Logan Barrio remembered by artists, archivists and longtime residents
When Helen Parga Moraga and her neighbors started hosting potlucks in their neighborhood, they had no idea they were starting a tradition that would continue for decades. Logan Barrio in Santa Ana is one of the oldest Mexican American neighborhoods in Orange County, and each year the community hosts a reunion inviting neighbors, both past and present, to bring a dish to share and celebrate the history of Logan.
“I was born and raised here in this barrio,” said Moraga. The 99-year-old leaned against her walker as she snacked on fresh pineapple from the potluck spread and took a break from talking to old friends. “They all remember me.”
Logan Barrio was founded in the 1880s and by 1910 nearly 40% of the neighborhood’s households had Spanish surnames, according to historian Mary Garcia, author of the book “Santa Ana’s Logan Barrio: Its History, Stories and Families.”
The neighborhood is home to “Chepa Park” at 1009 Custer St., named for the late longtime Logan resident and Santa Ana activist Josephine “Chepa” Andrade. The park was also the site of the 25th Historic Logan Barrio Reunion, held on Sept. 28. Andrade is noted for her contribution to preserving Logan from industrialism and freeway expansion during her lifetime. In 2021, the Santa Ana City Council declared Dec. 16, 2021, as Josephine ‘Chepa’ Andrade Day, which would have been her 95th birthday.
Andrade’s daughter, Cecelia Andrade Rodriguez, recalls her mom coordinating with the other women in the neighborhood for the reunions when she was a young girl.
“They started out at somebody’s home,” said Rodriguez. “They would call everyone up and say, ‘Hey, let’s get together and everybody bring a dish.”
Today, Rodriguez has taken up part of her mother’s legacy, organizing the reunion each year.
“My mother said, ‘As long as you live I want you to keep up the reunion,’ and I said, ‘I will,’” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez begins planning in June for the September event, securing permits and getting the word out. Live music, a classic car show and a raffle are now part of the annual event. She was accompanied this year by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Any family that you talk to down here that has a long history in Logan, not only are they proud but they can also talk about Santa Ana in different manner,” said Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. “They can talk about how it was, how it is today and what they want for the future of their children and their grandchildren.”
An effort to preserve the history of the neighborhood for coming generations is being led by the Logan Barrio Archival Project, with Michael Andrade, grandson of Josephine “Chepa” Andrade at the helm.
“I have been doing this for about 15 years now. When my grandma was still alive she asked me to put all this together and this is really me trying to keep it going,” said Andrade.
Andrade arranged a display of family photos, newspaper clippings and other documents like old census records at the event and welcomed attendees to bring their own items to add to the archives.
“This was my grandmother’s house that my great grandfather had built, and that was always a sanctuary,” Andrade said, pointing out a black and white photograph of a small clapboard house.
In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Logan Barrio, Andrade’s project is the featured exhibit at Santa Ana’s Crear Studio.
On view now through Nov. 9, “Historical Logan Barrio: A Tapestry of Culture and Community” features historic photographs spanning 138 years collected by Andrade, Garcia and the Logan Reunion Committee. Additionally, a documentary film “Finding Logan: Santa Ana’s Original Barrio,” by Lena Luna will also be screened at Crear Studio on Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.
The film is intended to help advocate for National Historical recognition for Logan federally, Luna said.
The film, which Luna made at L.A. City College, includes an original song with lyrics written by Luna and scored by her father, who lived in Logan before he was adopted at a young age.
“I wanted to show the political, cultural and artistic aspect of this beautiful place called Logan,” said Luna.
Moraga said Logan has always been a place of community.
“Everybody took care of each other,” Moraga recalls. “When I was a young girl we would all be at a dance hall and the young boys would say, ‘Behave yourself.’ They really took care of us girls.”
Moraga is happy the tradition of the reunion continues while Amezcua assures that Logan Barrio will be here for many more years to come.
“This neighborhood that we call Logan Barrio, it’s not going anywhere,” said Amezcua.
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