Head hunting

Henry William Head

For some strange reason, I've been contacted in the last week by three separate people from three separate places who are all researching the pioneer Head family of the Santa Ana/Garden Grove area. It seems that at least some of the interest is driven by 1896 state senate candidate Henry William (H.W.) Head's early involvement in the Ku Klux Klan rather than anything else the family may have accomplished after establishing themselves in Orange County. Sadly, H.W. Head's Klan membership in the years after the Civil War isn't much of a surprise, considering he was an old Confederate and of course a Democrat.

Head and some of his fellow Confederate vets were indeed among the rather broad coalition of many citizens (including Republicans and Democrats, Northerners and Southerners) who worked together over many years to win Orange County's independence from Los Angeles.

His son, Horace Caldwell (H. C.) Head, became one of Orange County's leading lawyers and served for a time as District Attorney. There's more than a little information about the family to be found. And for whatever reason, the Heads are suddenly a hot topic.

Before even more people ask, I figure I'll just post some of my advice on tracking down the Heads right here on my blog. But first, here's what H. C. wrote about his father in Dr. C.D. Ball's Orange County Medical History in 1926:

"HEAD, HENRY WILLIAM, was one of the pioneer physicians of the territory that is now known as Orange County. He was born in Obion County, Tennessee, on the first day of January, 1840. His father was a country doctor of the old school, his grandfather was a pioneer of the new territory of Tennessee, and his great-grandfather was a Virginian and a lieutenant in Washington's army of patriots during the War of Revolution.

"Dr. Head had just finished his academic training and had started to study law when the Civil War interrupted his studies. He at once enlisted and served four years in the Confederate Army, and was captain of his company at the end of the war. When he returned to his home his father asked him when he was going to resume his study of law. His reply was that for four years he had seen so much of human misery and suffering that he had determined to study medicine and do what he could to alleviate the ills of humanity. Accordingly, he entered Nashville Medical College, then one of the leading medical schools of the country, and which afterwards became and now is the medical department of Vanderbilt University at Nashville. He was graduated in 1868 and at once commenced the practice of medicine in his native county of Obion in Tennessee. There he was married and two of his children were born. His practice was extensive and laborious and the climate severe and unhealthful, so that in a few years his health was impaired, and in 1876, he moved with his wife and two children to California, locating on a farm about four miles northwest of Santa Ana. It was his intention to retire from practice and follow farming, but at that time there were very few doctors in the country and he could not ignore the call of affliction. His credentials were presented and he was duly licensed to practice his profession in this State (Certificate 478). For a number of years his chief occupation was the practice of medicine, with farming and activity in political and public affairs as side lines. There are grandparents now living in Orange County whose advent into this world was assisted by Dr. Head. There were no hospitals here in those early days, and like all the pioneer practitioners he had to be a combination of doctor, surgeon, oculist and dentist.

"Dr. Head retired from practice a number of years ago, and moved to Santa Ana, where he spent the last years of his life busy in peaceful contentment. He was blessed with a family of seven children and a number of grandchildren. On December 5, 1919, he passed to his reward. He was laid to rest in the old Santa Ana cemetery, beside the grave of his father, Dr. Horace Head, who was known to the early settlers as "the old Doctor," though he did not engage in practice after coming to California. 

"Dr. Head was a Democrat -- served one term (the 26th Session) in the State Assembly."

Anyway, what follows are some additional suggestions on where to look for more information about the Heads. Writing about them isn't in my top ten "things to do," but it seems to be so for other folks. And even if you don't give two hoots about the Heads, you may spot a few general resources that may be useful in your own projects. Here's a small smattering of potential resources for Head hunters,...

1)     Check the “mug books” for the area, including the two Orange County history volumes by Samuel Armor (1911 and 1921) and J. M. Guinn (1901), and the three-volume set by Adalina Pleasants.

2)      H. C. Head wrote a little pamphlet in 1939 entitled “The History of Garden Grove.” I’m not sure if it includes any info you’re looking for, but I believe they have copies at for sale at the Garden Grove Historical Society.

3)      Which brings me to my next point,… the Garden Grove Historical Society. The Head family was fairly significant to the town’s early history, so they may have something in their impressive archives.

4)      Local historian Dr. Leroy Doig also wrote a trilogy of books about the history of Garden Grove that may be working taking a look at. I’m not sure how/if he deals with the Head family.

5)      Horace Caldwell Head also wrote a 1942 booklet, About Some of the Heads. It seems the Orange County Historical Society has a copy (although it will be a while before those records are accessible again), as does the Sherman Library and the History Room at the Santa Ana Public Library.

6)      Writer Gustavo Arellano points out that a 1916 pamphlet entitled The Ku Klux Klan is also available to researchers in the Santa Ana History Room. In it, the pamphlet's author, Annie Cooper Burton, wrote, “...I have been most fortunate in having Captain H. W. Head . . . now a popular physician of Santa Ana, California, a former Grand Cyclops of one of the Nashville dens, to draw upon for material.” The pamphlet includes information about the Klan from Head ad a photo of him in his robes.

7)      Of course, the contemporary newspapers are usually one of the best resources. The Los Angeles Times is available on Newspapers.com from their first issue on, and covers a good deal of Orange County-area news. Newspapers.com also features the Santa Ana Register from 1906 through the beginning of WWII which might yield something. For earlier Orange County papers, I suggest the Santa Ana Evening Blade, which is available on microfilm at the Santa Ana Public Library. Many of the early Anaheim papers are also available at the Anaheim Heritage Center and shed light on some very early local history. Some of the early Anaheim papers are also digitized by an amazing volunteer at YoreAnaheim.com. It'd also be worth checking Chronicling America and NewspaperArchive.com.

8)     Historian Stephanie George rightly suggests contacting the Sherman Library, which "just accepted a huge personal research collection from our friend, the late Phil Brigandi, who may have kept a file on Head. Although the collection isn't processed yet, Phil kept immaculate files and Paul may be able to see what Phil may have kept, if anything. And, who knows, maybe the Sherman has something."

9)      Steph, who's also an amazing genealogist, additionally suggested checking the files at the Orange County California Genealogical Society's library in Huntington Beach.

10)     Also check in with the Civil War Roundtable of Orange County and see what they have in their files.

If you have more suggestions, dear readers, feel free to post them in the comments below.

Glenn L. Martin

James Irvine II (left) and Glenn L Martin, circa 1913

Locals who remember the last half of the 20th century know Orange County was a major hub for America’s aerospace design and manufacturing industry. Fewer know that the father of that industry built and flew his first planes here.
 
Born in Iowa in 1886 to Clarence and Arminta “Minta” Martin, Glenn Luther Martin was raised in rural Kansas and showed an early mechanical aptitude with farm equipment. He later became fascinated with constructing box kites, which taught him about aerodynamics, precision craftsmanship, and – by selling kites to other kids – business. He later worked in a bicycle shop, gaining still more mechanical skills, before attending Kansas Wesleyan University for a couple years.  When he was still a young man, his mother developed health problems that inspired her to move to warm and sunny California. Her family, including noted mama’s boy Glenn, followed her to Santa Ana.

Working with auto mechanics in a vacant Santa Ana church building, Martin was only the third American to design, construct, and fly his own airplane. Around 1909 he built his first plane but destroyed it during an attempted flight from the top of Red Hill in Tustin. His second plane soon followed, in which he managed to make a more successful short flight.

In 1912, he completed the construction of a seaplane and flew it from Newport Bay (now Newport Harbor) to Catalina Island and back. It was the first water-to-water flight and broke the record for over-water flight.

GlennMartin's 1912 water-to-water flight

That same year, he founded the Glenn L. Martin Co. and moved his plane-building operations to Los Angeles. There, here he had a brief partnership with the Wright brothers before successfully continuing on his own. 

Martin even had a brief film career, starring in A Girl of Yesterday (1915) with Mary Pickford. He was more than prepared for his scenes as an accomplished young pilot, but he had to be arm-twisted into kissing a girl on camera.

Over the years, he employed many future innovators, entrepreneurs and stars of the aerospace industry, including William Boeing, James S. McDonnell and Donald Douglas. His company also built more than 80 kinds of aircraft, from the MB-1 bomber of World War I, to the B-10 bomber of the 1930s, to the iconic China Clipper flying boats. Martin later helped lead the country into the Space Age, building missiles, spacecraft and cutting-edge electronics. 

Glenn Martin died in Baltimore in 1955, but his company kept marching along. In 1961, the Glenn L. Martin Co. merged with American-Marietta Corp., becoming Martin Marietta. After another merger with Lockheed in 1995, it became the Lockheed Martin Corp. As of 2014, this global company, based in Maryland, was the world's largest defense contractor.

And to think it all started in an abandoned Santa Ana church!

United Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana burns

113 E. Santa Ana Blvd., as it appeared in 2011. (Photo by author)

I'm very sad to report that the historic United Presbyterian Church (built 1911, dedicated 1912) on Santa Ana Boulevard and Bush St. in Santa Ana burned down early this morning.

The original congregation moved out in the late 1960s and moved to Prospect Ave. at 17th St. The old building served for many years as the practice hall for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Over a decade ago, there was an attempt to turn it into the O.C. Natural History Museum -- but that group lost the building for taxes. More recently, writes Santa Ana preservationist Tim Rush, "it was purchased by an architect and his wife in Irvine. They fought for some years a losing battle to the homeless who broke into the building and trashed it on a very regular basis. And now this final insult to the building."

This is what happens when historic buildings are neglected.

James H. Cox (1847-1934) of Fountain Valley

James H. Cox Elementary School, Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley local historian Dann Gibb is looking for photos of the namesake of James H. Cox Elementary School. No photos of Mr. Cox have yet come to light, but perhaps you can help.

James Hubert Cox and his twin brother, Samuel, were born in 1847 in Nailsea, Somerset, England to Isaac and Hannah Cox. The family arrived in the U.S. in 1856 or 1861, and farmed near Fremont, Iowa. Hannah died in 1897, and Isaac followed a year later. By 1900, James had moved to Orange County, California, and in 1903 he married Sara Laurina “Lennie” Christ in the town of Talbert (now Fountain Valley). James was a farmer, growing alfalfa and sugar beets. By 1917, he’d also planted some of the first lima bean fields in the area -- a crop that later became key to the local economy. In 1907, he banded together with his neighbors to petition for the inclusion of their farmlands in the Talbert Drainage District.

In early 1923, Cox got into the dairy business, purchasing twelve cows. It was a bit ironic, as he'd had trouble in the past with neighbors' cows breaking onto his property and damaging his alfalfa fields. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

His house, west of the village of Talbert and near Talbert Ave., was finally wired for electricity in December 1925.

According to James H. Cox Elementary School’s website, Cox “played a critical role in creating jobs and connecting community members through his ten-acre agricultural farm and mail delivery service.”

James and Lennie had eight children over 39 years. James died in Orange County after a prolonged illness on Sept. 8, 1934, at the age of 87 and is buried at Westminster Memorial Park.

Construction of the James H. Cox Elementary School at 17615 Los Jardines East began January 13, 1969, with plans to open in September of that same year. But progress was slowed significantly by one of the rainiest seasons Orange County had seen in decades, followed by labor strikes. Ultimately, the school was dedicated in March 1970.

The school was designed for an enrollment of 780 students and featured the then-popular but ultimately disastrous "open classroom" plan. As in many Fountain Valley schools, interior walls were soon added to make actual education possible.

Many Fountain Valley schools are named for local farmers and many feature portraits of those farmers in their office. Cox, for some reason, does not, and the search is on for any kind of images of James Hubert Cox. If you have any leads or if you know more about Mr. Cox's life story please leave a comment or send me an email.

Harry Houdini in Santa Ana?

Harry Houdini in 1907 (Courtesy Library of Congress)

Did history's most famous magician, Harry Houdini, nearly lose his life in a stunt in Orange County? Although such an incident doesn't appear in local newspapers or lore, Houdini himself said it happened. But was it just a  case of "never letting the truth get in the way of a good story?"

In a 1925 article in Collier’s magazine (Vol. 75, #16, April 18, 1925, p 20), entitled, "When Magic Didn’t Work,” Houdini wrote about four instances where luck rather than skill kept him from dying in the performance of a stunt. One of these tales took place in Santa Ana.

“Out in Los Angeles eight years ago I made a bet that I could be manacled and buried alive six feet below the surface and get back to the land of the living without aid," wrote Houdini. "The only condition I made was that the burial should be graded, first going under one foot of soil, then two, and so on. A party of us left Los Angeles at dawn and motored over the road to Santa Ana. I knew something of the geology of those parts, and I knew that surface vegetation was nothing but beard bristle on sandy soil."

One wonders how Houdini could have known much about Santa Ana's geology. In any case, the description of sandy soil sounds more to me like something along the Garden Grove side of the Santa Ana River. Of course, there was plenty of unincorporated territory all around the region that could have been called Santa Ana back then. 

"I was duly manacled in the graded graves," Houdini continued, "making my way out (hand and ankle free) from the shallower graves, but finding a little difficulty with the four-foot and five-foot plantings.

“Somebody urged me not to try the six-foot grave, but, as i(s) always the way of a mystifier who makes any pretense of wisdom, I had devoted more time to practice than my friend imagined. They remanacled me and the extra foot of soil was dug up. I was buried and soil dumped down on me expeditiously, as stipulated.

“The shallower interments had accustomed me to the darkness and deafness of  burial, yet the knowledge that I was six feet under sod -- the legal requirement for corpses -- gave me the first thrill of horror I had ever experienced in my career as a journeyman daredevil.

“The momentary scare -- the irretrievable mistake of all daredevils -- nearly cost me my life, for it caused me to waste a fraction of breath when every fraction was needed to pull through. I kept the sand loose about my body so that I could work dexterously. I did. But as I clawed and kneed the earth, my strength began to fail. Then I made another mistake. I yelled. Or at least, I attempted to, and the last remnants of my self-possession left me. Then instinct  stepped in to the rescue. With my last reserve I fought through, more sand than air entering my nostrils. The sunlight came like a blinding blessing and my friends about the grave said that, chalky pale and wildeyed as I was, I presented the perfect imitation of a dead man rising. 

“The next time I’m buried," Houdini concluded, "I will not be alive, if I can help it.”

Did this actually happen in Santa Ana? Did Houdini ever even visit Santa Ana?

Houdini escaping a different coffin at a later date. (Library of Congress)

Houdini expert and historian John Cox, who has compiled a week-by-week chronology of Houdini’s life, told me, “I have nothing concrete. On Dec. 13, 1915 a newspaper reported that Houdini ‘will take a run down to San Diego today.’ That's the only reference to him heading south of L.A. at that time. I also have a clipping dated April 15, 1919 referencing him doing a Buried Alive stunt, but this is five days before he arrives in L.A.”

Writes Cox, “...In his diary [Houdini] just says [the Buried Alive stunt] was ‘near Hollywood.’ And, infuriatingly, we have the diary entry but no one seems to know what diary it comes from! … Yes, the lack of any newspaper account anywhere is frustrating. But not surprising as it appears to have been private test and not a publicity stunt. And it didn't go well, so nothing to brag about. But if it wasn't for the diary entry, I would be inclined to believe HH made it up for the 1925 Collier's piece, as he had made up several other ‘close call’ stories.

“The press wanted stories of close calls and when things went wrong," said Cox. "But the truth was Houdini really didn't have many close calls. He was far too prepared and professional. So he would whip up an exciting story. Him being trapped under the ice is his real masterpiece.” 

So was the story entirely fabricated?

A couple weeks after our initial conversation, Cox managed to dig up more clues. Most significantly, he discovered a short but potentially relevant article in the May 16, 1919 edition of the Los Angeles Times. This, combined with his extensive knowledge of Houdini's life and habits, indicates to Cox that the near-disastrous burial actually did take place -- but probably in Santa Monica rather than Santa Ana. He lays out his evidence and "aha moments" in a post on his excellent blog: Wild About Harry. (Go read it.)

In a separate post on Facebook, Cox said he suspects Houdini just mixed up the names of the two cities when writing the story six years after the fact: "Leave it to a New Yorker to confuse Santa Ana and Santa Monica." 

When disappointment was expressed at the likelihood that Santa Ana was out of the picture, Cox responded, "Well, it's not 100%. And you know how things go with Houdini history, it could turn back your way!"

That Harry's still full of surprises.

Special thanks to Julie Perlin Lee, Executive Director of the Catalina Island Museum, who brought this story to my attention, and to John Cox for being so patient with all my questions and doing so much great research.

The sinking of the Pilgrim

The Pilgrim, sinking. Photo taken 3-29-2020 by Eric Plunkett.

This morning I awoke to the sad news that the 1945 replica of the Brig Pilgrim, which has long graced Dana Point Harbor, is sinking.

Ocean Institute president Dr. Wendy Marshall wrote an open letter, which read, in part,...

"We are very sad to announce that Pilgrim, our beloved vessel that has served as an inspiring real-world classroom to hundreds of thousands of students and visitors, keeled overnight in her slip on our dock, rendering her useful life over.

"As part of our maintenance process, Pilgrim undergoes out-of-the water and underwater inspections. In 2016 she was hauled out for survey and repairs and in October 2019, we began a fund to support the haul out and repair scheduled to take place in January 2020. The haul out was postponed until June due to overload at the yard. Meanwhile, Ocean Institute maintained our certifications and the United States Coast Guard issued a Certificate of Inspection (COI) in December and again in February, allowing our dockside programs to continue. Unfortunately, Pilgrim keeled on March 29th and is incapacitated beyond repair."

The Pilgrim is a symbol of not just the Ocean Institute, but of Dana Point Harbor, and the City of Dana Point itself. Imagining a Dana Point without the Pilgrim is like imagining a Huntington Beach without a pier or Hollywood without its Hollywood sign. 

At one level, I'm glad this didn't happen until after the passing of Dana Point's primary cheerleader and local historian, Doris Walker. This would have been heartbreaking to her. On the other hand, if she were still with us, I know she'd ALREADY be out going door to door raising money to rebuild the ship.

1800s illustration of the original Brig Pilgrim.

For what it's worth, the original Brig Pilgrim, which brought Richard Henry Dana to California, was built in 1825 and did not survive nearly as long as the replica has.

"I read of her total loss at sea by fire off the coast of North Carolina," wrote Dana. 

 

In a later addendum to Dana's Two Years Before the Mast, the author's son wrote, "On the records of the United States Custom House at Boston is this epitaph, 'Brig Pilgrim, owner, R. Haley, surrender of transfer 30 June 1856, broken up at Key West.' Is it not romantic and appropriate that this vessel, so associated with the then Mexican-Spanish coast of California, should have left her bones on the coast of the once Spanish colony of Florida?"

"Dr. Ross' dog food is doggone good!"

In 1932 the old Los Alamitos sugar plant -- which had been closed since 1926 -- was leased to the Dr. Ross Dog Food Co. Before you ask,... NO, the Los Alamitos Race Track did not yet exist, and horse meat in the dog food came from wild horses, not from thoroughbreds who came in last.

However, Dr. Willard J. Ross was indeed creative when it came to sourcing cheap protein. Prior to going bankrupt in the Great Depression, Ross purchased boats to catch sea lions as a source of meat for his pet food. It's unclear exactly how far he got with that plan. It was rumored that he'd already been including whale meat in the pet food.

Perhaps even more distubing, Dr. Ross announced plans to process and sell whale meat for human consumption. Presumably the same boats, along with $150,000 worth of additional equipment, were to be part of the harvesting operations near San Clemente Island. Again, it's unclear how far this plan went before stalling.

Ross' tin suppliers in Asia (for canning) were occupied by the Japanese during World War II, which forced the closing of his business in 1943. 

In the mid-1950s, he sold the name "Dr. Ross" to the Lewis Food Co of Los Angeles, which already produced Skippy Dog Food. The new owners used more conventional contents in their products.

Ross invested in an Arizona mine that seems never to have paid off. In 1956, he was badly injured in the same car wreck that killed his wife. Then it seems he may have gone into the smelting business in Lomita, California for a time. By the early 1960s he was running a health food business in Hermosa Beach. 

But despite all his entrepreneurial efforts and the continued popularity of the "Dr. Ross Dog Food" brand, Dr. Ross himself was broke by the time he died on February 12, 1964 at the age of 81.

Willard Intermediate School, Santa Ana

Frances E. Willard Junior High School, Santa Ana, circa 1940s.

In discussing the recent passing of local history buff Ken Leavens with his friend, John Sorenson, the topic of Willard Intermediate School inevitably came up. Ken taught there for over 30 years.

“Ken collected information on Willard in the form of the student newsletter and other informational sources,” said John, who also related a number of historical facts Ken has mentioned. “In the early 1970s, Santa Ana began to replace its pre-1933 buildings to meet current earthquake standards,” John said. “[Ken] commented to me on the problems they had in bringing down the old bell tower.”

Willard's original location, in the old Santa Ana High School building on Main..

In 1985, Ken wrote a brief history of the school, which now appears on their Santa Ana Unified School District’s website and which I’ve reproduced below:

A Short History of Willard Intermediate School
By Kenneth Leavens

 

In 1912, Santa Ana’s first junior high school opened at Ninth and Main Streets. It was housed in the old high school building which had been built in 1900. This first junior high was known simply as Santa Ana Junior High School. In 1922, a new junior high school, Julia C. Lathrop, opened on south Main Street.

The old junior high school was renamed Frances E. Willard Junior High School after the popular abolitionist who spoke out against the evils of alcohol and also championed the rights of women, helping win them the right to vote. The first meeting of the faculty was held on September 8, 1923. Willard’s first principal was William S. Kellogg. Willard remained at Ninth and Main Streets until June of 1931, when the old building was condemned.

The new Willard Junior High School was designed by the architecture firm of Allison and Allison.  It was demolished in June/July 1971.

A new building of Spanish design opened on the present site in September, 1931. It contained a beautiful auditorium and cafeteria. The first principal of the new school was Lyle B. Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was principal of Willard for 26 years (1929-1955), and the school had only seven principals in its first 62 years.

During the 1970-71 school year, the second Willard building was also condemned for not meeting earthquake safety codes. The school was closed suddenly on a Friday and re-opened on a Monday on a half-day session at Santa Ana High School. The following two years were spent in bungalows on the athletic field until the current building was opened in September, 1973 when the school re-opened on Ross Street it became an intermediate school with grades 6-7-8 (rather than 7-8-9).

The new Willard Intermediate School opened in September 1973.  It was designed by the Blu Rock Partnership; its sister school Lathrop Intermediate was built at the same time and is virtually identical.

In the spirit of continuing improvement of facilities and education at Willard, the current building and facilities are being renovated, with plans for a new two story structure to replace the bungalows, all new technology and science labs, and an all-weather track and artificial turf field.