Monday, June 15, 2009

Garden Grove in the 1960s-1980s

Pedro Yruretagpyena (pyruretagoyena@yahoo.com) offers some cool little tidbits of his memories growing up in Garden Grove, right on the border with Anaheim...

I grew up on songish st in garden grove, brookhurst and katella area in the 60's through the 80's. Anyone remember fishin at Kids Haven on chapman, ridin bikes in the field behind market basket on brookhurst and katella (later called Shopping Bag and then Fazios), boxing at the stanton gym, eating by the fire pits at Taco Bell on katella and beach or the one on katella near gilbert, levis at Red Eye, Pier 1 Imports, 5 cent scoops at Thrifty's, Al the ice cream man, glazed donuts from the Helms trucks, the burger joint on katella and nutwood (AJ's i think), Orange Julius on katella, A&W on chapman, or the cows in the fields north of katella and nutwood. Wow, some of this stuff I havent thought of until now.....

36 comments:

  1. I lived right near you. Everything you mentioned is like it was yesterday -- five cent ice cream scoops at the Thrifty - and they still had the lunch counter, the Orange Julius stand in front of the car wash (Dino Circle), the A&W with car service and big 'ol mugs that everyone always seemed to take home. KFWB and KHJ were always on.

    Kids Haven. At one point, I lived directly across the street from KH, on West Street. My neightbors were the original American Indian family who lived in the house that overlooked the huge orange grove before it became suburban GG (the daughter's name was Nanamba - she beat me up). One day (1964?), the Issac Walton League decided there were too many ducks at Kids Haven (which was just a big storm collection pit, stocked with fish).

    I used to feed the ducks, so they were like pets. So when they started shooting them with bows and arrows, my mom called the OC Register. They came out and did a story - the crying face of an 8-year old kid made the front page of the Register the next day. That was me :-).

    Yeah, used to ride our bikes in that same field behind Market Basket - great mogul jumps!

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  2. I grew up as a kid in there near La Quinta HS.

    There used to be a tavern called the Buck Board (long gone) on Bolsa and Ward, and next door was a place called the Bolsa Resturaunt Supply (also long gone). There used to be a Nursery Land nursery on the corner of Brookhurst and Mc Fadden where the newer Taco Bell strip mall sits.

    A large majority of the NW corner of Mile Square Park was undeveloped for a long time. I remember the 10 or so eucalyptus trees at the north end of MSP where Ward St. ends.

    I remember when Westminster Mall was built. It started with out with a B. Dalton books, the food court used to be in the middle of the mall. There was an Oshman's Sporting Goods store where Old Navy is now. Radio Shack was downstairs in front of Sears. Where Baby's R Us is used to be an Edward's Cinemas, and also one in the NE entrance right across from the Round Table Pizza which is also gone.

    Oh, why does everything have to change??? I could go on and on and on. I would love to chronicle all the things I remember.

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    1. I too remember the trees @ the end of Ward. I can remember when the Marine helos (CH-46) would fly over our home & land @ MSP, then a USMC aux landing field during Vietnam. Ain't it interesting that much of this area would become Little Saigon? Disturbing. We moved to the coast of Oregon in my Jr year of high school. Had a unforgettable & educational time of my life in just 1 ½ years in Oregon. Joined the USN in '79. Flew for the USN 2500+ hrs in just 2½ short years. Now living in the IE. Though I do miss the 60's - 70's OC, OC isn't the same. Neither am I for that matter. I enjoy our acreage & not a neighbor within 500 ft. OC can keep their "sardine can" living.

      ~Chris - Class of '79

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  3. I remember Kid's Haven. I first heard about it from other kids and was fascinated. I was a fun place: for a quarter they gave you an ID card, and a cane pole with line, bobber and hook. They charged for the bait, which were red worms. It seems like it was a dime for a small container and a quarter for a large one and not sure what else they had for bait. For a young child it really was quite an experience. It was a lesson in life too. I caught a tadpole one day. I hooked it in the tail. They wanted me to put it back but I said No! I'm keeping it! I took it home and put it in my brothers wagon with water. We watched it swim for days. Of course, the tail got smaller, it grew legs, and when it turned into a frog, it jumped out and disappeared! I was sad to loose it, but also learned a little about the cycle of life. Kids Haven is still there. It's called West Street Basin. It's a catch basin. When I got a little older my pony league played games at the school next to it, Walton Intermediate.

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  4. Hey! I won the biggest fish one weekend at Kid's Haven and won a case of pop. I loved that place! There also a pond behind the Shopping Bag by the railroad tracks where we caught frogs and tadpoles. My Mom used to work at Thifty's SCOOPING ICE CREAM! I also remember Al's....the 7-Up popsicles were great! Ahhh, the Helms man...Cream Puffs... the little plastic gliders propelled by a rubber banded launcher! To top it off, I was fired from that A&W for putting too much guacamole on the taquitos after being told to only put a dab on them! It was fun to think about that for a while. Great website!
    Steve Sharon, GGHS

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  5. I lived on Jennifer Lane, just a few blocks away, went of Crosley elementary school, and then Izaak Walton school across the road. That was in 1957.
    I loved fishing at Kids Haven.

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  6. Anybody remember Taco Lita on Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove? Yummy the best tacos ever!!

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    1. oh my gosh... my family and I have been trying to think of the name of that Taco place for years. My brother fished at Kids Haven and he worked at the Orange Julius on Chapman and Harbor. I rememver when there was a RAISINS market in that lot. But my favorite was BELISLES. Greatest food ever. Do you remember Patio Pantry by Kids Haven? I went to Crosby in kindergarten and then Violet School , then Walton. I ran into someone the other day that llved on West St. and remembered Kids Haven. Couldn't believe it.

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    2. Oh yes, my family's favorite place to go for tacos on Fridays. We would order 40 tacos for a family of 6, it was fun to watch them make the tacos.

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  7. I remember Taco Lita. My sister worked there

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  8. This is great. I just had a long conversation with my GGHS friend Mike M about old GG stuff—specifically Kid's Haven. I was down there a couple of years ago and took some pictures—it's still there: a big hole in the ground on West St. Filled with water with lots of surrounding trees and bushes and the old cinder block "bait and tackle" shop in the front. I loved walking there from our place on Ora St. just past Ninth. My brother and I would drop in our bamboo pole and just goof off. I observed a lot of nature in that small environment. I also remember dozens of kids lining the banks and experiencing fun outside on a Saturday (no X-Boxes)
    Yeah, I remember Taco Lito on GG BLVD. We would get a family dinner there on Friday cuz it was 5 taco for a buck. Great deal.
    For me, the very best was the Stanley family orange grove that covered 40 acres at the corner of Chapman and Euclid. It was heaven—a forest of adventure with so many kinds of trees and small corners of history. In the center of the grove was a very old abandoned house that must have been built in the 1890s. Great place to explore and find really old junk. There was irrigation several times a year—so much water. so much fun. The "farmer" who supposedly shot rock salt at the bad kids. orange fights. The braceros up from Mexico who picked the oranges. My first real encounter with folks from truly a different world. They were always laughing, singing—and were always very friendly to us kids.
    So much more to tell—starting with . . . I could see the Disneyland fireworks from our roof—I musta gone to that place 50 times as a kid . . .Bob W.

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    1. I lived in Garden Grove from 1956 until 1965.

      I too remember the Stanley family orange grove. We played in that grove all of the time, building forts in the hollow of an old Eucalyptus tree and enduring orange fights with the "bad kids." The property bordered Stanley Elementary on two sides, and I can remember watching them harvest the oranges form behind the chain link fence at recess.

      Like you, I spent a lot of time out doors; exploring orange groves, playing in Euclid Park (lived right across the street), or riding my bike all over town. We always had something to do, that didn't require money or some electronic device. People were friendly, the adults watched over the kids as a group, and watching the fireworks from the Mouse House was a time honored tradition. - Bill M

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  9. Hey I used to live on Buaro st. in Garden Grove in the mid 70's til about mid 80's as a kid. Remember The Pop Shop on G.G. Blvd. , Or Pup N Taco , Fazios, how about Target on Harbor used to be Fedmart and b4 that was Two Guys. How about the Treasury on 17th and Bristol. Or Montgomery Wards . Oh Hey remeber the Mitchel Bros Adult Theater across from Rancho Santiago College.. :D when i turned 18 I saw some porn double feature there that was weird. how about Apollo Burger when it used to be next to Fazios on Harbor / GG Blvd next to Music Plus. when the two greek guys ran it? How about the Humdinger across the Mcdonalds near the Firestation Motel. or across from Toys R Us where we went to meet evil kanevil , there was a coffee shop Niki's that the building looked like a big hat. The Pitcarin Motel right there was a hooker haven and druggie hang out. Utotem" liquor store across from Mowhawk Gas station which is now am/pm. by pup n taco . used to have a kosher deli sam's right next door. or how about the block of orange used to be the city shopping center UA theater in the mall and the Plitt was out in the parking area i saw Alien, Star Wars There. The LIne Wrapped around the theater in 1977. hmmmm the good ole times!!! :D

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    1. I sure remember Apollo Burgers. One of the two Greek guys who ran it was my Dad. If you ever saw a little kid hanging out there on weekends, either reading a stack of car magazines in the dining room or playing pinball in the "arcade", that was me...

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  10. THOSE WERE THE DAYS! GRAD GGHS 1967 USED TO PLAY IN THE ORANGE GROVES WHERE LAKE SCHOOL IS NOW,WAS THE 1ST GRAD. CLASS OUT OF LAKE. MIKE W.

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  11. I WAS BORN IN ANAHEIM IN 1984. GREW UP IN GG WITH MY 2 BROTHERS MOM AND DAD(PASSED AWAY IN 02) IN OUR HOUSE ON STRATHMORE AND LAMPSON. I WAS RAISED IN THE FIRESTATION MOTEL ON HARBOR BLVD.WITH MY FAMILY IN A SMALL MOTEL ROOM. I'VE EXPERIENCED A GREAT DEAL AS A KID. IM THANKFUL FOR MY UP BRINGING IT WAS FUN WE USE TO RUN AROUND THE WHOLE AREA AS KIDS. FROM THE HYATT HOTEL. TO BIG 5. TO TARGET TO WEST HAVEN TO THE CONVENTION CENTER ETC. ME AND MY FATHER WOULD WALK FROM THE MOTEL TO THE GROCERY WHARE HOUSE AND BUY FOOD HE WOULD WALK ALL THE WAY BACK HOME CARRYING THOSE HEAVY BAGS IN BOTH HANDS WITH HIS VIEGNS POPPING OUT OF HIS ARMS FROM THE WIEGHT . WE DIDNT HAVE A CAR THEN SO WE WALKED OR TOOK THE BUS. I REMEMBER PEEKING INTO THE HUMDINGER AS A KID TRYING TO SEE THE GIRLS.LOL ALL OF MY FAVORITE CHILD HOOD MEMORIES CAME FROM THAT AREA OF GARDEN GROVE. WALKING TO SCHOOL EVERY MORNING FROM THE MOTEL DOWN LAMPSON TO VIOLETTE ELEMENTARY. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THE PEOPLE THE SOUNDS OF THE NEIGHBOR HOOD THE SMELL THE VIEWS. THE BIRDS THE BUSH'S THE FUN I HAD GROWING UP THERE. WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES I CAN SEE IT ALL VIVIDLY GG WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF ME. NOW I LIVE IN KANSAS AND AM HAVING MY FIRST CHILD IN MAY I WILL BE SURE TO TELL HIM STORIES ABOUT THAT PLACE I CALL HOME. BRETT BREMER.

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    1. I grew up in GG and lived on Strathmore Dr...my dad still lives there..I graduated from GGHS in 1987!!!! How cool is that! Go Argo's!

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  12. R.I.P. FIRESTATION MOTEL. THE GRAFFITI. THE PARK THE RABBITS THE CHICKENS,GUESS,FISH,FRIENDS,JUVY HALL,COUNTY JAIL, THE CITY MALL,LAMPSON ST,HARBOR BLVD, GG BLVD, GROCERY WHARE HOUSE, THRIFTYS, PIC N SAVE, WHARE HOUSE MUSIC, APOLLOS BURGERS, VIOLETTE ELEMENTARY,RALSTON JR HIGH, WALTON JR HIGH, THE TRAILER PARK NEXT DOOR TO THE MOTEL, TWIN LAKES PARK, LAMPSON ELEMENTARY,THE GGPD LOL, THE OLD GANGSTERS, THE HOOKERS, THE CRIME, THE MEMORIES

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  13. Some of my favorites:

    Kiddie Land on GG Blvd.

    Kids' Haven at West and Chapman

    Cole's Market on GG Blvd. - My last memory of my maternal grandfather who died pretty young was going with him to Cole's market

    Gym Theater - .50 cents would get you in and some popcorn...double feature and cartoons..

    Schwinn Bike Shop on GG Blvd in the "arcade," as it was called - got the first bike that I paid for - a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed - $100 bucks all with paper route money (Garden Grove Evening News - Mrs. Bratcher was the route manager - delivered 7 days a week, had to go soliciting 1 day a week in the evenings and had to do your own collections - all for about $30 dollars a month plus tips...)

    Wheeler Market on Main St. - my grandmother said they were "dear" - meaning expensive...

    PCA Packing/Feed house near downtown where we bought feed for our chickens...

    Strawberry Festival

    Firework stands

    Jolly Knight Restaurant on GG BLVD

    Maple Lanes - owned by the Merdie's and had only 8 lanes but they were real maple - my uncle was a pin setter there when he was a kid.

    Riding bikes everywhere - up to the Disneyland Hotel, all around Harbor and GG Blvd. - as far as Irvine Lake...

    Taco Lida on GG Blvd....

    I could go on for hours. Garden Grove during the 50's and 60's was a perfect place to grow up. There was no crime (at least not that we knew of...), lot's of nice working class neighborhoods that were neat as a pin. Everything started to change in the late seventies...and not for the better. Things can change but they can't take away your memories...

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    1. All you said and
      The Tasteefreeze next to the GG bike shop
      Empire Market on GG Blvd
      The dairy on Westminster before Harbor with the zoo had a bear (or gorilla, I can't remember which) in a cage out front with a coke machine you could buy a coke and give it to the bear
      The Taffee seller on the way to Irvine park
      Paper route on Trask Ave
      $1 general admission to Disney Land
      Strawberry fields and stands and miniture tractor rides all up Brookhurst to the beach

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    2. Good Lord, we must have gone to school together! I remember with great fondness all of the places and events you named in your posting. I live don Park Drive, right across the street from Euclid Park, and remember spending all of my time out doors - exploring.

      Yes, Cole's and Wheeler's markets; summer concerts in the band shell at the park; Saturday afternoon movies at the Gem Theater; the old packing houses along GG Blvd; the old train depot; using the "plunge" at GG High during the summer; Christmas manger scenes put on by the Methodist church across the street from the park (no restriction on religious exhibits on public property back then); Dairy Delight on GG Blvd; Crystal Ice Co.; and orange groves all over the place.

      Downtown was an assemblage of small businesses: Zlackett's grocery; my uncle's barber shop; Martin's men's clothing; the toy store (big clown sign attached to the portico over the main entrance); the drug store and soda fountain; the pawn shop; Imperial Cleaners on the corner of Euclid and Pine; the small diner; etc.

      There is an old shoe repair. barber shop located at the Stanley Ranch Heritage Village. It was originally locate don the N/E corner of Euclid and Park. I remember getting hair cuts there, and buying soda, in bottles, from an old fashioned vending machine that stood on the porch out front.

      Yes, I too could go on for hours, and these memories are all the more sweet as there are others out there who remember too. Thanks for reigniting my memories. :-)

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  14. My brother and I lived on Stathmore and Lampson. Went to Crosby and Izaac Walton JHS Played little league baseball across from Belisle's restaurant, grew up in the orange groves, fished in the Kid's Haven contest, Hamburger Handout 10 cent burgers, Gem Theater matinees, Grove theater with Little Oscar and Tom Hatten. Lots of fond memories

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    1. I was born & raised in GG, lived on Strathmore...my dad still lives there, Strathmore & Lampson...Graduated from GGHS 1987!

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  15. I think shopping bag was at katella and euclid market basket was at brookhurst and katella zodys and newberrys were at brookhurst and chapman

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  16. Utotem was Dales market Fazios was leonards were was a midget that use to sell pencils outside the door. there was also a slot car track by utotem and also by leonards Apollo burgers had great choc shakes for 35 cents at kids haven (chapman and west there was pronto market and a meat market

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  17. Firestation motel had a 12' deep pool use to sneak in and swim as a kid, Pioneer park? We would take wood palettes from behind angels hardware store national lumber and have bon fires at Pioneer park (chapman and haster) drink southern comfort on cold nights

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  18. This is so cool. I lived in OC most of my life and lived shortly in the Fire Station motel. I eventually worked for the Humdingers in OC and spent a lot of time in the rock clubs hanging out just to dance and have fun(I did not drink or smoke anything). I also worked at the many Sugars bars. It was a fun time in my life hanging out at the beach (HB) and shopping in Garden Grove at the $5 clothing store or at Peter Wabbits Apartment. Sure wish I had taken pictures back then. jodiecakes@hotmail.com you can find me on facebook

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  19. Lots of good memories from growing up in Garden Grove during the late 50s and 60s.... fishing at Kids Haven, the Helms bakery truck, NE Little League baseball, going to school at Mark Twain Elementary / Isaac Walton Junior High / Garden Grove High School (go Argonauts!), parents buying a yellow Ford Mustang in 1966 from Smith Ford at GG Blvd and Brookhurst, going to the Strawberry Festival, running home scared with my friends after seeing Frankenstein 1970 at the Gem Theatre, flying kites with my friends living on Margie Lane.....

    Garden Grove was a great place to grow up

    Garden Grove was a great place to grow

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  20. Yeah, I remember Al the ice cream man. I would work for him in his truck on Saturday mornings for two hours handing him items to sell and he would give me $3 worth of stuff from the truck. I loved the bomb pops and fudge bombs. I lived on Isthmus street off of Dale and Chapman from '72-'75. Went to Gilbert Elementary. Anyone remember Mr. DoleShawl, Mrs. Stanley, or Mrs Zimmerman as teachers there? Little league ball games at Bryant Elementary. Anyone remember Rene's Arcade on Magnolia & Chapman? Would go there after school and play pinball (the real kind) and buy frozen pizza slices for a quarter. Moved away and back again in '76. Lived on Chapman & Gilbert and went to Hare Intermediate. Had a paper route for two years. Delivered the paper to the neighborhood just behind Hare. I remember when the Stop & Go on Gilbert & Chapman got robbed and the clerk was taken hostage. Me and my friends watched the whole thing unfold from our garage roof (mom kept yelling that we were going to get shot). How about getting up at dawn and catching the bus (for a quarter) all the way to the beach and hanging out all day? I too remember watching the Disneyland fireworks from my backyard. I worked there in the summer of '81. Good times.

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  21. we live in garden grove near where the fire station motel was now they are building a water park hotel yes!!!! and mc donolds is retarted

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  22. i used to live across from Euclid park at 11041 Stanford. It was right next to a little church that has all been torn down. Remember Wheelers market? The flood of 69 where everyone went crazy in the streets acting like it was a lake? The halcyon days of OC....

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  23. i grew up there in the 70's too...oh how i remember all these places remember the drive in theater...my first job was at taco bell my sister worked at the humdinger...for a gal named rochelle we hitched hiked everywhere..i went to school at brookhurst. and anaheim high..we used to walk to school thru the water duct things.. i had a friend that lived on holder and ball lol.. we would travel everwhere on foot also from buena park to the coast...to hollywood..to big bear..i worked at vance's on beach blvd. and the at disney land and knotts.. my mom worked at the chicken dinner restaurant..remember the apartments casa valentia casa mona ray? i cant remember their names well. i did soooo much and grew up real fast there..we used to get fake id's in long beach by the queen mary...i worked tooo at the hotels near disney that had the bushes shaped like animals....all the places....i remember ktla radio and kume..dr. dimento show.. the head shops i remember the riot at the beach..i was there! remember when they had alternated gas days..50 cent gas lol i did so much there it was awesome soooo many memories.

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  24. I grew up in West Garden Grove, but had a lot to do in Anaheim starting with a Spring/Summer job at Disneyland in '80 and then Burns Security out of the old office there on Center St, by Lincoln and St College. My best memories was riding my moped home in the afternoon from Disneyland. If I wanted to relax I'd take Orangewood west through that quiet residential street. If I was revved up for action, I'd take Katella. I was on the our softball team "Fantasyland Strikes Back!" and we lost every game at Modjeska Park and had loads of fun after at Shakees on Harbor. That was the time for me in Anaheim, 1980

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  26. I loved the food at Taco Lita on Garden Grove Blvd. I lived in one of the apartment buildings on Stuart Drive almost directly behind it. There were also Pay by the Hour Trampolines right next door to it. They tore them down and built a pool hall in 1961 I think.

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