California Trivia & Tidbits - Page 6

Looking for California trivia? Try our list California little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

It is reported that in 1878, a local citizen decided the name "Fiddletown" was not dignified enough and asked the state Legislature to change the town's name to Oleta. Lawmakers agreed, and the community was known as Oleta until 1932, when local residents asked the U.S. Post Office to restore the town's original name. It did.

first appeared: 7/16/2006

When the Casa del Desierto in Barstow (pop. 21,119) was slated for demolition in the 1980s, city leaders stepped in to help preserve the 1911 structure, which had been built as a Harvey House hotel on the Santa Fe Railroad. Despite being damaged in a 1992 earthquake, the building was successfully restored and today houses the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum.

first appeared: 7/2/2006

A prehistoric milling site reported to be 8,000 years old recently was discovered in Azusa (pop. 44,712) in a new housing development. Researchers have uncovered about 100 artifacts, including arrowheads, grinding stones and hearth rocks.

first appeared: 6/25/2006

Founded in 1875, the Point Montara Fog Signal and Light Station near Montara (pop. 2,950) helped guide ships along the coastline during fog and bad weather with a fog signal that sounded for more than 1,000 hours every year. A lighthouse was added to the site in 1928, and today the restored buildings serve as a hostel.

first appeared: 6/25/2006

Measuring 930 square feet, San Jose's Monopoly in the Park is one of the world's largest outdoor Monopoly game boards, featuring giant dice and token-shaped hats for participants to use. Originally produced by the city's Cypress Granite and Memorials for a 1992 landscape show, the game board—which can be rented—officially opened in Guadalupe River Park in 2002.

first appeared: 6/4/2006

Bodybuilder and actor Lou Ferrigno, who played the green-skinned monster in The Incredible Hulk television series from 1977 to 1982, recently was sworn in as a reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He'll serve at least 20 hours each month, helping with recruiting efforts, the Youth Activities League and the Special Victims Bureau.

first appeared: 5/21/2006

Last June, 12-year-old Geoffrey Little found a dropped wallet with $19,000 in $100 bills in a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport. But instead of going on a shopping spree, he and his mom, Lisa Lyne, tracked down the owner and turned in the cash to authorities. For his honesty, Little, who was visiting from Baltimore, received a certificate, police T-shirts, a standing ovation from the city council of Hermosa Beach (pop. 18,566)—located near the airport—along with a reward from the wallet's owner.

first appeared: 5/14/2006

Los Angeles International Airport began as Mines Field in 1928. Today, "LAX" is the world's fifth busiest passenger airport, serving more than 60 million travelers in 2004. The airport ranks sixth in the world for air cargo tonnage, handling about 2 million tons annually.

first appeared: 5/14/2006

Elkhorn Slough winds seven miles inland from Moss Landing (pop. 300) on Monterey Bay, creating the state's second-largest wetland habitat—after San Francisco Bay. Located near the Monterey submarine canyon, which is more than a mile deep, the slough is home to seals, sea otters and more than 200 kinds of birds, including threatened species such as the peregrine falcon and brown pelican.

first appeared: 4/23/2006

In 2004, scientists with the Census of Marine Life reported the discovery of rare green sturgeon, which spawn in California’s waters, more than 620 miles to the north, along the Canadian coast. The scientists also found bluefin tuna, which were satellite-tagged in California, swam across the Pacific Ocean to Japan before returning. One bluefin crossed the Pacific three times in 600 days, covering almost 25,000 miles.

first appeared: 4/9/2006

In 2003, Park Ranger Russ Weatherbee re-discovered an estimated 300-foot waterfall that had been hidden for some 40 years, deep in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, southeast of Lewiston (pop. 1,305). A 1960s map showed the falls in the wrong place. Weatherbee tracked the right location on Crystal Creek using modern aerial photographs and some rugged hiking.

first appeared: 3/26/2006

Actress Sandra Bullock and Monster Garage TV show host Jesse James married last summer in Gaviota in Santa Barbara County at the 334-acre Folded Hills Ranch, owned by members of the Anheuser-Busch family. The celebrity couple invited some 200 to 300 guests to a "birthday party" where they tied the knot.

first appeared: 3/12/2006

Last fall, climbers on 13,710-foot Mount Mendel, in Kings Canyon National Park northwest of Independence (pop. 574), discovered the remains of a man encased in thick glacial ice. It’s reported the man—who was wearing a parachute marked "Army"—was likely a crewmember from a World War II-era AT-7 training plane that crashed on Mount Mendel in 1942.

first appeared: 2/26/2006

The Glen Ellen (pop. 992) cottage where author and adventurer Jack London wrote many stories is being restored to its 1916 appearance. London purchased the cottage in 1911, making it part of his Beauty Ranch on the slopes of Sonoma Mountain overlooking the Valley of the Moon. The building now is part of Jack London State Historic Park.

first appeared: 2/26/2006

Kate Morgan checked into the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado (pop. 24,100) in 1892, intending to meet her husband. She never left the hotel alive, as her body was discovered on steps leading to the beach. To this day, she’s reported to create ghostly happenings such as chilly breezes, items moving by themselves, apparitions and lights turning on and off.

first appeared: 2/12/2006

Herzog Wine Cellars opened a 77,000-square-foot facility in Oxnard last summer, making it the West Coast’s largest kosher winery. The Herzog family, whose winemaking roots date to 19th-century Europe, has produced California wines since 1984, bottling them at a facility in Santa Maria before building their new high-tech winery. The winery closes on Saturdays to observe the Jewish Sabbath.

first appeared: 1/29/2006

Oxnard also is home to the Murphy Auto Museum, with its collection of 50 classic and special interest cars. Owner and curator Daniel Murphy brought the vehicles together under one roof to help local car buffs showcase their treasures, which include a 1903 Oldsmobile, a 1913 Model T Ford, Packards dating from 1927 to 1958, a 1936 Mercedes, a 1960 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1965 Ford Mustang.

first appeared: 1/29/2006

An eagle reportedly circled overhead on June 2, 1996, during a ceremony to raise the U.S. flag on a 200-foot-tall flagpole dedicated to American military veterans in Dorris (pop. 886). The flagpole, a project of the Dorris Lions Club, is believed to be the tallest west of the Mississippi River and supports flags up to 30 feet by 60 feet.

first appeared: 1/15/2006

MISS CALIFORNIA 2006—Dustin-Leigh Konzelman is an accomplished fiddle player who plans to obtain a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy. The Puyallup, Wash. (pop. 33,011), native participated in an exclusive European tour with the Konzelman Family Band, which includes her parents and five younger brothers. She currently is training to run a marathon.

first appeared: 1/8/2006

Those looking for a sugary treat can drive through a doughnut to satisfy their craving in La Puente (pop. 41,063). The Donut Hole drive-through bakery, established in 1968, is anchored by two fiberglass chocolate doughnuts that span 26 feet. Originally part of a chain of five restaurants, the La Puente location is the only one that remains.

first appeared: 1/1/2006

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