Our city’s independence on parade

JERRY PERSON

For more than half a century, “El Generalissimo” William Gallienne

was the mastermind in planning our world-famous Fourth of July

celebration.

This coming Monday, we will again have the opportunity of watching

our historical heritage as it unfolds. Unfortunately, it will be

without this legendary gentleman.

This week, we’ll look back at a parade in which El Generalissimo

definitely had a big part.

The year 1961 marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the

Civil War, and for that year’s celebration, the theme would reflect

it as “A Salute to the Civil War Centennial.”

Work began early in the year and, by March, the City Council

approved a budget of $6,500 for the cost of staging the event. It

was also approved to raise the summer parking meter rate to a dime an

hour ... How times have changed.

Dick Kimball chaired the parade committee along with H.B. Chamber

of Commerce President Ralph Kiser.

There were 17 members on the 1961 executive committee, which had

many important people. Included in this committee were Assemblymen

Richard T. Hanna and Bruce Sumner, state Sen. John Murdy, Orange

County Sheriff Jim Musick and Orange County Supervisor William

Herstein. From our city came Gallienne, Jake Stewart, Robert Lambert,

Noble Waite, Lyndon Wells, Doyle Miller and Paul Jones.

Don Minnie chaired the retail merchants committee; Lew Kidder led

the bands committee; Cap Blackburn headed up the floats committee;

Fred Cleland took the trophy committee; Bud Higgins oversaw the fire

and safety and fireworks committees, and Kenneth B. Hayes led the one

I would have loved to have chaired, the bathing beauty review

committee.

There were many more members of our Huntington Beach family to

serve on the various committees, far more than I would have space in

this column to mention.

As in past years, Chuck Rothert did the announcing for the parade

along with Art Gillespie.

Supplying transportation for the dignitaries were Mark Downing

Ford, Ralph Williams Chevrolet, Collins Terry Buick, Robert Mandic

Chrysler and Bob Jurkovich Rambler.

How many remember the popular television series of the 1950s

called “Sheriff of Cochise” and the man who played Sheriff Frank

Morgan, actor John Bromfield? With great pride and fanfare, R.C.

Kimball and his committee secured Bromfield to be grand marshal in

the parade.

Other celebrities to ride in this parade included Jack Linkletter,

Count Billy Varga of wrestling fame, 1960’s Miss Firecracker Alicia

Mowatt, Miss Denmark Greta Thyssen, and Dawn Benedict from the movie

“Cimarron.”

H.B. Mayor Ernest Gisler and his wife hosted a luncheon for the

celebrities and the military brass inside the Huntington Beach

Country Club at 17th Street and Adams Avenue, and there was a

cocktail party for them at the home of Lon and Marnette Peek.

On hand were 211 entries in our big parade. Riding as queen was

Jeanne Hildebrand along with her princesses, Yvonne De Armond, Pat

Elliott, Janice Ledford and Glenda Toulouse.

The big day began at 9:30 a.m. with an equestrian judging at Lake

Street and Adams Avenue.

Thousands lined the street of Huntington Beach’s parade route to

wait for the start at 11 a.m. Six aerial bombs sounded the start of

the parade and a salute to the military.

The parade began at Main and Adams and proceeded south to Main and

5th streets and over to Orange Avenue and 9th Street. It then

continued over to Walnut Avenue and back to Main Street, where it

traveled to Frankfort Avenue and on over to Lake Street and north to

Lake Park, where it disbanded.

The Ghost Town Civil Patrol from Knott’s Berry Farm walked in the

parade, a contingent of Civil War soldiers carrying the colors, and

their special guest Justin Turner, the chairman of the California

Civil War Centennial Committee.

Winning the Sweepstakes trophy was the Sunny Crest Dairy, and

riding on its float were Denise Di Fabio, Carolyn Ledford, Diane Mann

and Donna Mangini.

Lucky Lager Brewing Company’s float took the President’s trophy

and the City of Westminster’s float received the Mayor’s trophy.

After the parade ended, there was a stage show of authentic

American Indian dances at the open-air amphitheater, along with

Scottish Highland dances performed by the Joan Collett Dance Academy.

Over at the Elks clubhouse at 8th Street and Pacific Coast

Highway, a fun zone and carnival was organized and included dinners,

games, prizes and a wiener roast.

The new Huntington Lanes bowling center on Beach Boulevard opened

for 24 hours and did a thriving business. Over at the Warner Drive-in

at Gothard and Warner avenues, a Civil War-themed picture was being

shown.

Mary Rounds of Westminster was one of the young ladies entered

into the Miss Firecracker bathing beauty contest.

As night approached at the open-air beach bowl, Val Moore and her

Hawaiian review performed, along with the Caraboa Club Philippine

Ensemble and the 18-piece Dick Zuelch Orchestra.

Skyrockets lit up the night sky as the fireworks display began at

9 p.m. After the fireworks show, it was over to Memorial Hall for an

evening of dancing to the music of the Dick Zuelch Orchestra. Mark

Downing Ford and the Huntington Beach American Legion sponsored the

dance.

As midnight rolled around, the big celebration ended and those who

were left found their way home -- a little tired, but having had the

thrill of being part of our city’s 1961 Independence Day celebration.

* 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.