Comments on Orange County Memories: About Us

Cindy, Was the store called, "The Treasury?&...

2010-09-24T11:18:28.341-07:00

Cindy,

Was the store called, "The Treasury?" I vividly remember a conveyor belt that ran from the interior to the exterior of the store for ease in loading purchased groceries.

Thanks, Steve, for this web site. I grew up in central and East Garden Grove, living there from 1954 until 1976, Fullerton from 1977-79, Riverside for 6 years and then happily returning to OC when I bought my house in North Santa Ana in 1985. I'm still there.

Along with many of the memories already noted, I recall Roller Gardens (corner of Haster and GG Blvd.), Farrell's at Memory and Bristol, Kid's Haven, Glacier Falls ice skating rink in Anaheim, Pizza Grotto (Haster and Chapman), and that enormous pet store that was once located on the Wast side of Harbor Blvd. between Lampson and Chapman. And, like many of you above, my play grounds were the free-admission-Knott's, pre-California Adventure Disneyland (where I once worked on Main Street), and Atlantis Park (sigh!). I'm currently working on a novel utilizing 1960s OC as the backdrop--this web site has been very helpful--thanks!

Thanks Steve for bringing back the memories of gro...

2010-08-08T09:29:30.679-07:00

Thanks Steve for bringing back the memories of growing up and living in Orange County in the 50's thru the 70's. I've read most of the comments and it certainly has me reliving my past life. I haven't lived in Orange County for more than 35 years now but I will tell you one thing it was the best place in the world for a kid back then to grow up. From seeing the snow on Mt. Baldy in the winter to being able to ride your bike to the Huntington Beach pier from home in less than 20 min. What a life! Thanks again for keeping this site alive.

It was just past Santa Clara Street. Many of the H...

2010-08-01T21:39:18.523-07:00

It was just past Santa Clara Street. Many of the High School fellows worked at the grocery store when I was growing up. I think it might have closed in 70's and then it became a Discount Toy store. I remember my Mom had an account and she was billed for her groceries. You just went in and signed your name. Well if you can remember that would be great!

I came to Newport Beach, CA in 1966, spent a half ...

2010-06-09T14:01:19.260-07:00

I came to Newport Beach, CA in 1966, spent a half a dozen summers on Catalina Island.
I rode my Schwinn sting-ray coaster in the fields that now are UCI, Fashion Island, Big Canyon, The Bluffs and has a chance to cross the back bay dike, before the rains of 1969 washed away the crossing. It was the short cut to Sav-On across the bay to Dover Shores. I grew up on Cassia Street - Eastbluff.
I have been in the wood working industry for 15 years and have a New Job with ANSWER WOOD PRODUCTS in JUNE 2010.

I love this site, my family having left Irvine for...

2010-06-09T07:45:56.542-07:00

I love this site, my family having left Irvine for the east coast when I was 8 (1975). While my memories of the area are vague due to my age when I lived there, they are fond! It's so great to be able to see evidence here of things that existed back then that I otherwise have no verification of...from theme parks like the Japanese Deer Park and Lion Country Safari, to tumbleweeds, orange groves, the carousel at the old Fashion Island, etc. I'd do anything to be able to live in the area again, altough I know the organge grove smell wouldn't be quite what it was, traffic would govern my life, and it would no longer be appropriate for me to climb the eucalyptus trees that ran through our neighborhood greenbelt. -- Laurie

The name of the park with the dragon side was Atla...

2009-12-22T07:17:05.949-08:00

The name of the park with the dragon side was Atlantis park, right next to Bolsa Grande High School it was free to get in then I think they used to charge a dime. I grew up in Garden Grove from 1959-born in Palm Harbor Hospital and went to Excelsior Elem., Peters Jr. High and Bolsa graduated in 1977. We too could see the fireworks at Disney every night in the summer from my back yard. We would have pool parties and roast marshmallows and watch them all the time. The name of the restaurant on the corner of Chapman and Harbor was Belisles they had the best food my dad used to take us for Christmas Eve. I now live on Long Island but my Mom lives in the same house I grew up in. Teal Drive. Love this site so glad I found it. Anyone remember all the concerts at Anaheim Stadium, saw so many great bands.

Any of my Brothers&Sisters out there from the ...

2009-12-03T14:40:29.954-08:00

Any of my Brothers&Sisters out there from the good old days....here's my email jaywalker62@hotmail.com
Look 4ward 2 hearing from u!!Eddie Munoz(Buena Park)San trac area

Hi there :) I was raised in Santa Ana. Born in Con...

2009-10-04T18:36:39.690-07:00

Hi there :)
I was raised in Santa Ana. Born in Conn. while my Dad was at Yale-acting. He was going to go on to try to make it on Broadway..... chickened out and came back to Santa Ana (darn!). Mom was raised here, too. Both lived on Victoria Drive till the crash of '29 left both families with very little to live on. Dad's family owned Carden & Hill's, a men's shop on Main. Mom taught acting out of a little theater they built on the back of our house on 15th St. behind the church nxt to the college track field.
Dad moved on to work at Disneyland all through the 1960's-ran all the parades, etc. BOY did I have a lot of friends when they found out my Dad was an executive at D'land! Got in FREE all the time.
Went to "work" with him many days in the summer. Spent the day hanging around there like kids hang out in front of their house - So Cool.
I remember when S.A. had orange groves... so THAT'S why they call it "Orange" county! Smudgepots would be going when it got cold.

Santa Ana's got problems, for sure. But every town does. To me, old S.A. is the best, I guess :)

TN GRANNY - I BELIEVE WE ARE RELATED - LOOKING FOR...

2009-08-18T13:06:22.436-07:00

TN GRANNY - I BELIEVE WE ARE RELATED - LOOKING FOR FAMILY. EMAIL - NDMCCONNELL@MSN.COM

HI STEVE=THE PAST IS DEAD=ORANGE COUNTY IS DEAD G...

2009-08-17T13:28:54.412-07:00

HI STEVE=THE PAST IS DEAD=ORANGE COUNTY IS DEAD

GREW UP NEAR CORNER OF BROOKHURST AND CHAPMAN

1950'S. FIRST JOB AT MEADOWLARK AIRPORT =

HUNTINGTON BEACH. ALL GOOD MEMORIES.

JUST GOT A BILL IN THE MAIL TO MOW WEEDS ON

MY VACANT LAND IN MENIFEE=THERE USED TO BE A

BUMPER STICKER THAT SAID= IS THERE REALLY

LIFE EAST OF INTERSTATE 5 ???

GOOD SITE= E-MAIL ME AT

HOWARD@VOLVOTEK.COM I WILL PAY YOU TO GO TO MY

VACANT LAND AND SEE IF IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE

MOWED=OR THE CITY IS RIPPING ME...HOWARD.

I stumbled acoss this website (below) today w/old ...

2009-07-16T13:51:14.909-07:00

I stumbled acoss this website (below) today w/old pics from Laguna & Dana point - check this out
http://habig.com/fremember.html

George Anstadt - OC Resident since 1965
ganstadt@cox.net

fun times at santa ana river trail with horses and...

2009-04-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

fun times at santa ana river trail with horses and nice evenings in the sunset. santa ana college students gloria lee irvine based trainer and competition events.

we all grew up in so california and remember all t...

2009-04-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

we all grew up in so california and remember all the great places. Now the kids visit the same places but everything has changed. our next field trip for the children will be at 8 am saturday with a mini van. so far the group will be van lee, gloria, beth, adam, tamara,gladys, jason, yvonne, victor, tran, barry,steven, henry, bazan, gary,mike and the irvine wildlife protection team. They will leave from sears laguna hills and meet at the park next to the attorney and asset table.

Well, the fact that so many of us who grew up in O...

2009-01-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the fact that so many of us who grew up in Orange County have fond memories and wish we could go back shows what a great place it used to be!! My family moved there in 1964 into one of the first townhomes ever built in Orange County (called Midwood Manor in the town of Cypress). I felt like we lived in a vacation resort because we had a community pool and cabana and we watched the Disneyland fireworks every night at 9:00 p.m. from our front porch. As kids we would ride our sting-ray bicycles until 9:00 at night, then we had to go home (can't even imagine letting kids do that now). We shopped at Zody's and White Front's, and Buena Park mall before they closed it in. Dairy cows, strawberry fields and citrus groves were the main greenbelts that meandered around the tract homes being built every year, swallowing up all the open fields. Hwy 39 (Beach Blvd) was the main drag to get to Huntington Beach for a day of sunburns and hanging out with the surfers. I worked at McDonnell Douglas in HB, and every time I run into someone from the "real OC", we have an instant bond. We all have such great memories of growing up there! I lived there until 1987, then moved to the once rural area of Temecula/Murrieta/Wildomar, which has become overcrowded like OC. So we left and came to the Oregon Coast, and certain aspects of it reminds me so much of the small beach towns in California during the '60s, that in ways I feel like I've come back home, only lots colder! I also remember the Hobby City on Beach Blvd (still there). If anyone attended Pine Jr. High School or Los Alamitos High, you'll remember Shakey's Pizza, Bob's Big Boy on Katella and Los Al Blvd, and the Carousel in Rossmoor. Hey, remember the "sanitarium" in Los Al? When I go back there now, I feel like I'm on another planet. SIGH!!! It's been great reminiscing!!!

Kris Arbuckle-Arbiso
krisarbiso@gmail.com

This a great site - eventhough I only moved to OC ...

2009-01-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

This a great site - eventhough I only moved to OC in 1982 - as a child I remember our car trips from Ontario to the beach in NewPort and Balboa. We would take what is now Hwy 71 or somewhat close to it and on the way we stopped a a zoo or petting farm that had monkey and other animals. I remember that one fatefull day a monkey grabbed my hair and wouldn't let go - my dad had to grab me and my hair to separate us. I am hoping someone can help and tell me where I was. This was in the early 50's - so before the 91 and probably the 55 fwy. I want to say I was somewhere near Featherly Park on a side road which may have been part of Featherly. Hope someone can help. Or pics would help also. I really enjoyed living in OC, but job moves to San Diego prompted me to relocate. Lots of memories in OC. To this day I still enjoy going down to Balboa and taking the ferry. I remember as a child on Balboa being able to lay on the beach and walk right up to the shops restaurants. On the side the ferry is on. I believe they now has ships moored there. Enjoy this site immensely. There was also a fantastic restaurant on the corner of Harbor and Chapman - that was always packed and had huge portions - and was a pink building. Cindy

Hey! Great site. Love Santa Ana. I'm gonna throw o...

2008-11-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hey! Great site. Love Santa Ana. I'm gonna throw out a bunch of thoughts. I was born at Community in '45. Lowell, Lathrop and Santa Ana - '63. My folks were good friends with Red of Red's Ranch Market. My uncle John had the Knapp Shoe Store on First. Remember Oscars on First? Milton Mann Accordion School next to The Broadway. The Prison of Socrates in Balboa? The Golden Bear? The Skate Ranch? The Golden Cue on Seventeenth? Broadway Pool? Don's Lawn Mower Shop? The librarian at Lathrop with the prosthetic arm? (Nice lady. Scary arm.) The bear over on Harbor you could throw slices of bread and bottles of coke to? Opened them with his teeth? Trying to see how many times you could drive around the circle in Orange before the cops stopped you? Drama classes with Walden Leecing? The Chantays and The Rhythm Rockers? The Sugar Beet Factory? 5 and 10 cent ice cream cones at Pringles? Hot roasted Spanish peanuts at Sears? Jackman's clothiers? BluNote Records? I remember going to the grand opening of the Santa Ana Food Market near Bristol on First. Little Oscar was there.

Rex Heflin, the guy who shot the pictures of the UFO over on Myford Road in '65 was a good friend of my family. In fact, he rented one of my dad's homes near the corner of Myrtle and Shelton for eight years.

Have times changed? My dad was a gardener. We had a job we did for over twenty years on the corner of Riverside Drive and Flower. We mowed, edged, took care of the flower beds, the shrubs, the terraced slope leading down to the riverbed in back, swept up and hosed off the sidewalk. A truck, two men, an hours work for $10.00 a month.

If you want to live some OC history, go to Original Mike's on the corner of First and Main. Great food. Good prices. Lots of memories.

Anyone living around Chestnut and Shelton in the fifties? Leave a message.

I too went on that dragon slide when I was a kid b...

2008-08-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

I too went on that dragon slide when I was a kid back in the 1960's. Then in the Early to mid 1970's there was a mini bike park next door, it sided to the 22 freeway. Last time I checked it was a recycle center !!

Atlantis Park was the home of the dragon slide. It...

2008-08-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Atlantis Park was the home of the dragon slide. It was over in Westminster, backed up to the freeway. I remember waiting in line to go down that slide. It was so huge and ...scary. Atlantis Park would let you have your birthday there. The birthday boy or girl would be presented with a "king" or "queen" crown, cake would be served, presents opened and then all the kiddies would get to play all over the park. I remember climbing up on seahorses that had huge springs at the bottom that would rock back and forth in all directions, pathways through bushes that were perfect for hide and seek and the huge pirate ship everyone would climb on and try to shanghi. But oh ...that dragon slide....definately the best part. Each child would wait patiently in that line that seemed to take forever...some excited..some a bit nervous as if they were going to be seriously injured...but just HAD to take a trip on it. I remember my heart pounding as the child in front of me went down and it was MY turn. I went back later as an adult to take my own son in 1991. I could barely get my son to ride the dragon...it was almost too scary for him....and seemed so short of a ride and small to me then.

Does anyone know the name of the park with the dra...

2008-07-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know the name of the park with the dragon slide? Does anyone have pictures?

I am a native of Pasadena, california and am curre...

2008-07-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am a native of Pasadena, california and am currently the Commander of East Pasadena Post 280 of The American Legion. I'm going nuts trying to find any mention of or reference to the huge airship (I think there was only one) hanger that once sat just South of the 405 fwy and just East of the 605 sitting in the vicinity of all the old ammo bunkers which are still there. Does anyone remember them? Have any pictures? Were they part of the Los Alamitos NAS prior to the freeways, or attached to the Seal Beach Station for housing Naval patrol blimps? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Please contact me by e-mail;

mugdonroe@pacbell.net

Born in 1955 my memories of OC include Knotts Berry Farm with farm land all along it's Western border. Waiting for hours (probably half an hour) and looking at the huge tree stump with the rings marked for historic events. I found a picture of my older brother at around age 3 copping his first feel on one of the cement 'ladys' on the bench. I sure miss the old menues in the Chicken Dinner Restaurant that told the stories of olde Calico and Knotts Berry Farm. Admission was free. My brother and I used to go play in the covered wagons at the back of the theatre bowl before the evening performances and then go fire-up the boiler on the little locamotive engine that still remains by the leather shop. The only rides then were the train and burrows I believe and the big excitement was walking through the mine down to pan for gold. I miss the old gas car ride at the livery that went alone Beach Bl, the lake where you could row boats and the jungleland play area. Amazingly the chicken still has the same great taste......you can have the rhuebarb though!

Douglas E. Monroe
AM3 USCG 75-79
LHHS class of 73
Highlanders

Thank you for allowing a glimpse back into the "gl...

2008-06-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you for allowing a glimpse back into the "glory days" of Orange County. The area of North Orange/Villa Park was the setting for many of my childhood memories. I remember the profusion of orange groves and the little country store on the corner of Katella Ave and Wanda Road. The Villa Park Packing House held a special significance for our family because my mother was raised on an orange ranch in Villa Park for part of her childhood. The construction of Serrano School during my kindergarten year at Villa Park Elementary enabled me to attend the closer school. Weekends were often spent riding my bike on the quiet roads of Villa Park when the homes were large with lots of land, not the ridiculous monstrosities of today. My brother and his friends spent Saturdays roaming the area around the Villa Park Dam playing "soldier". After Saturday morning golfing at Lazy B Golf Course, my family would stop for "Orange Ice" which was sold at a roadside stand in Orange Park Acres. Made from fresh squeezed oranges, they knew just how to freeze the juice so that it was slushy. Nothing better or more refreshing!
We used to slide down the hills around our home on large pieces of cardboard and made people out of the tumbleweeds that blew down our streets during Santa Ana winds.
I also have many good memories of Farrell's, and later, of Swenson's Ice Cream on Chapman. I can't remember the name, but there was a restaurant in the southwestern section of Orange that had a "wild west" theme. You could choose to eat in the jail, stagecoach or other settings from the wild west. We bought our shoes at Buster Brown on Glassell Street and I have fond memories of riding the colorful wooden horses that ran on a circular track in that store.
The May Fesival Parade and carnival was an exciting time: with the Children's Parade on Thursday night, the carnival beginning on Friday, and the big parade, down Chapman Ave.,on Saturday morning. The beef dinner they served at Hart Park by St. Paul's church was a once-a-year treat.
I also recall accompanying my brother's scout troop on an outing to the Voit Rubber Company in the Costa Mesa area. They had a machine that continually bounced a basketball. I went on school trips to the Alligator Farm and the Japanese Deer Park. On our frequent summertime treks to Newport Beach, I remember that the unobstructed blimp hangars rising above the flat landscape, would signal to my siblings and I that we were "almost there."
Thank you again for the opportunity to reminisce.

What a terrific website! I just happened to find i...

2008-05-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

What a terrific website! I just happened to find it. In 1964 my family moved to Anaheim from Illinois. Moving to California was a dream come true for us kids. My mom took us to the ground breaking ceremony at Anaheim Stadium and when the ballpark opened I was a Junior Angel.
We lived off of State College, near Ball Road. We were able to go out in our back yard and see the Big A halo that would shine when the Angels won a game.
I was in the 2nd graduating class of Katella High School.
I remember how sad I felt when the did away with downtown Anaheim.
I now live in Dallas, Texas, but my heart will remain in Orange County.
I can't tell you how many times my brothers and I spent full days at Disneyland. I miss those days.

I didn't live there but there were many many excur...

2008-05-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't live there but there were many many excursions there.
Trips down Brea Canyon Rd. to go to Disneyland via Brea & Harbor Blvds. I recall the 'Bridge' of 'Welcome to Fullerton', all the oil wells north of Brea, the sign to the Kirkhill Rubber plant. Trips down Santa Ana Canyon to go to the beach seein the CalFame Juice plant, that Sugar mill (now an Embassy Suites, visiting friends in Costa Mesa (Mesa Del Mar tract) and seein the May Co. all by itself pre 405 and South Coast Plaza. Summer on Balboa Island-the beach the ferry and the amusement park. Visiting SJC Mission when there was practically nothing around it till ya got to Dana Point. Going to D-land pre monorail & Matterhorn and it being closed for a while while they put that in. Loads and loads of fields and citrus groves.

Hi Steve,
I was born in Anaheim and lived in Bu...

2008-01-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Steve,
I was born in Anaheim and lived in Buena Park on La Carta Circle until I was 10 years old in 1970 just off of La Palma Blvd. I lived within walking distance of the Winchell's Donut House
7944 Valley View , Buena Park 90620 if this is the same one that was built in the mid-1960s and is still standing. The tract of houses where we lived used to be dairy farm land until the late 1950s to early 60s when developement finally squeezed it out. We lived relatively close to Knott's Berry Farm and The Alligator Farm which we must have visited dozen of times each when I was a kid. My mom used to shop at the Pottery store that was also located at the same intersection. Of course, we regular visitors to disneyland as well.I attended Raymond Temple Elementary School until the 5th grade. My brothers attended La Palma Junior High School and the oldest one even attended 2 years at the newly built John F. Kennedy High School before we moved out of state.
My brothers claim that on a clear night we could see the nightly fireworks display at Disneyland which took place at 9 PM. I also remember there was a Japanese Deer Park which served as an animal petting zoo? I'm sure it does not exist anymore. Does anyone else remember it and where it was located?

Hello Steve, I just read Gloria Tafolla's comment...

2008-01-18T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Steve, I just read Gloria Tafolla's comments and almost broke into tears. I am just a bit younger than she is and have many of the same memories..I still have my Santa Ana Community Hospital birth certificate, footprints and all. Johnson Chapel and just down the block, Bristol Drugstore where I would buy a soda pop and sit for hours reading comics. (I still love to read for hours) Our Helms man "Bob" was my hero..I ran out to meet him with my brothers and sisters...he had the best donuts in town. Santa was and I am sure at the very heart of it..is still a great place to live. I have lived in the Inland Empire for most of my married life but nearly all my brothers and sisters live and work there. I love to tell my children stories of the wonderful times I had growing up there and in the surrounding areas. I went to Franklin Elementary and Willard Jr. High School (they were both demolished after the "big" earthquake) I remember the beautiful architecture, very much like Santa Ana High School..(the most beautiful high school in Santa Ana)I look forward to visiting this site again. "All Hail Santa Ana"