Sumner Wright and an associate from Smith, Richardson & Gilbert discuss their plans for early Wrightwood
Living up here for most of my life, I am still amazed at the complaints, "Thar ain't nuthin' to do up here!" Bored teens are excited about plans for a skateboard park that are in the works. Me, I just scratch my head and wonder why they just don't build a park that everyone could use. After all, it is a community.
Even way back then, we found things to do. Today, the town still presents plenty to do for all ages...all one had to do is put in a little effort to find it.
In October of 1947, Zofia M. Beckwith wrote in the Wrightwood Pine Needle; "...there are some few who feel lost unless the noisy excitements of the city are always about them. To just abide in the zestful atmosphere among them. We natives find the days all too short for our daily routine. Unaware, we pause while the beauty and the strength of the mountains penetrates us. Those who live here, love it!They grieve to leave it, and they treasure the experience after all."
Here is another version of what Mrs. Beckwith conveyed so long ago, "Bored? Take a hike! Shed the skateboards for a moment, and hit the foot paths into to a world that you cannot help, but enjoy. Parents, instead of dropping the kids off somewhere to skateboard, take a very short drive to a trailhead; outfit them with a canteen, some fruit...perhaps a stick of beef jerky, and let them go experience what this mountain really has to offer. Better yet, join them...perhaps discover what you are missing out on, also"
This is Wrightwood's Blue Print for living. But, since this is an historical section, perhaps we should share with you some of the original ideas that Wright and others had when shaping this community.
This 1925 advertisement for Wrightwood only gave part of the picture in sharing the benefits of living or visiting this mountainous area and its rich Swarthout Valley. Someone forgot to mention the TEN big areas of recreation that would of blown your socks off in enjoyment!
To find out what they were, we invited you to the Wrightwood Historical Museum. Terry Graham will be the speaker at the next Wrighwood Historical Society Meeting on February 6, 2009 1Pm at the Cedar Street Wrightwood Museum. He will be sharing "Wrightwood's Blueprint for Livin'...and a honest to God look at the 1925 Wrightwood Blueprints! You'd be amazing to learn what the folks had planned so very long ago.
Bring a friend...and bring a colored felt pen, or something else to draw with. You will be participating in creating an artifact that will be put on display for Wrightwood's residents and visitors to study for years to come.
On Feb. 6th, we invited you to see...for the first time in 84 years...Wrightwood's Blueprint for Livin'.
