Tag: 1950s

This image shows two young children with baby bottles and three baby goats vying for access to the contents of the bottles.

The description states:
SANTA’S VILLAGE CALIFORNIA
Hungry little kids find some true friends among the visitors.
— This kind of animal feeding was not common, but still practiced in some of the small amusement parks around the country. With time, the costs of maintaining a live animal exhibit which was accessible to the visitors like this became too high, both in the requirements of the animals and the cost of potential liability.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows a couple of fairy tale personalities not normally associated with Santa Claus and the North Pole. In this instance, because there was a lot of park to fill and only a limited amount of places that could be identified with Santa and the North Pole, this company included the Easter Bunny, seen here on the right in front of a putative nursery. Paying close attention is Little Bo Peep, who having lost her sheep, is tending two small goats instead.

The description states:
SANTA’S VILLAGE CALIFORNIA
The Easter Bunny visits Santa’s Village every Easter and treats the boys and girls to gaily colored eggs.
–As indicated, the presence of the Easter Bunny character was seasonal, so the building behind him was labelled but unused most of the year.
This postcard likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the ‘official’ North Pole location in the Santa’s Village amusement park, attended by colorfully dressed employees acting as Santa’s Helpers.

The description states:
SANTA’S VILLAGE CALIFORNIA
The ever-frozen North Pole, topped by its pixie, is a cool retreat for Santa’s friends and helpers.
–The reindeer visible in the image is labelled Comet, presumably to allow easier identification by visitors. The elven helpers would normally be young people from the nearby cities who would work during the summer and fall weekends.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the narrow gauge train used at Santa’s Village to transport visitors around the grounds. Santa is currently acting as engineer.

The description states:
SANTA’S VILLAGE CALIFORNIA
All aboard for Santa’s train, which makes an exciting trip through the Enchanted forest and Lollypop Land.
–The two sites mentioned were decorated features for the tourists to view as they rode along. Such narrow gauge engines, typically powered by diesel and not steam, were common in these small amusement parks.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the main entry gate to the amusement park called Santa’s Village. It was touted as being in Santa Cruz, but while it was in Santa Cruz County, it was several miles from the city of Santa Cruz, in the area known as Scott’s Valley.

The description states:
SANTA’S VILLAGE CALIFORNIA
Welcome House is the entrance to a child’s paradise in a fairyland forest setting.
–Unlike most other amusement parks of the mid-20th Century, Santa’s Village was deliberately built in a mature forest, preserving the trees (some seen here) as an integral part of the park experience.
Santa’s Village opened in 1957, two years after the much more famous and popular Disneyland, and closed in 1979, the victim of the rapid expansion of amusement parks with expensive and high quality thrill rides.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows an expansive field of lettuce located in the fertile Salinas River valley, where much of the U. S. domestic lettuce crop is grown.

The description states:
VALUABLE ACRES
Of crisp head lettuce being readied to uphold Salinas legendary reputation as “The Salad Bowl of the Nation.”
—Salinas is a city as well as a river and associated valley, and is the seat of government for Monterey County.
This postcard likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the Soldiers Club which was part of the army base at Fort Ord, California north of the Monterey Peninsula. It was later renamed Stilwell Hall.

The description states:
SOLDIERS CLUB
A spacious, hospitable home away from home for the enlisted man and his guests. Soldiers Club serves as a fitting memorial to General Stilwell and the men of his command responsible for its erection.
—The building was built directly on the cliffs overlooking Monterey Bay, and with years the cliffs eroded so far as to cause the south wing of the building to collapse in the 1990s. Erosion continued to threaten the structure and safety of the building, and it was demolished in 2001.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.

This image is an elevated view of the former military base known as Fort Ord, located north of the Monterey Peninsula.

The description states:
FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA
Overlooking the blue waters of Monterey Bay, just a short distance from historic Old Monterey, California’s first capital, Fort Ord is an excellent all-year training site.
–These single-story structures are typically administrative buildings, while the two-story versions are more commonly housing for low-ranking soldiers. The building with the spire at the left middle-ground is a military chapel. The fort has long since been closed, and the land reused for private business, housing and the California State University Monterey Bay campus.
The shadowy outlines in the distance across the water are not mountains, but a fog bank, typical of the weather conditions in this area.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.