A LOOK BACK:Civic promoter struck black gold on July 4, 1926

On Wednesday, we celebrated the birthday of freedom for our nation. For Huntington Beach, the date has held a special meaning throughout its long history, and for one man, this date held an even more special meaning.

Frank Bundy was born in Ames, Iowa in the 1870s, at a time when the West was still a wild frontier.

When Frank was a boy, his father Nathan decided to bring his family West. On April 30, 1876, Frank, his mother, father and brother arrived in Santa Monica.

Frank’s father went into the real estate business, selling land in both Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

While living in Santa Monica, Frank and his brother attended grammar and high schools.

To make some extra money, Frank got a job milking 20 cows.

After his graduation from high school, he went on to learn the taxidermist business and spent one year stuffing birds and animals.

When Frank was 19, he got a job as a general delivery clerk at the Santa Monica post office.

In 1898, Ethel Spalding arrived from Chicago to visit her mother in Santa Monica, and it was at this time that she met Frank Bundy.

Shortly afterward, they were married in the home of her mother in Santa Monica. Two years later, Frank went into the jewelry business and opened his own jewelry store called F.E. Bundy, the Third Street Jeweler.

In its first few years, business was very good, but it took a toll on Frank’s health, and he sold the business and retired to take a long rest. Once his health improved, Frank purchased an oil distributing business in Santa Monica. With five tank wagons and 20 horses, his company delivered gasoline and kerosene to businesses.

With the success of this business, Frank invested in local real estate.

In 1905, he sold his oil distributing business and purchased a large tract of land near Los Angeles that he called the Orange Avenue Tract. He subdivided the land into 200 lots that he sold for $500 each.

In 1913, he purchased the Jacob Adoloff estate in Los Angeles and subdivided part of this estate into residential lots, while also building 14 stores, a movie theater and a large garage.

Frank built a large home for Ethel and their two daughters — Adelaide and Betty — on 21st Street in Los Angeles and continued buying property in the local area.

Frank built several buildings along Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles and purchased beachfront property in Santa Monica that he would later sell to several Hollywood stars.

The Bundy family moved back to Santa Monica, where they build their home in the Santa Monica Canyon and he would later own all of the canyon property.

Frank and his brother built the well-known Jonathan Club in Los Angeles and the two owned three public bath houses, one at the Santa Monica pier and two at the mouth of the Santa Monica Canyon, which they sold to actor Will Rogers.

Frank continued to build homes in Santa Monica and Ocean Park, before eventually getting interested in the oil boom down south in Huntington Beach.

Frank came down here on Nov. 3, 1925 and purchased 10 lots in our oil field at a cost of $57, 500. He shortly began drilling his first well at 16th Street and Olive.

At this time, the family were still living in Santa Monica Canyon and as part of Frank and Ethel’s 50th anniversary, some 486 friends celebrated this event on the Bundy ranch.

Donald Douglas, a close friend, sent seven airplanes over the ranch, which dropped carnations on the ranch house and on the guests.

Douglas had done this to thank Frank for helping him establish his airplane factory in Santa Monica in the 1920s.

As an advertising attraction for our Huntington Beach Fourth of July celebration of 1926, advertising manager C.G. Reynolds came up with the idea of a “Gold Coin Hunt” in which merchandise orders equivalent in value to some gold coins were hidden in the sand for the July 3, 1926, opening to our Fourth of July celebration.

The next day became a special date in Frank’s life, as his well struck black gold and came in at 1,500 barrels of oil a day.

Frank purchased four city blocks on which the old Methodist Camp was located on 11th Street and Orange Avenue for $100,000, and on this property, he built a log cabin house for Ethel and he also had four oil wells drilled.

Ethel had a unique hobby while living in the log cabin house.

She raised some 500 parakeets of all varieties and colors.

During the 1930s and 40s, Frank was well-known as a civic promoter for our city and was a past president of our chamber of commerce.

He worked tirelessly in many of our city’s civic projects and was a respected member of our community.

Although Frank and Ethel Bundy are no longer with us and their log cabin house has vanished, their rich contributions to our city’s history remain.