Thursday, December 06, 2007

Santa Ana, Bristol & McFadden, 1950s and 60s

An OCThen reader named Ruth had submitted the following memory of hers, growing up in Santa Ana, in the neighbor surrounding the intersection of Bristol St and McFadden, during the 1950s and 1960s...

My dad was transferred from Great Lakes, Ill to El Toro USMC, Ca in the early summer of 1955. We moved to Mc Fadden St (which was Fairview St back then) in Santa Ana. The Street was renamed to McFadden after the orange groves were mowed down between Raitt and which is now Fairview in 1957.

Orange County really grew when the 5 Interstate from San Diego, Santa Ana, and Las Angeles opened in 1956 making it easy to go to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and The Angles Stadium. I can remember the Mayor cutting the yellow ribbon off the (??) at the 1st Street exit by Prentice Park.

I remember walking through the farmland of cabbage patches, orange groves, corn fields and berry fields. We flew our kites without worry of losing them to power or phone lines.

On the corner of McFadden and Bristol was a Richfield gas station and my dad filling the car tank with less then 2 bucks. McDonald Burgers on Edinger Street were only 13 cents except on Tuesday-then they were only 10 cents. Also the A&P market opened on the corner of McFadden and Bristol in the late 1950s.

I went to Glenn L. Martin elementary school until I was in the 3rd grade then Monte Vista elementary opened in our area, and Emasculate Heart of Mary Church opened. I made my 1st Communion, Confirmation, and was married at that Church. I went to Smedley Junior High (or Smelly due to all the cows) and SA Valley High 1964-67.

I lived and worked in Orange County until 2006. Now I'm retired and live in a little town called Mentone, Ca, just down the hill from Big Bear. This little town population 5,000 with orange groves and avocado trees reminds me of the young growing days of Santa Ana. Thanks for this blogger and a walk down memory lane.
Ruth, rvx10@aol.com
I actually lived in the same neighborhood as Ruth, near the Bristol St and McFadden intersection, but from 1978-1985. It was technically on Richland Ave, right near Bristol St.

On the NE corner of Bristol and McFadden was a Church's Fried Chicken. On the NW corner, a 7-Eleven Store (I think it's still there). I had one of my bikes stolen at that 7-Eleven. On the SW corner was a large shopping center, with a "Me-n-Ed's" pizza parlor. Anyone remember Me-n-Ed's Pizza?

Today, there's an elementary school located on the corner of Bristol and McFadden, but it wasn't there when I lived there. It was just houses.

Ruth mentioned Raitt street. Did anyone know that Raitt St. is named after the same family that singer Bonnie Raitt is descended from? I think it was her great-uncle that was the physician. At least that's the story her family tells me. Several members of my wife's family were his patients. My wife's sister was delivered by Dr. Raitt.

It's funny that all the people on my wife's side of the family know the names of the doctors who delivered them. Santa Ana was a pretty close-knit community in the 1950s.

20 comments:

  1. This was my neighborhood - and was a great place to grow up in the late 50's and early 60's. We could bike into town and shop (mainly look at toys at Toy City) or see a movie at the West Coast or State Theater. We played football and baseball in the street (S. Rosewood), which certainly aggravated the neighbors. All the houses had orange trees which supplied the ammunition for frequent neighborhood wars. After the football games we would hang out at Me n' Eds pizza - I could eat an entire meat and onion thin crust by myself. We shopped at the A&P, but sometimes picked up hot dogs at Denny's Dog House. Bet no one remembers that place.

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  2. Me and several of my neighbors used to play in the cabbage fields on McFadden Street; now there's apartment buildings. We used to hang out at Me n Eds Pizza too, I remember the Dog House-affordable! My mom would pop popcorn and the neighborhood kids would come over to sit on top of the garage roof and watch fireworks from Disneyland, no builds in the way just a lot of fields. I think the West Coast or Broadway Theater had Tuesday family night; the whole family got in for 2 bucks which included popcorn and soda (mom and dad with 5 kids). We had an incinerator in the back yard and my sister used to tinker around with it and burned burnt down part of the back wooden fence-what fun we used to have!

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  3. I lived on Pacific just a couple of blocks away. We moved there in 1975. Remember the Carnation ice cream shop next to Me and Eds? The Hippopotomus store? Howabout the Kodak film booth? There was a Phillips 66 gas station on the corner of Wilshire and Bristol. The Philippino market near the carwash. The owner was Benji. Wow...been a long time!

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  4. Me and Eds and the Carnation ice cream are still there

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  5. I lived in Sanat Ana in some apartments on McFadden but I don't remember the address or cross street. There were many buildings and parking and alley between all the buildings. This was back in 1964. If anyone might remember them I would love to hear back. I do remember that In the front they had nice plants and huge colored spotlights that shined on the buildings. If anyone remembers that area you can email me at scootiehammond@aol.com I was just out of high school at that time.

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  6. Oh, and I remember that we used to go a bar downtown called GG's Brown Derby (I think) - does anyone remember that. I met Bill Medley there at a Jam Session one morning.

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    1. That was Johns Black Derby and your right Bill and Bobby played there a few times

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  7. Correction: Raitt Street was named after John Raitt, Bonnie Rait's father. John Raitt was a big brodway and film star with a big gorgeous voice. But not many people know who he is because of their lack of learning new things.

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  8. Raitt Street was named not for John Raitt but for his grandparents who had a house and extensive property in that vicinity. I know this because my grandmother worked for Mr. and Mrs. Raitt as a household domestic and my grandfather helped maintain the Raitt's orchards. Working for the Raitts, in fact, is how my grandparents met.

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  9. I lived on Raitt Street from 1963-1964, went to kindergarten at Monte Vista. I remember the cement flood control channel across the street from our house, which we used to climb the fence and play in when it was dry (which was most of the time). My next door neighbors on the right were Lesley (about 13 years old) and her sister Kathy (age 5), who was my age and we played together all of the time. On our left was a girl my older sister played with, her name was Delray (sp?). Delray had an older brother who was handicapped, confined to a wheelchair, but was the nicest person. They went to Hawaii for vacation and brought back poi. Delray's brother let me taste the poi and I thought it was gross.

    A longtime fan of Bonnie Raitt, I've often wondered if there was a connection to the names.

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  10. I lived in Orange County in late 60's and have fabulous memories of a park that I think was named McFadden Park... I remember it cost 10 cents to get in, does anyone have any memory of this?

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  11. Sorry, I do not remember that park. But after many hours of searching, I found those old apartments where I lived. Thank God for the arial view maps now. They were at S Stand Ave and McFadden or the area known as "Minnie & McFadden". Also on Minnie St between Borchard and Wilshire. They appeaar to have gone downhill from the appearance on the maps. Maybe some rehab was in process too. They look pretty "ghetto" from what I can see. So sad how things change.

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  12. The Raitt family have a plot of several graves at Fairhaven Memorial Park.

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  13. I don't remember the park, but to BC, I do remember Denny's Dog House. They had the best cheese dogs. I think it was on Bristol & Myrtle St., right next to a gas station (Signal Gas) I think. Across the street was "The Dairy" a drive through for milk, oj, eggs etc.

    Benny was the owner of the gas station. He later bought the first gas station (Shell I think) on the road leading to El Toro's Main Gate. Smart man - He became quite prosperous from that gas station -hard work & a great location. He was also a great guy!

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  14. Does anyone know the name of the bakery that used to on the corner of Bristol and Wilshire it used to be by christy's donuts

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    1. Seeley's Bakery, I think it was called. We bought our wedding cake from there -- 35 years ago yesterday!

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  15. my first date was a football game and pizza afterwards at Me-n-Ed's. Haven't found another one that matches the beef and onion. Santa Ana was growing so rapidly when I was in kindergarten, that I couldn't go to the school closest to my house, classes were too full. So I was sent to 3 different schools and transferred when a closer school had an opening. Finally ended up at Spurgeon to finish the year. Then Madison Elementary opened in my neighborhood and I went all the way though there, then to Lathrop (in ninth grade when it was condemned -not earthquake safe), bussed for half sessions with another jr. high, then on to Santa Ana High. I remember the bus was our choice of transportation downtown to the movies at the Broadway or West Coast and would stop in at the See's candy store next door and get their suckers 3 for a dime to last us thru the double features. Taco Bell had main items for a quarter and I often went to the McDonald's across the street from Santa Ana Junior College to get my first Big Macs. My favorite place in the summer was Memorial Park swimming pool on Flower St. What a great trip down memory lane.

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  16. Hi, I lived on 519? South Lyon Street back in the mid-1960's in a big old red farm house surrounded by orange groves. We burned our trash in a WWII incenerator, I remember sycamore trees accross & down the street and how they would blow when the Santa Ana winds would come up, the golf cart place, Orange Julius, the miniture golf place that sold fried burritos, and the park & zoo was and still is called " Prentice Park ". The next farmhouse down lived two kids named Doris & Jay. We use to have treehouses every where & dug out forts, the yellow flowered mustard plants would grow every year in the orange groves. When they would irrigate my sister & I would " slip & slide " in the mud ! And not to forget standing and watching when they sprayed the DDT bug spray...There were still opossums under our house. Had honey bees living in our upstairs wall for years. Before we lived there my Uncle Mel Gammel & his family lived there and had pet wolves. Ahh...the good ole days ! Well that's about all I can remember for now. Norm enormus@q.com

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  17. I was born in Santa Ana and have lived here all my life. I remember artesia street because I lived on second and artesia. It later became Raitt Street which was named after the doctor, Dr. Emmett Raitt regardless of what other people say. He was like a country doctor who made house calls and a pillar of society in Orange County. I was born in 1937 and I remember when first street was a 2 lane road. There was no harbor boulevard.When we wanted to go to the beach we had to take Fairview also a two lane road. We use to go to the State Theater, Walker, West Coast or Broadway.Every Saturday they had movies for kids and it cost 10 cents to get in. Downtown the old cars parked diagonally on the street. In those days practically the whole city was covered with orange groves, walnut trees, avocado trees, cabbage and bean fields and lots of fresh air. I went to Franklin elementary school, Willard Jr. High and Santa Ana High School. In my neighborhood which was diversly populated everyone knew everyone and even on the next block. We played softball in the vacant lot across the street. The grocer at the grocery store trusted people and gave them credit. I remember how we could sleep at night and not lock our doors. There was a kind of freedom back then and you trusted people.

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  18. I was born in Santa Ana,in 1950 & Lived off of Warner between Main & Standard. All the Orange Groves.
    Went to St. Josephs, Mater Dei & Santa Ana Valley.
    Remember Buffums & Vandermasts? Memorial Pool?

    I've enjoyed all the posts- a great walk down Memory lane

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