In the early 1950s, Walt Disney conceived a theme park where his already hugely popular cartoon characters – Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the rest – could come to life, to enchant children and make their Uncle Walt even richer. ANAHEIM was chosen as the location for Disneyland on the basis that these acres of orange groves, thirty miles southeast of downtown, would become LA’s next focus of population growth – which indeed they did.
The whole area is now overrun with hotels and restaurants (when Disney opened his next theme park, in Florida – he made sure he owned all of them too, thus retaining total corporate control), and the boom doesn’t look like it's slowing, although the surrounding area has generally become seedier and more prone to crime.
If you’re not coming to visit Disneyland, or the creakier rides at nearby Knott’s Berry Farm (8039 Beach Blvd; $35), you may as well give the place a miss: it hasn’t an ounce of interest in itself.
History
Anaheim California , began in 1857 as a colony of German farmers and vintners. Founding member George Hansen surveyed the original 200 acres which now comprises the city's downtown area, bounded by North, South, East and West streets. The city's name is a composition of "Ana" from the nearby Santa Ana river and "heim", German for home. Those early pioneers considered this location their "home by the river".
Farming was their occupation and lifestyle. Among the crops for the first few decades were grapes grown for wine. But a plague in the 1870's wiped out the vineyards and in their place, groves of citrus trees were planted. The first commercially oranges in Orange County were grown in Anaheim, where the growers attributed their success to the local hills which protected the fruit against the cold winds coming down from the mountains. Other crops included walnuts and chilli peppers.
These first settlers were farmers, but they were also writers, artists and musicians. The first public buildings were not administrative facilities, but a school and an opera house
Between 1880 and 1960, Anaheim was host to several orange growers and processors who used their orange crate labels to identify their brand and advertise a golden California lifestyle.
The city was incorporated in 1876 with a population of 881. The little rural community grew slowly, but steadily for the next several decades. By 1920, the population had risen to 5,526, an agricultural community as tightly-knit as small towns can be. In 1887, the construction of the Santa Fe depot linked Anaheim's citrus growers with the East, providing vital markets for their golden crops.
The beginning of a local tradition began in 1924 with the first Anaheim Halloween Parade. Billed as the "Greatest Night Pageant West of Mardi Gras", the annual event drew some 150,000 spectators at the height of its popularity. Visitors lined the downtown streets and thousands more viewed the pageant from the La Palma Park grandstand.
Anaheim's small town lifestyle continued through the first half of the 20th century. Center Street was the hub of community activity, where people gathered to celebrate local events and festivities and to mark such national and international events as the end of both World Wars, the assassination of President John Kennedy and humanity's first step on the soil of the moon. In 1950, the town's population had grown to 14,55
In the late '40's and early '50's, California experienced its third population shockwave. The first had occurred a hundred years earlier during the Gold Rush; the second took place in the latter part of the 19th century when the rate war between the two railroad giants, Southern Pacific and Santa Fe, led to cheap and easy transportation to the West. With fares as low as $1 from Kansas City to Los Angeles, Easterners flocked to California to speculate on rich farmland and real estate
Construction of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was announced April 2, 1954. Opening day would be July 17, 1955. This date was absolutely critical to the park's success. August was Americans' traditional vacation month, so the July date would allow Disneyland to cash in on the peak summer tourist trade. If delays pushed the opening into the fall, the park would sit virtually idle through the off-season. The press would have little mercy and Disneyland would be branded a failure.
While construction raced on, the park received good advance publicity through the success of the Disney television show. That fall, to a nationwide audience, Walt explained his plan to build "the happiest place on earth". He gave weekly updates on construction, using time-lapse photography to produce comical shorts on how fast the park was being built.
The grand opening of the Magic Kingdom was less than auspicious. Some 33,000 people showed up, many uninvited and so anxious to see Disneyland they forged their tickets. A gas leak closed Fantasyland. Rides broke down. The heat of the day caused guests to search water fountains that had yet to be installed. The heels of women's shoes left the newly-paved asphalt filled with indentations. And it all took place before the largest television audience ever, as millions witnessed ABC's live broadcast. In later years, Walt would refer to the first day of operation as "Black Sunday".
Culture
Anaheim, California just 20 miles east of Los Angeles. Whether you're visiting with family or friends you're sure to have a great time. Anaheim offers a little bit for everyone. Of course one of the biggest reasons why people visit Anaheim is to visit that big loveable mouse and his magic kingdom at Disneyland. The 2000 Anaheim's population estimate is 310,654, which is .9% higher than the 1999 revised population estimate of 306,749 One of Anaheim's early community events was the Halloween Parade, inaugurated in 1924. From a modestly informal beginning, the parade grew into the "Greatest Night Pageant West of the Mardi Gras," and included specially designed floats, marching bands, equestrian units, children in Halloween costumes and a costume breakfast.
In its heyday during the 1950s, over 150,000 spectators lined downtown streets and another 7,000 more packed into La Palma Park grandstands to view the parade. While interest declined in the event during the 1970s and 80s, the parade's long-time popularity launched other festivals, including 4th of July and Cinco de Mayo celebrations, keeping the tradition of Anaheim's community spirits alive.
Even though most of the city's population had moved into Anaheim since 1950, their sense of civic pride was no less than long time residents.
The city marked its Centennial in 1957 with a year's worth of activities, culminating in a week-long "Centennial Celebration," which featured a beard contest, "Old Fashioned Fashion Show", giant square dance, time capsule burial in City Park and a grand ball with the coronation of a Centennial Queen. A highlight of the festival was the nightly performance of "Centurama", an elaborately staged pageant of Anaheim history with a cast of 1200 residents.
In 1960, Anaheim residents turned down a new City Hall by a narrow margin, but support for a new library and police station was strong. In April, Propositions "L" and "P" were approved by voters, clearing the way for the first city buildings of the modern era.
The city's small, quaint library building, at the corner of Broadway and Anaheim Boulevard, was one of many libraries built at the turn of the century by wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Perfectly suited to a population of 3,000, Carnegie's $12,000 investment was woefully inadequate for the Anaheim of the '60's.
The new library was built down the street at the corner of Harbour and Broadway. Fifty thousand square feet were used to house 300,000 volumes when it opened. The Carnegie building was used in several capacities over the next two decades, primarily by the city for much needed office space. In 1987, it was converted to its present use as the home for the Anaheim Museum.
Much as they had gambled on the success of Disneyland a decade before, city leaders took the giant step and committed $15 million to the construction of the Anaheim Convention Center. The original boasted of 400,000 square feet, including a 9,100-seat arena, when it opened in July 1967. That year, the center hosted 45,000 delegates and had to turn away many more for lack of adequate space. Twenty years later, the facility attracted almost 6 million guests and was still turning away business. Once again, the city's gamble had paid off.
But the Convention Center wasn't the only major development that defined Anaheim in the 1960's. Down Katella Avenue, a singing cowboy was preparing to carve out his niche in Anaheim as well.
Gene Autry had been awarded the American Baseball League's Los Angeles franchise at the league's 1960 winter meetings. He had originally wanted only the broadcast rights to the expansion team, but when no one came forward to bid, Autry decided to make a bid of his own. The team would become the showpiece for his radio station KMPC.
Disneyland
Over four hundred “Imagineers” worked to create the Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland’s biggest opening in years. Two hours of waiting are built into the ride, with an interactive archeological dig and 1930s-style newsreel show leading up to the main feature – a giddy journey along 2500ft of skull-encrusted corridors in which you face fireballs, falling rubble, venomous snakes and, inevitably, a rolling boulder finale. Disney claims that, thanks to computer engineering, no two Indiana Jones rides are ever alike. Judge for yourself.
Among the best of the older rides are two in Adventureland: the Pirates of the Caribbean, a boat trip through underground caverns, singing along with drunken pirates; and the Haunted Mansion, a riotous “doom buggy” tour in the company of the house spooks. While Fantasyland consists mainly of low-tech fairy-tale rides that won’t scare the kiddies, Tomorrowland is Disney’s vision of the future, where the Space Mountain roller coaster zips through the pitch-blackness of outer space, and the Star Tours ride simulates a journey into the world of George Lucas. This section of the park has been updated in the last few years with space probes and “rocket rods,” which underscores once again how Cold War-era this area still remains in its outlook.
As for accommodation, try to visit Disneyland just for the day and spend the night somewhere else. Most of the hotels and motels nearby cost well in excess of $70 per night. You’re not permitted to bring your own food to the park; you can only consume the fast food sold on the premises.
Disneyland is at 1313 Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, 45 minutes by car from downtown using the Santa Ana Freeway. In summer, the park is open daily between 8am and 1am; otherwise opening hours are weekdays 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to midnight, and Sunday 9am to 10pm. Arrive early; traffic and ride queues quickly become nightmarish, especially in the summer. For further information, including public transportation details, call 714/781-4565.
Yorba Linda: The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace
Nixon’s face leers down in Big Brother fashion from almost every wall, but only inside the Presidential Auditorium do you get the chance to ask him a question, although the choice is limited to a small pre-programed selection. Nixon’s gaunt features fill the overlarge screen and provide the stock replies – as endearingly and believably as ever.
Nixon’s face leers down in Big Brother fashion from almost every wall, but only inside the Presidential Auditorium do you get the chance to ask him a question, although the choice is limited to a small pre-programed selection. Nixon’s gaunt features fill the overlarge screen and provide the stock replies – as endearingly and believably as ever.
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