Friday, March 20, 2009

Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, 1960-1970

OCThen reader, Joe Devine, submits his memories of growing up in Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana during the 1960s and 1970s.

I have great memories of growing up in the 60's and 70's in the Westminster,Garden Grove and Santa Ana areas. I attended St Barbra's Catholic school in Santa Ana and remember watching Army helocopters circling and landing in an area I believe turned into Mile Square Park. I wore out my 10 speed bike riding up and down the Santa Ana river trail bike path west to the beach past South Coast plaza mall when it was the newest thing. I also remember Atantisland and the Strawberry festival in Garden Grove. I moved away in 1990 but had a wonderful Disneyland visit in 2001. Thank goodness for memories it had changed so much. My sister turned me on to this site, she graduated from MaterDei in 1974.
I've never heard of "Atantisland". Perhaps he meant, "Atlantisland", either way I've never heard of it.

25 comments:

  1. It was called Atlantis Park. The park and the old dragon slide are still there.

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  2. IT WAS CALLED ATLANTIS PARK. IT WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM BOLSA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HAD A STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL THERE EVERY YEAR AND IT WAS ALOT OF FUN.

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  3. I think you are talking about
    Atlantis Park in Garden Grove,
    adjacent to Bolsa Grande High on
    Westminster Blvd.
    It may still be there...
    it consisted of aquatic themed
    Playground equipment and was quaint
    but nice for younger kids.
    In 1970 or so they held the Strawberry Festival there.

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  4. Atlantis park is great I have taken my daughter back there many times

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  5. The strawberry festival was a big highlight for the year.I also remember the rumor that the Hells Angels and Hessian's were going to duke it out there. They never showed.

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  6. think you are talking about
    Atlantis Park in Garden Grove,
    adjacent to Bolsa Grande High on
    Westminster Blvd.
    It may still be there...
    it consisted of aquatic themed
    Playground equipment and was quaint
    but nice for younger kids.
    In 1970 or so they held the Strawberry Festival there

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  7. Does anybody remember a recreation program for kids in Santa Ana in the 60's that closed in the early 70's?

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  8. We used to play tag at Atlantis park in the early 1970's, admission was 10 cents. The dragon slide was a great way to escape a would be chaser. My allowance was 25 cents and I use to get a large chocolate dipped ice cream cone from Foster Freeze. There was a dairy farm kitty corner to the larger park that had a five legged cow. :) Fun times

    I did take my son to Atlantis in the early 2000's. The park had recently been renovated and it looked just like it did in the early 1970's.

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  9. Yup, it's Atlantis Park and it's STILL THERE complete with the Dragon slide.

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  10. What about The Ilander teen night club on
    Garden Grove Blvd Anyone remember the band
    The Raque?.....Late 60s

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  11. I attended the opening of Atlantis park i believe it was 1967 or 68. Sunny Crest dairy was still open across the street (Westminster Blvd)and I do remember a rumor that the Hell's Angels were gonna show up at the Strawberry Festival, it got really crazy there at night during my high school years 69-73 not really a young kids carnival situation!Also remember Cal Store it was kinda like a modern day Wall-Mart or how about Blinkys Pizza by Build and Save wow so many memories of G.G. Wayne Hartel G.G.from 58-present

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  12. I grew up in Garden Grove. Born there and lived until 1976. Brookhurst Elementary, Lampson Jr High and Rancho Alamitos High.
    The Strawberry Festival was a favorite each year, Also hung around the old Zody's store.
    Atlantis park was always fun and safe.
    Does anyone remember the pizza parlor in the Brookhurst Shopping center? We had a ton of good times there.

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    Replies
    1. I lived on Gilbert and Chapman and I do remember the pizza parlor. My brother and I used to get run out of Brookhurst shopping center for riding our skateboards on the sidewalks.

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    2. I used to play the pinball machines in Zodys all the time. Spent a lot of my paper route money (OC register) there.

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    3. The Pizza Parlor you may be thinking of was Blinky's. They had a polka band

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  13. There was also a Blinkys on Westminster Blvd just east of the 405 freeway. I loved that place!

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  14. Who could forget Hwy 39 drive-in. I just purchaced one of the old speaker boxes you would put in your window....good times!

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  15. I went to Atlantis Park as a young boy. The cost was 10-cents to get in. Lot's of fun. The dragon slide was the best. I remember some weird seahorse on a big spring you would sit on and move back and forth. The strawberry festival at the adjacent park every year. One year they actually had real helicopter rides at the festival. Ed Tunks grocery store across the street. And the Foster or Tastee freeze. Anyone remember Me-n-Ed's Pizza on Beach bvld. near Garden Grove blvd? And who can forget Sambo's on the same intersection. Highway-39 drive-in... peace

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  16. Absolutely - grew up in Orange County during this same time - loved it all! How fun to remember it here!

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  17. anyone remember Stovall's Inn of Tommorrow?
    they tore down Katella elementary school and built the motel on that site, not sure what it is today-is Wonderbowl still there?
    remember White Front? Troys hamburgers?

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  18. Here are a few more places to think back on. Zodys, TG&Y, Cornet and who could ever forget the Cal Stores

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  19. I went to Bolsa Grande High (Class of 75) and remember a small mini-bike park up against the freeway, next to Atlantis park. One weekend John Wayne brought his son Ethan there to ride his bike. As a kid I always looked forward to the Strawberry Festival at Garden Grove park with the helicopter and the double ferris-wheel. For fun we'd walk to Ed Tunk's and get a piece of sugar cane. As a kid I worked at Sunny Crest Dairy and it had a 5 legged bull named "Handsey". I also worked at Foster Freeze on Westminster Blvd. I remember a police officer would come in and order a mustard shake (vanilla shake with 2 or 3 packets of mustard). It's great to think back on those days, What a great place to grow up!

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  20. My grandfather, Mac, played piano at Blinkys and my dad worked there in his early 20's. I can remember them taking me to work many times. One of my early memories was the beer sign that was almost animated with a river flowing, may have been from coors......

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    Replies
    1. I remember Mac. If your dad was named Mike, we worked there together in the late '60s flipping pizzas. Fun times.

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  21. I grew up in Garden Grove, Zeyan Elementry, Hare Intermediate (as it was called then) and Rancho High School. I too remember Atlantis Park and playing there. I took my kids there a couple of years ago and they enjoyed it. I remember Zody's, Newberry's, Copper Penny, Helen Grace and the Big T Thriftmart stores at Orange County Plaza. We use to hold our little league meetings at the Me N Ed's Pizza on HWY 39 and Garden Grove Blvd. Anyone remember the superslide near Me and Ed's on Beach Blvd (HWY 39)?

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