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.
Orange County Memories is about the history of Orange County, CA as told from the people who lived and worked here.
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.
ReplyDeleteFrank 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
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks 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.
ReplyDeleteAs 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.
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)
ReplyDeleteIn Santa Ana there was a dinner theater called Kona Hawaii where Don Ho would perform on weekends. My mother was a prep chef their in 1969-1971. Not sure if this is the place you were talking about. It's still there I think.
DeleteKona Kai Hotel and Restaurant was actually located in Fullerton as my weak memory recalls. It was located at Orangethorpe and East St. and and the last time I was by there (2012) they were still in business
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear the Anaheim, Buena Park and Lakewood stories. I can relate to almost every place you guys talked about. I grew up right next to Western High School and our family had a dairy in Dairy Land (now La Palma) and Dairy Valley (now Cerritos). I also used to go to both Kay Kaylie and Al Kaylie's and even Wallach's Music City. I bought my first Bass Guitar at Kay Kaylie's and still have it. I also knew the Krajerbrink's and remember their band Utopia. I used to watch them practice at the church off Western Ave near Lincoln and also watch them practice at Danny McBride's house (he was a good friend of mine and he was their drummer). Hey thanks for all the memories! I hope you are all doing well. If anybody would like to e-mail please do so at BenO@usa.com lets chat about the old days!
ReplyDeletehey, i my family moved into 3100 teranimar drive in 1962 used to go to knotts when it was free,graduated from western high in 1969 alot of good memories when there were orange groves and more smells of the country,now live in oregon less traffic more country, the only boo-hoo is i had to give up surfing which was my passion for over 25 yrs. flailer51@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI attended Twila Reid elementary school from second grade through sixth (1967-1972) and then Orangeview Jr. High, and Western High School. We lived on Rome Avenue, with Twila Reid around the corner I believe Royal Martin's house was the large white house on Western, set apart from everyone else's. My memories of of all three schools are wonderful. I too remember the Japanese Deer Park, riding with friends to Knott's, Girl Scouts at Twila Reid, Park and Rec. summers, newspaper and yearbook at Orangeview, playing Bobby Sox at the fields behind our house. I remember when my dad and other neighbors protested the development of high density apartments near Western High School. They spoke before Anaheim City Council. Nice homes were later built instead.
ReplyDeleteI now teach middle school in Yorba Linda but my memories have shaped how I teach today.
Cinnamon I know there was a motel in Anaheim called the Kona Kai. Maybe there was a restaurant in there??
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what prompted me to google the name of Kay Kalie, but I'm glad I did. He used to have a store at the SE corner of Orr & Day Rd and Telegraph Road in Santa Fe Springs. My folks were very good friends with Kay and his family and I vagely remember that he had a son very close to my age (I am now 68)but I'm at a loss as to what his name was. In fact I'm not even sure if he went to the same high school as I did which of course was Santa Fe High. I remember Kay's wife with good memories as she as I recall was a very nice and kind lady. As I said, my folks were very good friends with the Kalies. I remember one time I think it was in 1955 when the two families drove up to the mountains for one day and on the way back I remember hearing the song Canadian Sunset play on the radio as I and the other kids (Kay's son and my brother) were in the back seat. Oh well, gone are those days, the people and most of the cloudy memories. But not all of them.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a home on Stonybrook Dr. across from Twila Reid Elementary School and attended the first "first grad" class there. I had a great childhood there. Strawberry fields that smelled sooooo good and great childhood friend, some I still keep in touch with. My father was a policeman with Anaheim P.D. badge number 10. Does anyone remeber Mr. Baily who was a sixth grade teacher at Reid? He was the worst teacher known to man. He changed my life. That was when I knew that anyone, and I mean anyone could get a teaching job! I hope he is teaching still in HELL! I guess you think I don't like him and your right. Anyway other than Baily I had a nice time growing up in that part of Anaheim.
ReplyDeleteI went to all the WIGOUTS at Harmony Park in the early 1970's and watched Utopia.... good times for sure... I lived in Anaheim for 21 years 2-23. I remember it well and watched all the orange groves be taken out and more houses put in.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn Carr
Anonymous, are you referring to Randy Kalie?
ReplyDeleteMy memories are slightly different but for good reason. I was in the east end of Anaheim going to South Jr Hi and Katella Hi. Al Kalie was a friend of the family, the association was a group of bicyclists from LA and OC called the wheelmen. Every Sunday their were bicycle rides all over the counties. His daughter Christine which I was involved with at one time was also an avid cyclist and racer. Can't remember when but Al was involved in an accident which left him in a coma for nine months and finally passed. I too was a rider and racer till I made the mistake of trading my bike for a car. So many memories and lost touch a long time ago. duallyd@aol.com
ReplyDeleteGreat reading of Anaheim memories. How about the Egg farm on Via Burton near the 91 frwy and State College Blvd. My mom and neighbors, used to buy cracked eggs there at a great discount in the early 60s. No one ever got sick from them. We used to cut through a strawberry field to get to Sycamore Jr high. In the mid 60s, some of us kids (6 to 10 yr. olds)took some corn from the corn field that the seller said we could have. We loaded up a wagon and were approached by the land owner (she lived on the corner of State College and Romneya). She was mad and not to mention, pointing a shotgun at us! Our parents called the police, they just talked to her and slapped her hands. That property became apartments and across the street becamce a shopping center. Too bad some progress has to change things, not for the better, but to fill someone's pockets.
ReplyDeleteYEA" I ATTENDED SYCAMORE AND KATELLA GRADUATED 1971.
DeleteWhat a great thread, its nice seeing everyone's comments. I certainly remember Al Kalies music store at the Lakewood mall. All the really good stuff was underground. I played my first Gibson Flying V through a Gallien-Kruger amp there. I finally talked my dad (RIP) that I deserved that guitar but when we drove back to get it, it was gone. Someone else bought it. So if you see a white 1982 Flying V out there....I'm still mad that you bought MY guitar. lol lol. Good times.
ReplyDeletethis really doesn't have anything to do with Kay Kalie's , but does anyone remember The winery in Anahiem? It was run by the Olden Family. I was just wondering if anyone knows what may have happened to them. Anyone knowing , please contact me at mulevixen@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletei grew up in anaheim in the 70's. went to brookhurst/savanna/gilbert. lived off lincoln/gilbert, used to go to gemco all the time. such great memories, racing around in our souped-up cars, officer lovejoy was our neighborhood cop. we had all the kegger parties. i remeber choi's dairy on lincoln, that's were all us minor's would get our liquor, my fave was boonesfarm, country quencher and tinkled pink!!! transit st local's (ok i was one of the stoner's!)
ReplyDelete