Enchanted Village

Enchanted Village was a theme park located in Buena Park, built on the former site of Japanese Village and Deer Park.

I don't have much information about Enchanted Village, when it exactly started, and when it closed. It all ran in the early 1980's. It had a "tiki" theme to it, and offered only a couple of rides. Our family never went there.

One of its claims to fame was that it was the home of Oliver, a normal, healthy chimpanzee that walked only on its two feet, as opposed to alternating back and forth with its fists. Oliver also had a face that looked like a cross between a human being and chimpanzee.

Chase Maxwell, who previously submitted the brochure of Arnold's Farmhouse to us, submits some scanned copies of Enchanted Village paraphernalia. Thanks Chase!

Click on each image below to see the full sized images.









Do you have any memories of visiting Enchanted Village? Maybe you used to work there? Please share with us what you know; click on "Post a Comment" below.

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Memories of Gary Zaremba

Gary Zaremba, another OCThen.com visitor, shares his many memories of growing up in Orange County. Among them, the El Toro Marine Base, Cook's Corner, the Hells Angels, and the schools he went to...

Thanks for this web site, Steve! I wasn't born here but my family and I arrived in Orange County in the summer of 1958 when I was almost 7. There were orange groves and eucalyptus trees everywhere and most cities were "islands" between one orange grove or ranch to another. My dad was stationed at El Toro Marine base, becoming the Manager of the Staff NCO club. He used to book entertainment acts for Friday and Saturday nights. I remember my dad getting us a signed copy of a photo from Tex Ritter (John Ritter's dad) after he performed there one night.

We even lived in the military housing on base for a couple of years while I attended 4th and 5th grades. Stanley Cook, the son of the owner of "Cook's Corner" was the pitcher on our little league team. Another pitcher, Dan Peavey, was such a baseball fanatic (he had the best collection of baseball trading cards that I ever saw), that he impressed Joe Dimagio enough that he came to visit us at the El Toro Elementary School in 1962. Our team even took a photo with him that was blown up and mounted in our school cafeteria. I wish I knew what happened to it.

The smog was much worse and the traffic was about the same as it is today. I remember hardly being able to breathe from all of the "yellow" air that passed through our lungs all day while attending school. On summer weekends, we used to go to "Tin Can Beach" - where Bolsa Chica Beach is today. The beach got its name from all of the rusted tin cans that lined the road. We had to walk through thin, sandy lanes that were formed by foot traffic in order to get to the beach. Of course, this was in the days of pop tops, so you really had to watch out where you walked or you'd get one stuck in your feet.

We moved around a lot in those days, living in Orange (near the Circle), Tustin and then El Toro before finally moving to Santa Ana. I remember going to Hart Park a lot while I lived in Orange. There was a hobo used to ride the rails and who lived in the park in the winter months. He "borrowed" wood from a lumberyard that was nearby to fashion his makeshift shack. My friends and I would talk to him about his travels while he cooked his food out of tin cans. Sometimes he would feed the park squirrels and rabbits. I can't imagine my son doing something like that today.

When we moved to Santa Ana, I attended John Adams Elementary, McFadden Jr. High (first graduating class) and Santa Ana Valley High. In my Jr. year, they opened Saddleback High and about 1/2 of the students were transferred to that school becoming the first graduates.

While I was at Valley, Martin Luther King was killed and we had riots on Greenville with cars being burned right near our school.

Special places and people that I remember in Orange County in those days included the Pier at Newport Beach (where I spent many a time after cutting classes at school), Lars the "Greeter" in Laguna and the hippie shacks (where I stayed with friends) above the old bookstore, "Farenheit 451", crashing beach parties along the boardwalk in Newport on summer nights, the "Nutburger" restaurant on Fairview and Warner in Santa Ana, "The Zoo" drive in restaurant at the corner of MacArthur and PCH where the waitresses served you fast food on rollerskates, the long winding, country road from El Toro all the way to Cooks Corner, Lion Country Safari and "Bubbles" the hippopotamus who escaped and submerged in one of the ponds on Laguna Canyon Road.

How may people remember Victor Hugo's restaurant in Laguna before it became Las Brisas? How many people remember the "head shops" in Laguna where meditation and pot smoking were common events? How about the Hara Krishnas who used to dance and play tamborines on the main streets in Laguna? How about the annual events when the Hell's Angels would ride into Newport and park hundreds of their choppers effectively blocking off Newport and Balboa Blvds. near the pier? I remember the police securing many "paddy wagons" just for this occasion. Eventually, the Hell's Angels didn't return but it was exciting while they were there.

Does anyone remember the town that disappeared between Placentia and Anaheim along the railroad tracks - ATWOOD? My grandfather had a used furniture store there. How about the Tustin Marine LTA (lighter than air) base with the very large blimps that were housed in the blimp hangers before they were replaced by helicopters?

I attended several pop festivals and especially remember the Newport Pop Festival at the O.C. Fairgrounds where Country Joe & The Fish and Jefferson Airplane played. I also went to another 3 day festival at Devonshire Downs in San Fernando Valley (you name the 60's rock group, they were all there!) and one in Palm Springs during the summer of 1968 that became an all out riot with police helicopters dropping tear gas on the crowd. In fact, a curfew was established for several years after that where minors had to be accompanied by adults to enter into Palm Springs.

Well, that's about enough to cover for now. Maybe I'll add some other things when I remember them.

Thanks Gary!

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Arnold's Farm House

One of the famous landmarks in Orange County was Arnold's Farm House, a buffet-style restaurant in Buena Park, on the corner of Stanton and Manchester, just a block from Knott's Berry Farm.

I was started in 1956, supposedly from an old farm house that had been standing there since the early 1900's. It was a landmark because of the huge neon windmill drawing in families tired from a day at Knott's.

The family that owned Arnold's Farm House, also owned The Buttery, another restaurant on the other side of Stanton, but a traditional, up-scale place.

The restaurant finally gave way to the wrecking ball in 1988, and is now the home to a car dealership.

A guy named Chase Maxwell has an brochure from Arnold's Farm House dated 1981. He scanned it and send it in to us.

Click on the images below to see the full size...





Thanks Chase for these images!

Do you remember anything about Arnold's Farm House? Care to share some memories? Click on "Post a comment" below, and share it with us.

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Osterkamp Family of Santa Ana

Dorothy Uranich, formerly Dorothy Osterkamp, writes about her memories of growing up in Santa Ana, going as far back as the 1920's.

She writes this after having read Mark's memories of Santa Ana and Garden Grove...

Dear Steve,

I don't have to go far to conger up old memories for I am alive and well and still living in Orange county. I was born on July 6, 1925 in Valley Hospital (Community Hospital), Santa Ana, California the 4th child of 10 to Anna and Tony Osterkamp. My parents were Dutch immigrants who owned and operated their dairy for 40 years on Harbor and Heil in what is now Fountain Valley. In 1961 they were advised, due to urban pressure, to relocate the dairy to Corona, CA.

While my husband was in the Air Force, I lived in many states and as many countries, but I always knew that Orange County was home and that was where I would eventually live again. The death of my husband in 1957 did bring me back and five of my six children and most of my siblings still reside here.

I loved the comments that you made about the names of the different streets. I remember them well, mainly because those were the streets we traveled on in my childhood. I learned to drive by steering the truck in the alfalfa fields, and my brothers and I got our driver's license's at age 14.( This was possible if you lived out in the country. Don't forget, we're talking about 1925 and beyond) Every Saturday, my mother and dad would make the trip into "town" and do their substantial grocery shopping at Joe's Market on First and Broadway in Santa Ana and if we ran out of something during the week,we could replenish the item at Red's Market on the corner of First and Harbor. Remember the noisy turkey farm on Smeltzer and Harbor? In order to cross the river on Edinger we drove through the "dip". There no bridge yet.

I started school at the Balsa Elementary School, and started second grade at St Joseph School in Santa Ana. Newhope School had not been built yet. The Martin's, Eddie and Johnny (of Orange County Airport fame) were our Neighbors on Heil Ave. and their parents lived on Newhope where they owned an orange grove. Oh yes, there were many orange groves in Orange county then! I remember especially how they used smudge pots which emanated foul warm air to save the orange trees during the frosty days in winter. My brothers and sisters and a few cousins rode our bikes to St Joseph School every morning and on those frosty mornings we would come to school with gray smudge all around our nostrils. We were called, " The Osterkamp Brigade."

The Drive-in Theater on Harbor Blvd. came and went to make room for a strip mall. The old West Coast and the Broadway in Santa Ana were the only theaters in the area in the Forties and Fifties and the drive-in restaurants were a favorite "hangout" for teens.

We had a devastating earthquake in 1933. It came with a jolt and knocked my sister, Mary, and I to the ground. Our house, except for the chimney, was not damaged, but we slept outside around a fire for three days because the after shocks were rather unnerving. I had never experienced an earthquake before and it was very frightening for an eight year old.

After my husband, Maj. Leonard Conkle's death in 1957, I remarried and lived the civilian life in Fountain Valley for 43 years right next to the 9 hole golf course that Mark mentioned. He mentioned Don Wash. My husband, Ed Uranich, taught at Garden Grove High when Don was superintendent. Don died in a dune buggy accident in the desert while he was still in office.

I am now widow again living in Costa Mesa, CA and would not live anywhere else. I travel to Orlando, several times a year to visit friends so we have a common bond, Steve.

Thank you for writing about our little corner of the world.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Uranich

If you'd like to get your memories published on OCThen, type them out in an e-mail, attach a photo or two if you'd like, and send it to us. Visit our Contact Page for our e-mail address.

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A Kid Growing Up in Santa Ana & Garden Grove

Mark, a teacher in Orlando, FL, grew up in Orange County, and shares his memories of what it was like in the 50's and 60's...

Steve, thanks for your project. I was born in Orange County in 1951 and lived there until I went to College. My memories of farmland, fields, open spaces in Orange County are hard to find these days. I moved from Orange County to live in downtown Seattle what a thrill. Today with my family we lived in Orlando Florida domninated by the Mouse. Can't hear the trail whistle like I did when I was young but it is here in Florida as well.

When I was born, St. Joseph's in Orange, my parents brought me back to a new house built off of Bolsa (1st avenue) between Newhope and Magnolia (then called Cannery). I believe this was one of the first"developments" that was to become many in Orange County. We eventually lived on Lucky Way off of Andes place, not to be confused with the "new" West Lucky Way. It was there where I went to Newhope Elementary school. An interesting note is that our janitor was Mr Wash who son Don Wash eventually became the Superintendent of schools for Garden Grove. By the way a huge man who had played professional football, he was my principal at the new Jr. High down the street Stephen R. Fitz, not really sure who Stephen R was but they named a school after him.

Growing up it was not unusual to bike to the beach, in those days we would bike down Newhope until you hit the Santa Ana River and then follow the river down to the jetty. Had to climb over a fence or two and eventually the fences got higher and higher. The names of those streets were not the same. McFadden was Sugar... Magnolia was Cannery, Ediger was Smeltzer,and eventually when you got to the beach you were at Brookhurst and 1 or 101. It was not unusual to ride into Santa Ana to watch the trains, bowl or golf. There was a 9 hole course 3 par that might have been part of Willowick that rented clubs and seemed to like kids.

One of the big thrills of 1962 or 63 was the onsite filming of the Television show Route 66 with Marvin Milner and George Maharis. I heard about it from some friends and rode my bike. Just like you see in the movies, no one paid much attention to the kids and I got up to the area where dialogue was being spoken. One of the hands gave me a cold 7-up seeing how hot I was. Even the Corvette was there. Martin Milner ended up as Adam 12. George Maharis was the Rock Hudson of early TV fame, good looking and every womans dream until it was discovered he preferred the company of men.

My father owned the Surplus Store on Garden Grove Blvd across from the Garden Grove Theatre. It was a business that developed out of WWII and the supplies of the Korean war. I grew up working there selling foam rubber, camping equiptment and Levi's. I guess the least expensive pair I can remember is the 401's selling for $2.98. Today that building is the home of a Korean Buffett. Across the street in the same center as the Grove Theatre was my favorite restaurant Zestos. I can smell the burgers cooking from Zestos this very second with onions, melted cheese, double burgers, bbq sauce and the sausages that the owners father would make. They were light years ahead when it came to shakes and malts. You could get a banana chocolate walnut malt.....fact is he had 30 or more ingredients to put into one of these masterpieces. Several of my addictions, one being a love of onion rings has its base in the deep fryer of Zestos.

Was going to list a number of places I remember.

Calva Dairy-owned by our neighbors the Hunts who had come to California as a family from Virginia. They donated the land for the Little League field that was on Bolsa between Harbor and Euclid.

Red Ranch Market at Harbor and Bolsa.
Across the street was another market my mother liked that was not an open market. She always mentioned the flies.

Gem Theatre-went there on my first girlfriend whirl with Kathy Whitehead. Kathy's sister I believed married the famous Santiago hurler Bert Blyleven.

My folks would get all dressed up and go to the restaurant on Garden Grove Blvd...Knights Table I believe.

Cake Box Bakery...I tell my famous story about how I discovered money at the Cake Box.

In the same center, in the 50's, was the kiddie park with rides for the little ones. Hang Hong....I think was the name that was our family choice for Chinese food. The BBQ restarant that always smelled sooooo.....good.

Well I could go on and on......that is why I have one of these blogs myself....til later be well.

If you like to hear more about Mark's thoughts on life, visit his blog.

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Wham-O Superball Disaster

An OCThen reader submitted the following comment to our About Us page, wondering if anyone had more information to provide...

hey, i was wondering if anyone in the fullerton area remembers something that DID wind up in the register around 1987 or 88.. apparently wham-o had stored maybe MILLIONS of superballs in a warehouse by the train tracks near commonwealth.. somehow they wound up all over the place.. there was like a lot 2-3 feet deep with them.. i still have a few left, but i used to have a few hundred.. for weeks you'd see guys with boxes full of them at the la mirada swapmeet.. man.. i sure wish someone else remembered that....

I never heard about this! But it intrigued me so much, that I posted it here for your consideration.

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Photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park

Yesterday, Justin Allen, a visitor to this website, sent us several photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park taken in April of 1970. We've published them below.

These photos are actually from 35mm slides he purchased from a man in Arkansas. This man used to work as a police officer in California during the 1960's.

Justin was able to hold the slides up to a light and take a digital image of each one, and sent them here for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks Justin!



















































Read more about people's memories of Japanese Village and Deer Park.

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1972 United California Bank Robbery, Laguna Niguel

Did you know the largest bank robbery in the United States took place in Orange County?

In 1972, Phil Christopher robbed United California Bank, located in the Monarch Bay Shopping Center in Laguna Niguel, right off Pacific Coast Highway, and made off with $30 million.

The bank is still in operation today, though now operating as Bank of the West.

A new book, entitled, "Superthief", has been published accounting Christopher's firsthand account of the heist. It was written by Rick Porrello, who hosts the website American Mafia. He was able to interview Christopher's wife, whom she communicated with Christopher himself, to get material for the book.

Superthief provides a raw and candid accounting of Phil Christopher's brutal street world and subsequent prison life, and spills the details behind the planning and execution of his breach of the bank's vault.

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The Wagonmasters of Knott's Berry Farm

Does anyone remember going to Knott's Berry Farm and listening to The Wagonmasters?

They were a band that played at the Ghost Town there, doing a variety of Americana.

Billy Beeman was one of the founding members of The Wagonmaster, and played with them from 1954 to 1968. He has a website filled with his memories of playing music at the Ghost Town.

Check out all the old photos of Ghost Town from the 1940s and 1960s just on this page alone.

He also CDs for sale based on actual recordings done by The Wagonmasters.

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Skate Ranch in Santa Ana

In Santa Ana, just off of Main Street and along the I-5, there was the Skate Ranch.

It was rollerskating rink built inside of a red barn-looking structure. It was all meant to be in western-style decor. I only went there twice during the middle and late 1980's.

But you could never not notice it. From the freeway, it was always visible, big and red.

In the two times I went there, I took girlfriends. It was a great excuse to get close and hold hands.

I'll never forget the last time I went there. I was with my future wife. I believe it was a Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't very crowded at all. After about 15 minutes of skating, it dawned on me there no other women, except for my wife. I mentioned it to her. But after looking at everyone, I finally found a another guy and gal skating together. But when I skated by them, I soon discovered the guy was actually a girl also!

It turned out it was Gay Day at the Skate Ranch.

The Skate Ranch finally got tore down, in the early 1990's I believe. The Children's Discovery Museum replaced it.

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