Memories:
Our Complete Display of Your Orange County Memories

By: Chrissey, 20 Aug 2002

I visited a friend who moved from L.A. to Garden Grove - it had a few new tracts of homes and everything else was agriculture.We would go out and pick strawberries and asparagus in the fields.There were alot of fruit stands and it was very rural. Disneyland was close and I was in awe that you could live close to Disneyland. It was very inexpensive to get into Disneyland and as a teen I would go in and spend 3-4 hours. I also lived in Fountain Valley when I-405 dead ended at Beach Blvd. It was fascinating to see a freeway be constructed where nothing existed but the freeway. The mall in Huntington Beach was being built and it seemed like such a very large indoor mall. The alligator farm was fun, but they scared me. The alligators were very quiet and had a harness on him and people would sit on the alligator and have their pic taken. Both the Alligator Farm and Knotts seemed so far away from L.A. I recall Knotts as being very dusty. Nothing was paved. I was always fa! scinated by the jail and it was scary! The Deer Farm was very different and beautiful. I still have a set of rice bowls that I bought there. It was nice, quiet, and the souviniers were not junky. In Newport I recall walking way up into the back bay and it was very rural and beautiful. The Irvine Ranch was still in tact and wide open. I had hoped it would stay as an open space. I worked at UCI when it first opened. It was dirt and very few buildings. Everything seemed so far out and away from the City. The Golden Bear was a fun place to go to in the late 60's - good cheap entertainment - an old coffee house. There was another old but great coffee house in Newport and I think it was called the Blue Onion - it was down an alley somewhere not far from the pier - I don't know if it is there anymore, but it was a very classic old coffee house. I enjoyed Orange County then because it was in the country, altho changes seemed to take place overnight - more and more housing and peop! le, less agriculture and no fields to run into and pick a! few things.

- Chrissey

By: Cheryl Worth, 16 Aug 2002

I remember when my parents took us to the Japanese Deer Park (in the late 60's, early 70's) and my sister Lori and I each got to pick out a Japanese Umbrella that was made out of beautiful paper along with a flute-type musical instrument made out of some type of bamboo or wood. We had a wonderful time feeding the deer and always wondered what happend to the park, since we never visited it as I got older and moved out of state. I had wanted to take my son there to visit on our summer vacation this year, and that's how I found this web site looking for information on it because I wasn't sure where it had been located.

- Cheryl Worth

By: Rebecca, 16 Aug 2002

Some of my best memories of growing up where in Orange County. I enjoyed going to Huntington Beach, body surfing, and having picnics there. I went back for a visit after living in Northern California for several years and was very disappointed. Not at all like I remembered! Too commercial now. I still smile when I think of it the way it was. I also remember going to Disneyland about every other year. I guess I sort of took advantage of it since I was able to so often and was always so annoyed at the "tourists". After moving away and going back for a visit I then became the "tourist". I do however, have more respect for them now! I also rememer watching the best fireworks in California every single summer night. Wow, what a wonderful thing for a child! I realized how fortunate I was as a child living in Orange County after living somewhere else and seeing how other people grew up!

- Rebecca

By: Brad, 15 Aug 2002

My grandma took care of Kate Ray.Kate had a sister named Ella. Katella's namesake.My grandmother told me when I was a little boy in the 60's that Katella grammer school was no longer there.But to answer your question about Ball Jr high. Yes it is still there.

- Brad

By: Maricela Maffey-Guzman, 14 Aug 2002

As a child I hated attending school, so in order to get me to school my parents would wake me when they went to work. My mother worked in an electronics factory in Irvine and I remember having to drive with my father all the way to Irvine from Santa Ana and I would see the bean fields by the 405 fwy on-ramp on Fairview by the old Segerstrom house. I remember watching the seasons of the field planting, harvest, etc. It seemed like the fields went on forever. Now that I pass by that area it brings back memories of my school refusal days, and I wonder how I ever became a doctor (peditrician) if I hated school so much; the long drives dropping off my mom at a factory and watching the field workers must have done something to change my attitude toward school.

- Maricela Maffey-Guzman

By: Anonymous, 11 Aug 2002

Back in 1973, I lived in Cerritos, California and went to the Car's of Star's, Planes of Fame Museum in Buena Park often. It struck my memory, when I received a message on the internet, my e-mail from Eddie Munster that the Munster's Car and Eddie's bike from the television show were on display. Eddie Munster is now solicting for a 5 Star Resort in Las Vegas on the Internet... Go Figure! Grandpa, use to live in Van Nuys, was often seen there with his son playing football...

- Anonymous

By: Curtis Lofgren, 11 Aug 2002

Worked at the REL from 82-83...worst possible place to work in the entire world, universe, galaxy and...you get the picture. 100 degrees in the summer, 40 below in the winter and the plumbing?....there was none....just flush and see it go overboard....the powers that were placed hidden tapes of frog noises outside the gangplank...overall, the most amatuerish and scummiest of jobs...oh yeah, and the fish?...FROZEN!!!

- Curtis Lofgren

By: Ron Benson, 11 Aug 2002

I grew up in Southern Cal. and went many times to Knott's,like all kids I loved it! I've been collecting menu's from local places and friends give me some. Since I started playing on ebay and buying, I seem to be drawn to Knott's Berry Farm menu's and such. I don't know why, exept for my fond memories. Are there many collectors out there?

- Ron Benson

By: Richard M. Cowan, 10 Aug 2002

Before it was called the John Wayne airport and before it was called Orange County Airport, it was just a sleepy little landing strip used by private planes, charters and the Martin Aviation Company. When I was a teenager in 1955 the airstrip would close down on Sundays and NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) sanctioned drag races were held on the runway. I remember seeing the "Green Monster", Art Arfons jet powered drag racer, screeming down the runway. It was probably the first jet to ever "land" at SNA. The drags moved to Lyons Speedway in Long Beach sometime in the late 1950's. They did return later on, for a few years, as the Orange County Raceway located at the I-5 and Sand Canyon.

- Richard M. Cowan

By: Pat Swift, 9 Aug 2002

I remember when we would go to Knott's on Friday and Saturday nights to square dance in the old wagon train area. A lot of us from Buena Park were a free show but we had a lot of fun. People would come to sing around the fire. Things have sure changed. I understand they are closeing the animal petting area soon. Remember the seals? There were chickens everywhere. Does anyone else remember the little houses across the street that employees lived in?

- Pat Swift

By: Pat Swift, 9 Aug 2002

I remember taking my son's there (Alligator Farm). We were amazed at how a snake felt. We were always interested in the alligators but watching how fast a cobra or rattlesnake could stike was the main attraction for us.

- Pat Swift

By: Annette Cano, 3 Aug 2002

My memories as a little girl it was a yearly event to go to Japanese village. It was so beautiful all the bonzi trees and the little bridges and the animals and the shows. I wish that this village still existed because of its innocents, beauty, and realizm.

- Annette Cano

By: Anonymous, 2 Aug 2002

The fuji folk character brings back memories of the park. I remember that the fuji folk costume got a wee bit dirty after awhile. I am not sure if the costume was washable or not. I do remember feeling sympathy for the person who had to put it on during the summer because it got very very hot inside. I don't remember his name(brown belt) but usually the person working the character also was in the samarai & karate show. I believe they trained under sensei demura in santa ana. the park was a fun place to work & one was able to meet people.

- Anonymous

By: Bob Hilts, 25 July 2002

Both Japanese Village "JV" and Movieland Wax Museum were founded by Allen Parkinson and subsequently both sold to Six Flags, Inc. in the early 1970s. JV was closed exclusively due to falling attendance and resulting revenue declines during the 3 year period that Six Flags was actively trying to promote this unique Southern California attraction. D. Canchola, as part of this list, indicated that "there hasn't been another amusement park since that can compare to Japanese Village" and that is certainly true. Japanese Village was beautifully landscaped in a traditional Japanese method with serene music, cultural artifacts, grommet type Japanese food and a myriad of animal shows including: lions, tigers, dolphins, deer, macaws and bears not only on a swing but bears that played basketball and could out shoot/muscle Shaquille O'Neal at any inside position. I worked in the "JV" accounting/finance department and was there during operations, closure and the through final days! . During these last few days I was interviewed by a UCLA grad student doing her Ph.D. work on USA amusement parks and the importance of their viability being directly associated and tied to the overall cultural of the area in which they are located. OK... but I do miss the "Fuji Folk".

- Bob Hilts

By: David Bagnard, 22 July 2002

I played on that Anaheim team that went to Pasadena for a bitter cold night game in the Rose Bowl. We also played a CIF game at the Los Angeles Colliseum. A huge crowd there as I recall. A footnote: Everyone remembers Claire Van Horbeck Anaheim's head football coach. No one mentions Van's best friend John Wallen. He was the varsity line coach. John Wallen was a man of great dignity and a brilliant student of football. Mr. Wallen was also the varsity baseball coach.

- David Bagnard

By: Pat Spillman, 19 July 2002

I had so many great memories of Huntington Beach in the late 60's and early 70's. I went to HB High School for three years, then graduated from Edison HS in 1970, their first year. Remember lots of tomato fields and strawberry fields. My dad worked in downtown LA, and wanted to raise us in "the country" so he made a 42 mile commute every day to work on the busy freeways. Have been out of state for 22 years, and recently took my four teens to Huntington Beach. VERY disappointed in Orange County. HB was so crowded and packed. I think there were about 15,000 people there when we lived there.(I may be wrong) I remember walking to the beach down Magnolia or___? I can't remember the name. I worked one summer at Disneyland in the Pirates of Caribbean! Love it! Worked one summer in Balboa Island, and one summer at South Coast Plaza. Went to college and spent three years at St. Joseph's Hospital and Orange County Medical Center for clinicals. I loved the beach at night!! Great memories. Pat

- Pat Spillman

By: Debbie, 15 July 2002

Do you remember the Zoo Resturant? It was on the corner of PCH and Jamboree or McArther. They put little plastic monkeys on their drinks. We used to stop on the way to Little Corona. When we moved to Orange from Costa Mesa in the early 60's the Newport Fwy wasn't there. We had to drive all the way up Harbor Blvd. There were only a few housing developments then and lots of Orange groves. We thought we had moved to the country. I remember in the fall we would walk to elementry school through the orange groves and it was always really nice walk in the grove irrigation ditches to cool off on the way home. In the summer we would head over to the river bed off Batavia and play like we were "Tom Sawyer" in the holding ponds. We had a great time growing up here, it always seemed so safe.

- Debbie

By: Harley Bootman, 13 July 2002

The small "plunge" (it was only two or three feet deep) at the southeast corner of the Valencia Park Elementary School grounds that was filled with kids every summer; paying 25 cents to get into the pool at Buena Park High School for an entire day of swimming (wish I could find a way to keep MY kids entertained for 25 cents a day); riding our bicycles and looking for lizards and snakes in the lot behind the Tic Toc market at Gilbert and Orangethorpe ("Tic Toc Hills"); the Burger Chef take out joint at Orangethorpe and Magnolia; the Super Slide at Magnolia and La Palma; the annual carnival at St. Phillip at Gilbert and Valencia (loved the Hammerhead!); my Dad sending me to check television vacuum tubes on the vacuum tube testing machine inside Thrifty's at Orangethorpe and Brookhurst; free ice from the man at the liquor department counter at Shopping Bag (now a 99 cent store, last time I checked); A&J's Burgers (still open after all these years!)

- Harley Bootman

By: Dave, 13 July 2002

Do you remember Brookhurst with 4-way stops all the way to the beach? Do you remember the Fountain Valley Drive-In? Whaat happened to all of the fields? How about the 'ocean view'? (we used to have one) What about the rivalry between Old huntington and FVHS and Edison?

- Dave

By: Rick, 13 July 2002

The bands were either up and coming, or on their way out...it was a cool place. I first visited the Golden Bear in 1979, as I had been a driver for a concert musician, Shawn Phillips 3 years earlier. I heard he was playing.I had moved from Texas to Laguna Beach in 1978. When we saw him, it was his last album for A&M, he was being replaced by Cat Stevens. But they were still heady times! Good music and good crowds. I'm sorry to hear it's gone...I was just checking to see what was going on...my son and I are doing a road trip to Phoenix to catch the "anger management tour" with Eminem...thought we could catch a show at the beach..oh well...long live the Golden Bear!

- Rick

By: Amy Laura, 9 July 2002

I was redoing my childhood photo album (I'm almost 32). I found a photo labeled on the back "Japanese Deer Park." there is a photo of my mom holding me (I just turned 2 years old). i am touching somebody dressed in costume (a japanese guy with a robe on). Idon't remember the deer park but saw this site on google. I'm pissed they also got rid of Busch Gardens in Van Nuys. It was behind the Budweiser Building off the 405 freeway. They turned it into a parking lot. I also remember Marineland as I lived about 30 minutes away. Why do they always destroy the cool, quaint things!! Now Iwill just have to tell my new duaghter my memories about them and show her photos.

- Amy Laura

By: Tamara, 5 July 2002

I just read "Jamie's" question about remebering Old Mac Donald's Farm, and I had to laugh - I had a birthday party there once. It was a weird little ditch of the Marquerite Pkwy exit??? I think. I haven't been in Orange County now for 10 years - emigrated to England 14 years ago. I must say, I don't like Orange County at all anymore. I have too many brilliant memories of an expansive and "wild" area where you could see the animals at Lion Country Safari from the freeway (if you can call it that then - a couple of lanes either side with a huge dirt ditch in the middle - you could actually do a u-turn if you wanted to on it). We always looked for the giraffe's as their heads stood out quite easily. Does anyone remeber the roadrunners that ran along the 405. I remeber El Toro (can't bring myself to call it Lake Forest - I grew up in the little community called Lake Forest and am quite snobby about the town taking that as its name - bastards!). Canada Road was the ! dirt road that would ultimately become Lake Forest Drive. There was a little puny tunnel that my Dad's Opel GT could just about get through on Canada Road - and it was full of bats. Does anyone remeber the bat migration every evening and the screeching when they flew low overhead. I have really brilliant memories of wild deer, racoons, skunks, rattler's and opposums everywhere. People road on horseback through the streets and we played in an area called "the gulch" which had a brook/stream, trapezes on the eucalyptus trees, tree houses and seats carved into the hill wall. Old El Toro road was lined with enormous Eucalyptus trees and the orange groves went right up Saddleback Mountain. O'Neil park was wild and Cook's Corner was steaming with Hell's Angels on their Harley's - fascinating. I watched not only my neighbourhood be built - we were one of the first families to move into the area, but I watched El Toro expand into a gruesome urban nightmare. The industry in Irvine and Rancho Santa Margarita - yuck! 250 lanes on the! freeway(s) now, and all the hills and land masses are littered with asphalt and bricks. I often get homesick - hence going on this site - but, memories don't match reality and the steady urgency of expansion goes on and on and on...

- Tamara

By: Tamara, 5 July 2002

I carried a pearl that I got from the oyster diver with me for 30 years and just three years ago had it made into a necklace. I lost it last year in my back garden and was totally distraught about it - but, hey, the memory of the place is still there. I remeber that the deers decided that my leather fringed vest and my mum's fringed suede bag were a delicacy and we were absolutely swarmed by manic fringe mad dear - they really went wild, as though they'd never been fed. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. None of my friends remeber this place, nor does my sister - I started to think perhaps it didn't either. Funny how you happen upon others who have memories of obscure places.

- Tamara

By: Sallie Rosenbaum, 2 July 2002

When I was a child I remember living in Santa Ana on Flower & Edinger. It was great going swimming at Memorial Park Swimming pool. Then walking home and stopping at a 5 & 10 Mom & Pop candy store. There was plenty of penny candy and candy bars were only a nickel. My fondest memory was getting into my parents 54 Mercury and going to see my grandparents in San Juan Capistrano on surface streets. I remember turning left into the ranch from the old road now. A few years later it was freeway off ramps. My uncle owned the Rock quarry where Village San Juan Condominiums are located. We used to swim and fish there as a child. I had a pet duck and we released the duck into the pond, He was so happy to be free and we would visit him almost every Sunday.I look at the hills and remember the horseback riding. Enjoying the fresh pick summer fruit and oranges. My favorites were the Ollaberries in the summer. My grandfather and aunt & uncles owned approximately 350 acres in San Juan Capistrano. We would go down to the ranch during branding season. I was about 5 to 7 years old and insited on going to watch the branding. Then my grandfather would take us to a buger stand called the Picnic. They had the greatest hamburger and shakes. There! are houses where the old ranch was but I look up and the memories are still there of once was a fond memory. My parents puchased 5 acres from the family and I live on the property and I look up at the hills and I share my memories with my grandchildren. They have a little piece of the memory when they come and see me.

- Sallie Rosenbaum

By: Pamela, 30 June 2002

I grew up in the city of Orange. Around Chapman and James. Went to Jordan Elementary School, McPherson Jr. High and El Modena High. I remember the football team kept stealing the Rooster from Jack's Broaster!! When I was a kid, you could go to Jack's and, for a quater, get a lunch bag full of french fries (we brought our own bag). The rooster is still there but I think it's a chinese restaurant now. We would ride our bikes all over town ... up and down Chapman until late at night (it seemed late to us). Now it seems to be a bit dangerous ... the area. In the summer we would jump on the bus and head to Pier 32 in Newport Beach. Almost every summer day dozens of us would show up and swim and play volley ball (when it was just us crazy kids playing in the sand ... sand volley ball was "weird" back then). I worked at Hunter's Book Store in Santa Ana Fashion Square. Now it's hard to believe it's Main Place. I remember shopping at a little outdoor mall called "The City Shopping Center." What a big deal it was when the enclosed it. Now it's all outdoor again (The Block). My parents moved to the city of Orange in 1964. Fern street. Then Dorothy Drive. Finally, when I was twelve, we moved near the Orange Mall (where you could see a movie for .99 cents (this was 1976). Lincoln and Orange Olive. That was a wonderfully sleepy area. I recently went back to the old area near the Orange Mall. (I've live in Huntington Beach for years). The charm is still there. The sleepy town still exists. Drive down Batavia and you go back into time. Troy's Burgers is still there ... same sign ... same good stuff. The little church I was married in (North Orange Christian Church) looks exactly the same. Canal street still has the beautifully old homes. I loved it so much that I just bought a house there ... in my old neighborhood. You say you can never go back home. True. But the sense of the small town community and the rush of wonderful memories of a slower more peaceful time still tickle my senses when I go back. So, I'm staying. The City of Orange was a wonderful place to grow up. I'm planning on growing old there too!

- Pamela

By: Jim Hilliker, 26 June 2002

Some great memories here! I lived in Anaheim 1965-'85, and it was great going to school (Edison Elementary) in '65-'67 when Anaheim Stadium was built for the Angels and there were still orange groves around the city. I loved sports, so the '57 memories and 1960 one also about Anahiem High football team was great...In December of 1966, I begged my dad to take me to the game, CIF-4A semi finals, Anaheim High vs. Mater Dei at Anaheim Stadium! Attendance was 38,000! (I think it was about that!) Yep, interest in high school football was tremendous then. The Colonists had a great program and La Palma Stadium always seemed to be sold out for regular league games...Remember the Sunset Leauge? Love the old downtown Anaheim and all its stores, Fox Anaheim etc...It was indeed a very sad day in the 1980s when they tore all that down! Going to the plunge at Parson Park in the summer was always fun too...I went to Sycamore Jr. high and Anaheim High 1970-'71, but transfered to Katella and graduated in 1973... Oh, how about the Halloween Parade and Kddie Parades every year in downtown Aaheim for Halloween? Would love to see photos of the old downtown again and the Halloween Parade down Los Angeles Street/Anaheim Blvd... Pickwick Hotel? Would love ot hear from others on Anaheim memories from '50s and '60s. Jim Hilliker Monterey, CA

- Jim Hilliker Monterey, CA

By: CARLOS GARCIA, 13 June 2002

THE OLD SANTA FE TRAIN STATION (MISSION STYLE)CROSSING LINCOLN AVENUE. THE DOWNTOWN STRIP WITH ALL THE LITTLE SHOPS ESPECIALLY A DRUG STORE MY FRIENDS AND I WENT TO BUY CANDY. I REMEMBER A JAPANESE RESTAURANT ON THE STRIP WHICH I THOUGHT THEY DISPLAYED ON THE STOREFRONT REAL RAW SEAFOOD. WE CANNOT FORGET THE OLD FOX THEATER. THIS THEATER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESERVED RESTORED FOR TODAYS PERFORMING ARTS. IT SAD TO KNOW THAT BACK THEN MONETARY INFLUENCE (DEVELOPMENT)AND POLITICS CONTROLLED THE FATE OF OUR TREASURED SITES WHICH COULD HAVE LASTED FOR GENERATIONS.

- CARLOS GARCIA

By: Eydie Bowles, 13 June 2002

I went to Katella Elementary School between 1954 and 1957. I was Eydie Carey then. I remember the days we had no water and the school brought in water coolers. We all "hung out" around those coolers claiming terrible thirst and just loving those little paper cups they gave us. I remember a bank collecting coins from us in our own "bank envelopes" to be put in a savings account. I have no idea what happened with those accounts.My sixth grade teacher was Mrs. Cuba Reed. My good friend Judy and I were very fond of tether ball. All in all, I enjoyed my days at the school on the corner of West and Katella.

- Eydie Bowles

By: Ross, 13 June 2002

Being there when I was about 6 or 7. I am now 48, I have had a facination with alligators and crocodiles all my life. I currently live in Boise, Idaho and have 2 pet american alligators (Forest and Bubba). I remember my mom taking me and my brother there it had to be like 1960 or 1961, they had baby gators for sale in the gift shop, and of course I wanted one, but didn't get one. But, I was trying to figure out where a Southern California kid would develop and interest like this. I was talking to my dad and he said he remember the Los Angelos Alligator farm in Lincoln Hieghts LA, well I did some researche and sure enough it started there in like 1905, and then moved to Buena Park, where it was until about 1986. Anyway, I wish I could have gone there as an adult before it closed. Little trivia, they moved all the gators and crocs by private Boeing 707 to an estate in Florida owned by the inventor of Naultilus workout equipment!

- Ross

By: Ann, 13 June 2002

My older daughter was born there in 1966. Dr. Max. Fulton was my G.P. and delivered her there under hypnosis. We had practiced in his office which became offices for Sunset Ford there on Garden Grove Blvd near Edwards. When it was time for baby to come we just went ahead and did it, no meds. Later I said "You didn't put me under". He said you did it yourself". My husband and Max's wife Betty were there in the delivery room and she signed the birth certtificate as "Observer".The nurse, Needham, was a nifty lady who raised Golden Retrievers. At that time it was a nice Hospital, clean & well run. Sounds like it got pretty wild later.

- Ann

By: Jamie, 24 May 2002

This is in reply to T.Jennings memories about Crackers. I loved that place. I went there when I was 21 (14 years ago). My parents took me there for my 21st bday, I thought I would have an awful time....I had no clue what was in store. I hurt from laughing.I remember there was Tom Jones...lol...with the sock....and then the @#!hole from elpaseo....and then Dorthey from the Wizard of Oz singing while the munchskins tried to look up her dress. I have heard that they still have Crakers in Anaheim at a hotel. I can't think of the name of it. I know it is the one right across from the old main entrance of Disneyland, right in fromt of Melodyland.

- Jamie

By: Pat Emmerson, 7 May 2002

I have fond memories of the Park from back in the early and mid 50's. Unlike the Hatfields I loved the frogs. I was so amazed to see them change from the tadpole stage to mature frogs. I couldn't think of ever hurting one.But then again, IM a girl. I wasn't into pulling creatures leggs off. Now a days you might get arrested for crueltry to animals. > I especially enjoyed the swimming pool where I would stay much too long and end up with red eyes and swimmers ear. Very painful. Then there were the arts and craft tables where a kid could go to paint ceramics or pictures or just craft an object of his/her choosing. I played my first game of tennis in the park. Got my first kiss in the park, and slapped my first face. And when the boys teased us too much I'd push them in with the frogs. > > The little sister, > Pat Emmerson

- Pat Emmerson

By: Alexis, 5 May 2002

I never felt alone no matter where I went there where friendly smiles and people. If I felt I needed to get away I would go to the Disney Land Hotel or down to the Newport Pier or just sit outside and look up at the stars. There was nor will be a happier time for me then when I lived in OC. It was heaven for me.

- Alexis

By: Claire Beamer, 4 May 2002

Does anyone know anything about an old golf course that was evidentally closed during the depression? The name was something like "St Andrews by the sea".

- Claire Beamer

By: Linda R. Johnen, 29 Apr 2002

I was in my late teens when going there with my family. I thought it was one of the nicest attractions in Orange County. I always admired the Japanese culture; I always thought it was so beautiful. So when I visited there several times I just enjoyed the atmosphere of quietness, charm, and beauty of that the park had to offer. It was a sad day for me to see it close down. I felt that this was the closest I could see Japan in my own backyard!

- Linda R. Johnen

By: Linda R. Johnen, 29 Apr 2002

John F. Kennedy was still a new high school which meant we as a student body could start many traditions for future students. We were so proud of the school, each other and actually liked a lot of the teachers. Over the years I have stayed in the North Orange County area since graduating from high school, so did a number of my high school friends. I run into some every once in a while and it so much fun to remember "the good old days at Kennedy". It's also fun to meet others who have graduated after I did. Now and again I drive by J.F.K. just to get a glimse of the "Fighting Irish"!

- Linda R. Johnen

By: Dale Wilcox, 28 Apr 2002

The 'soda fountain' referred to by Norma was ARMSTRONGS. Haven't had a 'good' malt since

- Dale Wilcox

By: Gail, 26 Apr 2002

Hi Mark, I too, remember Pearson park and all the good of Anaheim. Anaheim seemed to start going down hill in the early 80's. Like you said, "over populated" is an understatement:) I get sad every time I see my old stomping grounds. Sad to see it one complete ghetto now. What happened? Where are the city council members and why have they let Anaheim go to the dogs?

- Gail

By: Kathe, 25 Apr 2002

Nice to read everyone's recollections on early Orange County. I am interested in anyone's memories about early days in Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar. Specifically, I'm interested in any information about the Kindell family and there ceramics business. Any help out there? Thanks.

- Kathe

By: John G. Jungkeit, 22 Apr 2002

In regards to the "Old Santa Ana Canyon Road" There used to be an irigation canal that ran at the edge of the road. Believe it or not, people would stop along side the road and fish for trout. That was when things in Orange County were a little more slow going. As to Wissers Sporting Goods, a great store with lots of character and honesty in business. There were many tales of old Anaheim that came from there. When it was a saloon, patrons used to pitch gold coins for pleasure in the back of the building. Rumor had it, from Al Wisser, that there probably are some gold coins buried under that site. Another sporting goods store was Bob Williams Sporting Goods, located next door to Roquets Groceries and the Anaheim Bulletin. In both stores you could buy everything from guns to balsa model airplanes. I could never figure out which store I liked best. The bear, mentioned in another letter was located north of Warner, on the east side of the street. The bear was used for wrestling, entertainment, and was in some movies. I think something happened where the bear became a political issue.

- John G. Jungkeit

By: DM, 15 Apr 2002

Grew up in Costa Mesa in the 60's, 70.s Would never move back. Orange County has been overdeloped and is overpopulated. Glad I moved to Ventura County. Same as OC was in the 60's. Glad we have hillside protection so the money grubbing developers can't build on the hills. Glad for SOAR Too. Too bad nobody saved Orange County. Now it's just another Los Angeles.

- DM

By: Carole Standridge, 10 Apr 2002

We didn't have parking places, so we had to park on the streets around the court house. This entailed going out every now and then to put money in the meter, or moving the car just enough to cover the white blot that the "meter maid" had placed on the rear tire. Sometimes the timing was off just enough that a ticket would already be on the windshield. Also they filmed a movie at the courthouse with Richard Chamberlain as main star, and we all spent our breaks outside watching and trying to get autographs of all the movie stars. This was in the early 60's.

- Carole Standridge

By: Terry, 2 Apr 2002

I remember driving by the REL and seeing it tilted to one side. My husband stopped the car and we watched while the fire department tried to figue out how to get a VW bug out from UNDER it. Well, they waited for the tide to change a pulled it out with one of those really big tow truck What I always wanted to know was ...How it get there in the first place

- Terry

By: Terry, 2 Apr 2002

Remember before the flood channel when Founyain Valley was called Gosipel Swamp and really was a swamp with poiisnis snakes.Remember when we had strawberry fields everywhere and they'd let you gleen the fields when they were through harvisting. Remember when after a Santa Ana wind you had to drive carefully because there were tumble weeds everywhere,,,,,,I had to take a pithch fork and throw them out of my driveway to get my car out. Remember when Slater Lake had water and not a leak. Remember the Mushroom Farm on Golden West....They had the best ferilizer ever.Remember when Miles Square park was a helicopter training basand you could always hear them flying overhead. Remember when the were still samll farms in huntington Beach and Fountain Vally.......and Magnolia Ave was two lanes right above Warner Ave Remember when the 405 just stopped at Beach Blvd

- Terry

By: T. Jennings, 1 Apr 2002

Seem to me there used to be a place in Anaheim called "Crackers". I only went there once but it was wild! It was a nightclub/resturant that was in a Vaudeville Act type setting. The shows here zany, and alot of fun. You never knew what act was coming up next, or who in the audience would be their next target. Lots of laughs there.

- T. Jennings

By: T. Jennings, 1 Apr 2002

After the Japanese Deer Park closed or perhaps it was next door to it, I recal another theme park called "Enchanted Village" which also didn't last long. I remember seeing a giraffe there and also seeing wildlife shows with tigers. They also had Hawaiian or Polynesian type dancers and a western musical show.

- T. Jennings

By: T. Jennings, 1 Apr 2002

I remember the Japanese Deer Park as a fun place to visit. They had Japanese Pearl divers, diving for cultured pearls, which you could buy on the premises. I also recal an avery in the shape of a gazebo where you could feed the white doves that flew to you for food, as they would just eat right out of your hand. The deers in the park were sweet as they gracefully walked around. I was very disappointed to see it close, but if my memory serves me well, as soon as it closed, they erected another adventure park called "Enchanted Village" which also didn't last long. I remember seeing a giraffe there and also recal seeing a wildlife shows with tigers. They also had Hawaiian or Polynesian type dancers and a western musical show as well.

- T. Jennings

By: jamie, 25 Mar. 2002

Wow I have alot of memories of Orange County. Does anyone remember a place called (I think) Old Macdonalds farm? it was off the 5 near mission viejo. My parents used to take us there all the time.this was back in the 70's. It was so cool. i also remember the japanese gardens. I loved the lagoon ride, where the creature from the black lagoon would jump out at you. I also remember when the Buena Park Mall was one story and outdoor, and South Coast Plaza was one story with just the Sears wing. Wow that brings back some awesome memories. Those were the good old days. I remember going to Disneyland with my parents. My father always got into Disneyland for free, but you still had to have all the ride tickets (a,e,ect)and we would have a tote bag FULL of those tickets because my dad also got those free. My dad would often walk around the park and people watch. He would see people that look like maybe they had to really budget and not buy the e ticket book....and he would go up to them and hand them handfuls of the books. The people would hug him and cry. It was great. We used to talk about that all the time. I also remember when Knotts had the Merry Go Round and the donkeys that you could go play on with out going into the park. My gosh I am starting to feel my age! thanks for letting me share!

- jamie

By: Anonymous, 3 Apr. 2002

HERD OF 72 BUFFALOES ARRIVES TO ROAM NEWPORT BEACH RANCH This community now provides a home for the buffalo to roam. A heard of 72 arrived over the weekend to take up occupancy on the Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch, a mile north of Coast Hwy. on the east side of MacArthur Blvd. The buffalo ranch, comprising 115 acres, has been leased by Gene Clark from the Irvine Co. He's put in a blacktopped winding road through the grazing range for benefit of visitors. The herd was trucked in here from Independence, Kan. The unloading was witnessed by hundreds of persons. The largest buffalo, a 2,7000 pound bull, lost its footing on the ramp leading from his truck into the fenced pasture and somersaulted into his new home. The herd includes two Brahmalos. Both are the crossbred products of a Brahma bull and buffalo. Clark also plans to bring four Indian families here from Kansas to add color to his promotion. The Indians will bone up on tribal dances and present them at frequent intervals for tourist enlightenment. They will live in teepees. But, contrary to other traditions, the Indians will not be permitted to hunt the buffalo. 1955 June 6. Southland Magazine.

- Anonymous

By: Anonymous, 3 Apr. 2002

Buffalo Ranch was located on McArthur on the way to Fashion Island. As the center developed and more businesses located in that area, the ranch was reduced in size. The rides and gift store were gone by the late 1960s, and by the late 1970s, the small ranch and few buffalo that were left, closed up shop and left. They were squeezed out by residential development from two sides. I remember the archway over the entrance off McArthur.

- Anonymous

By: Javier, 3 Apr 2002

For those of you want to know where the farm came from before its move to Buena Park visit Alligator Farm

- Javier

By: Denise (Amato) Showalter, 25 Mar 2002

I grew up in Anaheim. Went to Anaheim High, home of the Colonists. Our football team were CIF champs. My class shared grad night with rival Western High in 1960! Go Colonists! My family owned Wisser Sporting Goods.Shopping was local, Kress, SQR,5 points had a soda fountain and was one of the after school hang-outs.Fox theater had decent movies. Those were the days! Norma.

- Denise (Amato) Showalter

By: Margie Dunnick Klecker, 24 Mar 2002

I lived in San Bernardino in the 60'S. My husband to be, loved to surf. We would drive thru the canyon lined with eucalyptus and around the mountains to the Costa Mesa /Newport area. All you could see were orange groves and an airport hanger to the south by what is now hwy 55. It was pristine and everyone wanted to live there. Unfortunately, or seems now they do!! I also remember when the Newporter Inn was first built. It was out in the middle of nowhere. It makes my heart sad to go to the area now. It has changed so much and has become so generic.

- Margie Dunnick Klecker

By: Norma, 17 Mar 2002

I grew up in Anaheim. Went to Anaheim High, home of the Colonists. Our football team were CIF champs. My class shared grad night with rival Western High in 1960! Go Colonists! My family owned Wisser Sporting Goods.Shopping was local, Kress, SQR,5 points had a soda fountain and was one of the after school hang-outs.Fox theater had decent movies. Those were the days! Norma.

- Norma

By: TOM RODRIGUEZ, 12 Mar 2002

ANYONE REMEMBER FINISHING YOUR GAME,RUNNING ACROSS THE STREET INTO THE ORANGE GROVE,AND EATING ORANGES RIGHT OFF THE TREES. of Fullerton!

- TOM RODRIGUEZ

By: John D.Baumgardner, 11 Mar 2002

I am not a native of Fullerton but stayed there in the spring of 1987 with a friend and was instantly taken with the charms of this fine community. I am a native of an affluent & leafy suburb of Cleveland, Ohio and being in Fullerton made me think of my roots back in the Cleveland area. The city is just beautiful with its broad, tree lined streets and the many beautiful homes found in many parts of the city. I was also impressed with the emphasis on preserving the history of the city while being progressive at the same time. The redevelopment of the downtown area is both refreshing and should be an inspiration to other communities in the Los Angeles area - too often "history" is removed in favor of more modern structures composed of glass and offering very little in "character" and architectural detail. I fondly recall the "Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Hillcrest Park, The Fox Fullerton Theatre and so many other superlatives that can only enhance living in the city of Fullerton! Be Proud of Fullerton!

- John D.Baumgardner

By: J. Russell, 6 Mar 2002

Does anyone remember a BIG slide somewhere in Santa Ana about 30 years ago? I can't remember what street it was on, but I do remember how much fun it was.

- J. Russell

By: Jennifer Crawford, 5 Mar 2002

I was born in OC in '69. I can remember the time when there were no enclosed malls in OC... there were only the outdoor "Fashion Squares": Santa Ana (now, Main Place), Newport Beach (still there!), & La Habra (now a strip mall). I remember later how the newly-built Brea Mall attracted the attention of the younger crowd with its really cool ice rink! > > Knott's had a free jungle & play area on the east side of Beach Blvd, including a big blue slide. Main Street (the shopping area) was still free at Disneyland, & you bought ticketbooks if you went in the park. Who in my age group can forget the "Adventures Through Inner Space" ride... it ranked a zero in ride merit, but a 10 in make-out merit during those junior high years!! > > Since I was born in Fullerton, most of my memories are centered there... > > For example, who can forget the fabulous live nativity scenes that the huge, 12-child Johnston family used to put on every Christmas in their front yard on Brookdale Place in Fullerton ??!! It was awesome! Mr. & Mrs. Johnston were Joseph & Mary... and every year they had a new baby Jesus! It was hilarious how the last baby Jesus had red hair, though! (baby Tim Johnston..now probably 25 years old!) > > When I was very young, we used to take my Dad to the Fullerton airport when Goldenwest Airlines still operated commuter flights from there. Also, back then Orange County airport (before the big rennovation) still loaded passengers from the tarmac, & had a noisy upstairs coffee shop that everybody hung out in & loved! > > I remember the last movie I ever watched at the venerable Fox Theatre in downtown Fullerton.. I think it was in 1987... but I can't figure out why someone hasn't swept up that wonderful place and reopened it! > > I remember when the aging-but-hip Melody Inn in Fullerton burned down.... (under dubious circumstances!)... but the best moment ever was about 2 years ago when I had dinner at Hidalgo, located in Fullerton's Villa del Sol (where we as kids used to climb up to the roof area & run around like crazy), which was formerly the Hotel California... anyway, the proprietor of this restaurant is Mickey (ummm, Michael, that is) Oates & his parents.. Mickey & I were kindergarten & grade school classmates & neighbors..... at dinner I also ran into other early grade school close friends, & heard news of friends & teachers I hadn't seen in over 20 years! It was a memorable experience to say the least...I think native Fullertonians never really leave forever! > > It's a great county, & regardless of how far I venture abroad (North Africa, Hong Kong, Europe, etc).... I always love coming back!

- Jennifer Crawford

By: J. Russell, 4 Mar 2002

Oh my gosh! I haven't thought about Ed Tunks Country Store in so many years. I remember when I was little, my mother would take us there to buy fruit. They had the best cherries!! And my sister and I loved to run in the sawdust. Thanks for the memory.

- J. Russell

By: Rocky Allen, 2 Mar 2002

Does anyone remember a bear that was in a cage at or near a golf driving range? It was located on Harbor Blvd. just north of Warner. I remember that you could buy a coke out of a machine and put it on the end of a stick and hand it to the bear and he would drink it. It had to be in the early 60's.

- Rocky Allen

By: J.L. Hansen, 28 Feb 2002

About 1945 my grandparents opened Hansen's Soda Fountain and Cafe a brick sided building on the corner of Ocean Frount Blvd in Newport Beach. One visitor was movie star Ray Milland. There was an outdoor fish market below the Newport pier where the local fishermen sold their daily catch. Next to the cafe was The Shell Shop where such items as could be made with shells or coral were sold. Newport Beach was owned by the sea gulls in the winter and the sand was pearl white.

- J.L. Hansen

By: John G. Jungkeit, 27 Feb 2002

Does anyone remember that in 1957 Anaheim played football at the Rose Bowl. Can anyone imagine 45,000 fans showing up to see a high school foot ball game? It happened when the population was a lot smaller than now! Claire Van Horbeck was one of the best high school foot ball coaches ever.

- John G. Jungkeit

By: John G. Jungkeit, 24 Feb 2002

Anyone remember Meryls Drive in? It was the hang out for every one in the late 40s and 50s. Carhops in short skirts, taking orders on rollerskates, placing the tray on the "roll down" window edge. All the hot rods would show up there along with the real custom chopped, channeled, frenched, lowered, decked, molded and door handless rods. You know where it was? Macarthur and PCH, NE corner. Now there is a new restuarant there, a new kind of hangout, but somehow, Meryls was better.

- John G. Jungkeit

By: John G. Jungkeit, 24 Feb 2002

How about the 2nd largest parade in the United States, and the only nite time float parade. 2nd only to the Rose Parade. Those events are amongst those most forgotten and most cherished. Monty Montana....all the other celebs, now gone..From beautiful floats to funny cars to horse and marching bands. One time, the "STREET SWEEPERS" car club, went to the junk yard and bought junk cars, repaired them, made them run, and then welded battering rams and guard rails on those cars and patroled the streets looking for comparably equiped vehicles to run into (on purpose). The cars would come limping back to AUHS auto shop, smoking and steaming from the radiator....no matter, soon the car was repaired and back on patrol. It seemed that Anaheim PD looked the other way for a couple of days, then Halloween was over and the jalopy derby was over. No one was hurt and no one made a big deal over it.

- John G. Jungkeit

By: Ron Kimzey, 23 Feb 2002

Hi There I use to see Buddy Ebsen a lot at Knott's Berry Farm when he was dating Dorthy Knott. He always liked to ride the stagecoach. I really liked him when he and Fess Parker was in Davy Crockett together.Buddy was also Jet Clampett .He is 94 years old and still is married to Dorthy and living in Orange County. Fess Parker is living near Santa Barbara.I always go to Knott's in November because I am a veteran and I get in free which is really nice. Too bad Disneyland does not have a special thing for veterans day to get in free. Glad to be able to go to Orange County's first Park.

- Ron Kimzey

By: Debra Rankin, 23 Feb 2002

As I look back growing up in Orange county, I remember the weather was sooo wonderful! We would ride our bikes all over town in the warm sun, and cool starry nights. My favorite was going to the beach building a bon fire, licking the salt off my lips and watching the ocean.

- Debra Rankin

By: Tim Holmes, 8 Feb 2002

Was a kid growing up in Huntington Beach, I used to really enjoy the drive through Lion Country Safari Park located down in Irvine. Seeing wild animals from the window of my mom's car was quite a thrill! Frazier the lion was always my favorite and it was really sad to see him pass away from old age in the early 1970's. I believe the Irvine Amphitheater is now located where Lion Country Safari once stood.

- Tim Holmes

By: D.Canchola, 7 Feb 2002

There hasn't been another amusement park since that can compare to Japanese Village. It seemed like back then that Knott's Berry would have bought out the the struggling Japanese Village Park and kept it operating and restructured it's finances since at the time Knott's sure wasn't hurting for business. But they just let Japanese Village sink and the only people interested in buying it were developers who just wanted to turn it into an Industrial and Business park. I'll always miss Japanese Village there will never be another park like it to replace it.

- D.Canchola

By: Bruce Tovar, 30 Jan 2002

When I was a kid, there wasn't a South Coast Plaza. All major shopping(school clothes) was done in downtown S.A. There was a Vandermast, Penney's, Woolworth's. The Hawaiin Night Club another writer referred to was Kona Hawaii on Harbor and 5th. They had a great show with flame and hula dancers. It was a bit expensive at about $5 to $8 a plate. Lots of orange groves, everywhere dotted with strawberry fields.The "blimp base", sonic booms, Knott's, the Buffalo Ranch, the trained bear ranch, and the monkeys at Prentice Park are among my other memories.

- Bruce Tovar

By: Bruce Tovar, 30 Jan 2002

I worked there in the early 1970's doing karate/samurai demo's. It was great fun! The reason it closed was purely financial. I remember being sent out in a gi (karate uniform) with "Fuji Folk" for promotions at malls and schools. Most of the deer were destroyed but not because of illness. It was do to lack of placement options. What a great place it was!

- Bruce Tovar

By: R. Lamb, 29 Jan 2002

In the mid-1950s, my friends and I used to ride our bicycles through the orange groves near the Euclid/Ball intersection. We would pick oranges and eat them while looking for one of the peacocks who also lived there. Occasionally, we would find a feather, which was a real treasure. Disneyland had just been built, and I think we could see the Matterhorn mountain from there. We lived on Neptune St. and it was so quiet that we could hear the phone rang at the other three homes on the block. At that time, the area was not even in the city of Anaheim but considered county land. It was definitely rural...........and quite nice.

- R. Lamb

By: Ron Kimzey, 26 Jan 2002

I was born in Anaheim and lived at 915 Broadway while my Dad worked at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach. I had fun watching Beach Blanket Bingo at Fox walk in theater then going to to Chung King restuarant. I would buy bicycles at Wisser's Sporting Goods store and knew part of the Family, Norma Harvey she was one of my first childhood friends. I went to Anaheim Feed and Fuel to get pet supplies. We had Hatfield Cleaners.Their son Bobby Hatfield became a famous singer.I went on bicycle all over Anaheim when in junior high . I mowed lawns around town instead of paper route. I saved enough money to buy my first car. I was the 10th person to buy a brand new 1964 Chevelle Malibu in Orange County. I am retired now and feel bad not to be able to walk along downtown Anaheim as it was and relive my past. I knew Tex Middleton that worked at Shipkey and Peason tire store. So far the Pearson City Park is the only place I can get that old childhood feelng . I still live in Orange County. DCNINER02@ol.com is my e-mail. I worked on the 8th DC-9 to be built in Ca. Anaheim has a very good web page www.anaheimcolony.com Nice Memories I have read on this web page. Thank you for having it. ~ Ron Kimzey ~ age 57 years old 01-31-1945

- Ron Kimzey

By: Anonymous, 24 Jan.2002

The City has sold out! More condos. Tear down everything old and put up generic crap! Remember Papa Joe's? The Cukoos' Nest? Huh?!? Roll!

- Anonymous

By: Kristan Parrott, 24 Jan.2002

I remember S.C.P. when it was a Sears store in the middle of bean and strawberry fields. I also remember The Zoo restaurant at the corner of MacArthur and Jamboree, and the guy in the ape suit on the corner to advertise. I also remember going to the Japanese deer park and also taking hula lessons at a Huge Hawaiian restaurant on Harbor in either Garden gove or Anaheim, but I can't remember the name. I also remember whem South Coast Repitory Theatre was on Harbor in Costa Mesa In a tiny, tiny space. I think a Condom Revolution is there now. There is so much I remember, as I am a native, born in 1959 at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Orange.(!!)bu too much to put here...... alas!

- Kristan Parrott

By: John Nemeth, 15 Jan 2002

What a great place if you were a herpatologist. They had almost every species of crocadile, many rare species that are seldom seen. The place was always deserted, not well known as a popular tourist attraction. They did snake shows with cobras.

- John Nemeth

By: Norton Hatfield, 14 Jan 2002

Ever year the water had to be changed at the Anaheim City Park [now Pearson Park]. This was a big event because many people dumped all kinds of stuff in the ponds. My dad worked there so I always knew when it was going to happen. There was the usual tubs for the goldfish and then the other stuff blue gill carp thanks to Yorba Lake [Atwood] there used to be thousands of crawdads there but nobody bothered with them. The bullfrogs took off and would come back after the water was refilled. Some nights there were so many baby frogs on the ground you couldn't take a step without crushing one. There used to be a place called the teen canteen it was on the second story a little bit east of Swanburgers. It was a place for teenagers to dance during WWII. We used to leave there and go to the City Park. Catch a frog rip off his leg and tie it onto a thin and long piece of New Zealand flaks. Then dangled it in the water until a crawdad grapped a hold then slowly bring it out of the water after! This it was easy because the best bait was a crawdad tail. Many other stories to tell later. Photos?

- Norton Hatfield

By: Rip Rense, 13 Jan. 2002

My father used to take me to The Buffalo Ranch in the 1950s. I don't recall too much, except an Indian trading post-type store, a few buffalo,and a ride for kiddies consisting of miniature tractors. I'm curious how long The Buffalo Ranch was there, because I recently saw a Buster Keaton movie from 1924, "Sherlock Jr.," which was shot around Newport and adjoining environs and features one shot with a sign reading "Buffalo Ranch."

- Rip Rense

By: Kristine, 11 Jan 2002

Why did they close the school and then tear it down? I remember going to that school in 7th grade. It was the last year they were opened. I never knew why. I haven't lived there in over 20 years, but I remember the Fox Theater! I used to catch frogs and polywogs there. It was so fun growing up there!

- Kristine

By: James Hazard, 10 Jan 2002

I remember when the only road to San Clemente and points south was the Coast highway. There was no Interstate 5.It took a long time to drive from Santa Ana to Del Mar for the horse races about 2 hours as I recall.But it was a wonderful drive. If you were lucky you might see a tank in operation as you passed Camp Pendleton.I recall there was a cafe in San Clemente where everyone used to stop to eat. It was the last chance until Oceanside.Things are much faster now.But I'd have to say life was more fun then.This would have been around the early 1950's

- James Hazard

By: Glenda Jackson, 1 Jan 2001

I lived in Anaheim in the 1960s. Disneyland was not far from our house on Norma Lane...maybe 1 mile. I went to school at Katella Grammar School and remember the old brick building (original building) that was used for the kindergartners. I have 2 old school bricks from Katella that they sold when they tore the school down.On West Avenue it was all orange orchards and when we walked home we would sometimes go across the street to the orchards. I went to Ball Jr. High (is it still there?) for one year and then we moved to Saugus (just dirt back then).

- Glenda Jackson

By: Norton Hatfield, 1 Jan 2001

They used to have a gourd farm in Buena Park. The second grade class from Orangethorpe school visited it 1940. Our teacher was Mrs. Rainey. We used to go out under the pepper trees and put our hands over our ears and open our mouths to guard against percussion bombs. My grandfather 1890 and father 1915 also went there.

- Nortn Hatfield

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec 2001

I grew up in Anaheim and remember the old downtown very well. Seeing the old fox Theatre matinees and going to Pearson Park catching frogs! The tall palm trees my Grandfather planted along Lincoln are still there!

Believe it or not Old Anaheim was a real Mayberry\Rockwell type of town!

My grandparents Mary and George Wallace owned a large Orange Grove property known as the Wallace ranch off Lincoln down the road from Knott's Berry Farm. The property is now a golf course!

My grandparents knew the Knott's family according to my old aunt long ago (She made better knott's chicken than the restaurant!) My family was one of the first to settle in OC after the Civil War.

It's sad to see what over population has done to OC. The hills have been shaved down for houses, more malls and all the freeways:( Thanks for the memories, but happy in beautiful Ventura! MW

- Mark Wallace

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec. 2001

Remember the Alligator Farm across the street from Knott's? This was such a great creepy place that had been there forever. Full of giant alligators, croc's and tortoises, snakes and lizards. I still have dreams about this place eventhough it was torn down years ago.

- Mark Wallace

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec.2001

I remember the deer park well! It was my fist exposure to foreign culture and was like traveling to a different world. Walter T. Foster art book publishers was near there also. I now live in Ventura and can't believe what's become of OC! It's really a mess.

- Mark Wallace

By: David Moore, 29 Dec.2001

Whenever Grandma and Grandpa visited from Utah, they'd want to see the local sights. We kids would root for the pizzaz of Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm, which in kid mentality made Japanese Deer Park pale in comparison. But when we did go there, it wasn't boring. I remember an animal show with performing dophins, and a bear on a swing. Swear to God, a bear on a swing! That bear would get that swing going, until it was spinning all the way around in consecutive circles. We've got it on film. I still have a pack of miniature playing cards with the red and gold Japanese Deer Park logo on them, and recently found a matching shot glass in an antique store.

- David Moore

By: David Moore, 29 Dec.2001

Mid '60's Knott's was just the chicken restaurant, the Wagonmaster's show, the old West town, and FREE. My dad would take us into the general store, and tell us that we could have all the penny candy we could hold in one hand. We became masters of architecture, building structures of candy in our hands as high as we could make it go. He laughs at that story now, telling us that it still only cost him 25 or 30 cents per hand.

- David Moore

By: Mark Sudweeks, 28 Dec 2001

Mid '60's Knott's was just the chicken restaurant, the Wagonmaster's show, the old West town, and FREE. My dad would take us into the general store, and tell us that we could have all the penny candy we could hold in one hand. We became masters of architecture, building structures of candy in our hands as high as we could make it go. He laughs at that story now, telling us that it still only cost him 25 or 30 cents per hand.

- David Moore

By: Bob Miller, 27 Dec 2001

For some reason the Japanese Village just popped into my mind recently. I remember it as a very peaceful and clean place, so quiet and subdued compared to the flashy, noisy world we live in now. I would love to see some pictures of the place. It seems so very distant now, almost as though it was never really there.

- Bob Miller

By: EILEEN, 7 Dec 2001

I remember Ed Tunks also - I recall sawdust on the floor and real low prices on food. Sad to hear it is no longer there.

- EILEEN

By: Andrew Musselman, 29 Nov 2001

My friend scott Hollender and I used to pull a small boat up to the Ruben E Lee and have a meal. Great times!

- Andrew Musselman

By: David Vallandigham, 25 Nov 2001

My wife mentioned Feeding the deer by hand at Shasta Dam near Redding. That made me recall my grandmother taking me to Japenese Deer Park and how much I enjoyed feeding the deer around 1965. The Japanese lanterns hanging in the air were beautiful. Knowing my wife and I enjoyed the beauty of the animals at opposite ends of California was a nice thought to share with her - Dixie.

- David Vallandigham

By: David Canchola, 31 Oct 2001

I remember where Japanese Village and deer park was it was on Knott Ave Adjacent to the I-5 Freeway near the Nabisco warehouse in Buena Park I really Miss Japanese Village and deer Park it was an Unique Place I heard the reason they Closed was because they were losing money and not making it. I also miss Marineland of the Pacific they also Closed their doors too.

- David Canchola

By: Larry Himmel, 15 Oct 2001

I enjoyed going to the park in the late 1960's. Sometime in the early 1970's it was closed because the deer were said to be sick. According to news reports they were all destroyed. It re-opened for a short time in the mid 1970's. Instead of deer, the feeding area was stocked with goats. The goats were extremely aggressive to the point of knocking children down to get the food away from them. It's been a long time but it seems to me the overall quality of the park went down after the first closure. I don't think it was open more than a few months after that.

- Larry Himmel

By: fuji folk, 29 July 2001

Japanese Village and Deer Park was located on Knott Ave in Buena Park Calif. The reason why it closed because the park was losing money. Not because of the deer becoming sick. It could not compete against Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain.

- fuji folk

By: Steve Johnson, 19 Jun 2001

Cool. I heard somewhere that it closed due to a variety of reasons. One including poor treatment of animals. With all the visitors bringing in diseases, the deer got very sick, and the park did not give them proper treatment.

- Steve Johnson

By: Daniel S. Garcia, 16 Jun 2001

As a child my father took us to this park, we recently put our 8mm film to tape, and had some scenes from the park, I remember feeding the deers, and getting the feed from the dispensers, and the Koi ponds. What I don't remember is where the location of the park was, and why it was closed. We had such a good time there that summer, if any one remembers where the park was and why it closed please drop me a line, thank for letting me share my memories

- Daniel S. Garcia

By: Tom Coughran, 5 Aug 2001

My father, Samuel (Sam) (Sammy) Coughran owned the property where Knott's Berry Farm (known then as Knott's Berry Place) is located. He sold the property to Walter and Cordellia Knott. Walter told Dad that he would pay him $1,500 for the land (I don't remember if that was per acre or for the whole parcel). Dad told him, "Walter, you know it isn't worth any more than $1,000." Walter told him he couldn't pay him cash, so Dad told him, "In that case, I guess it's worth $1,500." My Mom (Florence Margaret Inskeep) married my Dad in 1941. Dad still lived in the two story house that was later used by the Knotts as offices. The house is/was located just south of the Chicken Restaurant and north of the one stall firehouse. My Mom was a waitress at the Chicken Restaurant in its early days. On the East side of the property, along what is now Beach Blvd., where the original entrance was located, there is or at least was, a row of Eucalyptus trees. Dad planted those trees in 1918 or thererabouts. He told us that the first tree north of the entrance has an "unnatural" fork in it. He said he had been plowing the field and tied the plowhorse to the young tree while he ate his lunch. The horse must have been humgry as well as it ate the top out of the tree, thus, the fork. My Dad's sister, Alma, owned the property from the south side of Dad's property to the cross street to the south (Crescent?). I believe she owned it even before she married Elbert Carpenter, but not sure. She was three or four years older than Dad.

- Tom Coughran

By: Jerry Parker, 12 July 2001

In 1967 I was a buss-boy at the Ruben E. Lee, for a short time. It was quite a boat. When the Newport Beach Fire Boat zoomed past, the whole restaurant would rock and sway. I never saw any plates slide off tables, but the patrons would stare intently at their coffee or water glasses.

- Jerry Parker

By: Steve Johnson, 12 Sep 2000

In August of 1989, I went to work for Midwood Community Hospital in Stanton, on Katella avenue, just off the intersection with Beach Blvd. It was probably one of the worst places I've worked at.

I worked as a bill collector in the business office. The office was located in the old City Hall building situated in front of the hospital. Both the accounts receivables and payables were handled there, as well payroll and personnel. It was a time of despair. The hospital had just hired a new business manager to aggressively improve collections. The manager hired me and a friend of mine from another hospital to help implement his new policies.

The office had about 10-15 employees who worked in receivables. They were all long-timers, ranging from 5 years to 20 years of service to Midwood, and back when it used to be "Stanton Community Hospital". These folks were set in their ways. They were good, loyal people, but were set in their ways. They told me stories of how administration was always run poorly (at least as they knew it), and always losing money.

At one time, 60 Minutes did an investigation over the hospital deliberately pocketing the employees' income tax deductions. While I was there, employees complained that they lost health insurance coverage. Rumor had it that the hospital was pocketing the insurance premiums too. The hospital even played games where they would change employee payroll dates to buy themselves a few more days between checks.

Midwood had a reputation as being a dumping ground for indigent patients. When other hospitals received patients with no insurance, and no money, they advised them to go to Midwood. We were not a fancy facility. The hospital looked old, and in bad need of a face-lift. But when I came there, employees tended to be in high spirits. Getting kicked in the butt by your employer was something to be expected at Midwood, like the Missouri River flooding your home each year. People just tolerated it. Around Spring of 1990, in an attempt to cut losses, the hospital closed up its emergency room. Some people lost their jobs.

The hospital always had difficultly getting doctors to admit their patients. Most doctors admitted their patients to Martin Luther or Anaheim Memorial. If their patients had no coverage, or were on Medi-Cal, they admitted them at Midwood. Our rates were cheaper. The problem with most of these patients is that they still could not pay. Medi-Cal paid very low reimbursement rates, and you could never get the recipients to pay their cost-share. Most of the patient accounts were assigned to collection agencies.

The owner of Midwood was also a stakeholder in Mission Medical Center and Fountain Valley Regional, both of which were important, thriving facilities. The word I got from other employees was that the owner bought Midwood as a gift to his wife. It seemed we were just a toy that lost its fancy.

There were also employees who slept with other employees. And when they grew tired of each other, they slept with yet other employees. Eventually, all those who participated had slept with each other at some time. We frequently had happy hour parties at the Reubens on Valley View in Cypress, or the Pierce Street Annex in Costa Mesa. That usually set up the sex that was to occur later on in the night. One guy invited his friend over. The friend was asked to drive home a female employee who had too much to drink. The next day, amazed to learn how easy it was to get sex, he reported to some of us that in her drunker stupor, she "pleaded" to perform oral sex on him in the car. Word spread around the hospital, and she laid low for several days following.

Around February of 1990, Midwood began a policy of terminating employees, and then rehiring them on a contract basis. They could pay people a higher rate, and actually save money by not having to provide benefits. A lot of people liked that, but some of them had difficulty getting paid.

In March, the hospital converted itself from an acute care facility to a psychiatric facility. At the same time, it laid off probably 70% of its staff. They even got rid of their volunteers! I remember walking down the nursing floors and finding no one. It was only a few months earlier I recalled seeing nurses and patients. But now, nothing. We vacated the old City Hall building, and set up office in one of the patient rooms. The entire receivables staff was reduced to myself, the sole collector, one other guy who did the billing, and one other guy who managed the files. Our boss, set up his office in another patient room.

The hospital had converted one of its wings into its psychiatric center. They tried hard to get doctors to join with us, and admit their patients here. My boss had once told me that we struck a deal with the sheriff's office next door to place the drunks and drug addicts they pulled off the street with us. We admitted them in like regular patients, and were able to show doctors that we had real patients. Of course, I had the responsibility of trying to extract money from these derelicts. Nothing doing. Once they were released, they were never to be seen.

In May of 1990, as the sole bill collector, I could see that little money was making its way into the hospital. I didn't see Midwood surviving much longer. I started looking for a new job, and found one that month. Now and then I still drive past the building. Another psychiatric facility had bought Midwood, but it failed to survive as well. I can remember seeing the photographs of the original Stanton Community Hospital hanging in the lobby. There were photos of opening day ceremonies, and a ribbon cutting. At that time, the new hospital was the pride of Stanton. It meant that Stanton was growing up. I wonder who kept those photos?

- Steve Johnson

By: Shirley Azvedo, 6 Aug 2001

I came to Orange County in 1963 and there was an Ed Tunk's Country Store on the corner of Westminster and Magnolia. There is a strip mall there now.

- Shirley Azvedo

By: Jerry Parker, 12 July 2001

In the mid-60's I recall Ed Tunks Country Store in Westminster or Seal Beach. I remember the location as bieng Golden West and Westminster. I could be wrong. On weekends, KEZY from Anaheim would broadcast from the store. As I was interested in radio then, I would hang around and watch the DJ play records and do his radio thing. Bythe way, KEZY was the Anaheim radio station "With studios and offices in the Disneyland hotel." Their studio was on the ground floor of the Disneyland Hotel, in the old building where the monorail station is, across from the drug/camera/card store where I worked in 1968.

- Jerry Parker

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