Today I take you through a scrapbook of my Grandmother. It contains photographs, pamphlets, menus, postcards and few others things. This was for a trip she went on with a bunch girls in May to June of 1941. I never met her as she passed away when I was only 2 years old.
There was an itinerary of 40 passengers listed and they were all women. I did not post because it list each of their addresses. Ladies have you went in a big group like that for a girl's trip out? She traveled from Oneida, NY to Los Angeles and even visited Tijuana, Mexico. She of course made some additional stops along the way. If you like old black and white photos, than your going to see a lot of them.
This is the statement of expenses for her trip that totals out to $140.81. I had to know what that amount would be in today's money. So I did google search and it came out to be $2911.34 in today's dollar. A majority of the travel was aboard a train. The rest of the trip was via bus and even ship. No airplane tickets, I imagine those prices were crazy back than.
Well it's not good seeing this on one of the first pages. If you can't read, it says, "Places we passed through on our trip out." It looks like there was five holders that were pulled off on this page. I have a good idea where she may have passed through after getting to Chicago though. I'll share that later.
The first documented picture in the scrapbook is that of train stewardess taken in Chicago. Just to the left of that picture was another missing picture and written above it says,"We had a tour of Chicago." Maybe it was a train photo I will never know.
The first picture is that of Hotel Utah.They didn't stay there but did have lunch there. Loving the look of that building with those cars. The rest of the photos are that of the State Capital Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. The second and third are just view points of them standing on the stairs of the capital building. It obvious to me the full day trip of Salt Lake City was via bus.The last picture is of the ladies swimming or termed by Grandma, "The gang in bathing."
The next journey in the scrapbook shows some time spent at Bingham Canyon, UT. The group got a tour of a copper mine. I'm thinking this mine was pumping some copper out back than. Its still an active mine to this day.
Next stop was Las Vegas for the gang of ladies. She didn't have any photos of Las Vegas. You see Las Vegas was still claiming to be a frontier town. It was not advertised yet for gambling as there was no line of casinos on the current day Las Vegas strip. The first two pictures is a Union Pacific brochure (no date listed). Union Pacific really sold there new train station allowing extra lay overs and promoting both "Boulder Dam" now called "Hoover Dam" and Lake Mead. The railroad would allow it's passenger to visit these spots between trains. The sad thing is this train station was demolished in 1971. I guess everything comes crashing down eventually in Las Vegas.
The last two photos was a tourist brochure (dated 1939)for Las Vegas and than called Boulder Dam. A neat colorful map of a 1939 Las Vegas and surrounding areas and attractions. I really enjoy looking at the general information about Las Vegas. I especially liked looking at the transit times to get there by train, air and bus/auto. Transit times have improved a lot since than.
Grandma took a few pictures of Lake Mead while on a boat tour. The boat was filled with the lady gang. Looking at the pictures and being to this place in the past, it appears they went to the furthest point North on Lake Mead. You can see some of the Grand Canyon but not the amazing views of it if you were to go to some of the rim views. Also the Lost City could be viewed, well what is left of it above water. The Lost City was inhibited by a Native American tribe hundreds of years ago.
On the same page with some of the Lake Mead pictures is this railroad schedule card. It reveals a little bit about the towns and cities Grandma probably passed through and visited. The card contains the schedule through Union Pacific on its Challenger service on the "Overland Route." The route has changed hands a few times. During her travel Union Pacific controlled it. Today the route, though a much different one is once again in Union Pacific hand. It's primarily used for cargo traffic.
I smiled while seeing this card. She would have stopped in Omaha at the Union Station. It's a place I visited a few weeks ago and I never would have thought she would have passed by close to where I currently live. Though that was some 82 years ago many things have changed. She was 35 years old at that time. Since I know the timeframe and the service she used out of Chicago I can hopefully research what kind of train she traveled on. Oh why isn't there any train pictures in this scrapbook, Grandma?
The next journey on her trip was San Diego, CA. Only one picture she took here. It was of a submarine and a destroyer off in the distance. She saved her check in card for the hotel. She left a note on this page and it read, "We attended 3 night clubs here in San Diego. I also slept in the bathtub at the San Diego Hotel." I can only assume there was drinking going on at those night clubs and the room she stayed in must have had unplanned guest staying. Other than that I stop thinking 🤫 more on it.
First two pictures were of the El Coronado Hotel. I can't say I have seen a hotel swimming pool with sand around it. I wonder why it's drained though. I see a beach and the ocean behind it though. The next few photos are of a cave they toured. The writing below the one picture reads, "The only place you can step across Pacific Ocean. Where things were smuggled in Prohibition days." She would have remembered the prohibition days, did Grandma break the law during those days?
Last two photos are of a drinking menu from a night club they attended. This time no after club stories. When I opened the menu up to take a peak, Tequila Sunrise was underlined. I'm guessing she had one maybe more, haha.
Next up is Los Angeles,CA not a whole lot in the scrapbook on this. She mentioned being at Hotel Clark, two post cards of Clifton Cafeteria and a short reading trifold that the cafeteria put out every Thursday. The second & third photo was a menu of a place she had lunch at. I was thinking there would be a variety of coffee to choose from. Well some options but not many, I guess the E & P Special Coffee must be the coffee of dreams.
Here you see a photo and post card of a beach in Santa Monica,California. I would live to see the Pacific Ocean here. She did mention on the page they went swimming there.
The next two pages of the book show time spent at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The first photo contains two churches on the left side and they are: "Wee Kirk o'the Heather"& "The Little Church of the Flowers." Also she took a picture of a Mausoleum and the monument "The Mystery of Life." The second photo is "The Statue of David."
Next stop was Hollywood,CA. First photo is that of a post card where she had dinner. She wrote below it that she had steak with Colbert sauces. Also at this place she got an autograph of an actor, Wallace Beery. Heard of him? I have not and the autograph is not in the scrap book. Second photo is of Grauman's Chinese Theatre forecourt where there are cemented prints of movie stars hands and feet. Today it includes just more than hands and feet.
Third photo is a tourists flyer of Hollywood Scenic Gardens and Oriental Palace.The next photo is a real photo of one of the areas. I like the groomed tree tops 😊 Last photo is of the Hollywood Bowl. A place used for musicians and bands for concerts.
I was expecting to see the "HOLLYWOOD" Sign on the mountain. It was there in 1941 but read "HOLLYWOODLAND", so I guess it didn't get any attention until later on when it was restored and the words "LAND" were removed.
Above was taken in Pasadena,CA of the Rose Bowl. Oh I can't tell you how many New Year's Day football games I have watched on television being played on this field. I think it would be hard to get an empty field picture of it today. A few updates to it in 80+ years but it still looks a lot the same.
This is in Santa Catalina, CA going on a boat trip. I'm not sure where they all went but I'm guessing to San Francisco at some point because later on she mentions going from San Francisco to Oakland on one. The first photo I really like the overview of the pier. This is the boat she traveled on. The second photo I think is the the same boat I'm not 100% sure. Seeing the guitar players for whatever reason made me think of the Titanic. Well no bad news here, the boat didn't sink. The last picture is a different boat and I couldn't make out the name she wrote above the picture.It was President something.
Some more pictures of Santa Catalina, CA. A beautiful looking beach with palm trees. I love the view of the mountains makes me wish
I had my beach towel so I could suck up some sun 🌞
The above was her time in Altadena,CA. The post card is of The Christmas Tree Street she visited. The trees are Himalayan Cedars and according to back of post card the seeds came from the mountains in India, they were planted in 1885. Both sides of the streets have these trees and its close to a mile long. I confirmed with a search it's still there today.
The next two pictures I'll admit I laughed at. The ostrich ride is funny though I don't know if it was a ride or just for pictures. Ostriches can be some mean birds!! The alligator picture though how many ladies would sit on it and be able to smile for a picture? I'm thinking not many but I heard Grandma wasn't easily scared of things.
Here we see a 1941 photo view of the city of San Francisco, CA. Than we see the famous Gold Gate Bridge. Just a few years before traffic starting driving across it. The last picture is a harbor of San Francisco. I can tell by the scrapbook she spent a lot of time here.
Holy post cards, at the top of the page she wrote tour of San Francisco. I won't take pictures of all the them but will share some of them. The first post card is that of The Palace of Fine Arts. The second one is of a windmill at Golden Gate Park. The third post card is that of Alcatraz Island where a prison resides. Opened in 1934 and closed in 1963. This prison became one of the most notorious in American history. A list of famous criminals did time here. The last post card is a view of Market Street. I love this artectecture of these buildings. I wonder how much of it has survived today.
Well thank you for coming this far. This was my Grandma's trip to California. This isn't all though she passed through Portland, Oregon and spent a great deal of time in Sun Valley, Idaho on her way back to New York. I hope you enjoyed this journey of her trip in her scrapbook. I can for sure tell you that I did.
Take care, be safe and enjoy the rest of your week. Until next time 😊
