For many people, the names of California towns do not have an Anglo-Saxon tone, like New York City. Neither do they have a French accent like all those towns that end with “ville,” like Jacksonville. No, the California towns have a distinct Spanish tone. Starting in 1769, Spain with the help of Spanish Franciscan priests, especially Father Junípero Serra, OFM, built a chain of 21 missions across the length of Alta California, from San Diego to Sonoma. California’s mission era ended in 1834, with mixed results among the indigenous population, but you can still see the architectural legacy that endures in these missions with red tile roofs, whitewashed walls, arched colonnades, and bell towers. The missions were built approximately 30 miles apart, about a day’s journey by horseback, covering a total of 650 miles. Thus, all the California major cities on the Pacific Ocean have a Spanish name. Some of these Spanish missions have become major cities, like San Diego, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Soledad, Carmel, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Francisco, while many of the others are still small towns. Thus, the twenty-one California Spanish Missions are Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, San Diego (1769), Old Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside (1830), Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano (1776), San Gabriel Arcángel, San Gabriel Valley (1795), Mission San Fernando Rey de España, Mission Hills, San Fernando Valley (1797), Old Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura (1782), Old Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara (1790), Old Mission Santa Inés, Solvang (1800), Misión La Purísima Concepción De María Santísima, Lompoc (1787), Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, San Luis Obispo (1776), Mission San Miguel, San Miguel (1821), Mission San Antonio de Padua, Jolon, Fort Hunter Liggett (1771), Nuestro Señora de la Soledad, Soledad (1791), Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, Carmel (1797), Old Mission San Juan Bautista, San Juan Bautista (1797), La Exaltacion de la Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz (1795), Mission Santa Clara de Asís, Santa Clara (1798), Mission San José de Guadalupe, Fremont (1797), Mission San Francisco de Asís, San Francisco (1776), Mission San Rafael Arcángel, San Rafael (1817), Mission San Francisco de Solano, Sonoma (1823). Some of the towns are more famous than others. Thus, the Spanish Catholic influence in California is unmistakable. Did you ever think of California as Spanish?
July 5, 1983 – Mission San Juan Capistrano
We said good-bye to Ray and Betty, in Redondo Beach, as we headed south to San Diego along the Pacific Coast Highway, about a hundred miles away. Along the way, we stopped at the old Mission of San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Capistrano is the name of a city in southern Orange County, California, with a population of 35,253 at the 2020 Census, almost sixty miles south of LA. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when Father Junípero Serra, OFM, established this mission, the same year that the English east coast colonists signed the Declaration of Independence. After the American conquest of California, San Juan remained a small, rural town until the 20th century when the restoration of the mission in the 1910s and 1920s transformed the town into a tourist destination and a backdrop for Hollywood films. Every spring, the swallows return to Capistrano on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day, and not St. Patrick’s Day. This is California’s most famous spring migration tradition. The Cliff Swallows return to nest in the eaves of the old mission, after their long journey from Argentina. While the mission is a lovely venue, it is more likely that the birds were more attracted by the insects that grew around the two nearby rivers, and the large building that made colonized nesting possible. The birds even inspired a popular song by the Ink Spots in 1940, when I was a year old, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.” I guess that is why I found this place so intriguing. The grounds were very nice and I have nine postcards to prove it. Have you ever heard about the birds returning to Capistrano?
A drive along Palos Verdes with a fourth of July picnic on Redondo Beach
On the fourth of July, 1983, we were going to have a picnic on the Redondo Beach with the Ginsbachs. However, in the morning, Ray and Betty said it would be a good idea to visit the peninsula just south of them called Palos Verdes, a group of rich cities that are mostly gated communities. I had never seen that before. Palos Verdes borders the city of Torrance to its north, the Pacific Ocean on the west and south, and the Port of Los Angeles to the east. These hill cities on the Palos Verdes peninsula are known for their scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and high-value homes. We stopped at the Wayfarers Chapel at Rancho Palos Verdes that was designed by Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, and built in 1949. This one hundred seat chapel is often referred to as the glass chapel, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a National Historic Landmark. Many weddings have taken place there, and it has been in movies and TV shows. However, last year, 2024, it was totally dismantled because of a fear of a landslide. We also drove out to Long Beach where we observed the Queen Mary docked at Hotel Queen Mary. We did not go in to see it or the Spruce Goose beside it. Instead, we went back to Redondo Beach to spend the evening and night with Ray and Betty. We had a lovely Pacific Ocean picnic on this July 4th, 1983. It was great to be on a California beach in the middle of summer for Independence Day. We were having a great time. However, it was time to move on. We would be heading to San Diego and then up to San Francisco. We thanked Ray and Betty for their hospitality. Have you ever been to a California beach on the Pacific Ocean?
Downtown LA on Sunday, July 3, 1983
We started our Sunday, July 3, 1983, in LA with a 9:45 AM Eucharistic Mass at St. Lawrence Martyr at 1900 S. Prospect, in Redondo Beach that is still going today. It was almost like St. Lawrence O’Toole in Matteson. Then it was off to downtown LA on Wilshire Boulevard and Sunset Drive, watching the LA skyscrapers. However, we stopped at the Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax that started in 1934. They proclaim that it is the world’s greatest fresh produce selection. Then we went to see the “Golden Mile” in west LA, along Rodeo Drive, and into Beverly Hills. We were able to see the famous Hollywood sign that first appeared in 1923 and became the current new 1983 sign. We did not take a tour of the celebrity star’s homes. Instead, we stopped in Hollywood at Mann’ Chinese Theater with all the names on the walk of fame that is nearly a hundred years old. I was surprised how many names were there. In Hollywood, we had our first and only weird incident on this trip. Margaret and Joy went into the washroom at a McDonalds. As Margaret explained it, they were very surprised by what they saw. There was a young lady injecting herself with some kind of drug. Margaret tried to get Joy out of there as fast as she could. Joy kept asking what was that girl doing? We headed back to Redondo Beach after that. We had seen enough of downtown LA and Hollywood. Have you ever been to downtown LA?
Knott’s Berry Farm, Grand Opening of Camp Snoopy
The next day it was on to Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Walter and Cordelia Knott began selling their new berry “Boysenberry,” a cross between a blackberry, a raspberry, and loganberry, at their roadside stand in the 1920s. Then they started to sell chicken dinners in the 1930s. In the 1940s, they added a ghost town of Calico, California and a roaring 20’s area. By 1968, it was a full-fledged amusement park with an admission price, one dollar for adults and 25 cents for children. They added more and more rides as time went by. After Walter and Cordelia Knott both died, their children ran it for a few years, but then sold it to Cedar Fair in 1997, who in turn merged with Six Flags in 2024. In March 2015, Knott’s Berry Farm was ranked as the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America, averaging about 4 million visitors per year, featuring over 40 rides. When we were there on Saturday, July, 2, 1983, there were four feature attractions: Ghost Town, an old western town; Knott’s Roaring ‘20s, featuring the Jazz Age; Knott’s Airfield, with all kinds of rides; and Fiesta Village, a taste of early Spanish culture. The day that we were there was the grand opening of Camp Snoopy that is still going today. We rode on the Calico Mine Ride through a whole bunch of tunnels, and the Timber Mountain Log Water Ride. It was fun to be on water rides. Margaret liked this better than Disneyland. We also went to the outdoor Camp Snoopy Theatre and the Snoopy boat ride. They had a large restaurant that sat over a thousand people for chicken dinners that I think that we had. We did not go on any rollercoasters. It reminded me a little bit of Silver Dollar City in the Ozarks. Have you ever heard about Knott’s Berry Farm?
Disneyland, LA, July 1, 1983
The next day, we went to the original 160-acre Disneyland in Anaheim, California, that opened in 1955, “The happiest place on earth.” It looked a little run down compared to the new Disneyworld that we saw in 1978, a few years earlier. However, this park had the feel and touch of Walt Disney himself. In Disneyland in 1983, there were seven sections, Main Street USA, Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Bear Country, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, with four to five rides or attractions in each section. It is funny, but I do not remember the New Orleans or the Adventureland sections very well. I have postcards of the Disneyland railroad, the emporium on Main Street, and the Matterhorn. Once again, our favorite was “It’s a Small World.” In Fantasyland we got to meet Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In fact, it was Sleeping Beauty Castle, not Cinderella Castle, like in Disneyworld. They had bobsleds on water, a carousel, and canal boats. In Tomorrowland, they had cars to drive, a monorail, and a submarine. In Frontierland, we got to ride a long canoe, and see Br’er Bear on a raft. The Pirates of the Caribbean were in New Orleans Square, while the Country Bear Jamboree was in Bear Country. We took a jungle cruise in Adventureland. I do not remember the lines being that long. I think that we started early in the morning. Anyway, we had a good time and I have sixteen postcards and a souvenir booklet to prove it. Have you ever been to Disneyland?
June 30, 1983, Day 1 in LA – Universal Studios
Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use, “The Entertainment Capital of LA.” It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios sets, but became the first of many full-fledged Universal Studio theme park resorts located across the world. Universal Studios Hollywood’s backlot has been damaged by fire nine times throughout its history. In 1964, the modern tour was established to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual productions, and later, staged events that grew over the years into a full-blown theme park. The narrated tram tour still runs through the studio’s active backlot, but the staged events, stunt demonstrations, and high-tech rides overshadow the motion-picture production that once lured fans to Universal Studios in Hollywood. One of the early struggles for Universal was coming up with things for young children to do. I have fifteen postcards from our day at Universal Studies on Thursday, June 30, 1983. There were only four main attractions that day plus the tram ride, as they said, “There is no place on earth like Universal because not only do you get a guided tour of the world’s biggest movie studio, you get a whole entertainment center to explore at your own pace.” We saw the “Stunt Show” with daring stuntmen performing death defying acts. We also saw the new “The Adventures of Conan” – A sword and sorcery spectacular. We also went to the Screen Test Comedy Theatre to get some laughs. Finally, we went to the Animal Actor’s Stage where animals performed human tricks. To be honest, I remember the tram tour more than anything else, as it went into the water and through tunnels. We had a good time. I think Margaret and Joy did too. We were home early that day, because we were a little tired from the day before. Have you ever been to Universal Studios?
Ray and Betty Ginsbach at Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area, one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of Santa Monica Bay, about six square miles. The population was 71,576 at the 2020 census. Redondo Beach was originally part of the 1785 Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant that later became the South Redondo area. Their primary attractions include Municipal Pier and the sandy beach, popular with tourists. In 1983, the city of Redondo Beach adopted a resolution “recognizing the Goodyear Airship Columbia (the Goodyear blimp) as the “Official Bird of Redondo Beach.” Uncle Ray and Aunt Betty were very nice to us. Ray was about 65 and Betty was about 10 years younger. They had been married for about 28 years with three grown sons. They lived in a ranch house about two blocks from the beach. We arrived late that day. Ray was watching the Dodger game on TV as he was a big LA fan. Betty raved about avocados. The sandy Redondo Beach and the pier were just a few minutes away. Ray explained to me how he ended up in California, instead of White Lake, SD. After WWII, when he got out of the service, he was like a lot of other young midwestern guys who thought it was too cold to go back to the Midwest and South Dakota. He got a job at Kmart and stayed there on the west coast. He would occasionally go back in the summer to visit his sister, Margaret’s mother. Betty remembered Margaret from her visits to the farm in Dell Rapids. Ray had no intention of going back to South Dakota, since Betty was from California originally. She wanted us to experience real California cooking. I explained that we would be going on day trips, so that some days we might not be home for supper. Betty just wanted to know when we would be there so that we could experience her California recipes. We had a nice guest bedroom to sleep in. They seemed happy that Margaret was there to visit them, since so few of the Ginsbachs came to visit. Betty had us pick lemons from her tree and walk along the Pacific Ocan beach sand. She put avocados on everything and loved lemons and oranges. They were very nice people. Do you have nice relatives?
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials LA, is the largest city in California with an estimated 3,820,914 residents within the city limits, ranking only behind New York City, since it passed Chicago in 1984 as the second biggest city in the USA. The Greater Los Angeles area today includes over 18 million diverse residents. LA is bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west, and in the north by the San Fernando Valley, with the San Gabriel Valley to its east, about 469 square miles. LA is also the third-most visited city in the USA with over 2.7 million visitors in 2023. Founded in 1781, LA became a part of the First Mexican Empire in 1821, following the Mexican War of Independence. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, LA and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and became part of the USA. LA was incorporated as a municipality in 1850, five months before California achieved statehood. Originally, LA was called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, “The Town of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels.” There is a dispute about how to pronounce the shortened name, “Los Angeles,” in English. By 1900, the population of LA had grown to more than 100,000. In the early 20th century, Hollywood studios helped transform Hollywood into the world capital of film, and helped solidify LA as a global economic hub. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world’s film industry was concentrated in LA. During World War II, LA was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. After the end of World War II, Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever. The expansion of the Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth. In the second half of the 20th century, Tom Bradley was elected as the city’s first African American mayor, serving for five terms until retiring in 1993. In 2022, Karen Bass became the city’s first female mayor, making LA the largest USA city to have ever have a woman mayor. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of LA is the largest archdiocese in the USA. The 620,000 Jews in the metropolitan area have the second-largest population of Jews in the USA, after New York City. LA is the largest manufacturing center in the USA. The combined Port of Los Angeles-Port of Long Beach is the fifth-busiest port in the world. The LA metropolitan area has a gross metropolitan product of over $1 trillion, making it the third-largest economic metropolitan area in the world, after New York and Tokyo. LA is still one of the largest hubs of American film production, the world’s largest by revenue, but it also one of the busiest container ports in the Americas. LA and its metropolitan area are the home of eleven top-level professional sports teams, in the MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the MLS, and the WNBA. Besides the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans play in the NCAA. LA hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984, and will also host them again in 2028. What do you know about LA?
A trip to California in 1983
California! Here I come. After a couple of years vacationing in South Dakota, I decided it was time for us to move on. Where to go? I had seen plenty of the Benelux countries and the western Germanic countries in Europe. I grew up outside New York City. I had lived in Wisconsin, and we had driven through Iowa and Minnesota on our way to South Dakota. We had seen some spots along the Mississippi River and the Midwest in Iowa and Missouri. However, I had never been to California. On my research about Margaret’s ancestors, the Klein and the Ginsbach family, I found out that Margaret had relatives in California. Her Uncle Ray Ginsbach, her mother’s younger brother, lived in Redondo Beach just outside LA. Her first cousin, Jo Ann Dawes lived with her family in Walnut Creek, just outside San Francisco. Margeret knew both, but I had never met either of them. I talked it over with Margaret. She would contact her relatives to see if we could stay a day or two with them. I would make out a schedule or itinerary. I was planning a trip. Guess what! I have large scrapbook with a lot of postcards and detailed brochures about the places we visited. Neither Margaret, myself, or Joy had ever been to California. It would be an adventure for all of us. I decided to fly there because otherwise it would take too long to get there and back by car. I took the cheaper Western Airlines that merged with Delta Airlines in 1987. There slogan was “Western Airlines…The Only Way to Fly!” with headquarters at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), that had begun operations in 1925. We were headed to the Golden State, at the end of the rainbow. California was the most populated state in the USA, a place of modern business, great climate, and recreation. Specifically, we were headed first to sunny southern California, Los Angeles, the place to be from June 29-July 14, 1983, a little over two weeks. I have four postcards from California to prove it. We flew from O’Hare to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 29, before arriving in LAX. I rented a car from General Rent-a-car for two weeks with unlimited miles, as I learned about those crazy LA freeways. The first place we were going to was the home of Margaret’s uncle, Ray and Betty Ginsbach, at Redondo Beach, on the Pacific Ocean, about 10 miles south of LAX. I could do that. It did not take me long to get there. Have you ever been to California?
Gene Finnegan Remembers Living Eighty Wonderful Years 