Bruce Wilson

Is that my phone ringing? Naw, just some bells.

Dedicated to all those who came in here not expecting to get teased and did.

"They're breaking down the distance between right and wrong".

I ain't often right
but I've never been wrong
It seldom turns out the way
it does in the song
Once in a while
you get shown the light
in the strangest of places
if you look at it right

Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

Our number was 752-R and the O'Days number was 244-R  We picked up the phone and an operator connected us. We could also ask  for  the time.

Terry, loved the photo of your beautiful mother. And I agree, Bruce, Michele could do the costume justice.

George Bracey Gillow

OTHER CHULA VISTA BAKERIES

A couple of other bakeries on 3rd Avenue, in Chula Vista in the 1950s and 1960s, were Standlee's Cake Shop and Mrs. Bennett's Bakery. 

The owner of Standlee's was Standlee McMains who was also Mayor of Chula Vista in 1958-1960.

Below are pictures.  One is of Harvey's at 328 3rd on the corner of 3rd and F.   I looks like it was when we were in High School that the name was changed from George's.

Bruce Wilson

Come to thnk of it. I believe we a had party [not that kind] line. [ditto] when we lived on Minot.

This is for my old Dylan admirer friend (rhymes with mandolin) who seldom comes here, but just in case.

A pay phone was ringing It just about blew my mind When I picked it up and said hello This foot came through the line.

Also, there was a bakery truck, as well as milk truck and interesingly enough a little truck wiith a miniature merry-go-round on the back that cruised our neighborhood.

This isn't it.

Probably more like this. From the right era, but was stationed in Orange County and was for sale in 2010 for $9,999.

I never rode it, but MIchele says she did.

We found that, briefly, we were able to get all the donuts we wanted by telling the truck driver "put it on our bill".

Bruce Wilson

Portable carnvival rides evolved. I believe this one is from TJ.

¿dónde está la noria - Singapore?

I checked with hombrelobo.

Bruce Wilson

Speaking of my own Celery Queen. She is taking an ASL class.

I get this all the time, but some of you may not know this language.

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

Mrs. Maple was a beautiful celery queen and surely was a very attractive person beyond that honor. And I must say she was progressive for the time period. 

I think Mrs. Bennett's bakery became Phillips Bakery maybe sometime in the 1970's. The couple who ran it were from the east coast and made the best crumb buns. And I've been told the crumb buns were very similar to ones people remembered from growing up on the east coast.

And one last thing, my family farmed in the area of Imperial Beach and one of the crops grown was celery. I recall that it is difficult to grow and consequently was not one they continued to grow. Also when we moved here in 1956 there was farming just south of Kearny Street between First and Second avenues. I moved here from Oakland California and thought we had really moved to the "country". I don't remember any farming in Oakland in the years we lived there so moving to Chula Vista was like going from an urban life to country life. 

John Carleton Cowherd

On the subject of bakeries:  I was on the Kitty Hawk off the coast of Vietnam for my birthday in 1969.  My Mom went to one of the Third Avenue bakeries and ordered a birthday cake for me.  She asked them to send it to me.  At mail call they handed me a big plastic bag with the remains of a chocolate cake in it, and a note that said it was damaged in transit.  There was no trace of a shipping box, but the remains of the pink bakery box with the cellophane window was there.  I passed the bag around the office, and we dug in with our hands.  I never did find out if the bakery put it in a shipping box, or just tried to send it in the pink box.

Treasa Struble (Skiles)

Funny how we can remember old phone numbers. I remember when my parents ordered their phone for our house on Penelope Dr. My  mother insisted we not have a party line, as my father was often overseas for many months at a time, and she didn't want any of her conversations overheard by anyone. She said it was for privacy,but there must have been some measure of security in her mind. The number was GA(field) 2-3033. Later, when phone #s went all digits, the number was 422-3033.  I can recall my phone number from the house in MI as well, (313) 651-6819. Of course, the area code has changed. Too many phones in too small an area. The memory isn't so good when it comes to remembering where I've put my glasses!

Terry Lee Maple

Speaking of phone numbers. Our first phone number in Chula Vista was HA 2-3767 later changed to Garfield. This was our number the entire time we lived at 667 Carla Avenue. When we moved to East "I" Street in 1958 we changed the number.

Bruce Wilson

Karen: I remember orchards but not farming near Kearny. Was it celery or tomatoes? There was tomato farming just north of Hilltop Drive Elementary School. Several of us, probably Baldy and Knuckles and maybe more got into both a tomato fight and trouble over that one. Terry was not involved, nor was Skeezix.

John: Smashing story. I bet the cake still was a treat.

Terry: I have no recollection of you ever living anywhere but East I.

Anybody: I'm wondering if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty certain there were party lines. 

Treasa: Did you ever run into this operator?

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

Bruce, it was tomatoes and I think it was always tomatoes until they stopped farming there and built the houses and St. John's Church. And I don't know who farmed that land. Do you remember a family by the name of Venner, I think that's how it's spelled? They farmed west of I-5, north of Rohr and I think they grew tomatoes also. At least one of their children went to HHS and was in my brother's class, 1966. I do not remember much about the citrus farmers and I don't really remember locations of the orchards. One of our neighbors told us the very old large houses around Chula Vista that still exist were occupied by the farmers who did the citrus farming back in the day/

And I meant to mention that I recently went on a tour of the Marston House, near Balboa Park. It is the house of the grandparents of two other HHS graduates, Ann and Tom? Marston. Both of them are younger than us. If any of you have not been to the Marston House I can highly recommend it. Our guide was very informative, and gave us a good bit of history about the Marston Family and the contributions of George Marston to the development of San Diego. 

Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

I think Michele rode the traveling carousel at our house for Karen's Circus-themed Birthday party..

And yes, I remember some people had party lines. They had to share the line and wait until the other person was done with their conversation, Courtesy appreciated, long-windiness not.

I have a friend here in Aspen that had a party line for awhile in 1987-88 while they added new lines for the influx of dial-up computers, faxes and multiple numbers in homes, with people suddenly able to have home offices and live here

As far as bakeries, we had the Helms man drive through our neigborhood, and,, of course, the Good Humor Man. (Did they have to have the personality to match?)

Bruce Wilson

"I think Michele rode the traveling carousel at our house for Karen's Circus-themed Birthday party.."

She doesn't remember where, but she does remember getting sick.

Bruce Wilson

This phone business could use some more attention.

We had one black telephone in the dining room shared by six people so there was competiton and no privacy. No extensions.  Operator-assisted calls when we talked to relatives in Michigan.

1947 Area codes

CA 213 Southern

CA 415 Central

CA 916 Northern

I used to make the trek down to the Thrifty near Third & H to make phone calls from the booths inside the store. Even though inside they had seats and doors. I remember calling Tommie Boal many times. Just what we talked about escapes me. "Hello baby, yes this is the Big Bruce speaking"?

I did not remember this either but the phone booth was actually invented by Hedy Lamar and popularized by the Rolling Stones.

This is pretty close to what our phone looked like.

Bruce Wilson

Best 1950's phone song? RIP Big.

Nice crew cut Jiles and Chuck Taylor white loafers are boss.

Honorable mention.

Help me get in touch with Shayne Marie. Why she was in Memphis? I am sworn to secrecy. Interesting historical notes from Johnny at the end. Did he say River's?

Bruce Wilson

One more and I gotta go. No jobs in CV? No problem, work at home. Special request for Michele.

Even the Big Bruce is wrong occasionally. Here is indeed the last one. Johnny Rivers is still playing around and strong and looking good. Del Mar 2014. I'm truly sorry I missed this one. I did see him at The Roxy, not The Whiskey, but what's a few blocks among fans. 

Which side of town?

Michele Ruth Walter

Hi, shayne!

 I remember riding the carousel in front of my house a few times until I ended up getting sick to my stomach...I vaguely recall riding it at your house...!  What I DO remember about your house is what FUN I always had there; I can truthfully say that it was my favorite place to go!!!  I have so many great memories from there!  Thank you!  

Do you remember in the fourth or fifth grade we both learned the alphabet in sign language and we communicated in class across the room?  Then, we were disciplined by the teacher!  Ha ha!  Ha!  My grandmother (who was deaf) made me promise to learn ASL right before she died at 106 years old in 2008, so I am fulfilling her wish now....I LOVE the class!  Interestingly, the instructor has pointed out that I made my "e's" wrong and my "c's" and "h's" in the way they are positioned.  It's hard to change after so many years, too!  :) Much love to you and your family...!

Speaking of farms in Chula Vista, my mom used to buy things like tomatoes down on Palm Ave by the "lug" and my brother and I ate them like they were apples...with lots of salt, while we skated outside all day long!  It was great!  We did the same thing with the lemons!  Mmmmm!  Merry Christmas class of 64!  Best wishes!

George Bracey Gillow

SAM VENER TOMATO FARM

Sam Vener owned the tomato farm at the west end of E Street at the eastern end of Gun Power Point.  

Street and Sons auto wrecking was just east of the Vener Farm.

George Bracey Gillow

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES

Speaking of tomatoes.   Bonita Vista High graduate Steve Peace and his partner John De Bello  made the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes considered one of the worst movies ever made.  But it become a popular cult film.

Some of it was filmed in Bonita, Chula Vista and Southwestern College.

Steve Peace became the State Assemblyman and then the State Senator representing the South Bay area. His political career came to an end when he was part of the energy de-regulation which also led to the recall of Governor Gray Davis and election of Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

George Bracey Gillow

SHIPPING OF LEMONS 

Bruce asked the question, in message 1685, if lemons were shipped from the Port of San Diego or traveled up the coast on railcars. Lemons were shipped overseas to Japan, Hawaii and other places. Some likely from the Port of San Diego and others from LA/LB ports which had refrigerated warehouses.

However, it is unlikely that lemons were carried up the coast by sea.  The longshoreman's loading/unloading costs along with the slower speed of ships would likely have made it a more costly alternative.  

So lemons and other fruits and vegetables were shipped mainly by the refrigerated railcars-reefers. Most were operated by the Southern Pacific (SP) railroad.  Below is a picture of one of the reefer railcars on display in La Mesa.

Incidentally, in the early days of railroads, the telegraph and later telephone lines were constructed by the railroads alongside the tracks.

SPRINT has its origins as the Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Network Telecommunications.

Here is a SP "Pacific Fruit Express" reefer that probably carried lemons from CV:

Gregory Jay (Greg) Witherspoon

I can barely remember any numbers now but my number was Vi 29736 but I didn't move to Chula Vista until 1962.

Bruce Wilson

Great research George. I had no idea the Killer Tomatoes originated (sort of) in Bonita.

No more tomato fights for me.

Bruce Wilson

Sad news. An elderly couple (89 & 79 - names are in the article) died in house fire on Claire Avenue. This looks like possibly Mickey's or Lanette's house.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Chula-Vista-Claire-House-Fire-Fatal-361569551.html

Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

Hi Michele, my Belle,

Yes, I learned sign language from you and I still use it and my Spanish over the years. We have the Deaf Camp here and there are summer adventures and plays for kids and adults . I do remember signing with you across the classroom when the teacher was at the blackboard and the other students giggling, irritating her, since she couldn't find a note being passed (an infraction, staying in from recess the penalty.)  And we loved recess: Four square, tether ball and the climbing bars.

I am so touched you have so many fond memories of being at our house, and I do too.And whoever was game learned "I'm A Litle Doll" Christmas song, performed for our classes in Elementary School. "I Want a Hippopatamus for Christmas" was also on the list.  "The Lord's Prayer" and "When You Walk Through a Storm" you Rosie and I performed throughout the year whenever a teacher gave us the "stage".

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, a bright Dewali, and  soulful Kwanzaa .to All.

May the New Year bring Peace and Joy to the World.