Injun Joe's Cave

What with the holiday and everyone out Columbus Day caroling, it's been a slow news day. But here's a nice 1950s image of Disneyland's Tom Sawyer's Island to tide you over. Specifically, this is the late, great, politically-incorrect "Injun Joe's Cave."

O.C. Historical Society update, OCC, etc.

Today's image shows a construction project in Santa Ana Canyon in the 1930s. Unfortunately, no other identifying information came with the photo. Undoubtedly, this area is now full of houses, strip malls, and cars waiting to get onto the 91 Fwy.

CORRECTION: The Orange County Historical Society's October 11 meeting will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Orange at 7pm. Althought Ronald Glazier will speak about the Past, Present and Future of the Santa Ana Zoo, the meeting will NOT be held at the zoo.

For their following meeting, on Nov. 8, the Orange County Historical Society will meet at the new Muzeo, 241 S. Anaheim Blvd, in Anaheim.

For those who haven't seen it before, Orange Coast College has posted the text from Harwood and Kimes' "Tumbleweeds To Roses", a history of the school, on their website. This is especially cool because it's not always easy to track down the original book.

The Bowers Museum blog's latest entry is Henri Joseph Penelon's famous portrait of Don Jose Andres Sepulveda (circa 1856).

A new San Clemente landmarks list

[This list and information comes to me from the San Clemente Times and from Mike Cotter of the San Clemente Historical Society.]

On Oct. 2, the San Clemente City Council selected 22 of the City's historic structures to be included on a new City "Landmarks List." This list was established to highlight, enhance and encourage the preservation of the City's finest historic resources, not to provide additional legal protection or burden. The list is just part of a comprehensive new Landmarks Ordinance which includes the reaffirmation of 206 existing official historic structures, the identification of five new non-structure cultural resources, and the establishment of a comprehensive law specifically prohibiting "demolition by neglect."

List of Official San Clemente Landmarks:

• 304 Avenida Cabrillo, L.S. Frasier House, 1938. Built in 1938 for Thomas Loncono, this home is one of the few remaining adobe buildings.
• Avenida del las Palmeras, Cotton Estate Gate, 1928. This gate served as the entrance to the Cotton Estate on the south end of town. It's located inside the Cyprus Shores neighborhood.
• 114 Avenida Del Mar, Hotel San Clemente, 1927. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Hotel San Clemente was built as a three-story, 60-room hotel with a courtyard facing Avenida Del Mar. Today it serves as an apartment building.
• 415 Avenida Granada, Casa Romantica, 1928. A home built for city founder Ole Hanson and designed by architect Carl Lindbom, Casa Romantica is on the National Register of Historic Places and is today a cultural center and garden.
• 233 Avenida la Cuesta, Campbell House, 1941. This house was designed by architect Aubrey St. Clair in the Hollywood Regency style, which is rare in San Clemente.
• 243 Avenida la Cuesta, Goldschmidt House, 1928. Designed by architect Paul R. Williams for Adlai Goldschmidt, this house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
• 105 W. Avenida Pico, Ole Hanson Beach Club, 1927. Another structure on the National Register of Historic Places, Ole Hanson Beach Club was designed by Virgil Westbrook and Paul McAlister as a part of the city's original plan. It's one of three parcels that comprise a potential North Beach Historic District.
• 140 W. Avenida Pico, Casino San Clemente, 1936. This is also in the proposed North Beach Historic District. In the '30s and '40s, it served as a regional entertainment facility.
• 611 Avenida Victoria, Municipal Pier, 1928. Over the past 79 years, the pier has been rebuilt many times.
• 4100 Calle Isabella, Casa Pacifica (Cotton Estate), 1926. Originally built for Hamilton Cotton and designed by Carl Lindbom, this home is also known as the Western White House, as former President Richard M. Nixon bought the estate in 1969.
• 100 N. Calle Seville, Community Center (Ole Hanson Room and Site), 1927. The Ole Hanson Room is all that remains of the original structure that was destroyed in the early '70s by a fire.
• 412 Cazador Lane, Warner House, 1929. [See photo above.] This home was built for Judge Warner, founder of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce.
• 100 S. El Camino Real, Bartlett Building, 1926. It's estimated that this was the second building constructed in town. Built for Edward Bartlett, it has multiple tenants including Schmid's Fine Chocolates, Hobie and residential space on the second floor.
• 101 S. El Camino Real, Easley Building, 1929. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, it was built for Oscar Easley and sits at the top of Avenida Del Mar.
• 104-118 N. El Camino Real, Administration Building, 1926. This building served as Ole Hanson's offices and now houses Gordon James and Baskin-Robbins.
• 1426 N. El Camino Real, San Onofre Inn, 1928. An apartment building, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
• 408 N. El Camino Real, Old City Hall, 1928. This served as the civic center.
• 1209 Buena Vista, Moulton House, 1929. Virgil Westbrook designed this home for H.G. Moulton.
• 418 Cazador Lane, 1926. Some of the one-of-a-kind design elements of this house include a wood balcony, a Juliet balcony, a chimney and a tile stairway.
• 420 Cazador Lane, Ann Harding House, 1926. This home was built for actress Ann Harding.
• 230 W. Marquita, Swigart House, 1929. Virgil Westbrook designed this home for electrician Ralph Swigart.
• 202 Avenida Aragon, St. Clement's Church, 1930. This church was designed by Virgil Westbrook.

Proposed by Historical Resources Group, Landmarks Task Force, and Planning Commission but not yet approved as City Landmarks:

• 1700 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente Theatre, 1937. Known as the Miramar Theater, it was the city's first movie theater and is also part of the potential North Beach Historic District.
• 529-533 Avenida Victoria, Beachcomber Motel, 1947. This is believed to be the oldest continuously running business in town. It's one of few examples of Spanish Colonial Revival- style motels located on a coastal bluff.
• 402-404 Pasadena Court, Sea Cliff Villas (Robison House), 1927. Overlooking the Pacific and the pier, this home was built for Bertha and Emma Wierk.

Today's photo (above) of San Clemente's Hal Warner House comes from the Conference of Calif. Historical Societies, which has a great series of vintage San Clemente photos on their website.

The Best and the Rest of O.C.

[This post is late on at least two counts. First, it was supposed to be Friday's post, and I'm over two hours late for that. Secondly, it really should have been posted last month. Better late than never, I suppose.]
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The Register’s “Best of Orange County” guide is always pretty hilarious – My favorite example being the selection of Mimi’s Café as the best “French restaurant” in O.C. Here are a few entries (some good and some questionable) from this year’s guide that pertain to local history…
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BEST MUSEUM went to Bowers in Santa Ana. Yes, it’s one of the most expensive museums in the country to visit, but is it worth it? It’s hard for me to say, since I have very little interest in ancient Chinese nose flutes or the funerary toothbrush holders of the Incas. I liked it better when they still followed their charter and focused on local history.
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BEST ANTIQUE MALL went to the Orange Circle Antique Mall at 118 S. Glassell St., in Orange. (I hear my Orange friends yelling “It’s a plaza, not a circle!”) Second place was a tie between Country Roads Antiques & Gardens in Orange, and Gramma’s Attic in Huntington Beach. The guide also cited Old Barn Antiques at 31792 Camino Capistrano, in San Juan Capistrano, as a “Hidden Gem.” I haven’t been to “Gramma’s Attic,” but I’ve found good stuff at the other locations.
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BEST THRIFT STORE honors went to Goodwill (#1), The Salvation Army (#2) and the Lutheran High School Thrift Shop (#3) at 686 N. Tustin St, in Orange. Of the three, I like the Lutherans the best. Their stock isn’t as cherry-picked. Actually, my current favorites are the St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Stores. I’m more likely to find odd local publications, LPs of local high school bands, and other items of interest to local historians.
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BEST CAMERA STORE went to Ritz Camera, which has super-high prices and a small selection. Number two went to Cal’s Cameras at 1770 Newport Blvd, in Costa Mesa, which has a big selection, knowledgeable staff, and both new and used inventory. Number three went to Samy’s Camera which is badly organized and where they’ve tried to sell me damaged goods at full price. The article failed to mention The Used Camera Store, which is just across Newport Blvd. from Cal’s. The Used Camera Store has an ever-changing selection of older photographic equipment – both “silver” and digital. And watch for their $5 clearance box, which sometimes features old box brownie cameras and the like.
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BEST SWAP MEET went to the Orange County Market Place, where ordinary retail outlets drag their stock outside for the weekend. Second place went the Golden West College Swap Meet and third place went to the Orange Coast College Swap Meet. Both are pretty seedy, but you can find jewels in the rough.
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The biggest surprise was the glaring omission of a BEST USED BOOK STORE section in this year’s guide. Although the Book Baron is closing, there are still a lot of good shops out there worth haunting, including my recent favorite, The Bookman.

Happy 150th Birthday, Anaheim! (and other news)

Tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 5th, will be the City of Anaheim's 150th birthday. To celebrate, the city officials will hold a party, hand out cake, sing "Happy Birthday," dedicate items for a new time capsule, and generally have a big shin-dig. The fun begins at 11am on the front steps of Anaheim City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd. (I'll be at work then, but I'll celebrate tomorrow night at the They Might Be Giants concert at the Anaheim House of Blues. I wonder if they serve any German wines?)

Today's photo comes from the Library of Congress and shows part of Anaheim as it looked in 1915.

Tuesday night, the San Clemente City Council approved the remaining items comprising the long-awaited City Landmarks Ordinance, including the renewal of over 206 existing official historic structures, the identification of five new non-structure cultural resources, the designation of 22 brand new City Landmarks, and the establishment of a comprehensive law specifically prohibiting "demolition by neglect." San Clemente Historical Society members and other preservationists rallied before the meeting and filled the Council chambers.

The Orange County Pioneer Council will hold their annual picnic Oct. 14th, Noon-4pm, at the Santa Ana Zoo, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave, Santa Ana. Visit their website for more details, including how to RSVP.

The 8th Annual Dana Point Historical Society Home Tour is this Sunday, Oct. 7, 11am-4pm. This year's tour features five Capistrano Beach homes. Refreshments will be served at two of the locations and shuttles will run continuously all day between the five homes which are in close proximity to each other. The tour begins with registration at Palisades School at 26462 Via Sacrament. Tickets can be purchased for $35 at that time. For more information, call (949) 248-8121.

Mission San Juan Capistrano will hold training classes for new docents, 9am-Noon, every Saturday in October. If you're over 21 and would like to volunteer, email the docent coordinator.

Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Church update

The fate of the Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Church complex (1910 & 1934) is garnering a growing amount of concern. (See my original entry on this.) Rafu Shimpo recently wrote about the situation. Some of those now watching this issue with interest include…

• The California Office of Historic Preservation
• The California Preservation Foundation
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Preserving California's Japantowns (backed by the California Civil Liberties Public Education program and the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council)
• Members of the Orange County JACL
• Members of Wintersburg Presbyterian Church (now located in Garden Grove)
• Dr. Art Hansen, CSUF History Dept.
• Rafu Shimpo (L.A.’s daily Japanese newspaper)
• The Orange County Register
• The City of Huntington Beach Planning Dept.
• The City of Huntington Beach’s Historical Resources Committee
• DiscoverNikkei.org
• Many local historians, preservationists and community activists

If you’d like to know when the Environment Impact Report for this project becomes available, contact Ricky Ramos, Associate Planner at the City of Huntington Beach, and ask to be added to the list of individuals to receive notice when the EIR is released for public comment. Ramos can be contacted at (714) 536-5438 or rramos@surfcity-hb.org.

BTW, although I couldn’t tell from over the construction fences, Phil Brigandi (who studied this site in the 1970s) tells me that the Manse is still standing next to the 1910 mission building. For a brief history of the church, click here.

Wonderbowl, San Clemente, Capistrano, etc.

Today's photo of the Wonderbowl in Anaheim was sent in by alert reader Mike Spanos. I love the Googie entrance! The Wonderbowl was on the north side of Katella Ave, near West St. Disney purchased the site in the 1980s, closed the Wonderbowl, and turned it into parking.
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The City of San Clemente is considering a list of 25 sites proposed as local landmarks. A public hearing will be held tonight (Tuesday), 7pm, at San Clemente City Hall. The meeting will also include a review of the City’s list of historic sites. I’m not sure if this map of historic structures from the City’s website is current or not, but it might be helpful review material for those who plan to attend the meeting. For more information, call (949) 361-8200.
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Mission San Juan Capistrano will hold an open house for teachers in the Barracks Gallery, tomorrow, 4:30-6:30pm. The free event will include wine and appetizers. For information or to RSVP, call Regina at (949) 234-1318.
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The Mission’s current “featured artifact display” is about the process of making adobe bricks and structures. This exhibit will run through the end of the year.
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The Garden Grove Historical Society’s Book & Barn Sale will be held Oct 11-13, 8am-4:30pm, at 12174 Euclid Ave. Despite the name, I don’t think they’ll sell you the barn. They will, however, sell you books, records, and other items to raise funds for their organization.
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Amigos de la Colina is looking for potential new members who might be interested in assisting with tours of the four historic buildings at Heritage Hill Historical Park in El Toro. To learn more, call (949) 923-2230.

The SAHPS sees dead people

Yes, we're Orange County, but lemons grow well here too. This Radiant label from Villa Park's Central Lemon Association dates from the 1920s.

The Santa Ana Historic Preservation Society's (SAHPS) 10th Annual Cemetery Tour will be held Oct. 20th. For details or to register, visit their website.

SAHPS's architectural walking tours of Downtown Santa Ana will begin again this coming Saturday. Call (714) 547-9645 to reserve a spot -- Leave your name, number in party, phone numbers, and date you would like to tour.

Werner Weiss has updated his history of the Rocket Jets at Disneyland on Yesterland.com.

Sorry I've been lagging on the posts lately. I've been down with a nasty cold/flu thing since Friday and haven't felt much like doing anything.