November 13, 2013 – Hat Night

October 19, 2013 – Rendezvous

The Rendezvous is our annual fundraiser where we are treated to a great western dinner, western music, drinks, and a book auction. We also honor those members who have made major long term contributions and commitments to our Corral. This is always a fun and productive event for the Corral. Members bring spouses, adult family members and guests. There is something for all! This year’s event was graciously held by Gary and Vickie Turner at their “Hacienda”. Many heartfelt thanks to the Turners! This year’s theme  was in commemoration of the Civil War and the Gettysburg Address. We hope to see you at next year’s Rendezvous!

Photographs by Steve Crise.

New Honorary Members 2013: Eric Nelson, Abe Hoffman, & Paul Showalter

August 17, 2013 – Mt. Wilson Observatory

Los Angeles Westerners  do history with the Stars!
by Larry L. Boerio, Deputy Sheriff

Click here to view photos from the event.

On Saturday, August 17, 2013, twenty-five Corral members and guests toured historic Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO), the birthplace of modern astronomy where some of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20^th Century took place. Mt Wilson contains what were the largest telescopes in the world at the time. These telescopes, still in use, were vital to unlocking fundamental secrets of the Universe by scientists at MWO in the first half of the twentieth century. This half-day trip was another exclusive Corral Special Outing focused on experiencing history in “3-D”.

Our private tour was led by Dave Jurasevich, Deputy Director of Operations at MWO, who was our speaker at the monthly Roundup just three days earlier. As Dave told us at the beginning of the tour, “you are going to see things that others don’t get to see, because I have all the keys”. He was right!

After arriving at MWO, situated at 5712’ elevation, we first enjoyed the scenic beauty of the pine forest and the spectacular views overlooking Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles west to the ocean. Our tour began with a walk to the 150’ solar tower. On our way we saw a view of the historic Mount Wilson Toll Road (original trail built by Benjamin D. Wilson) used to bring the original equipment to Mount Wilson in 1904. Inside the solar tower, we were introduced to Steve Padilla, who has been observing the sun and sketching sunspots for scientific study for nearly forty years at Mount Wilson. Steve graciously showed us the observer’s area and its equipment.  He also demonstrated how he spots and records the sunspots by hand drawing them. The technique has not changed with sun spot activity records back to 1917. The Los Angeles Times, in its October 28, 2013 edition, highlighted Mr. Padilla and his work at Mount Wilson in its featured, front-page article for the day. We learned about George Ellery Hale, the founder of MWO, who discovered solar vortices as well as the systemic changing magnetic polarities of sun spots, (now known as the Hale-Nicholson Law).

We then proceeded to the 60” reflecting telescope. It was built in 1908, the largest reflecting telescope in the world at that time. Using the 60” scope in 1918, Harlow Shapley determined that our solar system was not the center of the Milky Way as was always thought. He calculated that it is 25,000 light years from the center of the galaxy on a spiral arm. We then proceeded to the 100” reflecting telescope, completed in 1917. Edwin Hubble used this instrument to make two monumental discoveries: 1) that the Milky Way was not the only galaxy in the universe, and 2) the expansion of the universe, which Albert Einstein originally refused to believe. In addition to the telescope, its dome, and all the control systems, we saw the wooden chair in which Hubble sat for his historic observations.  After all of this intellectual stimulation, Dave opened up the dome to the sky and later allowed us to go outside on a catwalk that is attached to the dome. There we all took a 360 degree ride as the dome rotated around to all the fabulous views from this mountain site. We then visited the site where Albert Michelson measured the speed of light in 1926.

As if this was not enough, Dave had more in store for us! We visited the Monastery that Hale built for scientists to live in while they studied at MWO. It was interesting that Hale gave himself a very small bedroom, just like the others. The Monastery contained his personal office where Dave showed us some very rare and significant scientific books that Hale studied. In addition to visiting the dining room, where many a world-famous scientist took their meals, we had the opportunity to sit in the Monastery’s study where Albert Einstein once lectured to a select group of scientists. The chair in which he sat is known as “Einstein’s Chair”; and Dee Dee Ruhlow sat in it without realizing that she was the lucky one out of the entire group! Pictures were a popping!

I wish to thank Dave Jurasevich for a fabulous tour and for offering us his many insights. Additionally, I must mention Jim Macklin, who heroically filled in for me to arrange registration of all participants and coordinated trip specifics with the Observatory.

Click here to view photos from the event.

July 13, 2013 – Santa Barbara Train Trip

Los Angeles Westerners  do history in high style!
by Larry L. Boerio, Deputy Sheriff

Click here to view photos from the event.

On Saturday, July 13, 2013, fifty-two Corral members and guests departed historic Los Angeles Union Station aboard two spectacularly-restored vintage passenger rail cars bound for Santa Barbara. This all-day trip was an exclusive Corral Special Outing focused on experiencing history in “3-D.”  More Special Outings are planned on a regular basis.

The two cars, Overland Trail (a former Southern Pacific 1949 Pullman-built Club-Lounge car used on the San Francisco Overland) and Silver Splendor (a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 1956 Budd-built Vista Dome-Lounge-Dining car used on the Denver Zephyr) are privately owned and have been meticulously restored, first-hand, by their respective owners Bill and Debbie Hatrick and John and Heidi Caestecker.  The cars were coupled as a private section to Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, which departed at 7:50 a.m. and arrived at Santa Barbara at 10:19 a.m.  A full breakfast, served by the truly first class wait staff of both cars, was really done up right!  The same can be said of the delectable dinner served on the return trip which departed at 4:35 p.m.

En-route, the history of the cars and the railroads was illuminated as we traveled along the ex-SP Coast Line (LA to Bay Area line, now owned by Union Pacific).  Originally, the Coast Line carried SP’s historic Coast Daylight train, which many consider to be the “most beautiful passenger train in the world” with its red, orange, and black color scheme.  Westerners chatted, drank, ate, viewed the passing mountains and coastline, and explored these two pieces of rolling history from the “glory days” of passenger railroading.  Upon arrival in Santa Barbara, with six hours available, many Corral members took advantage of the escorted tour of the many wine-tasting rooms.  Later, on their own, they formed their own small groups to explore this beautiful and historic city by the sea.  Others made their own small groups right away to explore the city directly, going to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Presidio, the many high-quality retail shops and art galleries, and the beautiful beaches and coastal views.  Everyone seemed to have a great time.  The chance to enjoy all of this with fellow Corral members was a real treat!  Perhaps Sheriff Joe Cavallo summarized it best:

“My wife and I rode to SB in the 1949 car and rode back in the 1956 bubble top dome car. The loving attention to detail to these two train cars to make them so beautifully and historically restored was such a delight to see. It was like travelling back in time experiencing the beauty of California and our Western heritage, while journeying along in historically restored train cars. How much fun it was to talk, laugh, and enjoy the camaradarie of fellow Westerners in such wonderful surroundings. The time in Santa Barbara was great. Wine tasting, art museum, a great lunch with some of our Members  made every moment a lot of fun.  What an absolutely fabulous experience. Thanks to the owners of the cars and Larry Boerio who tirelessly gave attention to every detail and did a superb job. Westerners is committed to our magnificent historical heritage and all of our activities are designed to that end. I cannot wait until the next such event.”

Click here to view photos from the event.

Roundup: December 11, 2013

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

This is our annual Holiday event with Cherries Jubilee dessert!

Speaker: Stuart A. Forsyth
Subject:  “Cajon at War—The San Bernardino Bomb Plant”

Click here to view photos from the event.

Just three months and two days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the Western Stove Co. of Culver City was operating a newly built plant for the U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Service just northwest of San Bernardino.

What did they make in this top-secret plant, and where did the railroads and the U.S. Navy ship its product?

What did the Day & Night Water Heater Company of Monrovia have to do with this operation? And what did all of this have to do with the most expensive weapon the United States developed and deployed during World War II (no, not the atomic bomb) and that weapon’s role in bringing the war with Japan to an end?

Stuart A. Forsyth will answer these questions this evening with a thoroughly researched, beautifully illustrated and fascinatingly presented talk on the little-known history of this particular Southland contribution to the American victory in World War II.

Stuart retired as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and now runs his own consulting practice for lawyers and judges as The Legal Futurist. He has had a life-long interest in the railroads of Southern California and World War II. He has served as Secretary and Chairman of the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and was one of the founders of the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. He has been researching the Cajon Pass area for more than half a century, and this evening’s talk is one of the fruits of that labor.

Click here to view photos from the event.

Larry L. Boerio 
Deputy Sheriff