Like a Teatray in the Sky

Look, up in the sky!  Nope, it isn't a bird or a plane -- it's a TRAIN!  This afternoon,  two 70-year old flat-bed freight cars flew over Santa Ana Street and landed on the special tracks set up outside Anaheim's landmark Packing House.

The wheels were rolled onto the track first... followed shortly by the two enormous iron platforms, each one weighing 55 thousand pounds.  It took some fancy kite-flying techniques to guide the heavy structures over to the exact right spot.

As the thick cables were removed, the two retired freight cars settled into their new home, where they will remain for a long, long time. 

The cars are now a unique feature to the highly-anticipated Packing House District in Downtown Anaheim.  Opening to the public in 2013, the restored Packing House will become a grand artisan food hall, sporting a variety of restaurants, cafes and entertainment.   Built in 1919 at the edge of downtown Anaheim and along the Southern Pacific rail line, the huge building was once the hub of commerce for this area. Local farmers brought trucks of freshly picked citrus to be washed, crated, and loaded onto rail cars parked on the side of the building to be shipped nationwide.

The two 1940s train cars will serve as a provocative building-length dining porch, as well as helping to keep some of Anaheim's citrus history alive.

THE 2012 AHS ANNUAL BANQUET

We raised a toast to our thirty-fifth year at the AHS Annual Banquet celebration on June 14.  Following a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Packing District, over one-hundred members gathered for an amazing dinner in the GOOD FOOD hall, provided by several of our downtown restaurants K&A Downtown Café, Healthy Junk, and The Gypsy Den. 

The food was superb and we thank each of these fantastic businesses for their generous support.

AHS founder Diann Marsh (center) with Judy and Keith Olesen.

Diann Marsh, AHS co-founder and one of Anaheim’s most dedicated preservationists, was our guest speaker for the evening and received the Margaret Atkins Award.  Diann recounted her memories of living in Anaheim, how the AHS was formed, and the uphill battle to get our Downtown buildings placed onto the National Register without popular support at the time.  Anaheim resident Keith Olesen was honored with the Andy Anaheim Award, a brand new accolade for special individuals in the community who go out of their way to bring neighbors together, and who creatively inspire others to make Anaheim a better place to live. 

Hi Neighbors!  It's  Maaliyah and Jason.

P.J. and Sherry

Chris and Kristi

Artist Jody Daily’s talents were auctioned off to several excited members who will receive their very own custom-designed framed poster.  Jody’s beautiful posters fetched an unexpected $4000 for the Woelke-Stoffel House restoration project, and for that we are enormously grateful.  Thank you, Jody!!  We’ll unveil Jody’s finished artwork in a future post.

AHS Historian Phyllis Mueller

Thanks to all who came and supported Anaheim history at our 2012 banquet.  

It was an unforgettable night.

"Disneyland...Friend or Foe?"

Disneyland has now reached the ripe old age of 57.  Frankly, in the great scheme of things, 57 isn't really that old, and yet as the years go by, it gets increasingly harder to imagine what the rural town of Anaheim was like before Disney.  When news first broke of a permanent "amusement park" coming to town - even one devised by the "Master Showman of the World"-- not everybody living here was enthusiastic.  Before Disneyland, amusement parks were widely regarded as dirty, rowdy places and some residents feared that the park could have a negative impact on day-to-day life.

Even as the finishing touches were being put in place and opening day drew near,
the Anaheim Bulletin published the following editorial in one final effort to smooth out any
lingering concerns by extolling the economic benefits of having Disneyland for a neighbor.

Charles Phoenix's ANAHEIMLAND!

The Anaheim Historical Society will present a live comedy retro slide show performance by pop-culture humorist Charles Phoenix, celebrating Disneyland in the 1950s and '60s, and the legends, landmarks and lore of the city that surrounds it.  Live music, special guests, and surprises.  If you love Anaheim, you will not want to miss this!

Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 3PM
Loara Elementary School Auditorium
1601 W. Broadway, Anaheim, California

Tickets are $25 and available for purchase HERE!  

Who is Charles Phoenix?
Charles is a Southern Californian performer, humorist, chef and author.  In his acclaimed live shows, he explores America's classic and kitschy pop cultural past and present, with a unique spin and genuine reverence for all things Americana.

Charles has shared his vintage images and culinary creations on TV with Conan and Martha Stewart and is often heard on National Public Radio.  Los Angeles Times calls him "the King of Retro," and LA WEEKLY anointed him "Kodachrome King."

Click Here to see Charles on The Martha Stewart Show and hear him on NPR and other Public Radio stations.

Our 35th Year in Review

A hearty thank you to our neighbor and cinematographer Jason Garner of Anaheim's own Crescent Bay Films for putting this terrific video together.  Thanks for your generous support, Jason!

Introducing the Andy Anaheim Award

Not everybody owns an old house or can rescue an important building from the wrecking ball, but anyone can take part in improving the quality of life in an historic neighborhood.  We’re very fortunate that our community is chock-full of incredible people who have a welcoming spirit, help neighbors in need, and who embody the old Anaheim philosophy of “Hi Neighbor.”

The Andy Anaheim Award honors very special people in our community who go out of their way to bring people together, being an inspiration and a leader, and creatively making Anaheim an even more wonderful place to live.

We are very happy to give the first Andy Anaheim Award to Anaheim Mother Colony resident Keith Olesen.

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Recently we chatted with Keith about life in Anaheim, old houses, and what inspires him.

Keith, tell us a little about yourself, and why you choose to live in a 1920s house in Anaheim.

My wife Judy and I didn’t really choose to live in an old house in Anaheim. We were living in a non-descript tract home in Garden Grove and got it in our heads that we wanted to live in an old house. We knew nothing about old houses, but one thing we did know was that if you wanted to live in one you went to Orange. We looked and looked but most of the houses we looked at were old on the outside and remodeled to 1968 on the inside.  It was very disappointing. Our realtor, a long time Anaheim resident, set up an appointment for us to see an old house in Anaheim. I said I really didn’t care because we didn’t want to live in Anaheim, we wanted to live in an old house in Orange.

But the next day we went to Anaheim, and when we drove up to the house we fell in love. We walked in the front door, straight through the house, right into the backyard, and asked our realtor “what do we have to do to own this house?”

We made an offer, met with the sellers Diann and Robert Marsh, and the five month-long process of actually buying the house started.  It took that long because it had been awhile since anyone had purchased an old house in the area to actually live in; they bought them to tear down so they could build apartments.

However, during this time we got to know Diann and Robert, and we really liked them both right off. On the day we moved in Diann gave us an old photograph of Jessie Melrose-Backs, the lady for whom the house was built. It’s been hanging by our front door ever since.

What are some of the kinds of things that bug you, and how do you manage to keep calm and carry on?

I hate it when people complain about something but aren’t willing to do anything about it. I hate it when legal beats moral. People whose only motivation is personal gain or self-promotion make me nuts. I hate politics, and closed-minded people.  As for keeping calm, I’m not sure I do. I guess just keeping things in some sort of perspective helps. You carry on because if you don’t, you lose.

What or who inspires you? What makes you happy?

All kinds of things!  My wife, my dog, my friends, our community. If you just look around, how can you not find something that makes you happy and/or inspires you?  Music and art, creative ideas…other peoples’ greatness are a constant source of inspiration. Realizing you actually can make a difference.

Do you spend time thinking more about the past or the future?

I think it’s spread pretty equally between past, present, and future. Individually, any one is pretty meaningless without the other two.

What would you like your neighbors to know?

That we’re all in this together and no one gets out alive. One of the greatest feelings is when you stop and think about all the friends you’ve made.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Hi Neighbor!

(Keith Olesen will receive the Andy Anaheim Award at the AHS Annual Banquet on June 14. Congrats, Keith!  Well deserved.)


Related Post:  Who Is Andy Anaheim??

Diann Marsh, Anaheim's History Hero

Diann Marsh with some of her drawings published in book form by the AHS.

The Anaheim Historical Society was founded in 1976 by two neighbors, Diann Marsh and Andrew Deneau, who faced incredible odds in their efforts to save Anaheim's Downtown from being torn down.   Diann is not only a passionate advocate for preservation, but also an author and accomplished illustrator.  She made countless architectural sketches and ink drawings of old homes, city storefronts, and artifacts such as staircases, fireplaces, and even the unique doorknobs that she observed in and around Anaheim's historic neighborhoods.  Her sketches document many details of our original downtown, drawn even as the bulldozers were destroying it.

Phyllis Mueller, AHS Historian, interviewed Diann recently about her memories of Anaheim, and history preserved and lost.

The beautiful Back's House built in 1904, as drawn by Diann Marsh - and seen in the photograph above.

During what years did you live in Anaheim?

We bought our house at 321 N. Philadelphia in 1975 and sold it to Keith and Judy Olesen in 1986. It is on the National Register, along with five other houses as a neighborhood (Melrose-Backs).

Why did you move to Anaheim? 

We had wanted an old house for many years, but when we were married (1953) an old house required 25% down. The system of "red-lining," which means the banks would not lend in certain areas with old houses, was in effect. We bought a house in North Santa Ana. It was large and contemporary, and the nicest house we ever lived in, but we were not happy there. We sold it in one day and set out to look for an old house. The one we found was on North Philadelphia Street in Anaheim. We had no idea what to do with an old house, but we learned fast!

A page from one of Diann's books.

Why did you want to have a historical society in Anaheim?

When we moved to Orange County, I joined the Orange County Historical Society. I had loved history and architecture for many years and most of my paintings were of old houses. It was a time in my life when I was ready for something new. Our five children still at home had developed interests of their own.

What did you notice about downtown Anaheim?

When we moved to Anaheim only one downtown building was empty. Most of the others had viable occupants. You could go downtown and buy quality clothing (SQR Store), nice jeans, sporting goods, furniture, plumbing supplies and other items. There were a few antique stores. A member of our first AHS Board lived in a cute apartment above the Hub Furniture Store. I noticed that there were angels on the capitals on the first floor and fell in love with Gladding-McBean tile work. That was the inspiration for the coloring book (the first AHS publication, printed in 1977.)

The very first AHS publication - a coloring book - written and illustrated by Diann  Marsh in 1977.

Who wanted to demolish downtown?

The people who owned buildings there planned on getting rich off of redevelopment. Sadly, they didn't get rich off of redevelopment, and about 45% sued the redevelopment agency. A lot of people cared. Especially anxious were the elderly people who lived in their paid-for 1920's area houses. We thought we could save them, but were unable to. We got to know them when we would walk around the neighborhood, and unintentionally gave them false hope.

What did you do to save historic buildings? 

Andy Deneau and I went to the second State Historic Preservation Conference in Pasadena in1977, where the National Register system was explained to us. When Andy and I met with Norman Priest of the Anaheim Redevelopment Agency, he said that if the buildings were on the National Register they would be considered historic and saved. We looked at each other and thought "we can do that."

"Anaheim's Architectural Treasury" by Diann Marsh, 1980.

What happened to your National Register nomination of 23 historic buildings in the downtown area? The State Historic Preservation Office and people from other cities were on our side. The State Commission passed the application and sent it on to the Federal government. Officials from Anaheim went to Washington and saw to it that the application was denied. They said we had not included archeological information. As far as I know, in all the cities with historic districts approved since then, archeological documentation was never required. (Those 23 buildings, as a result, were not listed on the National Register.)

What buildings were saved, and how many were demolished in downtown? I later wrote the nominations that got the Carnegie Library and the Kraemer Building placed on the Register. (The vast majority of other historic structures were subsequently demolished, leaving acres of vacant land.)

"While the bulldozer worked," Diann sketched the ceiling of the doomed Valencia Hotel.

What do you think of downtown now? 

Other cities have used tax credits and facade easement incentives to rehabilitate their historic buildings. It's too late to go back. Most of Anaheim's old neighborhoods are still there, though, and that is significant. Just think how great it would have been to have those historic buildings restored and busy and along with the surrounding historic neighborhoods, creating a sense of Anaheim history.  

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We are delighted to welcome Diann Marsh as our guest speaker at the AHS Annual Banquet on June 14, 2012.  Diann is also this year's recipient of the Margaret Atkins Award for preservation, which will be presented to her at the banquet.