Mystery History -- Solved!

Wonder Wanda wins with her 5:53 p.m. Tuesday guess "The lattice-work structure makes me think this is actually Gwinn's Drive-In Restaurant on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. It has been through many iterations since then."

In the photo above, a carhop serves customers in an automobile at Gwinn's, a restaurant and drive-in far from downtown Pasadena at 2915 E. Colorado Blvd. It was on the north side of the street between Sunnyslope and El Nido.

I purposely cropped out the Gwinn's sign. Here's the full-frame photo:

Colorado Boulevard was an important link on Route 66 and Gwinn's, open from 1949 to 1972, had the iconic mid-century roadside architecture to fit right in with classic styles all along the "Mother Road" from Chicago to Santa Monica.

The restaurant, with inside dining and outside car service, was designed by Harold J. Bissner and R. Harold Zook.

Here you can see indoor diners and servers:

Inside and out, Gwinn's was a popular gathering place for everything from business meetings to date night. The idea for the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation began over dinner there in 1960.

This paper placemat showing the 1958 Rose Bowl Game results (Ohio State vs. Oregon) recently sold on ebay for $24.

Sadly, the building was demolished a few years ago.



Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Museum of History and the Diner Hunter blog.

Mystery History

 

 

Where are we? And what's happening?

 

The first person to guess correctly will win lunch with me -- I'll buy yours and you'll buy mine.

 

Remember, leave your best guess as a comment on this blog but don't try to give the entire back story (that's my job).

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

Mystery History -- Solved!

I'm calling a tie between Wanda and Davis -- Wanda for coming pretty close with the 8:30 a.m. Tuesday guess "The word Pyrex suggests that the subject is glass; could it be a clock tower face? Something to do with a lens at Cal Tech or PCC? Looks like the 1930s..."'

And Davis also wins for pretty much nailing it at 9:38 a.m. Tuesday guess "Looks like it could be a mirror for a telescope; Mt. Wilson, maybe?" followed five minutes later with "Too big (and too late) for Wilson; make it the Hale Telescope for Palomar."
  
This week's prize is lunch with yours truly, so Wanda, contact me next time you're in town; Davis, e-mail me at annerdman.ladyofleisure@gmail.com and we'll make a date!

In the photo above, with throngs of people watching, a Pyrex telescope disc 200 inches in diameter, weighing 20 tons and made by the Corning Glass Company, is offloaded from a rail car in Lamanda Park on April 10, 1936, so it can be transported by truck to the optical lab at Caltech.

Because the disc was so heavy and yet very delicate, the train trip from upstate New York to Pasadena took weeks at a top speed of 25 miles per hour.

The disc was greeted by a contingent that included Edwin Hubble, the man on the far right in this group:

 

It was actually transported to Caltech by two trucks -- one pulling, one pushing:

 

 

At Caltech it would undergo more than a decade of painstaking grinding and polishing before being transported to its final destination: the Palomar Observatory in north San Diego County.

Why did it take so long? Delays were caused during World War II.

Led by George Ellery Hale, the Palomar Observatory telescope project began in 1929 with a $6 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Hale had hoped engineers at General Electric could create a disc from fused quartz. After unsuccessful attempts with GE, in 1932 Hale turned to scientists at Corning who believed their Pyrex borosilicate glass could meet his requirements.

The Pyrex disc had only a rough, flat front surface. Here is a photo of men at the Corning Glass Works pouring molten Pyrex:

 

 

Pyrex does not expand or contract due to shifts in temperature, so Hale knew this would be a winner for Palomar Observatory, which sits atop Palomar Mountain and experiences weather shifts ranging from snowy cold in winter to brutal heat in summer.

 

 

 

Here you can see a 102-inch grinding tool at Caltech smoothing the rough Pyrex surface:

 

 

And here is the finished product 13 years later -- the beautifully refined telescope mirror, polished to an accuracy of two-millionths of an inch.

Over the years, the Hale Telescope at Palomar helped scientists verify dozens of theories, including the fact that quasars are extremely powerful yet distant objects, and that the universe is expanding, as Hubble had theorized.

Corning has a nice history of the project, including additional photos, here.

The blog Palomar Skies was started by the observatory's director of public affairs and ran until July when he left for another job.

Toward the end of lis life, George Ellery Hale is said to have looked up at the sky and rejoiced, “It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and they are working on Palomar.” He would not live to see that telescope finished, but it was named for him.

It was the largest telescope in the world for nearly 45 years until 1993 when the Subaru telescope, whose mirror was also made by Corning, was launched in Hawaii.


Many thanks to Caltech, which owns and operates the Palomar Observatory, and to Corning Glass Company.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will be my lunch date -- I'll buy yours and you can buy mine.

Remember, leave your best guess as a comment on this blog but don't try to give the entire back story (that's my job).

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

Mystery Man

Brenda Starr had her mystery man. . .and now I have mine.

Who is this gentleman?

I was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was Andrew Jackson, my great-great-great grandfather about whom I've written on my blog not only once but twice.

He was a Confederate officer during the Civil War, was captured in Arkansas and transported to a Union prison in Virginia, then escaped from a river boat on his way to a prisoner exchange and stealthily walked all the way back home to Arkansas where he lived out the rest of his days.

Genealogy research can be a real challenge sometimes. Family information that appears to be accurate can lead a person down the wrong path.

Such was the case of Andrew Jackson's story as passed down generation to generation, until I solved the mystery after a visit to the Prairie Grove Battlefield.

And now the same is true of the photo, which I'm calling the "first photo" for purposes of this blog post.  I found it in a little binder of photocopied family history about that particular branch of the family tree. The binder was put together years ago by a son of my maternal grandma's half-sister.

The photo was clearly marked, stating that it was taken in 1913 and that it was Andrew Jackson.

WRONG!!!

This is Andrew Jackson:

 

The woman sitting next to him is his daughter, my great-great grandmother Virginia Catherine Jackson. I have seen many photos of her, ranging from young adulthood to her senior years.

The new photo was provided by a cousin of mine, named Leslie, whom I met online just the other day when she contacted me via e-mail. She had discovered my blog posts about Andrew Jackson and questioned the validity of the first photo.  

She had seen that first photo before, but the date on her copy is 1914, one year after Andrew Jackson passed away.

Here's the new photo cropped:

 

I looked closely at this cropped version and realized that Andrew's right eye seems to be either blind or missing.

And then something rang a bell.

I went to the hand-written memoirs of my beloved maternal grandma, Charlotte Jackson Elliott Price, which I have in my possession.

Here's a photo of her reading to my mother in the early 1930s (this photo was also a wonderful gift from Leslie's family collection, one that I had never seen before):

Her memoirs tell the tale:

"Great Grandpa Jackson had his right eye shot out in the Civil War."

So for now I'm considering the case closed.

But who is this mystery man?

The answer may be lost to the ages. But hey, I'm retired and have plenty of time on my hands, so I'm not giving up!



Mystery History -- Solved!

Roberta wins with her 8:24 a.m. Tuesday guess "Kidspace and the old ant trail?"

In the 1986 photo above, children climb the Ant Wall at the original location of Kidspace Children's Museum inside the McKinley School gymnasium where they were located for 20 years.

In a move that was somewhat controversial at the time, Kidspace relocated in 2004 to the former
Fannie E. Morrison Horticultural Center, which they spent five years renovating and expanding inside and out in Brookside Park.

The horticultural center, designed by Fitch Harrison Haskell and funded by wealthy widow Fannie Demmon Morrison, became the first site in the western U.S. of major flower shows. These took place for many years. There were four buildings, three of which remain (a fourth was lost to fire in 1984)

When it became vacant, it was used for storage by the City of Pasadena.

Fannie Morrison was born in Wisconson in 1871 and raised in suburban Boston. Her father was the treasurer of a copper mining company and her husband, Barnabus T. Morrison, whom she married in 1899, was the treasurer of a rubber mill. She lived at 425 S. San Rafael Ave. in Pasadena.

Prior to moving to Pasadena, she was actively involved in suburban Boston civic affairs and was instrumental in improving the Demmon-Morrison mansion and coach house, which is now the home of Regis College.

The new Kidspace complex, which opened in 2004, has five times more square footage than the McKinley gym. The 3.5-acre site also includes gardens and outdoor exhibits designed to expose children to the Arroyo Seco environment.

  

 

 

 

Many thanks to Pasadena Museum of History, Kidspace Children's Museum and Regis College.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will have a particularly easy time maneuvering through holiday traffic!

Remember, leave your best guess as a comment on this blog but don't try to give the entire back story (that's my job).

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

Mystery History -- Solved!

In the January 1990 photo above, a U.S. Department of Agriculture technician in protective gear passes a gardener on Coronet Avenue in Pasadena, one of many areas where malathion was sprayed to exterminate medflies. It was sprayed in neighborhoods where fruit trees are common.

Beginning in February 1990 our community became a test case for the rest of the nation in ongoing battles between the City of Pasadena, the State of California and the Federal Government after Gov. George Deukmejian ordered helicopters to fly low over Los Angeles County, including Pasadena, to spray the pesticide over houses, pools and gardens.

The State of California insisted that malathion posed no danger, and yet they warned everyone to stay indoors and cover their vehicles. That mixed message had people confused and upset.

A few people didn't mind:

But most in the community did, including a coalition of environmental groups and grass-roots protesters.

''There's a growing unease about the safety of long-term exposure to malathion,'' City Councilman Rick Cole told the L.A. Times. "'There's also a sense that the state has displayed an arrogant disregard for the right of citizens to informed consent, The state is saying, 'We know what we're doing and it's none of your business.' And Pasadenans, like most Americans, don't like being pushed around.''

There was little -- and sometimes no -- warning before the aerial spraying, which often wreaked havoc.

For example, the outdoor ball for Ambassador College's final graduating class was ruined when, with no warning, a squadron of low-flying helicopters from the California Department of Agriculture buzzed the event, spraying the chemical all over the campus. All the food and refreshments had to be destroyed and the party was over.

The Pasadena Board of Directors (now called the City Council) adopted an ordinance banning aircraft from flying lower than 700 feet and informed the governor's office of the new law.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was the only agency with authority to regulate aviation.

"We'll see about that," said Mayor Bill Thomson. "We're in court over this matter and we'll find out who's right."

"The whole point of this ordinance is to stop them from flying in tight formations over our city. That's what's dangerous," Councilman Bill Paparian said. "We think we have all the authority we need."

The City Council was gunning for bear!

This colorful little guy was at the center of the controversy:

 

And then it happened.

Pasadena Police Lt. Terry Blumenthal, one of our helicopter pilots (now retired), got word at 1 a.m. that six state helicopters, flying in formation, were heading toward Pasadena with more than 1,000 gallons of malathion.

In an effort to enforce the new city ordinance, Terry got into a Pasadena PD helicopter and tried to intercept the state helicopters.

Here's a photo of Terry taking off that night:

The transcription of part of the recorded conversation between Terry and one of the state helicopter pilots:

Terry: We have you flying in formation below 700 feet, in violation of Ordinance Number 9.42.010. I have to ask you to cease and desist.

State pilot: Affirmative. We acknowledge your transmission.

Terry: Are you going to keep on spraying?

State pilot: Correct.

Terry, in a lone helicopter against a phalanx of six, flew back to the Pasadena PD heliport and issued a citation to the State of California for violating the ordinance.

Media worldwide picked up the story.


Here's a better photo of Terry in the pilot's seat preparing to take off for an observation mission, along with

 

And this is the little guy that was at the center of all the controversy!

Many thanks to the Pasadena Museum of History and my own files.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my children. . .

. . .my grandchildren. . .

. . .that I had parents who loved me. .

. . .and that I have siblings who are very dear to me.

I have been truly blessed.

"Freedom From Want" painting by Norman Rockwell.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will sleep better for having done so!

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

Mystery History -- Solved!

I'm calling a tie between Wonder Wanda, who specified the Old Mill at Busch Gardens and some sort of movie-making, and Barbara Field, who was spot-on with the name of the movie.

 

In the 1915 photo above, Charlie Murray, Vivan Edwards and cast stand in front of the Old Mill at Pasadena's Busch Gardens in the Arroyo Seco for a scene in the film "Hogan's Aristocratic Dream."

The Old Mill still stands, although it is now on private property.

Mack Sennett brought cast and crew to the location for production of the film short.

Here's an excerpt from the book "Mack Sennett's Fun Factory" by Brent Walker:

Tramp Hogan, with his bum "valet" Dunn, dreams he is living the life of royalty in an 18th century setting but is awakened by farmer Haye's pitchfork.

In addition to the Old Mill, the film's locations included the Grecian pergola. . .

. . .arroyo fountain. . .

 . . .and rustic bridge.

I haven't found a clip online of Hogan's Aristocratic Dream. I hope it's not lost to the ages!

Many thanks to Pasadena Museum of History and Pasadena Public Library.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will win my undying devotion. Remember to leave your guess but not the entire back story (that's my job)!

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

What's the Future of Water in Pasadena?

In celebration of 100 years of water provided by the City of Pasadena, and in partnership with the Arroyo Seco Foundation, Pasadena Water and Power will host a very important panel discussion tomorrow evening:

A Future for Water in Pasadena and California
Tuesday, Nov. 13
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Armory Center for the Arts

I'll be moderator. The panelists will include the following:

• Phyllis Currie, general manager of Pasadena Water and Power -- PWP's Water Integrated Resource Plan and Pasadena's policy perspective 
• Rich Atwater, president of Southern California Water Committee -- Integrated water planning, stormwater, water recycling, new technology
• Roger Patterson, assistant general manager of Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California -- The future of the California Delta and the Colorado River
• Sherry Simpson Dean representing the United Nations Environmental Program -- Water as a global challenge and how Pasadena fits in

This is a photograph shot inside Pasadena's Windsor Reservoir near JPL. Windsor is one of several underground facilities that store our natural water supply (that's PWP Water Engineering Manager Brad Boman leading a tour):

And pump operations at Jones Reservoir under Hamilton Park:



PWP provides about 10 billion gallons of water to 161,300 customers in Pasadena and some surrounding areas.

More than 40 percent is pumped from our local groundwater supply, made up of surface water from streams, rivers, lakes and rain that enters through the ground and into the Raymond Basin, a natural water-bearing zone. 

Most of our other water comes from MWD via the Colorado River and from the vast delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in Northern California, treated at the Weymouth filtration plant in La Verne and piped into Pasadena.

With so much concern about current shortfalls in supply and predictions of more long-term drought, PWP's Water Integrated Resources Plan is a blueprint for the continuation of reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible water supply for the next 25 years, taking into consideration available and alternative supplies, demand forecasts, conservation and more. Is the WIRP enough?

Aerial shot of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta:

Chronic environmental ills have befallen the delta and there are ongoing debates about related State of California water policies.

And water remains a huge issue globally.

So come over to the Armory Center for the Arts tomorrow evening and let's talk about the future of water!

Park next door in the city-owned parking structure where the first 90 minutes are free.

Mystery History -- Solved!

Although there were some creative guesses, I stumped everybody this week.

In the 1910 photo above, a float passes by during the Shriners Electric Parade, which took place in Pasadena that year because the annual Shriners National Conclave was here. Other years it was everywhere from New York to L.A.

Thousands of incandescent bulbs were used to outline the designs of the floats.

This is the only other photo I have of the 1910 parade in Pasadena; can you find the people on and next to the float?

 

The floats were built on large wooden flats with wheels and operated by overhead trolley wires, which supplied the power.

 

Just for fun, here's a Pasadena & Pacific electric trolley car at Colorado Street and Raymond Avenue in the late 1800s, operated by those very same wires:

 

 

Many thanks to the Pasadena Museum of History.