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Anaheim in the 1960's and 70's

by Steve
Tuesday, July 03, 2007

An anonymous OCThen reader living in Australia sent us some memories of his growing up in Anaheim during the 1960's and 70's...
I was born in "The Valley" in '56 but my parents moved to Anaheim in '57. Our neighborhood was one of the new housing tracts built on a former orange grove bordered by Ball, Western, Orange and Knott.

I was a "charter student" at Twila Reid Elementary; Kindergarten the first year it opened to the 6th grade. The current site of Twila Reid Park was strawberry fields and we were chased by the owner on a Honda 50 when we'd trespass to pick berries.

Our brand spanking new neigborhood had no grass nor trees. I remember playing in numerous vacant fields and also remember Anaheim General Hospital and Cypress College being built. Ball Road had few sidewalks and Cypress had many cows.

On the way back from Huntington, in our gas-guzzling, seatbeltless Plymouth Suburban wagon full of sunscreenless kids, my mother would stop at the drive-thru Reliance Dairy on Beach Blvd to buy half gallon glass containers of milk and bright red fruit punch.

As a young teenager, I took guitar lessons at Kay Kaylie Music in Buena Park Mall from Frank Krajerbrink guitarist from early '70s OC band "Utopia". Anybody remember "Wigouts"? (I still play by the way).

I have lived in Sydney, Australia for 30 years now and have fond memories of my childhood in an emerging modern Orange County. Sydney has many of the good aspects of Southern California that has made it easy for me to settle here.

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6 Comments:

  • Kay Kalie's was a great store. I used to divide my time in the mid-70's hopping between Kay Kalie's Buena Park and Al Kalie's in the Lakewood Mall. I took lessons briefly from a jazz improv guy named Ralph at Kay Kalie's.

    Frank Krajenbrink is still out there... he and his brother and nephew have a well-known local band in Orange County. You can see them on the web at The Albert Heijn Group

    By Blogger Doug Mason, at July 22, 2007 11:53 AM  

  • Interesting. My family lives in this area now on a street called Teranimar Drive. We purchased our house from the owner of the land who had it developed, Royal Martin. Mr. Martin was a Anaheim City Council member at one time and was responsible for helping Anaheim expand beyond Western Ave. Mr. Martin loved the story of how Katella Ave. was named for the daughters of a local rancher (Kate & Ella), so when he sold his land to developers, he had it put in the contract that a street be named after his sons, Terrance, Randy, Nick, and Mark, hence, Teranimar Dr.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at August 15, 2007 10:39 PM  

  • I grew up in Lakewood, Calif. I graduated from Lakewood High School in 1971. My father bought me my first acoustic guitar, and later, my first electric guitar and amplifier at Al Kalie's Music in Lakewood Center (as it was called in those days) in the mid 1960's. Nearby was Hody's Drive-In, where food was served to you on a tray placed in the cardoor window of your car. Across the street was Wallach's Music City where you could listen to "records" in a private booth on a turntable before deciding to buy it. Those were the days!!!

    By Blogger Corey, at September 10, 2007 10:45 PM  

  • Thanks to Doug, anonymous and Corey for the follow up information. I knew how Teranimar got it's name but didn't know the Katella story. We used to play in the old avocado tree on the Faircrest side of the old Martin house and I remember the trail that cut through the lot on the corner of Teranimar and Western. My brother went to school with one of the Martin boys, I think Mark.

    As well as Wallich's Music City and Kay Kaylie's in Buena Park Mall how about Hardy's Shoes that had the ever so hip boots that came in black, brown or green suede? I think David Crosby is wearing a pair (brown) on the cover of Crosby, Stills and Nash's first album.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at April 21, 2008 5:08 AM  

  • Does anyone remember a really fancy restaurant in OC, possibly Aneheim, called the Kona Kai? I remember going there with my parents in the early to mid sixties and it was my favorite, but I can't find anything on it now. Please help! Thanks, Cinnamon... now (unhappily) of Ohio :o)

    By Blogger Cinnamon, at May 22, 2008 5:57 PM  

  • I remember Kay Kaylie's from ca. 1970. Rented my trombone there for 5th grade band class. Although I grew i up in LaPalma (Dairy Land)I now live in Cherokee Mobile Home Park n Beach Blv.d just north of Orange Ave. I jog by Teranimar and there are no more fields left! How sad. I'm looking to find out who Twila Reid was. Let's hope I can find something.

    By Blogger Ivan, at September 24, 2008 4:55 PM  

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