Roundup: November 11, 2015

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

Speaker: Eric A. Nelson
Subject: Farming in the San Joaquin River Delta

At the time that California was granted Statehood, the San Joaquin River Delta was nothing more than a swamp, with a river meandering through it. Eric Nelson’s power point presentation will trace the history of the development of this swampland into reclaimed parcels of land on which levees were constructed to keep the River from inundating the reclaimed lands and returning them back into swampland. Some of these reclaimed lands became, in effect, islands. Eric will explain the reclamation process, its history, and its current administration. Following the historical narrative, Eric will relate his experiences in the 1970s and 1980s, in overseeing a farming operation on the largest single-ownership island in the San Joaquin Delta, while dealing with the special characteristics associated with farming on land, surrounded by water and protected by levees.

Please join us this coming Veterans Day, November 11, 2015, for our twice-elected Sheriff’s fascinating glimpse into this important facet of California’s history. We look forward to your participation!

John Selmer
Deputy Sheriff

 

 

Rendezvous 2015

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Rubel Castle – 844 N. Live Oak Avenue, Glendora, CA  91740

Sold Out!

The Castle

In 1959, Michael Rubel (1940-2007) purchased the 2 ½ acre defunct Albourne Rancho, took up residence in its huge packing house, and built a marvelous castle out of concrete, stone, and other miscellaneous materials. By 1986, he and his friends had completed construction of a marvelous, fantastical castle.

Like a true castle, this architectural marvel has hosted royalty including Prince Philip, not to mention (but we will) Dwight Eisenhower, Henry Kissinger, Angie Dickinson, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Alfred Hitchcock, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.

The Man Behind the Castle

Michael Rubel’s father, Henry “Heinz” Rubel, had been an Episcopal minister and gag writer for radio comedians—an uncommon career combo.

In the 1960s, Rubel’s mother, a one-time Greenwich Village Follies dancer, moved in and discovered that the 200-foot long former packing house was a perfect venue for her favorite hobby: parties.

Well-dressed guests arrived weekly by the hundreds, strolling past old tractors, buggies, horses, poultry, and other gritty accouterments of the bucolic citrus era to dine and dance inside a fruit packing house that had been transformed into a giant dance hall.  Inside, surrounded by art and antique furniture remaining from Rubel ancestors, guests “mingled in the smudge oil and orange blossom atmosphere” as they danced to the orchestras.

In March 2005, Michael Rubel donated the Castle to the Glendora Historical Society.

The Rendezvous Schedule

Our own Corral member Don Green will head up the tours. He and castle builder Michael Rubel were buddies, so you’re bound to glean some fascinating inside scoop. 

Schedule:

11:00 a.m.      Tour #1

11:30 a.m.      Tour #2

Bar open

Registration open

Silent bidding open

Cowboy music with Paul Rippens

12 noon           Lunch served

12:45 p.m.      Live auction with Eric Nelson

1:00 p.m.        History lesson with Don Green

1:15  p.m.        Vin Fiz Flyer

2:15 p.m.        Tour #3

3:00 p.m.

 Gates close  (Yep, you’ll be able to find your way home with the sun still above the horizon.)

 

The Scrumptious Meal

C’mon, what Westerner wouldn’t enjoy a bit of libation and fine dining in a castle!  You’ll get all of that and more.

We expect Tim Heflin to ride in from Kennedy Meadows for the libation part.   And Five Star Catering will take care of the fine dining that will include:

 Grilled Chicken with Citrus Cream Sauce
Roasted Sirloin with Red Wine Demi
Vegetarian Pasta Primavera and all the usual accompaniments
  

The Toe-Tapping Entertainment

Vin Fiz Flyer is a bluegrass band composed of high school history teachers and musicians who sing original songs about California and Western history. They introduce each song with a brief account of the history, and then retell the story in song.

These guys alone are worth the price of admission—twice the price of admission, okay three times the price of admission!!!

Don’t Miss the Train

Your invitation will arrive in the US Mail in a few days!! 

But seating is limited. If you drag your feet making a reservation, you may end up eating a rabbit around the campfire outside the castle walls like the slow pokes in the picture below.  Mail your reservation and $45 per person to Jim Macklin at 1221 Greenfield Avenue, Arcadia CA 91006-4148.

See ya there, pard!

Navigate to the Members Only tab to quickly and easily pay for your registration & guests via PayPal.

 

Roundup: September 9, 2015

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

Speaker: Jerry Selmer
Subject: The Peenitentes of New Mexico

In the years following the Mexican Rebellion (1821), the Spanish priesthood was expelled from all of New Spain. In the faraway wilderness of Northern New Mexico, small villages wished to keep their perception of the Catholic faith. Religious groups formed without the direct guidance of the Church, resulting in zealous religious cults that called themselves Penitentes. These groups carry their religious practices to an extreme that is unknown to most of us. In tonight’s program, Jerry Selmer will give us an overview of how these practices blossomed ant how they may be seen from a outsider’s perspective. Come join us to learn about this unusual piece of history from the American  Southwest.

Jerry Selmer is a 40-year member of the Los Angeles Corral and served as Sheriff in 1985. During his long public service career, he was appointed Executive Director of the Southwest Museum and served in that capacity from 1989 through 1992.

John Selmer
Deputy Sheriff

Roundup: September 9, 2015

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

Speaker: Jerry Selmer
Subject: The Penitentes of New Mexico

In the years following the Mexican Rebellion (1821), the Spanish priesthood was expelled from all of New Spain. In the faraway wilderness of Northern New Mexico, small villages wished to keep their perception of the Catholic faith. Religious groups formed without the direct guidance of the Church, resulting in zealous religious cults that called themselves Penitentes. These groups carry their religious practices to an extreme that is unknown to most of us. In tonight’s program, Jerry Selmer will give us an overview of how these practices blossomed ant how they may be seen from a outsider’s perspective. Come join us to learn about this unusual piece of history from the American  Southwest.

Jerry Selmer is a 40-year member of the Los Angeles Corral and served as Sheriff in 1985. During his long public service career, he was appointed Executive Director of the Southwest Museum and served in that capacity from 1989 through 1992.

John Selmer
Deputy Sheriff

 

Sittin’ Around the Campfire

Corral News

Dinner Reservations

Dinners cost $35 each and the reservation deadline is September 4, 2015.  Late reservations can be accepted, but you will not be able to choose your entrée and you will pay $40.  Please mail your reservation and your check—payable to “Westerners, Los Angeles Corral”—to Jim Macklin, Keeper of the Chips, 1221 Greenfield Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006-4148  626-446-6411. You may also call Jim Shuttleworth, Registrar of Marks and Brands at 909-595-6655 with questions or late reservations.

PAYPAL is now available

Put your money where your mouse is. Instead of mailing in your check, now you can make your dinner reservations online. Just log onto our website www.lawesterners.org and go to the members tab and click on the pay option. Instructions are there. Use the website Contact Us button if there are any questions or issues.

Upcoming Roundup Speakers & Programs

October 17, 2015………………………….. Rendezvous, Rubel Castle, Glendora

November 11, 2015…………………………Eric Nelson, San Joaquin River Delta

December 9, 2015…………………………..Juan Colato, Wells Fargo Fakes

January 13, 2016……………………………Brian Dervin Dillon, The Modoc War

Book Reviews

Three books have arrived for review in the Branding Iron. If you would like to review one of them, please email Abe Hoffman at hoffmanaz@gmail.com. First come, first served. The books are:

AMERICAN MYTHMAKER: Walter Noble Burns and the Legends of Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and Joaquin Murrieta, by Mark J. Dworkin. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2015. 269pp. Illustrations, Notes, Bibliography, Index. Hardbound, $29.95.

CLYDE WARRIOR: Tradition, Community, and Red Power by Paul R. McKenzie-Jones. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2015. 234 pp. Illustrations, Notes, Bibliography, Index. Hardbound, $29.95.

GRIZZLY WEST: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West, by Michael J. Dax. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2015. 289 pp. Illustrations, Notes, Bibliography, Index. Hardbound, $37.50.

Roundup: August 12, 2015

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

Speaker: Nat Read
Subject: The Story of early Los Angeles the man who molded it

Please join us this August 12^th for a fascinating presentation about one of the most colourful and important people from our local Southern California history. Author Nat Read will surely delight the Corral with his insightful knowledge regarding Don Benito Wilson, truly a person of great importance in the history of this area.

Benjamin Davis “Don Benito” Wilson, 1811-1878, (namesake of Mount Wilson) molded Los Angeles in its late Mexican and early U.S. history. A mountain man and Alta California ranchero, he led U.S. Army troops in the first local battle of the Mexican War, set up U.S. government here, and was the second mayor of Los Angeles. Additionally, he also served as a Los Angeles County supervisor, and was elected to three terms of the California State Senate. He was president of the first local railroad and, with Phineas Banning, formed the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor. He founded the predecessor college of USC and owned Beverly Hills, UCLA, Wilmington, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and large parts of downtown Los Angeles.

John Selmer
Deputy Sheriff