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Showing posts with label Los Angeles California. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles California. Show all posts

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Arnold and Newlin: 1960 Los Angeles

Although these photos are stamped May 1961 and June 1962, they probably date from 1960, before Arnold and Newlin left California for Florida, and just developed later. Newlin is pregnant with Andrew in the following shot, but he was not born until September 1960. The location of the first set of photos is likely Knott's Berry Farm, an attraction in Buena Park, California. The second set are in the back yard of their rental in Westwood, near UCLA. And the last set are at Bill and Hazel's house in Glendale.
1960 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Joel, Allan and Newlin Nevis

Allan and Joel with one of the Mason's kids, California, 1960



1960 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan is on the right, 1960

1960 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan (waving at center), 1960

1960 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Joel and Allan, 1960

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan with the Masons' children, 1960


1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan with the Masons' children

Arnold and Newlin celebrate Allan's fifth birthday in Westwood (Los Angeles) and in Glendale with Arnie's family in January 1960.

1962 photo by Newlin Nevis
Arnie with Allan's birthday cake in the back yard of their rental in Westwood

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan at play

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan with birthday cake

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan and Newlin

Joel and Allan at play at their Nevis grandparents' house (501 East Mountain Street, Glendale), spring 1959

1962 photo by William E. Nevis
Arnie, Joel, Allan, and Newlin in Glendale

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
 Joel and Allan at their grandparents' house
1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan, Joel and Hazel

1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
 Allan and Joel with their Aunt Laura


1962 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Allan, Joel and Bill

Joel in a studio photograph, California

1960 photo by Arnold H. Nevis
Joel and Allan on the couch

1960 photo by Newlin Nevis
Joel and Arnie in Glendale


next post  Arnold and Newlin: 1960 Gainesville

previous post  Arnold and Newlin: 1959

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943


Sunday, May 30, 2021

Flashback: How the Hastings descendants came to California

Oil brought the Hastings family West.

family tree of Mary Hazel Wolfe Nevis

Mary Hazel Wolfe's mother was Jennie Hastings. Like her husband James Tarr Wolfe, Jennie and her family were from Pennsylvania, perhaps Oakdale (near Pittsburgh). 

Jennie Evelyn Hastings


Jennie's siblings include John, Cyrus, Laura, Alfaretta "Allie", Jesse, Emma, Elwood, William, Quincy, Frank, and Wayne. Since Quincy's middle name is Dickson, he might the "Dick" in the photo below:

Jennie Hastings, Allie Hastings, Frank Hastings, Wayne Hastings, and Dick Hastings



possibly Frank Hastings

back of photo of Frank Hastings

The Hastings family was already in Venango County by 1850 at the time of the oil boom there. Although the family set themselves up as farmers, they were enterprising and got into other businesses such as barge work, transporting goods such as oil barrels down stream to Pittsburgh or Cincinnati. Frank Tuller Hastings (Mary Hazel's uncle) got into the oil business, which took him from Venango County to New Mexico, California, Montana, and Alberta. When Frank was still in Albuquerque, in the second decade of the 1900s, his sister Jennie and her husband James Tarr Wolfe had moved there, too. After Jennie died in New Mexico in 1924, her husband relocated to Los Angeles with their daughter Hazel's family. Hazel's brother Leslie moved to nearby San Bernardino, California, and their brother Ellwood to Las Vegas.

Merrill Hastings on "Pride", Hastings Farm, Pennsylvania


(Merrill Hastings is Wayne's son, Hazel's cousin. The photo would be from the first decade of the 1900s, as Merrill was born in 1899.)

believed to be Mary Davidson Wolf, perhaps 1870s

Leslie H. Wolfe, 1917, U.S. Navy, World War I

J. Ellwood Wolfe circa 1920

The Nevis family lore says that William Guy Wolf and Mary Davidson's son James Tarr Wolfe (1864–1936) was a farmer but had also invested in a company drilling for oil; his wife Jenny Hastings Wolfe (1867–1924) and mother-in-law Mary Jane McQuaid Hastings (1832–1915) complained after a while that the company was not striking any oil and they nagged him into selling his shares. Three weeks after the share sale, that company struck oil. Arnold maintained that James Wolfe never recovered from the "theft" of his good fortune and never forgave his mother-in-law. After Jennie died, he panned for gold in California certain his luck would return.

(On the other hand, the Canal Best web site says that James Tarr Wolfe's great grandfather John Brookmire Hastings (1797–1872) "owned land near Franklin [Pennsylvania] which became a valuable oil field — after he sold it" so I wonder if the generations got mixed up a bit and Jenny Hastings Wolfe and her mother Mary Jane McQuaid Hastings got a bad rap unfairly here in the family legend.)

Another myth from the Hastings side of the family involves ancestors of Jenny Hastings. There is indeed a line of noble Hastings in British history: Francis Hastings (1560–1595), son of the Earl of Hastings (George Hastings, 1540–1604), who was himself son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon (1514–1561), the son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (1488–1544), son of Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings (26 November 1466–1506), son of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (circa 1431–1483), and so forth. So the peerage is beyond dispute, and frequently their wives' lineages are even more distinguished, but unfortunately there is little evidence of this ancestry for the Hastings family of Pennsylvania, though I suppose it is not out of the question either, through perhaps some younger brother who did not inherit the title, estate or wealth, or was exiled in disgrace to the colonies.

a family tree for Mary Hazel Wolfe Nevis, sketched circa 1970

Instead, Hazel's great grandfather John Brookmire Hastings was born out of wedlock to Mary Sutley and John Hastings. A Wikitree entry for Mary Sutley shows a deed book entry describing a case of John Hastings having knocked up Mary, who sues him for child support after her marriage to another man, John Brookmire:

Venango County, PA Deed Book A, pp. 59
Whereas MARY BROOKMIER, daughter of Christian SETLEE(sic), formerly of Franklin County and state of Pennsylvania, now of the county of Venango and state aforesaid, about 9 years ago at the town of Chambersburg did enter an indictment against a certain John HASTY(sic) for unlawfully begotten her, the said Mary, with child...and the said John Hasty found guilty and judgement being entered in favor of said Mary (for certain sum or sums of money supposed to be 50c per week for a space of __years and $14. for expenses at birth of said child)....and whereas the said Mary having since entered into the marriage state with a certain John BROOKMIER and in order to bring about a final close of said business and to receive the remainder sum of money due in consequence of the decree aforesaid, the said John Brookmier becomes party to these presents..... Appoint George Setlee(sic) of Venango County, as their true and lawful attorney to demand the money from John Hasty.....

John Brookmire Hastings, the same one that sold his land before oil was discovered on it, was raised in the Brookmire family, but retained his biological father's surname. I could find nothing further of his father, the scoundrel John Hastings — no family history, no later activity.

The family religion (Presbyterian) comes down through the Anglo-Irish branch of the family: the McQuaids, the Duffields, and the McClintocks, but it appears that all of Hazel's ancestors were Protestants of some sort. The German side of her family emigrated from the area near the Rhine — they were Protestants fleeing the many wars devastating that region, particularly the Thirty Years War. And through her grandmother Hannah Smith, the lineage goes back to the early Plymouth Colony leader Thomas Prence and church deacon Henry Cobb


next post  Flashback: Arnold's early years

previous post  Flashback: Plumer, Venango County, Pennsylvania

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Arnold's Story: September 3, 1950

Hazel writes Arnold with family news — Bill and Mary Ann visiting Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara for checkups (both have diabetes), Tom and Alice Madruga visiting with their three daughters, Pat quitting her job, and Leonard having two weeks off after his final exams.

Clinitest tablets are used to test for sugar (glucose) in one's urine. 










next post  September 5, 1950

previous post  August 1950 Newfoundland

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943


Monday, March 29, 2021

Arnold's Story: March 18, 1949 Pat

Pat's spelling is bad in a few places. For example, I think illuminate in the second paragraph is eliminate. Pat spent time in Winnipeg, Canada, and sometimes it shows up in the language, such as with "eh?" at the end of one sentence.

Leonard is having doubts about getting into medical school, so he might try engineering. At the same time he and a friend are inventing a new diving unit. 

I do not see a movie from the 1940s for Man and Superman. In the mid 1940s the George Bernard Shaw's 1947 comedy "Man and Superman" was playing on Broadway and may have made it west to California. Or Pat is talking about the 1946 BBC broadcast of the play by radio.

I am uncertain which Flavell Pat is talking about: Arnold and Leonard knew both Ed Flavell and Kenny Flavell.

The return address for Pat is 3056 Shasta Circle North, Los Angeles.




next post  March 21, 1949 

previous post  March 18, 1949 MHN

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943




Thursday, February 25, 2021

Leonard's Story: May 12–14, 1948

From this letter we learn that Bill Nevis has taken Hazel and Laura on a visit to New York City, where they spent time with Leonard and Pat. Leonard is now planning to go to school but may take a summer job before departing New York. Later in his life Leonard complained he had not been able to implement innovations to the family business because his father was stubbornly opposed to any changes, and at the same time, when he saw his brother Arnold able to attend medical school at Harvard, he decided he, too, wanted to go to medical school rather than continue in the family firm.








next post  May 13, 1948

previous post  April 20, 1948

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943