By Beryl Williams

ON FEBRUARY 29, NINE VOLUNTEERS AND MEMBERS ENJOYED A TRlP TO THE ALHAMBRA HISTORICAL MUSEUM. THREE ALHAMBRA DOCENTS SHARED THEIR UNIQUE HISTORY.

We have always taken advantage of fifth Saturdays and Sundays to clean the museum, visit historical sites and listen to experts share their knowledge. February 29 was no exception.

Our neighbor to the north was named Alhambra after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It is a palace and fortress complex that was originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of Roman fortifications. It was afterward ignored until the ruins were rebuilt in the mid-13”‘ century, when its current palace and walls were constructed.

After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, with the buildings occupied by squatters, the Alhambra was rediscovered following the defeat of Napoleon, who had conducted retaliatory destruction of the site. Today it is one of Spain’s major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country’s most significant and well—known Islamic architecture together with 16“ century and later Christian building and garden inventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The initials stand for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Benjamin D. Wilson, the founder of Alhambra (CA.) joined the Workman-Rowland party in New Mexico bound for the Pueblo of Los Angeles in 1841. These men established the first American ranchos in California in February of 1844. ln 1853, Don Benito married a widow, Mrs. Margaret Hereford. Two daughters of this marriage were Miss Anne Wilson and Ruth Wilson.

Ruth Wilson later became Mrs. George Patton and the mother of the famous General George Patton, Jr.

When it was time to choose a mascot for Alhambra High School, they chose the Moors!

Moors were a nomadic people from North Africa who invaded Spain in 711, taking their Islamic religion and culture with them.

Monterey Park shares historical ties through Midwick Country Club and current ties through the Alhambra Unified School District. There are 13 middle schools in this district as well as three high schools. When Mark Keppel High School closed temporarily decades ago in order to install air conditioning on that campus, the student body at both Alhambra and Mark Keppel were placed on half-day schedules with students from both campuses being accommodated at Alhambra High School. Despite being cross-town rivals, no disagreements arose among students during that four-month ordeal. Perhaps local high school students can instruct today’s politicians in proper behavior toward one another.

The Alhambra Historical Museum is located at 1500 W. Alhambra Road and is housed in a former Medical Doctor’s office.

During visits to the Historical Museum of Monterey Park by the people listed below, information was learned about those who played an important role in the early history of this city.

PHIL BROWNING

Mr. Browning was born in 1912 on land then called Ramona Acres, but soon to be named Monterey Park. The playground for Phil, his brothers and friends was Garvey Avenue. The road was not paved and made a great field for baseball, dodge ball, pogo sticks, etc. A very special event was the arrival of Richard Garvey Sr., who came here from his home in Los Angeles. Mr. Garvey sat in the back seat of his car since he always had a driver. The car would stop after making the turn onto Orange Avenue. A knot of boys would collect near him, recalling that he always carried hard candies in his pocket to distribute to youngsters who greeted him. Mr. Garvey would then chat with adults if they came around. Otherwise, the car would continue to

the destination at Garvey Ranch, where he would consult with ranch caretakers about the business of running a cattle and dairy ranch.

HARRY HERRON

Mr. Herron was a volunteer at the Historical Museum of Monterey Park who grew up in Monterey Park during the 1920s and 1930s. He was a member of the graduating class from Garvey School in 1928. He recalled that boys seldom wore shoes to school, as few roads were paved and mud was thick during the rainy season. One early June day in 1928, the Principal spoke to class members, admonishing the students to wear shoes the following day because an important person was scheduled to speak during Commencement Ceremonies. Every student had his or her shoes on when they gathered in the auditorium the next day to listen to Mr. Mark Keppel, the Superintendent of Schools for Los Angeles County. Mr. Herron remembered the gist of that address eighty years later. Mr. Keppel reminded students to weigh carefully each word spoken and every action taken. He explained that our words and actions make us into the people we will eventually become!

ALICIA BORQUEZ

Mrs. Borquez married during WWII. She and her husband joined their in-laws in a house on East Mooney Avenue in Monterey Park in 1945. At that time, caretakers managed the Garvey Ranch under Dick Garvey’ s supervision. Alicia recalled how wonderful the fresh produce was that they purchased from Garvey Ranch. She or her mother-in-law would walk over to re-stock milk, eggs, cheese, etc. Mrs. Borquez was delighted when the opportunity arose to speak with Dick Garvey at a race track meet in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. When she recognized him, she approached, introduced herself and thanked Mr. Garvey for the marvelous dairy products that he made available to Monterey Park residents at reasonable prices. Dick Garvey said that he was glad to meet a neighbor from Monterey Park, despite the fact that both of them were so far away from home!