Roundup: March 11 2020

Roundup Synopsis

Given that we are all members (or fellows) of a historical society, interest was high in March when Bruce Merritt came to the Corral to explain the founding of another society, albeit one with a bit of a different bent than our own. The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California was founded in Los Angeles in November of 1895 by Col. Holdridge Ozro Collins and U.S. Attorney George Jules Denis. The Society of Colonial Wars already existed in New York at the time of the founding of the California chapter, when a few enthusiastic newcomers sought to bring what was quickly becoming a national tradition out West to legitimize themselves and their city as truly American. Though the current state of the Society of Colonial Wars bears little resemblance to its configuration at founding, we Westerners were treated to a bit of the colorful history of its early members, and a glimpse into the motivations behind its origins. The Society of Colonial Wars in California sprang up in Los Angeles during what Mr. Merritt termed “the Golden Age of lineage societies.” This “Golden Age” came about in the latter half of the nineteenth century as three forces that had been growing within America converged to spur a flurry of society foundings. Patriotism was growing as Civil War wounds healed, anti-immigration sentiments prevailed as more now came from China and Eastern Europe, and Anglophilia was in vogue amongst the upper crust due to the glamour of some very high-profile marriages between American elites and British nobles. Societies spread like wildfire as people sought to not only rub elbows with the elites, but to preserve an American culture which they felt was being threatened. The group which responded to these forces in Los Angeles—Colonel Collins and associates—were about as diverse in background as a bunch of wealthy, middle-aged white men could be in 1895. There were former Confederates alongside Unionists, a Republican U.S. Attorney and one from the Democrats, as well as judges, politicians, speculators, and even a reverend for good measure. Among the men who came together to found the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California, you’ll find names like Otis, Huntington, and Rindge. Less remembered are the likes of Motley Flint, who was shot dead in court for his involvement in a ponzi scheme, or Reverend Alexander Merwin, who built schools and churches for the Latino communities of Southern California. This early society was chock-full of characters. Today, the society bears little resemblance to its early form. It has become more focused on historical preservation, while dropping the anti-immigration and elitist attitudes which colored its early days. Though still male-only, the society now has several, lecture-focused, co-ed, public events each year. Mr. Merritt indicated that there is talk amongst the Society of Colonial Wars about incorporating more Spanish colonial history into their future efforts. If not, we Westerners will be there to pick up the slack! — Alan Griffin

Photos from the Roundup

Roundup: March 11, 2020

Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA.
Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM

A .pdf of the Roundup Announcement can be downloaded here. 

Our Speaker: Bruce Merritt
His Subject: The Founding of the Society of Colonial Wars in Los Angeles in 1895

The Founders of the Society of Colonial Wars in Los Angeles were a group of notable individuals in early Los Angeles.   Most were prominent individuals.   These included two Mayors, a US Senator, a major banker and more!

According to his site, Bruce Gordon Merritt is a retired trial lawyer with a passion for history.  Born in Iowa City, Iowa, he grew up in Southern California and attended Occidental College, where he majored in history.  Intent on a career as a historian, he was admitted to a doctoral program in American History at Harvard.  His studies, however, were interrupted by the draft and by the time he returned to civilian life, he had decided upon a career in the law.  He attended Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude in 1972.  Following a clerkship with a law firm in London, he began that practice of law in Los Angeles.  In the 1980s he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and handled several high profile criminal cases, including the successful prosecution of the president and general counsel of CalAm Corporation, once the nation’s largest tax shelter promoter, and the case of Nikolai and Svetlana Ogorodnikov, who were convicted of recruiting FBI agent Richard Miller for Soviet intelligence.  Following his time as a federal prosecutor, he joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton as a litigation partner, first in Los Angeles and later in New York.  In 1992, he was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Since his retirement from the law, Bruce has pursued his passion for historical research.  He has published articles in both the Journal of American History, and the Southern California Quarterly.  Bruce has also authored a book, St. Mark’s Journey, on the history of a pioneer church in Glendale, CA.  

Attend this Roundup to learn about several prominent and colorful citizens who were founding members of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California! 

Register for the March Roundup before the Thursday deadline to reserve your place at this historic event!    The deadline to register is March 5th, for our March 11th Roundup!   

Final Dues Reminder

This is a final reminder to our members to renew their 2020 Corral dues.   As per our Range Rules, we will begin to send out late notices for dues after February 15th with an added late charge of $10 for dues received after March 1st.

Future Los Angeles Corral Events

April 8, 2020
Mike Post
The Chimineas Ranch of the Carrizo Plain National Monument

May 13, 2020
Steve Baker
Notable Women of Monrovia and their Enduring Impact on Society

June 20, 2020
Fandango!
Preparations are underway for a memorable event! 

Dinner Fees, Reservation Deadline & Meal Choices

Please make your reservations by Thursday, March 5th, so that we can include your meal preference when placing the food order for our event.   This month, your entrée selection is beef, fish and vegetarian.  The beef selection is bacon wrapped USDA prime Top Sirloin grilled & wrapped in thick applewood bacon.  The fish option is Baked Atlantic Salmon seasoned & topped with a whole grain mustard sauce & toasted lemon wedge.  This month, the vegetarian option is Pasta Primavera with tomato basil sauce with a medley of carrots, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms & green beans.  Our dessert will be Panna Cotta!

Please observe the registration deadline and  place your order no later than Thursday, February 6^th 

The Roundup Dinner Fee is $40 for those who register before the deadline.  Those who register late or walk-in will be charged $45, and may be limited to their choice of meal.  If registering online at www.lawesterners.org, the Roundup Store can be reached through the Members Only tab.  Be sure to select your meal option, then pay using a PayPal account or by credit card.

New Mailing Address for Roundup Reservations & Dues

Our Registrar of Marks and Brands position is currently vacant.  Until this position is filled, the Trail Bosses kindly request that all Roundup reservations and membership dues be sent to our Keeper of the Chips, Mr. John Shea, at 13613 Barlin Avenue, Downey, CA 90242-5107.  Questions or late reservations?   Please direct all reservation or membership dues questions to John Shea by phone at (562) 408-6959.  

Los Angeles Corral Ongoing Book Auction

Did you know that donated books are available for purchase throughout the year?   Books can be purchased outside the Fandango and Rendezvous by contacting Past Sheriff Brian Dervin Dillon directly.  After payment is received, books can be picked up at one of our Roundups, or other arrangements can be made.    Request a copy of the new, 2020 book list with an Email to:  briandervindillon@gmail.com.  If you place your order via Email, books can be delivered to you at the monthly Roundups! 

 You can find the updated list of auction items here.

Registrar of Marks and Brands         

If you read this notice in its entirety, you may be an excellent candidate for our open Registrar position.   Contact a Trail Boss for more information!

Roundup: February 12 2020

Roundup Synopsis

The American frontier crawled with gunslingers. Each one picked up the firearm for a different reason, and each one aimed for the same result; gun violence and death was a constant threat in the Wild West, whether the victims were implicated in crime and scandal, or if they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. These circumstances made the firearm the be all and end all to both keeping the peace and disrupting order. The moral code of the time seems blurred to us, making judgment calls on four gunmen difficult—Pink Higgins, Luke Short, Jim Miller, and Bill Fossett. Charles King invited us to set aside our values to marvel at the spectacle that was the ruthlessness, the cunning, and the extraordinary careers of these four men.
Not every gunslinger can be called a ruthless killer, but they were killers nonetheless. Luke Short, a shrewd businessman and gambler, and Bill Fossett, a fearless lawman who climbed the ranks in a long career, both used force to overcome challenges. The American frontier pushed people to vice and violence in a way that left no room for polite diplomacy. Short escaped arrest after selling bootleg whiskey to Native Americans, and his business dealings landed him in one tricky situation after another. He made it big scoring ranch land, owning whiskey stocks, and running saloons, and with the help of his six shooter, he never let racketeers or corrupt capitalists get one over on him in his career.
Fossett’s career involved a more traditionally noble path, killing or capturing outlaws and running with peacekeeping posses. Even his daughter took after him in shooting and maintaining order on the frontier. For every morally dubious or righteous gunman, however, there was also a morally corrupt one— or, at least, one whose career of gunslinging can be harder to swallow.
Some men killed ruthlessly, amassing astounding body counts and defying the law at every turn. Whether their intentions were noble or not, the end results reveal the capacity for death and violence in the Old West. Pink Higgins and Jim Miller had drastically different lives as gunmen, with Higgins leaning toward the far more “righteous” of the two. He took the cowboy profession seriously, and as a range detective for the Spur Ranch in Texas, Higgins lynched many cattle rustlers. Higgins also feuded with the Horrell Brother outlaws, kickstarting his reputation as a gunslinger. While he was ruthless, Higgins directed his brutality toward criminals; Miller’s violence, on the other hand, is harder to reconcile by today’s standards of morality. Miller advertised himself as an assassin, accruing great wealth taking assignments, even during his work with the Texas Rangers. Not only did the Texas Rangers apparently tolerate his lucrative side job, but he had already managed to serve as a lawman in Pecos. A man of no vices save for profitable murder, Miller set a comically conflicting example for men in the Wild West.
Morality changes over the ages, and America being so young makes the jump in standards between eras look steep. King proposed that the concoction of booze, guns, and unsavory personalities lended to the “wildness” of the west, leaving behind a memory of lawlessness in our minds. He saw both marvel and horror in the histories of America’s famed killers. While he entertained the crowd with these stories, King also emphasized the importance in paying mind to the moral gap between the American frontier past and our present—not so far removed from our contemporary lives, and not a history we should honor without judgment. — Arkaz Vardanyan

Photos from the Roundup

Roundup: February 12, 2020

Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA.
Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM

A .pdf of the Roundup Announcement can be downloaded here. 

Our Speaker: Charles King
His Subject: Wild West Gunslingers: Short biographies of various gunmen, lawmen, feuds, and their outcomes.

Charles Randy King will entertain us with stories of “Wild West” gunmen, lawmen, and feuds.   A series of old-time photographs will accompany his talk on notable characters such as gunfighter Pink Higgins; businessman, cowboy and gambler Luke Short; lawman and professional killer Jim “Killin’ Jim” Miller; and fearless frontiersman, detective and Marshal “Wild” Bill Fossett.  After this presentation, the lines may blur between those you consider a lawful man or a gunman.

Charles Randy King is a Corresponding Member of our Corral.  He has worked in the broadcast industry for most of his adult life, while raising a family and actively being involved in community affairs.  Randy has always been an avid student of American History and gravitates to the “Wild West”, which is the genre of several of his published books.  He has also worked and collaborated with the History Academy in Gettysburg, PA, providing crucial research, development, and budgeting for various projects for shows of historical content for presentation to a variety of cable networks.  These include the History Channel, National Geographic, and the Military Channel.  In addition to his published books, Charles Randy King has developed and written two screen plays, of which one screen play and one book have been ‘optioned’ and are currently in development for the movie industry.

Brand Book 23 Release and Book Signing

It’s time to celebrate Westerner style.  Come be a part of our celebration this evening with Editor Joe Cavallo for the release of the new, highly anticipated, beautiful, high-quality, limited edition Brand Book 23!  A special author and contributor signing event will take place during our social hour, so plan on arriving early to attend this grand event which has been sixteen years in the making. Copies will be available for those who previously preordered.   For those who have not yet submitted their book order, copies of Brand Book 23 may be purchased at this event.  This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Register for the February Roundup before the Thursday deadline to reserve your place at this historic event!    The deadline to register is February 6th, for our February 12th Roundup!

Future Los Angeles Corral Events

March 11, 2020
Bruce Merritt
The Founding of the Society of Colonial Wars in Los Angeles in 1895.

April 8, 2020
Mike Post
The Chimineas Ranch of the Carrizo Plain National Monument

May 13, 2020
Steve Baker
Notable Women of Monrovia and their Enduring Impact on Society

Dinner Fees, Reservation Deadline & Meal Choices

Please make your reservations by Thursday, February 6^th, so that we can include your meal preference when placing the food order for our event.   This month, your meal selection is beef, chicken and vegetarian.  The beef meal will be Top Sirloin grilled and slow roasted.  The chicken option is Baked Garlic Chicken, lightly breaded, topped with garlic and parmesan cheese.  The Vegetarian entrée is Vegan Tartare, an artfully displayed seared seasonal fruit or vegetable diced & atop a bed of avocados & topped with a balsamic vinaigrette and a homemade crostini.  Our dessert will be Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream! 

Please observe the registration deadline for this special event and place your order no later than Thursday, February 6^th

The Roundup Dinner Fee is $40 for those who register before the deadline.  Those who register late or walk-in will be charged $45, and may be limited to their choice of meal.  The Roundup Store can be reached through the Members Only tab.   Be sure to select your meal option, then pay using a PayPal account or by credit card.

New Mailing Address for Roundup Reservations & Dues

Our Registrar of Marks and Brands position is currently vacant.    Until this position is filled, the Trail Bosses kindly request that all Roundup reservations and membership dues be sent to our Keeper of the Chips, Mr. John Shea, at 13613 Barlin Avenue, Downey, CA 90242-5107.  Questions or late reservations?   Please direct all reservation or membership dues questions to John Shea by phone at (562) 408-6959.

Dues Renewal Reminder

As a reminder to all members, if you have not already renewed your 2020 dues, please send in your payment of $50.00 or renew online as soon as possible.   Members who have not already renewed will receive a reminder from a Trail Boss until we have a new Registrar.  Your dues help support our Fellowship program and pay for the Branding Iron, Special Keepsakes and Westerners International dues.

The Dues Store is located under the Members Only tab. Pay using a PayPal account or credit or debit card (through PayPal).   If paying by check, please forward your payment to: Mr. John Shea, at 13613 Barlin Avenue, Downey, CA 90242-5107.  Thank you.

Los Angeles Corral Ongoing Book Auction

Many books have been donated since our last public auction at the October 2019 Rendezvous!  Request a copy of the new, 2020 book list with an Email to:  briandervindillon@gmail.com.  If you place your order via Email, books can be delivered to you at the monthly Roundups!  You can find the updated list of auction items here.

Roundup: January 8 2020, ECV Night

Roundup Synopsis

On E Clampus Vitus Night, fraternity members dressed in red to usher in the New Year at the first roundup of 2020. Clamper Mark Mutz took the floor to discuss the ins and outs of storytelling. Mutz uncovered the truth behind various legends about American history. He connected historical monuments of death and destruction with his experience as a curious young man in New England, an infantry sergeant from the Pacific Northwest to Kentucky, and as a resident in his current home in California. The tombstones he found throughout his life served as reminders of grim moments in the past often forgotten by the average American today—“A Soldier of the Revolution,” the Russian orthodox cemetery near Fort Richardson, Alaska, and the Civil War graveyards near Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Each marker told a story, and those stories contributed to Mutz’s endeavor to report on those stories in his newspaper, The Fence Post.
America was built on legends and continues to be spoken of in the language of these legends. The mythos surrounding the origin of Thanksgiving cracked under the pressure of Mutz’s corrections, and that same pressure challenged other popular misconceptions; the conquered Californios who fought back against American conquest with skill and bravery, as opposed to letting our country have an easy victory. Most fallacious of all, in Mutz’s eyes, would be the various paradoxes that make up America’s historic foundation. The fight for U.S. independence missed a true sense of universal patriotism as a mess of loyalism, fence-sitting, and opportunism stood in the way of unified dissent against the British. “Liberty and justice for all” applied only to a select portion of the American population for many generations. The existence of slavery and the disenfranchisement of women are two of the clearest examples of how America’s promise did not match up to reality.
How can a nation stand on so many contradictions? Mutz strives to take such contradictions apart. Their existence begs asking— does America stand because of a collective willingness to overlook errors in nationalist nostalgia? Many more factors put America in a good position to avoid discussing its checkered past, but a critical look at the historical record is necessary to stop the cycle of perpetuating a lack of awareness of our country.
— Arkaz Vardanyan

Photos from the Roundup