IT'S 1914: Historic Wintersburg Task Force member Dennis Masuda gets fully into character in the Tashima Market display on the front lawn of the Newland House Museum for Holidays in Huntington Beach, 1914. Both Historic Wintersburg Task Force members and Huntington Beach Historical Society members provided "pioneers" for visitors to meet. (Photo by Mary Urashima, December 5, 2014) © All rights reserved.
OUR NEW ASSEMBLYMAN: Matthew Harper, now Assemblyman of the 74th District and immediate past mayor of Huntington Beach (center), inside the Tashima market with Historic Wintersburg Task Force members Dennis Masuda and Rebecca Nehez. Assemblyman Harper helped present The Order of the Newland Rose to Historic Wintersburg Task Force chair, Mary Urashima, "for her continued work in historic preservation in Huntington Beach, namely the Wintersburg Historic District. We honor her for her efforts to our treasured buildings as well as the diverse history of our community." (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
ORANGE COUNTY PIONEERS: The Tashima family with Historic Wintersburg Task Force members Kanji Sahara (third from left) and Rebecca Nehez (far right), with Task Force chair and Historic Wintersburg author Mary Urashima (third from left). The Tashima's traveled from outside Orange County to be at the event. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
NIGHT FALL: A crowd began to arrive as holiday candles glimmered in the windows of the Newland House. Approximately 200 to 250 people attended the open house Holidays in Huntington Beach, 1914 event. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
WHERE IS WINTERSBURG? A directional sign at the event provided the mileage from the Newland House to locations significant to the Japanese pioneer community, as well as for Huntington Beach's Sister City in Anjo, Japan. The sign was crafted by Historic Wintersburg Task Force member Barbara Haynes.
Mileage from the Newland House: Wintersburg Village, 2.7 miles (Wintersburg Mission, Furuta farm, Tashima market); Smeltzer, 3.9 miles (Southern Pacific Railroad siding, Chino camp); Garden Grove, 12.2 miles (Ida Tofu Factory, Japanese Language School); Talbert, 3.3 miles (Escalante Circus campsite, Ishii home, Kato farm, Japanese Language School); Santa Ana, 11.7 miles (Santa Ana early 1900s produce market); Costa Mesa, 6.8 miles (Japanese Language School); Laguna Beach, 14.3 miles (Japanese Language School); Little Tokyo, 36.2 miles (Fugetsu-do confectionery); Anjo, Japan, 5651 miles (Huntington Beach Sister City). (Photo by Mary Urashima, December 5, 2014) © All rights reserved.
TASHIMA MARKET DETAILS: A pair of handwoven tatami sandals and bamboo rake in the Tashima market were among the details providing a glimpse back to 1914.
These items can be found today in the Historic District of Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, at Anzen Hardware on First Street, which is worth a field trip in itself. Early 1900s residents of Wintersburg and Smeltzer's Japanese community traveled back and forth to Little Tokyo regularly, on the Pacific Electric Railway "Red Car." Yukiko Furuta's 1982 oral history includes a reference to shopping in Little Tokyo and enjoying the sweets at a confectionery that undoubtedly was Fugetsu-do Sweet Shop, which opened in 1903.
Also in the market were major crops for Wintersburg and Smeltzer, celery and chili peppers, advertisements from the Orange County Directory for 1913, and a 1914 recipe book. (Photo by Mary Urashima, December 5, 2014) © All rights reserved.
LOCAL ROYALTY: Miss Huntington Beach, Claire Epting (center, in green), and her court, Alexis Rodriguez and Jena Jean Farris, in the Tashima market with Historic Wintersburg Task Force members Rebecca Nehez (far left), Kanji Sahara (second from left) and Mary Urashima (center). (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY: Local businessman Ed Laird (left) with his family, chats with Assemblyman Matthew Harper (center), Chris McDonald of the Local News (in straw hat) and Huntington Beach Historical Society president Darrell Rivers (in 1914 attire with top hat). (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
PASSING ON HISTORY: Inside the Tashima market, Kanji Sahara enthralls a visitor as he shares the history of Japanese pioneers and the significance of Historic Wintersburg. In addition to volunteering his time for Historic Wintersburg, Sahara is on the Japanese American Citizens League board and a member of the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition Board. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
WINDOW INTO THE PAST: Near the Tashima market display, an exhibit constructed of vintage windows shares historical photographs and information about Historic Wintersburg. This display made of re-purposed materials---in keeping with the purpose of preservation to re-use and recycle---was used at the Smithsonian Museum's traveling exhibit, Journey Stories, at the Heritage Museum of Orange County in October 2014. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
FRIENDS OF HISTORIC WINTERSBURG: Leadership from the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Pacific Southwest joined Historic Wintersburg Task Force member Kanji Sahara in the Tashima market. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5, 2014) © All rights reserved.
The JACL recognized Task Force chair Mary Urashima with their Community Hero award this year at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles, and has actively supported the preservation of Historic Wintersburg.
The Japanese American Citizens League was formed in 1929 in California and Washington, and spread to become the
largest and most well-known Japanese American organization in the United
States. JACL was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1988, signed by President Ronald Reagan.
Today, it is the U.S.'s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization, with 108 chapters nationwide. JACL continues to work on existing and emerging civil liberties issues.
MOCHI! Special thanks to one of our event sponsors, Fugetsu-do Sweet Shop, on First Street in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Guests at the event had the opportunity to taste mochi, a sweet rice confection, at the Tashima market, offered on a vintage tray by a pioneer. Information and directions to Fugetsu-do at http://www.fugetsu-do.com/ (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5 2014) © All rights reserved.
More event photographs and information about the preservation effort for Historic Wintersburg can be found on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Historic-Wintersburg-Preservation-Task-Force/433990979985360
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Santa (the jolly fellow at right) greeted visitors from 1914 and 2014 inside the Newland House, checking his list. We wish all our readers a very happy holiday season and joyous New Year in 2015. (Photo courtesy of Gregory Robertson, Dec. 5, 2014)
© All rights reserved.
Thank you to our hosts at Holidays in Huntington Beach, 1914, the Huntington Beach Historical Society.
We are endlessly appreciative of our Historic Wintersburg Task Force members and volunteers. You made this happen!
Thank you to Assemblyman Matthew Harper, Huntington Beach Mayor Jill Hardy, and the other dignitaries, officials, and all our guests who stopped by to celebrate the Holidays in Huntington Beach, 1914. Sharing history is sharing community.
Historic Wintersburg will have much more news to share in 2015 about the effort to preserve one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. We appreciate the growing support, both locally and nationally, to save Historic Wintersburg for future generations.
Perhaps in 2114, there will be holiday events looking back 200 years, at both the Newland House and at Historic Wintersburg. The world will be a different place in the next century. Knowing where we come from and how far we all have traveled will be even more important.
© All rights reserved.
No part of the Historic Wintersburg blog may be reproduced or duplicated
without prior written permission from the author and publisher, M. Adams
Urashima
