Palos Verdes History

Don Christy, stepson of Frank Vanderlip Jr, presents the history of Palos Verdes and the Vanderlip family using many historic photographs of the area. Produced by Jarel and Betty Wheaton for Peninsula Seniors www.pvseniors.org

[@vevecobbs9138]

Oh Don! Thank you for the wonderful memory and history lesson of my childhood home! I grew up at 7 Ginger Root Lane and lived a charmed childhood for sure! Of course it is well known that the Vanderlips owned the hills but I've got to tell you, us kids of the 50's and 60's OWNED those hills. The duck pond was our pollywag pond in which we'd spend hours catching pollwags and would go home with mud from head to toe. The bird cages were overgrown but enchanted forts for 8, 9 and 10 year olds. We did attend the nursery school at Abalone Cove and every once and awhile got to go past the white gate with our teacher for a field trip on the actual sand. Had our first swimming lessons at the Portuguese Swim Club. We'd walk down to Annie's stand, where I can still smell the aroma of her freshly cut flowers and then there was Marineland! That was an all day adventure and when our parents would ask where we were, they never got the whole truth. We'd make forts for our horses up at the water tower and rode our horses through the open fields of Pennisula Center. Our friends house burned down and their temporary home was the Hardin's gate house. The house that had a hallway that ended in dirt.......never did understand that! LOL Halloween was a blast! We'd run from one gate house to the other and everything in between, carefully plotting our course around 5 corners where all the big kids were throwing eggs. Your talk opened up a flood of memories as you can see..........thank you <3

[@dondejuan7578]

Thee most beautiful place in L.A. I've been taking my family there since the early 90's. My mom took us to Marine land back in the day. It's the best place to take pictures of the so called "queens necklace" and The Pacific. Thanks for the history Don from another Don.

[@erikjay3951]

Thank you, Don. You're a class act. Keep the Ranchero runnin'!

[@raydee8s]

So interesting to hear all about the Vanderlip estate. Thanks.

[@uscmelanie]

Is there any record about Doctor Seuss living in the house? That’s so interesting, since he made Propaganda from World War II. I feel like there are a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle. What about the Japanese farmers during world war two? Where did the rumors of a death in the Vanderlip mansion begin? Why was it abandoned before Don Christy moved in? If Frank and his wife Narcissa put so much effort into it, why would it be left to spiders and have cracked ceilings? Didn’t Frank have 6 kids who could have taken care of it? The explanation is great, but technically a lot of the explanations are theoretical since Don moved in in the 70s.... So much happened before he arrived. Is there record of voice boxes being taken out of dogs and Elen's father, is there photographic evidence that he wore a night gown and had long white hair? Treasure? Shriver house? The Spanish? Why can’t i find any more information out about this? I’ve looked all over. Why did the ‘Palos Verdes Project’ never pan out? An Italian Artist Colony would have be wonderful. I feel like a man who is a founder of the Federal Reserve, has more of a story as to why he couldn’t complete his vision. A man with a short wikipedia page and who barely anyone knows of had the ability to want to compete with William Randolph hurst? Seems like there is bitterness with Mister York. Was Frank Vanderlip involved with the German Internment camp if he owned the land of Palos Verdes? What about the development of Marineland? Why do all the rocks fall apart near the beach if you barely toss them? There’s a lot more to this story. Why did Frank die in NY? But great explanation Don Christy, very interesting stuff! Thank you! I’m so fascinated! Lastly, what happened to all of the Vanderlips? Of all people, their step-grandson is telling the story… Dun dun dun!