Shadow Hills, CA

Stonehurst In The 40's and 50's
By Elena Camargo Kern, October 29,2006


Stonehurst In The 40's and 50's

I have such wonderful memories of growing up in our little stone house on Allegheny Street.

There were so many kids who lived on my street and in the neighborhood. The summers were endless. There was no smog in the forties, just blue skies and sunshine. We would play "Cowboy's and Indian's" until the street lights came on.

We hung out at Sonehurst Park, where there were two sand boxes. One had monkey bars and rings for the "big kids" and a smaller one for the little kids. There was also a wading pool. I remember very well one summer when when the pool was drained and closed because of the outbreak of Polio in our neighborhood. My sweet little friend Terry was stricken with the dreaded disease and ended up in an iron lung. After she was finally released from the hospital I would visit with her while she underwent extremely painful physical therapy. I used to cry for her as she struggled with crutches and the heavy metal braces on her legs. She was so brave and she was my heroine. It was a very scary time for everyone everywhere...and especially our neighborhood.

All of my friends lived either on my street or close by in the neighborhood. I was probably closest to, Donna Zelhoff, who lived across the street and Penny Hagland, who lived two doors up the street. Penny had a brother, David, who always managed to make me cry. Donna had a little sister, Nickie, who we were always trying to ditch. Then there were the Bardwell girls, Carol, Jane and Linda. They were quite famous because their father owned a flower shop AND...the Bardwell family was the first in our neighborhood to have a television. It was a Hoffman Easy Vision and the screen was yellow! We would gather 'round and watch "Time for Beanie" with Cecil the Seasick Seasurpent and "Howdy Doodie".

Sharon Truby lived with her mother and grandparents at the east end of the block across the street from Jeffery Romine. Jimmy and Jerry Corzatt lived at the west end of Allegheny, two houses from the park and next door to the Nybergs who lived on te corner.

Marsha Rose and Laurel Riggs lived on Sheldon Avenue, the next street over. Violet and Velma Scalzo lived on Stonehurst Ave. These great kids made up my first circle of friends and I remember them all with great fondness and I still hold them close in my heart.

But, some of my best friends of all time were my beloved animals. I got my first dog, Bobbie when I was two, followed my my duck, Donna and my horse Snowball when I was three.

My grandfather was in the movie business from 1913-1931. He was an actor in silent films and assistant to Hollywood director C.B. DeMille. He also supplied the studios with every kind of animal and western prop imaginable, from camels to stage coaches. After he retired from the studios he was a horse show and rodeo judge. My entire family on my mother's side were horse people and in the movie business. My mother was a pioneer Hollywood stunt woman. Her brother doubled for silent screen star, Mary Pickford. And, Rudolph Valentiono learned to ride on her horse, Teddy. Her sister, Dolores, was a world champion calf roper and trick rider (1933).


My grandfather knew Snowball's background very well. So, when the studios retired him my grandfather bought him for me for my birthday. I was only three so he HAD to be an extermely well trained and gentle horse...and that he was. Once in a great while I still see him on TV on American Movie Classics in the wee hours of the morning in a VERY old John Wayne movie.


Several years ago, here in Hemet, I was walking past an antiques shop and there in the window was an 8 x10 movie still of Snowball. I went in and asked the shop keeper the price. He wanted to know why I wanted it...I told him that it was my old horse...he gave me the picture...

My friend, Suzanne lived on Stonehurst Ave near Wentworth. I don't recall her last name. Strange, because we were very good friends...that's what 50+ years does to your memory bank! She had red hair. Her horse was black and mine was white.

Nearly every day, after school, rain or shine ( rain was my favorite), Suzanne and I rode our horses at Stonehurst Stables. It was a wonderfully fun place to hang out. It was on the corner of Stonehurst Ave. where Sheldon turns into Mc Broom... where the feed store is now. The building, which sat back at the foot of the little hill, was made entirely of stone and the riding arena was enclosed by a stone wall that had to have been close to six feet tall. Tex Marcelles owned the stables. There was always country music playing on the nickle juke box. Hank Williams, Jimmy Rogers, Gene Autery, Roy Rogers...could be heard while we were riding. It was safe because we were protected from traffic by the stone wall. We could buy a Coke, in a glass bottle out of a red machine, for a nickle. The barn and stables were made of stone just like the houses. Every weekend there were horse shows and gymkanna's. I won my first blue ribbon with Snowball when I was six. I still have it. I was heartbroken when the stables were demolished in the name of progress...

When I was about 8 years old Snowball and I rode ,with my friend Suzanne and her horse, to the far side of the dam to the Baby Beef hamburger stand where we decided to stop for a Coke. I guess it was too close to feeding time and Snowball decided he was hungry too so he decided to untie himself and go home without me. When he came galloping into the driveway without me my parents were frantic. Being a former movie horse he knew a lot of tricks...untieing himself was one of his best. I quickly learned to tie a better knot!


We raised chickens so we always had eggs. In the old days Sun Valley was called Roscoe and I loved to go with my mother and grandmother to "Roscoe Feed and Seed" to buy chicken feed which came in softly colored print sacks. I got to pick out the sacks that either Mom or Gram would then turn into a new school dress for me. I thought they were beautiful.

When I was ten I learned to drive. I used to drive my dad's old, blue,1948 Dodge pickup truck down the dirt road to buy bread and milk from Breech's Market. My mom told me that if I got caught I was going straight to jail!

After school we would walk to Breech's...the original stone building on the corner of Sheldon and Wealtha. There were dill pickles for 5 cents that were kept in a big jar on the top of the fresh meat counter. We could also buy a two pack of "Twinkies" or "Snowballs" for a nickle. For a real 'buzz' you could also buy a 5 cent package of Jello and consume it straight from the box!


Doc and Eva Louise Elliot Riding Stables was near the corner of Stonehurst and Allegheny. It was a real horse lovers community and my parents, Ray and Judy Camargo, belonged to a club made up of locals, The Sundown Riders.

Not far from our house, on Sunland Blvd. was "The Old Vienna" restaurant. It was so charming...also made of stone. There was a patio with twists and turns and niches. A huge wooden water wheel was running at the front of the stone structure and a stream ran behind. There were French windows by nearly every booth that overlooked the stream. There were stories of spys and secret, underground tunnels leading to the house on the hill above the restaurant during WW ll. I was fascinated by the mystery. Although we never dined there, occasionly, I would talk my father into pulling into the parking lot where I would "visit" with the little monkey who lived in a large, enclosed, habitat at the east end of the restaurant.




In 1965 one of my childhood dreams came true. My cousin answered an ad in the newspaper for a job and I nearly fainted when the address turned out to be that of "THE Old Vienna". I drove her up the hill to that ominous house that held such legend and speculation. We were stopped by a huge iron gate and had to announce our business through a speaker box before we were allowed entry. The big gate slowly swung open and I drove through. It was goose bump time! I have never seen a swimming pool that large! There was a rowboat floating in the middle. I doubt that I could have made it from one side to the other without a boat.

We were met at the door by a lovely woman dressed in a long robe and turban. We stepped onto the large, square, black and white marble tiles in the entry.There were huge potted plants in urns and to me and my cousin, Carol, we felt as though we had walked into a palace. Sadly, Carol did not land the job so that was the one and only time I was there.

Many years ago and quite by accident, I caught the very end of a story about the mystery of restaurant and house on TV...just my luck to miss it...so for me, the mystery and the fascination lives on.

I was blessed to have wonderful, loving parents and grandparents. On Saturday my father would mow the lawn and when the ice cream man came down the street he would buy ice cream or popcicles for everyone who showed up...and they all showed up!

When I was five years old new neighbors moved in on either side of us. The Willard's and the Ito's. The Willard's had an older daughter Judy, who was married, and a son, Allen, who was ten years my senior...he was my first HUGE crush...I was five and he was fifteen. He had no idea that I was alive. He recently celebrated his 74th birthday...The Willard's and the Ito's were wonderful neighbors and even better friends. The Willard's especially, were "family".



When we were a bit older, my first cigarette was shared with Penny. I thought I would choke to death! It must have been a Camel or Lucky Strike. When we finally stopped coughing, we discovered that a much milder "cigarette" was tightly rolled toilet paper. My smoking "habit" was cured that same day...

We all attended Stonehurst Elementary School and then went on to Sun Valley Jr. Hi and then Poly or Verdugo. I am still in touch with Penny Hagland, who lives in Reno, NV and I had a wonderful reunion with Beverly Taber/Duncan eary last year. It had been over fifty years since we had seen one another.

Around 1952 Stonehurst started to change. People died or moved away and new people moved in, new streets were developed and the wonderful old stone structures, sadly, began to disappear. It broke my young heart.

In 1990 just before we moved to Hemet my dear friends, Jaki and her sister, Simone, rode our horses, one last time, in Hansen Dam. It was a beautiful day with a deep blue sky, huge thunderhead clouds, sun and RAIN! I was wearing my Outback, oiled, slicker that kept me and my saddle dry. It was the first time I had ridden in the dam since I lost my beloved "Snowball" in 1960. It was one of those days that make for a perfect memory...for my old age...a bittersweet memory of my old horse, Snowball, who was my constant companion and friend, and of a childhood that I wouldn't trade for anything. What a marvelous blessing to have grown up when and where I did...

Jaki didn't go to school with me but she and her late husband, Dr Markarian, lived on Art Street across from jazz great,Shelly Mann. We now live within a quater mile of one another and both still have horses. One of mine I named "Teddy' after my mother's horse.


I still own that little stone house on Allegheny Street. It has been in my family for over 80 years. I have it rented to a friend. My grandmother bought it brand new in 1925. It came furnished and with a model A Ford. I still have some of the furniture...I wish I had the car!

I thoroughly enjoyed Mary Helen Ponce's article on life in Shadow Hills, and the follow-up information from Elena about her life growing up on Allegheny Street. What a trip down memory lane!

I do want to clarify one piece of information though. Butterfly Park was just one (large) butterfly farm, and was located on the section of Wheatland on the south side of Sunland Blvd. The property was owned by Albert and Amy Carter and I believe they purchased the land in the early 20th century.

In 1958, when I was 7 years old, my parents purchased a rundown piece of property atop a hill at 9616 Wheatland, and we purchased it directly from the Carter family. My parents bought it for a real bargain even in 1958 - $8500! (I saw where the property sold a year or so ago for a million dollars, too bad we didn't hold on to it!)

The house was a wonderful old Spanish style, and was the home where the Carters lived and operated their Butterfly Park Nature Club. At the time we purchased it, Mr. Carter had passed on and it had become too much for Mrs. Carter, then very elderly, to care for. Her family moved her out of the home and listed it for sale, leaving it virtually the way it was probably when Albert Carter had died.

Butterfly Park grew from a hobby to a research facility to become a worldwide butterfly and rare beetle collection and exchange farm. I remember as children my brother and I exploring the remains of the printing house located near the main house on our property, complete with an old printing press and typeset where the Carters hand-published a butterfly newsletter that was distributed worldwide. The print house held stacks of back issues of their newsletter, which we would pour over, along with a wonderful and vast collection of carefully preserved butterflies and some of the largest moths I could imagine, along with beautifully colored beetles from all over the world. It was quite a large collection, at one time reportedly several hundred thousand in number, fully preserved and catalogued, with many mounted and placed behind glass. My brother and I would hunt through the collection for days at a time, in utter fascination. The farmhouse itself was down the hill from the main house, along Wheatland, and was enclosed with wire netting where Mr. Carter raised all varieties of California butterflies. He also traveled to South America, Asia, and the West Indies studying and collecting these butterflies.

By the time we moved to the neighborhood, the farm structure on Wheatland had been converted to a house where there was a chicken and rabbit farm, and a wonderful old fashioned taffy machine. The owners would have the neighborhood kids over for taffy pulls, imagine what a delight that was to us kids! We lived in that house atop the hill until I went on to high school, at which time we moved to Tujunga.

As a side note, Mr. Carter was an early inventor in the valley. In 1907 he invented a solar furnace. He was also a Special Agent on the Board of Medical Examiners, had a papaya plantation in Mexico, and experimented with papaya in the medical field. He also had a great rock collection, which I think put my brother on the path to become a geologist. Although Mr. Carter had passed on by the time we moved there, he had a great influence on us as kids, sparking much curiosity with nature. What a great place to grow up!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, there was only one butterfly farm, called Butterfly Park Nature Club, and it did not include all of Shadow Hills and Stonehurst, only the portion of Wheatland on the south side of Sunland Blvd. The literature we have gives the city/location as 'Hanson Heights, between the cities of Roscoe and Sunland'.

Again, thanks for the memories!

Chris Jensen Rowley

Thanks so much for your interest and enthusiasm in our articles. We dug through the archives and have added a few photos to the Shadow Hills article for your enjoyment. Thanks again and hope everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day. =)

Thank-you for posting this article MaryEllen.
Blondielocks, I live in NY now but I do remember when I lived on Allegheny we had the most beautiful butterflys I have ever seen in my life. I remember lots of little black fuzzy caterpillars too. You don't see those here.
Elena, I grew up at 11167 Allegheny and I was born in 1961.
I remember the name Bardwell for sure but I can't place it.
I knew Mr. & Mrs. Nyberg on the corner across from the park. They used to let us play in their yard and play house in their storage buildings out back that were filled with old furniture and dishes. I lived Three houses away from the park on the other side of the street from the Nybergs. Directly across the street from the Nybergs an old man named Phil lived there and let his house fall into severe disrepair. The kids used to dare each other to go up onto his property. He had signs warning you would get shot with buckshot if your trespassed. He was reclusive and was rarely seen. When he passed on my mom made friends with his relative that was cleaning through his belongings. He saved everything. He gave her the original brochure for the stone houses which advertised the model-T in the garage and the chandeliers in the living dining room, one at each end. I could see the circular plaster repair on our ceiling in front of the firelace where the chandelier once hung. My mom said that phil had stacks of magazines and one had Shirley Temple on the cover. A couple of days later a man showed up at our door, standing on our stone and concrete porch stating he was from the newspaper and asked my mom if he could borrow the brochure for research and said he would return it. My mom let him borrow it and we never saw him again.
between our house and Phil's were the Mandibles. Two houses up on our other side was Wally Winchell who also owned the house directly next to ours. His son lived in the house for a short time with his wife and twin daughters Jeannie Winchell and Joanie Lucero. Kelly Swindel lived on the other side of Wally Winchell. Directly across the street from me lived Eva And Chick Brown from Arkansas. Their kids were Jackie, Sissy, and Mike. The Browns still had their chandelier hanging in their dining area. Next door to them lived Mr. and Mrs. Green. Further up the street Were the Ash's. Around the corner in the newer homes were two big families the Mckinley's and the McGrath's. Around to the next block going toward the school another big family the Barones'family.
I am not good with street names, but across from Stonehust Elementary there is a street that goes up the mountain. Up there was one very large stone house. It looked like a mansion compared to all the little ones down below. I always wondered what the story was, like maybe the builder made one special house for himself?
Another thing I never understood was the subdivision of the properties across the street. The houses on our side were on double size lots. On our side we had the power line field out behind us. The houses across the field were also on double size lots. But across from us many of the houses were on single size lots and the new houses were built on the street behind them. The next block over had stone houses again. I remember one or two houses on the other side of Allegheny had double size lots. Did these houses all have double lots and someone came and purchased the property from each owner to build the houses on the next street over?
I remember playing in the wading pool at Stonehurst Park. I remember the stone wall that surrounded the park and I remember when they tore the wall down. I remember in the 1960's all the teenagers would sit in big circles on the lawn at the park everyday. Every year at Christmas time the park would have the same holiday show. They kept the same script and costumes and would store them in the attick above the long hall like storage room. The attick had a pull down staircase. There was a part for everyone in the play. After many years I finally got the part of the jack in the box who kept jumping out saying "happy easter" and get pushed back in then "happy halloween" then finally Merry Christmas and Happy new year while jumping out of the box throwing confetti on the audience and getting chased out of the room for escaping. At the end of the show Santa would always land on the roof, (People would go up there and make stomping noises) Santa would come to the stage and give every child a rectangular box of ribbon candy. I also took ballet, brownie meetings and was in a fashion show in that rec room with the huge fireplace and french doors. Every easter saturday the park would have a paper egg hunt with occasional foil eggs hiding that you would exchange for candy. At the edge of the park on the Allegheny side were about 6-8 stone bbq grills. I used to climb the trees right around in that area.
I went to Stonehurst Elementary K-5. I was away for one year and missed my graduation where you get to ring the old original school bell. It was a right of passage. The school newsletter was called the Bell Ringer. During the moon missions they packed everyone in that auditorium to view take off, landing, etc. It was shown on a TV screen that was impossible to see, but I remember being there and being aware of what was occurring. I went to school there with kids from both Stonehurst and Shadow Hills. I Went to Richard E. Byrd Junior High for one year. We moved away after that to a bigger house as my family outgrew the little bungalo. Our house was in its original shape for the most part with the exception of an added bedroom in the back. Our porch was still not enclosed like alot of the neighbors had done. We had the big barn garage and a small detached guest room in the back, a rock wall planter and two apricot trees.
I was surprised to see the pic of the meat market that we used to call the little store. It looks exactly the same except for the sign and the building across the street which used to be all open field all the way up the mountain. Across from the store and across from the tack shop was a little diner called Yon's. They had one row of booths and a counter with stools. It was a greasy spoon, but the food was great and they had a soft serve machiene.
We used to shop at San Val and the 5&dime, and hardware store in Sun Valley. My dentist was in Sun Valley close to the post office. We went to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church. At 4th of July you could see the firewords display at Hansen Damn if you climbed up on the roof.
I search out info on Craftsman homes as I again live in a Craftsman so every so often I search for new postings on Stonehurst and was happy to find this one.
Jennifer (Yesh) Sola

Hi Jennifer Sola. I was led to your story by my sister Margie Ross. Neat story you tell. Brought back old memories. The Bardwell you refer to, was Bud Bardwell, he owned a florist shop, the last time I saw it, it was on Glenoaks Blvd. and just down from Sunland Blvd. Moved to Shadow Hills in 1947 and lived on La Canada Way. Before we moved there, we lived in Hollywood, and I went with my Dad several times to our future home during remodeling in 1945/46 and can remember going by Lockheed Aircraft and the camouflage netting was still up, and it also covered the railroad tracks along San Fernando Rd. Even had a couple of bombers outside the hangars. This was just after the end of the WW2. As you can see, I moved away in 1960. Married my High School sweetheart from Verdugo Hills, Jan Hebert and we lived in Tujunga until 1965. Then we bought a home in Saugus, lived there until 2004, and now reside in Meridian, Idaho. (Near Boise). The first person I met at Stonehurst Ave. School was Chuck Conrad. Have no idea what's became of him. The sand box on the playground, sack lunches outside (usually peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) on the benches, unless it was raining, playing dodge ball, baseball, and marbles all in the dirt. The only teacher I remember was Mrs. Pitts. She sent me home early one day because I was always daydreaming in class. She had had enough of me. Mom was mad about that, not at me but at Mrs. Pitts for sending me home. In those days I rode a bike to school, we didn't have a second car. All of the school buildings were wood bungalows. Poor heat, and air conditioning was not heard of. My memory of Stonehurst Park was the wading pool, the giant swings, and inside the building you could play carems. Enjoyed going to the stables on McBroom, though I only rode a couple times. Used to ride down to see my friends Jerry Toce, and Bob & Lee Stockton who lived on Wheatland the other side of Sunland blvd. In the late 40s early 50s the only market was at Wheatland and Sunland Blvd. Mr Edwards owned it. An old wood bldg. with a gas pump. It was one of those pumps that you pumped a handle, filled the glass container above, then gravity took over and gas flowed to the handle. Mr. Edwards closed up shop when Mr. Maiuri opened a grocery store across the street. Felt sorry for the old man. I did see Mr. Edwards again in the early 60s, he had a market at the Little Rock reservoir in Pearblossom. In the early 50s I worked for Mr. Wedeberg, he had a chicken ranch at the corner of Wheatland and La Canada Way. Made $12.50 a week. In 1956 when I got my drivers license I went to work for Hank Terusa who had the Mobil Station at the corner of Wheatland and Sunland Blvd. Up Wheatland just past Art St. they used to have rodeos, don't recall when that closed down. There also was a man by the name of Consenturas in the same area who had a horse drawn wagon, and would sell produce out of it. His route took him up La Canada Way. I could go on, but enough written for now.
George Ross

hello sir i read your post and i appreciate your feelings that you are apologize for any rude comment for this site.and sir every person has their own feelings so why are you irritate from those people you just think about Christ and serve him.
thanks.

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Shrink Fibroids Naturally

I remember so many things and people mentioned here. I lived there off and on from about 1947 to 1954. Most of the time I lived at 9600 Wheatland, just below Amy Carter. She was a very dear lady and friend of ours. I attended Stonehurst Elementary School and Verdugo Hills High School. I knew the Walls (Susan and Fred), Shroeders (Mary and Roger and I think they had a sister Diane), Stockton twins (Lee and Robert), Harris boys who lived at the end of Dale, Toce's, DeCordova's, Hensly's, Halverson's, Devore's, Gail Rotta, Burdett's, Konstanturous', Betty Jo Crabtree, Jimmy Endow, Jimmy Gravit, Helene Brown, Craig sisters, Judy Henessy, and more. I must close now but I will be checking back here soon.
(Vera) Peach (Bateman) Starks