Before Disneyland, There Were Ostrich Farms

In the late 19th-century, tourists flocked to Southern California’s ostrich farms to gawk at the ungainly birds.

Ostriches arrived in Southern California in 1883 when an English naturalist named Charles Sketchley opened a farm devoted to the tall, flightless birds near Anaheim, in what is today Buena Park. Sketchley’s investors, who included developer Gaylord Wilshire (of Wilshire Boulevard fame), organized as the California Ostrich Farming Company and contributed $80,000 to the enterprise.
The farm — the first of its kind in the U.S. — sought to capitalize on a trend in women’s fashion that favored ostrich feathers for muffs, hats, and boas. Until 1883, only ostrich feathers shipped at great cost from the birds’ native continent of Africa were available for these luxury accessories. Sketchley, who had previous experience managing ostrich farms in South Africa, envisioned fortunes built upon locally sourced ostrich feathers.

A photographer for the Dick Whittington studio captured this scene for the Southern California Fair Association in 1929.

 

Two ostriches pulling a cart from the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm, ca.1900.

 

Man sitting in a racing carriage pulled by a team of two ostrichs, South Pasadena, 1903.

 

Ostrich from the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm pulling a cart, ca.1900.

 

Woman in flapper’s dress dancing at an ostrich farm in Lincoln Park.

Herd or flock of racing ostriches on an ostrich farm in South Pasadena, 1903.

 

Corralled ostriches in Lincoln Park.

 

View of a man with a group ostriches at the Kenilworth Ostrich Farm, showing hills in the background, ca.1900.

 

Little girl holding baby ostriches at the Cawston Ostrich Farm, ca.1900.

 

Ostriches in a corral at Lincoln Park.

 

Doctor and nurse attending to an ostrich in Lincoln Park.

 

Ostriches at an Ostrich Farm in California, ca.1900.

 

Group of baby ostriches hatching from their eggs, South Pasadena, ca.1900.

 

Men tending to ostriches at an Ostrich Farm in California, ca.1900.

 

Plucking ostriches, Santa Monica, ca.1890.

 

Little girl sitting with baby ostriches, South Pasadena, ca.1900.

 

Team of two ostriches pulling a racing cart, California, ca.1903.

 

Two ostrich chicks snuggled near a sleeping dog in Lincoln Park.

 

Man preparing an ostrich for transport in Lincoln Park.

 

Man in Lincoln Park displaying an ostrich to onlooking children.

 

Man and a woman tending to an ostrich in Lincoln Park.

 

Nesting ostrich in Lincoln Park.

 

Children examining a displayed ostrich skeleton in Lincoln Park.

 

Two ostriches at the Cawston Ostrich Farm, ca.1900.

 

Lunch party in Lincoln Park eating a roast ostrich.

 

Man, dog and ostrich chicks in Lincoln Park.

 

Man restraining an ostrich in Lincoln Park.

 

Man and a woman examining the wings of an ostrich.

 

Man strangling an ostrich at a farm in Lincoln Park.

 

Woman in an ostrich-feather stole at an ostrich farm at Lincoln Park.

28 Found Photos Show What Service Stations of the US Looked Like in the Early 20th Century

These amazing photos were found by Steve Hagy that show what service stations of the US looked like in the 1920s and 1930s.

Jeff’s Texaco, Newburgh, New York Area, August 22, 1924

Western Oil Station at Pentwater, Michigan, 1926

 

Reeder’s Sinclair, Lake City, Michigan, June 29, 1927

 

Hazel Filling Station, West Virginia, May 12, 1929

 

Rest “A” While Camps, Clinton, Maine, August 28, 1929

Super X Gas Station at 910 Broadway, Newark, New Jersey, September 4, 1929

 

Shady Lawn Cottages – Texaco at Oakland, Iowa, circa late 1920s

 

Business District with Deep Rock Gasoline, Maple Lake, Minnesota, circa 1930s

 

Crystal Brook Farm, Derby Line, Vermont, circa 1930s

 

Gridley’s cabins, restaurant, and gasoline, Otter Lake, NY, circa 1930s

 

Howard Brothers Store & Socony Gas, Piermont, New Hampshire, June 21, 1930

 

Log Cabin Inn, Cold Brook, NY, circa 1930s

 

Tashers Indian Village & Texaco, South Bend, Indiana, circa 1930s

 

Butler’s Esso, Prescottville, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1933

 

Esso Station Route 11, Nicholson, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1933

 

Gochnour’s Lunch Room & Cottage, along old U.S. 220 between Bedford and Claysburg, Osterburg, PA, August 14, 1933

 

Temple Cabins & Gulf Gasoline, West Wilton, New Hampshire, June 21, 1933

 

Conoco Stations at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, July 19, 1935

 

Heinz Grocery Meats, St Petersburg, Florida, February 15, 1935

 

Lincoln Lodge on U.S. 30, Ligonier, PA, August 5, 1935

 

Lone Spruce Lodge & Gulf Gasoline, Pittsfield, New Hampshire, August 19, 1935

 

Silver Spring Tavern at Bartlett, New Hampshire, July 3, 1937

 

Blue’s Gas Station, along U.S. 201 not far from the Canadian border, Jackman, Maine, February 9, 1938

 

Dennie’s Corner, Shafer Lake, Indiana, August 2, 1938

 

Harvey’s Service Station, Route 219 near Oakland, Maryland, July 11, 1938

 

Hi-Way Texaco Service, Texline, Texas, September 5, 1938

 

Scenic City Kabin Kamp, Iowa Falls, Iowa, June 3, 1939

 

Stone Tavern on U.S. 219 near Oakland, Maryland, August 9, 1939

Vintage Photos of Girton School For Girls in the 1910s

The Girton School for Girls was a boarding and day school for girls located in Winnetka, Illinois from 1901-1919. Eventually boys were admitted to the lower school. In 1919, the school was closed, and the campus became the new home of North Shore Country Day School. Many students continued on at North Shore.

Girton School for Girls May Revels celebration, circa 1910-15

Alice Quan Rood ’15 dressed as Stark for the Girton School’s 1914 performance of “Sanctuary: A bird masque” by Percy Mackaye

 

Girton School for Girls May pole at the May Revel celebration, circa 1910-15

 

Girton School for Girls May Revels, 1914, heralds- Florence Tyden and Pricilla McIlvaine

 

Girton School for Girls May Revels, 1914, The Pageant

Girton School for Girls, May Revels, 1914. The May Pole dance, Helen Farrell, Cecil Rigby, Gladys McQuatters, Loretta McCambridge, Hazel Cornwell, Ruth Plain, Frances Von Hofsten, Dorothy Cornwell, Emily Matz, Catherine Chrismond, Marjorie Morris, Ruth Dixon, Dorothy Stanhope

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls, unknown performance

 

Girton School for Girls

 

Girton School for Girls

 

Girton School for Girls

 

Girton School for Girls

 

Girton School graduating class of 1912 outside the Winnetka Community House

 

Katherine Strotz ’17 dressed as Alwyn for the Girton School’s 1914 performance of “Sanctuary: A bird masque” by Percy Mackaye

 

Maybe Helen Louis

 

Scene from “Twelfth Night” senior play – 1912, Girton School

 

The Girton School upper and lower schools 1914 performance of “Sanctuary – A bird masque” by Percy Mackaye during the May Revels celebration, with the lower school children as birds

 

The Girton School upper and lower schools 1914 performance of “Sanctuary – A bird masque” by Percy Mackaye during the May Revels celebration. Beatrice Starr as Ornis, Elizabeth Kultchar as Tacita

 

The Girton School upper and lower schools 1914 performance of “Sanctuary: A bird masque” by Percy Mackaye during the May Revels celebration. Left to right: Katherine Strotz – Alwyn, Alice Boak – Quercus, Alice Rood – Stark, Beatrice Starr – Ornis, Elizabeth Kultchar – Tacita, Dorothy Work – Shy

 

The Junior daisy chain of 1912, Girton School outside the Winnetka Community House

35 Fascinating Vintage Photos of the U.S Taken by Theodor Horydczak

Born 1889 in Lyck, Germany (now Poland) and emigrated in 1907, American photographer Theodor Horydczak is believed to have taken up photography during or after World War I, possibly while a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. His numerous “Washington as it Was” photographs are housed in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division in the James Madison Memorial Building.

The United States from the late 1920s to ’40s photographed by Theodor Horydczak

Marketing at Center Market, Washington, D.C., circa late 1920s to early ’30s

 

Shopping at Center Market, Washington, D.C., circa late 1920s to early ’30s

 

View of the Lincoln Memorial statue through columns, 1925

 

Construction of Memorial Bridge over Potomac River, Washington, D.C., circa 1930

 

Exterior of the Washington Gas Light Co., circa 1930s

Lobby, Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co. building, Washington, D.C., circa 1930s

 

Turbine hall of the Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, 1930

 

Window display of whiskey at Leon’s Delicatessen, circa early 1930s

 

Exterior of Cavalier Hotel, Washington, D.C., circa 1931

 

View of Terminal Tower at night, with eagle on right, Cleveland, Ohio, 1931

 

Shoreham Hotel from across Calvert Street, Washington, D.C., circa 1932

 

Front of wrecked automobile, Washington, D.C., 1933

 

The Empire State Building from 41st St. and 5th Ave., New York City, July 4, 1933

 

Miss Lucy Alexander, food tester, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., circa 1935

 

Potomac Electric Power Co. service station building, 10th Street and Florida Avenue. Linemen’s truck, Washington, D.C., circa 1935

 

Sheaffer fountain pen factory, Fort Madison, Iowa, 1935

 

Exterior of Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co. building, Louisiana Avenue, Washington, D.C., circa 1937

 

Passageway between ICC and Departmental Auditorium sections at U.S. Labor Department and Interstate Commerce Commission Building, 1937

 

Potomac Electric Power Co. pole setting, Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1937

 

Library of Congress annex (John Adams building) and Folger Library from northwest, Washington, D.C., 1939

 

“Beach with sunbathers.” Chapel Point, Washington’s “playground on the Potomac” near La Plata, Maryland, circa 1940

 

East front of U.S. Capitol at night in winter, 1940

 

Electric Institute of Washington. Display of ranges in lobby at Potomac Electric Power Co. building, April 17, 1940

 

Ernest Kendall, teacher of U.S. Capitol pages, Washington, D.C., circa 1940

 

National Naval Medical Center, front from left. Part of the hospital complex known today as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, circa 1940

 

Air raid equipments and personnel at Potomac Electric Power Co. Building, 1941-45

 

Interior of waiting room showing ticket counter of National Airport, Arlington County, Virginia, circa 1941

 

Plane in front of the passenger terminal at the National Airport, 1941

 

Closeup of Benning plant with good clouds, Potomac Electric Power Co., May 31, 1943

 

Commercial kitchens, restaurants and lighting of Potomac Electric Power Co. Sholl’s Georgian Cafeteria, 3027 14th Street N.W., Washington, D.C, December 3, 1946

 

Showroom at Superior Motors, Griffith Consumers Co., September 1946

 

Exterior of Dumont Television, 12th Street, March 10, 1948

 

Exterior of Hahn Shoes, circa 1940s

 

Exterior of Waffle Shop from side angle, on 10th Street in Washington, D.C., circa the late 1940s

 

Shop on 10th Street. Exterior of Waffle Shop with neon sign, circa 1940s