My 50 Years in Palms

My 50 Years in Palms
by David I. Worsfold

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the history of Palms written by Mr. Worsfold, a recognized historian and civic leader who celebrated his 50th year in Palms on October 8, 1964.

There was a gravel pit at Elenda Street and the Del Rey Car Line. It had a deep hole and we swam there as well is in the Ballona Creek. At the pit, Dick, Alex and I built a solid shack salvaged from a Harry H. Culver Co. billboard that had liberally covered the landscape. Once while at the shack we heard a train screech to a stop, and we emerged from the pit to see why; at the cowcatcher was a demolished motorcycle, and some cars back were the remains of a man - my first look at death.

We built a sturdy boat an rowed it up and down the wide and deep portion of the creek. The lumber for the boat was also salvaged from a H.H. Culver billboard - there were too many anyway. We dug a cave in a cliff at the Baldwin Hills that overlook the valley. We also had a cave in the center of what is now Century City.

In 1918, we became residents of Motor Avenue. The house was a funny house; each room was an addition to the original one room, and each was a different material. Our block was unique: there was one school, one church, and one house. (Later one store.) We moved everything, including our cats and pigeons, and we planted a garden. I planted a pepper tree in the yard and it is still there in the Palms School yard.

There were three earthquakes in 1918, and after a false alarm the World War finally ended.

In 1919 we thought we'd stay a while. I remember my father getting his money together so he could buy the house we lived in; it cost $1500, a lot of money then. The owner lived in South Pasadena and wanted to sell out because it was so far from her home. The price was more than we could afford, but the payments were low. In 44 years the price has risen 22 times its original, but the family doesn't own it now.

In 1920, a reception was held at Goldwyn Studios, and I remember seeing General Pershing. Oil fever broke out when Duplex No. 1 was spudded in, but no oil was found because they had reached their limit of drilling. Forty years later a deeper drilling discovered oil north and south of my place, and I am probably over the center of the newest pool, but I'm still waiting for my royalties.

I was chosen from the Palms School to attend special art classes at the old Olive Street School, and I became acquainted with Downtown Los Angeles. I went to Little Bear Lake - now called Arrowhead - and never caught a fish. I picked Bartlett pears and worked in the packing house for 10 days in Littlerock, and I learned how hot the desert gets in August.

In 1920, Harry Culver hurt Palms once more. He was on the Board of Trustees for the Palms School District when the movement came to change the name to Culver City School District. Merchants sponsored a Boy Scout troop but couldn't find enough boys from Culver City and so they invited Palms boys. I was one of the boys that joined. The majority of the boys were from Palms, and so I suggested that they call it Culver Palms, but the sponsors cold-shouldered the idea. I didn't think it was right, for it was to serve the boys and not to advertise Culver City.

I remember the earthquakes that hit Inglewood; we could feel the ground shake even in Palms. An elevated water tank spilled much of its contents, but didn't crack or fall. The County Flood Control started deepening and straightening and widening of the Ballona Creek right below First Street. This destroyed our swimming pools and much of the beauty of the creek, but it was something to see the big machinery. A short time later the city dumped raw sewage into the creek and goodbye swimming fun.

The Burkhard Oil Well No. 1 was sunk in 1921 and also didn't find oil. A red letter day came in my life when Henry's circus came to town and opened at Motor and Woodbine Street. Will Rogers, my favorite, came and bought tickets for a dozen kids. I was one of the lucky ones that day.

There was no junior high and so I graduated from the eighth grade at Palms Grammar School in June, 1921, and soon started at Venice High where brother Dick was attending, and where sister Iva had graduated in 1920. Twenty years later I persuaded the Board of Education to purchase the site for the Palms Junior High.

I went to Atascadero with dad to help build a garage for my aunt. Early 1922 we had a real freeze; we had frozen water pipes for two days.

Part 6