A Look Back -- Jerry Person

Jerry Person

Downtown Main Street has been the scene of many unusual street events

over its 98 years.

It has witnessed a US president riding down its sunlit ribbon of gold

and there was that jolly ol’ elf in his red suit riding in the town’s

Christmas parade.

But the biggest and strangest event of all happened in 1937.

Can you picture 300 cars in line driving down Main Street and each one

towing a trailer.

I’m not talking about those trailers you haul your aunt Maudie’s

refrigerator to the junkyard in, but a full house trailer that contains

everything you need -- bed, kitchen, bath, etc.

In 1937 the city was home to the first ever Pacific Coast Tourist

Trailer Convention and Merchants Industrial Exposition and Outing Show.

This huge 10-day affair began earlier that year when Chamber of Commerce

secretary William Gallienne sent out 5,000 invitations to house trailer

owners to bring their trailers here.

The event would be spread from May 28 to June 6, 1937.

As the big day neared, people from all parts of the nation began

driving into town towing their home on wheels.

The first to arrive was Mrs. W.J. Anderson from Washington

D.C.followed by trailers from Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Minnesota,

Florida, North Dakota and every other state in the union.

A Laguna Beach newspaper editor had toured the nation and he brought

his house trailer here from the Grand Canyon.

Downtown merchants Jack Robertson and Eve Druxman planned a fashion

show for the trailerites.

A 35-piece symphony orchestra was secured to play during the crowning

of the “Queen of the Trailerites” ceremony held at Memorial Hall. Day one

(May 28) began with the registration of the trailers at the chamber’s

office on 5th Street and Ocean Avenue. This was followed by a night

baseball game between the Huntington Beach Oilers and the Joliet Street

Orange at the city’s baseball field at Huntington and Joliet. There were

swimming and diving contests at the city plunge next to the pier and a

golf tournament at the Huntington Beach Golf Course.

Day two (May 29) began with a huge afternoon parade of house trailers

beginning at First Street and Pacific Coast Highway, from there it wound

its way up First Street to Orange Avenue and then Main Street. From there

the parade headed south on Main Street back to Pacific Coast Highway

where it turned west toward Sixth Street and up Orange Avenue and back to

First Street, ending up back where it began.

Leading this parade was Mayor Willis Warner followed by Chamber of

Commerce President Marcus M. McCallen, followed with a police and fire

escort, civic organizations, floats, bands, drum corps and, of course,

the long line of house trailers.

That evening there was a band concert on Main Street followed by

street dancing to the music of Jimmy Jeffries and his Hill Billy Band.

Day three (May 30) began with a golf tournament after church services.

Band director John Peterson led the Huntington Beach Municipal Band in a

concert at the beach grandstands and the day ended with evening campfire

events at the Sea Breeze Trailer Village and at the Municipal Trailer

Park.

Day four (Memorial Day) saw a big patriotic parade along Main Street

complete with Civil War and Spanish American War veterans, brass bands,

city officials, Sea Scouts and lots of young schoolchildren to bring

applause from the onlookers. The Municipal Band played patriotic airs to

bring a tear to the eye and a lump in your throat.

There were the usual long-winded speeches and an exhibit of life

saving at the city plunge given by Chief Lifeguard Bud Higgins.

Day five (June 1) Scott’s Theatre on Fifth Street was the scene of a

welcoming address by Mayor Warner.

During the welcoming ceremony, Edwin Murphy, vice president of the

American Trailer Assn. likened Huntington Beach when he stated that

“Sarasota Florida rolls in wealth from tourist trade and Huntington Beach

with its marvelous natural facilities, can become the Sarasota of the

west.”

If I had been there I would of stood up and told him that Sarasota

couldn’t come close to what Huntington Beach has here.

On the last day there were kayak races, band concerts and every type

of ocean sport events. When these ended and the event came to a close,

many trailerites remained here to enjoy our beaches and the rest headed

for home. Huntington Beach then settled down to relax until the next

event. We thought the latest surf contests were big, but this first ever

trailer convention of long ago makes those surf contests rather tame.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.