Verdugo Views: Civil War vet saw value in a club for the blind
On Dec. 3, 1946, Henry Mingay, one of the last remaining veterans of the Civil War, celebrated his 100th birthday. A couple of days later, he attended a luncheon at the Glendale Lions Club. He was accompanied by his grandson, Fred W. Smith, of Ojai, then serving as first vice president of Lions International.
Mingay had made a career out of his status as one of the longest-living veterans of the conflict between the North and the South. He made annual visits to local schools — around Memorial Day — and was feted on his 100th with many newspaper articles recounting his longevity.
Now, I don’t have any information about Mingay’s vision, but he was a charter member of the Foothill Service Club for the Blind, which opened in 1940 with five members. It was supported by local Lions groups.
“Mingay had the distinction of making the first donation to the building fund. He served as patriotic chairman for several years just before he passed away,” according to an unidentified newspaper clipping on file in Special Collections at the Glendale Central Library.
The club for the blind was a very popular place in those days. Having outgrown three facilities and reaching a membership of more than 100, club members embarked on a fundraising campaign to purchase a lot on South Verdugo Road, near Maple Street, and build a place of their own.
On April 5, 1947, Mingay posed for one of the many photos a man of his status deserved. A newspaper photo shows him standing on the front porch of his home at 804 E. Elk Ave.
Alas, during the photo shoot, he fell and fractured his hip and spent several days in the Veterans hospital on Sawtelle. He had hoped to return home, but “a turn for the worse finally brought taps for the gracious gentleman who had survived the terrible conflict between the North and the South,” according to another newspaper dated April 24, 1947.
His survivors included his widow, the former Mrs. Aimee B. Hennessey, whom he had married two years previously, a daughter, Leta Perry, of Tujunga, the above-mentioned grandson Smith, and other grandchildren and great grandchildren.
After his death, the Lions Foothill Council for the Blind (representing six local Lions Clubs) adopted “Henry Mingay Memorial Home for the Blind” as the official designation of the new building.
The club for the blind had received strong support from local Lions Clubs since its inception, and because of his grandson’s position as vice president of Lions International, it must have seemed like a natural fit to name the new building for Mingay.
But surprisingly, by August 1949, when ground was broken for the new building, it was to be called the Foothill Service Club for the Blind instead. The Aug. 2 1949, edition of the Glendale News-Press had no mention of Mingay’s name.
We’ll probably never know what transpired between Mingay’s death and the groundbreaking, but we do know that the Lions raised funds for the proposed structure in several ways, including a benefit in early 1948 which raised $1,100.
A few months later, Mrs. Robert C. Wian (wife of the man who brought us Bob’s Big Boy) sold tickets to another benefit in February 1949.
Construction of the clubhouse, which cost $13,000, began in August 1949. It opened in December 1950.
Just a few years later, the club moved yet again, to the property on Los Feliz Boulevard, where it remains.
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Readers Write:
Emails have arrived regarding the late lamented Billy’s Deli: This from Jill Benone: “Loved your story. When I told my daughters the deli was closed, Jordana, who lives in Santa Monica, suggested we go to her deli there and have a corned beef sandwich in Billy’s honor.”
Daughter Jennifer Howard, who lives in England, wanted to know what happened to the swordfish that hung on the wall. “Such a shame Billy’s is gone,” she wrote.
From Carl Rasmussen, “Thank you for the well-researched and informative article about Billy’s Deli in Glendale. Billy’s was always the go-to place for lunch whenever I ventured down the hill to Glendale. Also, I would never miss having corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll miss Billy’s.”
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KATHERINE YAMADA can be reached at katherineyamada@gmail.com or by mail at Verdugo Views, c/o News-Press, 202 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, address and phone number.
