Sleepy Hollow Centennial: Historic Photo #2

One of the landmarks of Sleepy Hollow for some 65 years was the building on the north side of Carbon Canyon Road at the west of the community that was last known as the Canyon Market, but which was also called Joe Tater's Oak Grove Inn and Party House Liquor #2 in more recent years, but started off as Ichabod's store and restaurant.

The wood-frame structure was built by David Purington, whose parents Cleve and Elizabeth were among the founders of the tract a centennial ago in 1923 and who oversaw much of its early development.  David was long involved in Sleepy Hollow, as well, including the building of two houses—both, sadly, lost to wildfires—and the Ichabod's grocery and café.

An early reference in the upper right column to Ichabod's, Chino Champion, 14 May 1953.

The earliest located reference to it was from summer 1952 and, within a short time, there was a post office located in the structure, with Purington's wife Leone as the postmaster, though that lasted only about a year or so.  A gas station was also long part of the property.  In 1961, tragedy struck with Lillian Ezell, who owned Ichabod's, was accidentally killed when a car rolled over her on the driveway of her Hillside Drive residence.

In 1967, owners Joseph and Dorothea Martin were successful in securing a beer and wine license for the establishment, over protests from some Sleepy Hollow residents, though the Martins argued it was necessary for their business to stay afloat because two other places in the area sold alcoholic beverages.  By 1974, Joe Tatar, a well-known Fullerton musician, purchased the place and called it the Oak Grove Inn.  He and his wife, Loretta, attended a Carbon Canyon history talk I gave several years at the Yorba Linda Public Library and he passed away in April 2022 at age 81.

A spread about Joe Tatar's Oak Grove Inn, Champion, 27 September 1974.

In 1981, the building became Party House Liquor #2 (the first being at the corner of Carbon Canyon Road [now Chino Hills Parkway] and Pipeline Avenue) and its owner was Gus Fedail, who also operated the Canyon Corral bar and restaurant where the CVS is now situated at Chino Hills Parkway and Peyton.  Thirty years later, it reopened as the Canyon Market, but its days were numbered by the opening of the convenience store east of Sleepy Hollow at Carbon Canyon Road and Canyon Hills Road.

Notably, Ichabod's was a school bus stop from at least that era and probably before and the site remains as one even though the structure was torn down a few years ago after the City of Chino Hills acquired the property.  The future of the site remains to be determined, though improvement of the bus turnaround zone is one major component of what will occur there.

A circa 1960s snapshot of Ichabod's as well as Dan's Sleepy Hollow Service Station, courtesy of Vance Stearns, who was born and raised in the community.

The photo shown here was provided by Vance Stearns, who was born in Sleepy Hollow and whose parents were very involved with such local institutions as the Carbon Canyon Women's Club and the volunteer firefighting department.  The date is probably from the later 1960s, around the time perhaps that the Martins secured their license.

Sleepy Hollow Artists Showcased in New Chino Hills Art Gallery

Following on the heels of the recent Sleepy Hollow centennial celebration, in which art from neighborhood residents Hillary Miller and Lena Sekine, as well as the late Vic (Joachim) Smith, were shared to show the diversity of the history of Chino Hills' oldest neighborhood, the recognition of the trio continued at the opening this past Wednesday evening of the new art gallery developed by the Chino Hills Community Foundation.

That organization, which does so much great work in raising and distributing funds for all kinds of projects to benefit the city, has a chARTS, or Chino Hills Arts Committee, established a decade ago, which "works to create an enriching environment for culture and the arts . . . through events, workshops and other activities.

In addition to presentations by authors, theatrical productions, art shows and others, including quarterly art installations at the Chino Hills Community Center, the committee and foundation launched the art gallery initiative.  A site was provided at the Shoppes center at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Peyton Drive, but another and larger one became available.

Some three dozen artists were represented, some professional but most so-called "amateurs" and a few who'd never publicly exhibited their work.  One created some remarkable wood-carved pieces, including a Craftsman-style lamp with stained glass and the oak tree that is the city logo, while others contributed amazing quilts—these are just a couple of examples of the many types of works displayed at the gallery.

Then, there was a corner the featured our Sleepy Hollow artists, including a couple of pieces each by Hillary and Vic/Joachim (sadly, almost all of the works he created were destroyed in a 1990 Carbon Canyon fire that consumed a storage unit where he kept his pieces), as well as Lena's design for the community centennial.

It was certainly great to see the community represented at the opening and in the gallery, which will be opened on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., during the Heritage Farmers Market held at the center, and Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m.  Kudos to the Chino Hills Arts Committee and the Chino Hills Community Foundation for putting all the effort, money and time into the gallery and for sharing the work of these Sleepy Hollow artists. 

Sleepy Hollow Centennial: Historic Photo #1

Following up on the Sleepy Hollow 100th Birthday commemoration held a couple of weeks ago, we'll be sharing historic photos of the community that were part of slide presentations during that festive weekend.

This first one, provided by long-time neighborhood residents Dee and Ron Nadeau, is a great panorama,  likely from the 1930s or 1940s, of the south side of the tract and taken from an elevation called Lookout Ridge for an obvious reason.

Courtesy of Dee and Ron Nadeau. Click on the image to see it in a separate window.

Several of the structures are still standing, especially at the right of center along Hay Drive as that street does a switchback up the steep slope of the hill as well as one residence on the aptly-named Grandview Lane at the center, just to the left of the largest building in the photo.  As many of the houses were weekend cabins, the 1930 census counted just 40 residents in Sleepy Hollow, while the 1940 enumeration saw just a 15% increase to all of 46 denizens.  

Note also the little Pueblo-style cabin or cottage at the bottom right because just below that at the bottom of the photo is just a hint of Carbon Canyon Road.  Rosemary Lane is more discernible above that building, while off to the left center is another portion of Hay Drive, but in a largely undeveloped section.

Check back soon for the second installation of this little series of Sleepy Hollow Centennial posts.

Sleepy Hollow Centennial Commemorative Poster Available Now!

It was quite a two-day celebration of them 100th anniversary of the founding of Sleepy Hollow, with a community event held on Sunday afternoon and a Chino Hills Historical Society presentation at the city community center on Monday evening.

In addition to sharing historical artifacts, a carousel of great photos spanning most of the neighborhood's history, reminiscences of some long-time residents, and a slide-illustrated talk about the community, descendants of Sleepy Hollow founders Cleve and Elizabeth Purington came in from Hawaii, Oregon and elsewhere in California to take part and share memories of their years living in this remarkable Carbon Canyon enclave.

A great way to keep the celebration going is to have your very own limited edition commemorative poster by Sleepy Hollow resident and artist Lena Sekine.   This beautiful design evokes the feeling of residing in a special place and looks great in a gold-edged frame.  Included is a brief history of the neighborhood with a pair of very rare circa 1930s photos.

There were only 100 copies of this signed print, which can be yours for $22, so be sure to head over to Lena's Etsy store to get one before they run out.

Sleepy Hollow's 100th Anniversary Presentation This Monday the 16th

In October 1923, Cleve and Elizabeth Purington; Charles and Olga Hale; George Wanley; and Charles M. Witter filed the official tract map for the subdivision of Sleepy Hollow, nestled on 80 acres in Carbon Canyon on the southwestern edge of San Bernardino County at the border with Orange County.

That year marked the peak of a massive real estate boom in greater Los Angeles and Sleepy Hollow was unusual in that it was divided into small cabin lots for owners to build a get-away on rather than intended for a large number of full-time residents.

The community remained small, with under 150 persons through 1950, but it developed a tight-knit neighborhood spirit (sometimes literally with its Sleepy "Holloween" events complete with the headless horseman who chased the hapless and helpless Ichabod Crane in Washington Irving's 1820s story that spread the name and fame of Sleepy Hollow, New York) over the years.

With a local water district, woman's club, volunteer firefighting force, community church, stores and café, and more, Sleepy Hollow retained a distinct identity that is still maintained by those who live in its roughly 130 houses today, even as the relentless march of suburbanization has creeped up to the very edges of the community.

This Monday, the 16th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Chino Hills Community Center (14250 Peyton Drive, across from Ayala High), the 100th anniversary of Sleepy Hollow will be commemorated in a presentation sponsored by the Chino Hills Historical Society.  In addition to a slide-illustrated talk, there'll be some last-minute additions, so please be sure to join us for this slice of early Chino Hills history!

A Photo Recap of the First-Ever Public Tours of Tres Hermanos Ranch

It was a beautiful day today out at Tres Hermanos Ranch, the 2,445-acre parcel administered by an Authority composed of the cities of Chino Hills, Diamond Bar and Industry, as the first-ever public tours of this amazing property, situated just north of Carbon Canyon, were offered.

Authority officials and staff from the three cities did a great job of organizing and carrying out this initial offering, for which the available 104 seats were snapped up in a matter of minutes, with some 400 persons placed on a waiting list.

Tours were held at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. as well as Noon with guests meeting at the nearby Diamond Bar Community Center and transported by bus to the ranch.  Ben Montgomery and Dan Fox, the city managers of Chino Hills, in which 70% of the ranch is situated, and Diamond Bar, which comprises the remaining 30%, rode along on the buses and provided information. 

Their Industry counterpart, Joshua Nelson, who has an extensive engineering background, met visitors at the first stop, the Arnold Reservoir, dating to about 1918, and discussed it and future work to be done to better stabilize and support it. 

 

At the second stop, near some historic barns and outbuildings, yours truly, a Chino Hills resident and director of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum, a City of Industry owned and funded historic site, provided a general historical background.

The third and last location was deep in the southern reaches of Tres Hermanos, a beautiful and isolated locale, where Cal Poly Pomona emeritus professor of plant sciences, Dan Hostetler, also a Chino Hills resident, talked about the flora and fauna, past and present, at the Ranch.

Given that this was a first effort, it was remarkably well-run by the dedicated staff of the Authority and the three cities and guests appeared to be astounded and impressed by the ranch and, we hope, the information given by the presenters.

There needs to be an evaluation of the event and consideration of what future possibilities might be entertained for further public access, so those interested in knowing more can periodically check the Authority website.

Meanwhile, for those who want to know more about the early history of the ranch, along with a review of how the day went, please head over to The Homestead Blog for a post covering these topics.

First-Ever Public Tours of Tres Hermanos Ranch on 23 September

Guided tours of Tres Hermanos Ranch, the 2,445-acre property in Diamond Bar and Chino Hills and administered by a joint-powers authority comprised of those two cities and the City of Industry, will be offered to the public for the first time on Saturday, 23 September on the hour from 9 a.m. to Noon.

A 1925 view from near what is now Grand Avenue looking southwest toward the Tres Hermanos Ranch headquarters, left of center on the knoll, and outbuildings to the left.  Courtesy of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum, City of Industry.

Registration for these free 1 1/2-hour visits, focusing on the ranch's history, flora and fauna and more, opens on Tuesday, 5 September at 9 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis with a waitlist established for cancellations. Space is very limited, so, if you're interested in going, make your reservation early. For more information, go to: https://treshermanos.org/2023/08/22/guided-tours-of-the-ranch-offered/.

Shelley Stoody of the Double S Ranch, Carbon Canyon, and Cartoonist Carl Barks

Last month's presentation to the Chino Hills Historical Society on the history of industrialist Shelley M. Stoody and his Double S Ranch in Carbon Canyon began with a discussion of his humble origins in West Virginia and his family's migration in the very early 1920s to Whittier, where Stoody, his father and his brother set up a blacksmith shop catering to farming equipment and small-scale work.

In short order, however, with the booming oil industry running, literally, into barriers to deeper drilling and the tapping of petroleum deposits at lower levels, the Stoodys came up with a technique of "hard-facing" drill bits with coatings of super-durable alloys.  By the end of the Roaring Twenties, this not only revolutionized oil drilling, but had all kinds of applications wherever hard-facing could strengthen materials for aircraft, ships and other equipment.

A printed item to the inaugural events at the Double S Ranch in 1960 and 1961.  Courtesy of the Evans family, as are the others images below.

The Stoody Corporation's rapid rise meant, of course, significant wealth for its owners and Shelley developed interests in such areas as aviation, personally and professionally; astronomy, with his creation of a mobile telescope, attached to the top of a vehicle, so searching for the stars could be done in barnstorming fashion, while his Whittier house had its own small observatory; and radio for emergency purposes, including his World War II-era donation of equipment to the Whittier Police Department so it had a battery backup for its apparatus.

In the late 1940s, Stoody, who also had a residence at the top of the Puente Hills in North Whittier (now Hacienda) Heights, moved to a large property in Palos Verdes Estates.  He came up with the idea of commuting to the company plant, in what became Santa Fe Springs, by helicopter, which cut his travel time significantly.  

Shelley Stoody at left with the majority owner, Mississippi rancher Maurice P. "Hot" Moore, and their purebred bull, CMR Rollotrend 5th, valued at $320,000 and in which Stoody had a 25% stake.

The problem was that he ran afoul of the city administrators at the peninsula because he wanted to build a helipad that was considered too invasive for the municipality's tastes.  The conflict was such that he ended up relocating to Balboa Island in Newport Beach, where he could indulge in another passion, sailing.  Apparently, he ended his helicopter commuting, but, after purchasing some 450 acres in Carbon Canyon in the early 1950s, he continued his longstanding interest in aviation by building a simple airplane landing strip and keeping his personalized craft in a steel hangar.

The Double S Ranch (he had others, at various times, in Nevada and in the Hemet area of Riverside County) was quickly set up for the breeding of Hereford cattle and, by the end of the Fifties, Stoody was nationally known for his deep-pocket investment in these animals.  He built an 11,000 square-foot showbarn along with other structures and facilities for his ranching activity, along with a hilltop house overlooking his domain.

A panoramic view of the Double S showbarn.

By 1960, Stoody was holding events at the ranch, including shows and sales, that garnered some substantial attention within the cattle-raising industry and he seemed poised to expand his operations and became a leader in that realm.  The following year, however, as he piloted his plane, carrying two ranch employees and a salesperson for a vendor he was using, Stoody tried landing in the little valley or side canyon where the simple runway was and veered into the side of a hill opposite the house where his wife was watching.  The crash ended up killing all four men and a lawsuit filed by one of them alleged that Stoody was intoxicated and performing dangerous stunts.

In the aftermath, his widow, Corinne, sold the ranch, much of which was quickly developed into the Western Hills Country Club that is now in its 60th year of operation.  While Stoody left her company stock, it was not the substantial inheritance he evidently thought it would be.  She spent much of her remaining years in Whittier where she became friendly with some neighbors, the Evans family.  Later in her life, Corinne Stoody gave her friends some mementos that included some remarkable drawings and cartoons from a longtime friend of her and her late husband.

A Carl Barks cartoon referencing the conflict between the Palos Verdes authorities, represented by the charging ram at the right, and Stoody, shown flying his commuting helicopter near his home in the background.  This was published in the Palos Verdes News.

These remained with the Evans family for decades and were recently profiled in an Inland Valley Daily Bulletin article by columnist David Allen and there have been subsequent pieces by him about some of the items, comprising drawings by the well-known Disney illustrator, Carl Barks, who drew Donald Duck for comic books and came up with the design for Uncle Scrooge.

David got me in contact with Doug Evans, who shared the amazing drawings shown here as well as a framed collage of photos and an invitation related to the Double S Ranch and a field lunch and sale held there by the Stoodys in 1960 and 1961.  Doug not only made these available, but, after the presentation, gave a summary to the audience of the items given to his family by Corinne Stoody.  It was definitely a great bonus to have for the talk and it is with thanks to Doug and his parents that this post shares a few of the items that he brought that evening.

Another Barks cartoon in that paper concerning the helicopter controversy.

As for the next Chino Hills Historical Society presentation, that will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the official tract map for the Carbon Canyon community of Sleepy Hollow on Monday, 16 October at 7 p.m. at the Community Center on Peyton Drive across from Ayala High School.  There are also plans to have a community celebration in Sleepy Hollow on the afternoon of Sunday the 15th, though not much can be said beyond the anticipated date and time.

Meanwhile, in the three months before then, we'll look to share some more Sleepy Hollow history here in the run-up to the celebration, so keep an eye peeled for posts!

Isaac Williams of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino and More of His Early History

Recently, Carol Van Deest of the Johnstown Historical Society, located in Ohio northeast of Columbus, reached out concerning Isaac Williams, the son-in-law of Rancho Santa Ana de Chino grantee Antonio María Lugo and owner of the ranch for nearly fifteen years until his death in September 1856.

For about as long, however, Williams, who was born in 1799 in northeastern Pennsylvania not far from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, lived in Johnstown and these years included much of his formative ages of 10-26.  Carol's detailed research has provided a great deal of information about his life in Ohio prior to his heading west through Missouri to New Mexico and then to Los Angeles, where he arrived in spring 1832.

After close to a decade as a merchant in the Mexican pueblo, Williams married María de Jesús, daughter of Lugo, and, just after his father-in-law received the grant to the Chino rancho, he and his wife relocated there.  While much of this history is recounted in this blog and elsewhere, Carol has provided some very valuable history regarding Williams' life before coming to California.

Check out the webpage and enjoy! 

Chino Hills Historical Society Presentation Tomorrow on Shelley M. Stoody and the Double S Ranch, Carbon Canyon

Shelley Martin Stoody (1899-1961) hailed from a small Ohio town and came to this area in the early 1920s, opening a welding business with his father and brother in Whittier.  In short order, the firm, which relocated to Santa Fe Springs, became a major success by hard-facing tools with very durable alloys for oil drilling and other industrial applications, making Stoody a very wealthy figure.

As the business expanded, so did his interests, which included aviation, astronomy, fishing and hunting and raising purebred cattle.  A resident of fine houses in Whittier, Hacienda Heights, Palos Verdes Estates (from where he commuted to and from his plant in a helicopter!)  and Balboa Island (Newport Beach), Stoody also owned ranches in Nevada and Hemet (Riverside County) before he purchased nearly 500 acres in Carbon Canyon in the early 1950s.

He dubbed his new rural showplace the Double S Ranch and built an expansive single-story house, which still stands, at what is known as The Summit, overlooking his spread.  In addition to stocking the ranch with purebred Polled Herefords and building a more than 11,000-square foot show barn, where he housed his very expensive animals, Stoody laid out a landing strip and a hangar for his airplane.

Stoody quickly made a name for himself in the cattle business and drew a substantial crowd for a field meet and sale at Double S in 1960 before a terrible tragedy took place the following year, the aftermath of which included the ranch's sale to an Orange County syndicate that built the Western Hills Country Club, now in its 60th year of operation, on part of the property.

Learn more about Stoody, the Double S Ranch and some of Carbon Canyon's mid-20th century history at a presentation for the Chino Hills Historical Society tomorrow night, Monday the 12th, at 7 p.m. at the Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive, across from Ayala High School.

We hope to see you there!

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Brush Drop Off

There were forecasts of weather being into the low 90s tomorrow, but it looks like it will be about ten degrees cooler than that, so that's good news.

This is especially true if Chino Hills residents of Carbon Canyon are cutting brush tomorrow on their properties to reduce fire risk because they can bring that material down to the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council's twice-annual brush drop-off next to Fire Station 64 on Canon Lane north of Carbon Canyon Road.  Volunteers will be there from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assist.

Chino Hills State Park "Superbloom" Spotlight in the Los Angeles Times

The "California" section of today's Los Angeles Times features a front-page article with three images of Chino Hills State Park and concerns so-called "superblooms," or the profusion of wildflowers now carpeting our landscape thanks to the copious amounts of rainfall we experienced this past winter.

The piece identified seven locations, most outside of the greater Los Angeles area, but also including the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, as well as our local state park.  Of the three photos, however, two of them actually show the overabundance of black mustard, which, while striking for its bright yellow blooms, are an incredibly invasive and destructive plant.  

Brought to California by Spanish missionaries in the late 18th century, black mustard take over before native plants get a chance to make headway, deny the natives sunlight and water with hyper-aggressive growth and then, when dry, become a huge wildfire risk.  Among the plants that are crowded out by this invasive are the state flower, the poppy, lupines, goldfields, and many others.

The third and largest image by Allen J. Schaben seemed to be chosen for its artistic merits, as he aimed his lens through a windmill at the Rolling M. Ranch (for a little history of the Rolling M, check out this 2010 post from this blog) and captured a hiker checking out some wildflowers, which are not all that visible.  In any case, if you search for the online version of the article, the photos are different, though, frankly, a lot more spectacular and focus mainly on the bright orange poppies that we need far more of instead of the black mustard that we'll come to rue when the weather gets hot and wildfire risk escalates.

UPDATE, 11 April: Check this out from Newsweek: 

Post Agrarian Landscapes Photo Project Request

Having been contacted by David Reeve about his photo project, the Chronicle is happy to share this on his behalf:

I am a photographer living in Brea, born in La Habra. Last year I embarked on a photo project called Post Agrarian Landscapes that looks at how the this area has evolved from farming community to its modern form – retail spaces, homes, economic growth. I am focusing on Central Avenue in La Habra as it winds through Brea, connects with Lambert Rd and into Carbon Canyon and Sleepy Hollow. It’s a fascinating path that touches on a lot of diverse communities. I am wanting to meet people in Carbon Canyon/Sleepy Hollow who would like to be featured in this work. Perhaps they have a story to tell about this area, or some historical knowledge. I am looking for interesting people, locations, history, to document as part of this project. No costs or payment – this is an artistic endeavor that may get published in a future magazine or newspaper. Please contact David Reeve at davidwilliamreeve@gmail.com and you are also encouraged to visit my website.

 

Carbon Canyon Road Full Closure (Again)

 This is 3 hours old, but it is notable that this is the second full closure of Carbon Canyon Road in the last few days:

March 23, 2023 6:42 AM

Carbon Canyon Road (SR142) is Closed - Resident Access Only on Chino Hills Side

Carbon Canyon Road (SR142) is closed from Chino Hills Parkway to Hillside Drive/Rosemary Lane due to a traffic collision and vehicle fire on the Brea Side.
This is a hard closure for commuters, who need to seek an alternate route. Residents who live in the Canyon are being allowed access up to the County line.
On the Brea side the closure for both directions is from Olinda to Rosemary Lane/Hillside Drive. Until further notice.

For a brief update, see: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/death-investigation-underway-after-burned-truck-discovered-off-brea-road/.

The site looks to be where the La Vida Mineral Springs used to operate on the north side of SR 142 just east of Olinda Village.

Carbon Canyon Road Full Closure

From the City of Chino Hills: 

March 20, 2023 9:09 PM

Complete Closure of Carbon Canyon Road in Both Directions

Carbon Canyon Road is closed in both directions east of Hillside Drive/Rosemary Lane due to a fatal traffic collision on the Brea side. This is a hard closure with no through traffic to the Brea side. No ETA for reopening has been provided at this time.

Chino Hills Historical Society Talk Tomorrow Night on Vada Watson Somerville

The next meeting of the Chino Hills Historical Society is on  Monday, February 27 at 7:00 pm at the Community Center at 14250 Peyton Drive, across from Ayala High School.  

For Black History Month, we would like to announce that we will learn about the life of Vada Watson Somerville.  She was a pioneering Black woman in Los Angeles in many ways, including earning her degree from USC and being the first female African-American dentist in the city.  She served in many leadership roles with organizations for the Black community and women, in particular.  

She and her husband, John Somerville, with whom she practiced dentistry, were also the builders of the Hotel Somerville, later the Hotel Dunbar, a vital South-Central Los Angeles site for African-Americans.  When she died in 1972, Vada was recognized for her many contributions to the Black community.  

Few know, however, that she spent part of her youth right here in the Chino Valley, so please join the Chino Hills Historical Society for a presentation by Chino Hills resident and historian Paul R. Spitzzeri for a review of the life and achievements of this remarkable African-American woman.