An open letter to the Historical Society

[Wrightwood]

As life members we receive the monthly newsletter "The Wright Times" and the recent edition (Feb 2006) contains an article regarding the WrightwoodCalif.com website. The article is basically a discussion on the need for accuracy when dealing with historical facts about this community.

A recent forum posting was pointed out as having inaccurate information regarding Sumner Wright having a daughter and the Historical Society has a family tree chart that shows otherwise.

The organization holds themselves to a higher standard than individuals as they have the resources to verify facts and set the record straight. The article goes on to point out it takes quite a lot of time and energy to correct something that is told over and over again incorrectly.

In this instance the forum member said that it was "Folklore".

The WrighwtoodCalif.com website is visited daily by thousands of visitors from around the world who do not have the opportunity to stop in the Wrightwood Museum on the weekends and check the accuracy of folklore they may have read online.

When members of the public or the Wrightwood Historical Society have facts that would straighten out folklore then it's their responsibility to make every effort to correct the unsupported notion, story, or saying that is being widely circulated.

All it takes is an email, phone call or letter to the Webmaster, or one of the moderators to set the record straight as this website has been built on a reputation of accuracy.

Below is a copy of the original "folklore" posting from this forum.

Webmaster

     When I bought this house I looked at the disclosure maps and the San Andreas fault at Spruce runs from about 5 ft south of Robin to about 10 ft north of Oriole, basically in between the 2 streets and had a varying  width as it ran westward, sometimes 2 blocks wide  almost. There was another lake  in Robin circle...albeit a small mud bog also.
 
  Along with my house came a framed document showing tranfers of ownership through the years (only 7) with a 1927 transaction between Sumner  B. Wright to the Pacific Southwest Trust & Savings bank..(satisfaction of mortgage)
  Folklore was this was built for one of Sumners daughters when she married a ranchhand and given as a wedding present. It has a Meluso Chimney, I'm Pretty Sure (frorm the 40's)...but all the balcony rails are pine logs 5" thick.
 
    I'd be interested if anyone had more info on this place. I'm caddy corner from the Robin Lodge.

[wwpt]

[200]

How about DNA testing? 

This website has posted and corrected more misconceptions about Wrightwood history than anyplace I know of. How many times has the Wyatt Earp and train stories come up and been corrected on this forum. That's why I like this website as the people who run it really care about this town.

Good post Wrightwood 

ps I'm also a member of the Historical Society and get the newsletter. I noticed that the address of this website was written incorrectly two different times in the article. Shouldn't accuracy in what's being printed also be important? 

[wwpt]

 
 
    The thing about Folklore is there is usually an element of truth in there somewhere, Then the peripheral facts become distorted through too many  "coloring ins" when they become campfire stories. They will also take on attributes of what people want to believe happened, rather than what actually happened.
 
  If we really like someone, we will fill in the blanks about their good deeds to support our own beliefs about them. Maybe the origins of this Story will be traced back to another incident completely different that Sumner did, and people kept this alive through the years by expounding on this more "tellable "Tale?

 Could be ol' Sumner "Fixed that Wagon" for some  lonely lady, Also.           

[wwpt]

 
    The Best explanation of this seems to be who Summer sold the house to...A Mary Hiltebrand* whose "Daughter" , Dorothy, became one of the first women Rangers at the Big Pines ranger station...Both quite movers and shakers in early WW development...All this thanks to the WW Historical Society and the dedicated and informative Pat and Barb who wrote a great book on early WW. 
 
   Interesting note...When i punch in "Skydor L*dge" (Misspell on purpose) on Google, out of 5 attempts at different times of the day...here's what I got....

   3 times.....My post in WW forum where I casually mentioned it along with more "I heard comments"  CAME UP 1st
 
  1 time....directed me to the whole thread on Summer Wrights home

 1 time ....no hits (Evening, when they are busiest)

   Punch in  Summer Wright (Spelling) and there I am again...No. 1 .   Not sure I want this much clout in this issue from folklore I got while making a handshake deal in the kitchen buying a new house!
 
   Make sure I don't mention an Aldou*s Huxle*y, the author who wrote the book " The Doors of Percepti*n"( from which a famous Rock band of the 60's took their name, who has ties to WW... Might get a bunch of inquiries  from spaced out Rockers who look these things up on there.

[ChattyCathy]

I've been reading the past posts regarding WW history, and I might just go to the Museum to find the facts.  I went by the "Snow White" house after reading about it on the forum.  I'm curious why it was built, if anyone lived/lives there, etc.  I'm unclear what the Wright house is, or Summer Wright, or Sumner Wright and what its importance is (I'm assuming the founder of WW) - and of course Lee Marvin's house is a curiosity, but it's unclear where both of these houses are.  I've heard the Wyatt Earp story, but it was cleared up when I bought apples on Lone Pine and spoke to the relative of the owners of all that property down there.

[Wrightwood]

Pat Corpe Krig writes:

I quote: "folklore is that Sumner Wright built the house at the North West corner of Spruce and Robin for one of his daughters". Satisfaction of myth: (1) Sumner Wright had no daughters, or son. (2) The house in question was built by Mary Hiltebrand, an unmarried woman. Mary had a daughter -- Dorothy.

It is unknown how the rumor started that Mr. Wright owned "quite a few" cabins around the town. (1) there was no TOWN - this was a ranch. There were no streets, no store, no nothing'. The only buildings on the ranch were the Guffy homestead (where the old fireplace still stands), the Wright's part time home, three small cabins up the hill from the ranch house, and various ranch buildings.   


Thanks Pat for your letter!