorry about the obstruction in the foreground, but I know our Spartan friends (know to their rivals as "the weenies on the hill") will appreciate this photo anyway.
Here's a packing house adjacent to Wanda Rd. There was still enough citrus to keep the packers busy, but notice the sign pointing toward a new development called "
Oakwood Park." If Mid-Century
Orange County had a theme, it was "agriculture giving way to suburbia."
All three of today's images show Villa Park in December 1965, and come from the Orange County Archives. The first image (above) shows Bruno's Villa Park Market near Wanda Rd. and the railroad tracks.
Here's Villa Park High School in its second year of existance. Sorry about the obstruction in the foreground, but I know our Spartan friends (know to their rivals as "the weenies on the hill") will appreciate this photo anyway.
Here's a packing house adjacent to Wanda Rd. There was still enough citrus to keep the packers busy, but notice the sign pointing toward a new development called "Oakwood Park." If Mid-Century Orange County had a theme, it was "agriculture giving way to suburbia."
Does anyone know about the house that was located on what was Katella Elementary, now the OUSD offices. It was there when I went to school at Katella from 1964 - 1966. It faced Katella and had big trees around it. I recall that it had a large octagonal turret-like structure on the roof.
ReplyDeleteI think about that house every time I pass that way. Brings back memories.
Yes, that was the Octagon house, built such so that 'spirits' could not hide in the corners. It was constructed by Joel Parker in 1876 and torn down in 1965 by the school district because of taxes.
ReplyDeleteJust before they tore down the Octagon House, I went over there on my bicycle. I think I was about 12 years old. We explored the old place and struck pay dirt in the basement. There were many periodicals from the 1920s just lying around and I grabbed a bunch. It was a beautiful old place and should NEVER been torn down. The lot just became part of the elementary school playground. Did you know there were tales of buried gold on the property?? That's why I went over there in the first place! What 12 year old wouldn't??
ReplyDeleteJust before they tore down the Octagon House, I went over there on my bicycle. I think I was about 12 years old. We explored the old place and struck pay dirt in the basement. There were many periodicals from the 1920s just lying around and I grabbed a bunch. It was a beautiful old place and should NEVER been torn down. The lot just became part of the elementary school playground. Did you know there were tales of buried gold on the property?? That's why I went over there in the first place! What 12 year old wouldn't??
ReplyDeleteI also recall an article in the "Orange Daily News" (I was a paperboy for them) begging for someone to come forward with 40 thousand dollars to save the old mansion. Sadly, nobody stepped forward. I guess 40K was a substantial amount of money in 1965. My paper route covered much of the Orange-Olive Road area and was quite long.
ReplyDeleteI lived in the house and my family was the last ones there before it was tore down. My dad worked at the Orange School District Office. That is how we got to live there. I would give anything for the house to still be here. It was so much fun living there. It had a stone fountain out front and my sister and I would lay out in the sun on it. You are right that the octagon house was built so no ghost could hide in the corners. We would climb up to the top to watch the fireworks at Disneyland. I went to Villa Park High School at the time.
ReplyDelete