Roundup: December 9, 2015

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

Speaker: Juan Colato
Subject: Wells Fargo: Legendary Name, Artifacts, Fakes and “Fantasy” Items

For historians and those interested in other times and places, the name Wells Fargo is forever connected to adventurous and romantic images of runaway stagecoaches, shotgun guards, and treasure boxes filled with gold. It also includes the more mundane, if highly necessary, tools of doing business in the 19^th century-ledger books, hand stamps, documents and forms, letters, desks, lamps, etc. that the dedicated Wells Fargo agent needed to perform his or her work for customers.

These items large and small have become rare today and highly collectible. The marketplace notes that the name Wells Fargo on a gun or document or belt buckle adds greatly to its value. Many unscrupulous folks in the marketplace also note that it is easy to add the name or initials WF to an authentic antique or to create something today that looks old! Since its founding in 1852, a whole industry was born that dedicates itself to producing counterfeit Wells Fargo material.  Let those less informed be cautious, as there are numerous fakes out there to buy.

Come and enjoy this fascinating presentation with Juan Colato, Senior Wells Fargo History Museum Manager, from which you are sure to learn more than you think you know about Wells Fargo memorabilia.

John Selmer
Deputy Sheriff

Other Events & Outings

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