Spring 2016 - Carriage Museum

Spring 2016
Herman Heinsch
Information for this article courtesy of Griff Durham
Herman Heinsch was born in Prussia in 1834. He was in Los
Angeles by 1860 when he established his saddlery and harness
firm at the northeast corner of Commercial and Los Angeles. He
married Mary Happ in Los Angeles March 8, 1863 and the first of
four children Herman W Heinsch was born later that year.
Heinsch is listed in the 1867 Pacific Coast Business Directory and
in the first Los Angeles Directory in 1872. He was naturalized
August 16, 1871. His firm was located in the Heinsch Block on
the northeast corner of Commercial and North Los Angeles from
1860 until his death, at the age of 49, in January of 1883. This
intersection was the business center of L A at the time. Nearby
firms included the pioneer saddleries of Jesus F Moreno, SC Foy,
Domingo Garcia and E H Workman. Herman's widow Mary inherited half the estate and is listed as proprietor of the Heinsch
This Herman Heinsch saddle
Block in the 1884 L A Directory. No saddlery firm is listed at that
Herman Heinsch
is currently on display at the
Carriage & Western Art Museum location in subsequent directories. There is no Heinsch saddlery
Ad from the 1881
listed between 1884 and 1888 when Heinsch's eldest son Herman
from the Deporah Spalding
Los Angeles Directory
Pelissero Collection
W opened a shop at 267 North Main St. He is listed under Harness and Saddlery at several different locations on Main and
Spring Streets between 1888 and 1895. In 1896 the Heinsch name is no longer listed under Harness and Saddlery and Herman W Heinsch is listed as a clerk. He is listed as a resident of New York in 1898. The Heinsch Block continued to be listed
in LA directories through the 90s though Mary Heinsch was apparently no longer the proprietor. She died in 1907.
1869 Early view of
Commercial Street, looking east from
Main St, just north of Temple St. In the
background is Herman Heinsch's saddle and
harness shop, a newly erected building.
The intersection of
Commercial and North Los Angeles Street.
The building in the upper left center of the photo,
showing two round top windows on the second
floor, must be Heinsch's building.
Page 2
Spring 2016
Vicente Mardueno
(1865 - 1933)
Research Library at the Ventura County Museum of History
Vicente Mardueno was born on November 26, 1865 in Santa Barbara. At the time of his birth his father, Jose Jesus, was stationed at Fort Mason, Arizona Territory. Vicente was around seventeen when the family moved to Seacliff and twenty-six when his father died in 1891. He then moved to Ventura with his mother
and sister in 1892.
Undoubtedly, he had learned the craft of blacksmithing from his father. But, where he learned to work
silver inlay chased over ornamental metal is something of a mystery. There is the possibility that Vicente
learned to work silver from Albert Espinosa, seven years his senior, who was a silversmith and Mardueno’s
partner for a time.
On September 15, 1897 Vicente married Anita Rodriguez in Ventura, and by her had five children:
Ernest, Della (Moraga), Nettie (Christian), Olivia (Turner-Terry), and Ellen (Nixen).
Vicente had the two-story Jose Ortega house located on Front Street, between Oak and California
Streeets, where he made bits and spurs, plus horseshoeing on order in the backyard, but he gave up this work
as his main vocation when he began to lose his eyesight.
After that he worked at a variety of jobs: road work (1909): blacksmith for Ventura Electric Supply
Company (1910); guarding (1913) and laborer (1914-1922). From 1923 until the time he died in 1933, he
worked as a gardener at the Ventura County Court House on Poli Street.
Vicente divorced Anita on July 16th, 1927, claiming that she had, for the past six years, abandoned
him. He died suddenly of a heart attack in the basement of the courthouse on October 16, 1933, and was buried in Ivy Lawn Cemetery on October 18, 1933.
New Addition to the Carraige Museum
The Mardueno bit photographed on the left was
found in 1923 at Tajiguas Ranch. The bit was in
very poor condition having weathered over the
years. Fortunately, we had Bruce Haener restore
it this past year. Bruce has restored several bits
for the Carriage Museum over the years and has
amazing craftsmanship. As you can see the photo
on the right, Bruce was able to bring the Mardueno
bit back to it original condition. Bruce generously donated his time and expertise to this project
and the Carriage Museum greatly appreciates it!
First Fiesta in 1924 is Recalled
The Old Spanish Days has returned annually with the exception of the World War II years.
J. William MacLennan, who conceived the idea, echoed its spirit when he wrote, “the Fiesta is not primarily to amuse spectators, but to give everyone a chance to participate in a community celebration dedicated to the pioneers of California and to make Santa Barbara a more delightful place in which to live.”
Page 4
Spring 2016
Hollywood Hero
In 1932 a star was born. He was a beautiful golden color with a white,
flowing mane and tail. Son of a Palomino mare and a racehourse, Golden Cloud
was to become the most famous horse of his day.
Golden Cloud made his big screen debut in 1938. His owners, Hudkin
Stables, lent him out to play a part in the Hollywood film The Adventures of
Robin Hood.
Later that year, Republic Studios decided to make a series of Westerns
featuring the singing cowboy actor, Roy Rogers. They brought several horses
round for Roy to audition. He fell for Golden Cloud the moment he climbed on
to the horse’s back.
While they were making their first film, Under Western Stars, Golden
Cloud was renamed “Trigger” because he was so quick. Roy loved Trigger so
much that after their third film, he bought Trigger for $2,500. From then on,
they became full-time partners. Trigger loved the camera. He often stole the show from Roy Rogers with a
well-timed yawn or a graceful dance step. He knew over 60 tricks. He could walk 150 steps on his hind legs,
stamp his hoof to count, and draw a gun from a holster.
Trigger became one of the most popular characters in show
business. He starred in 87 films and 101 TV shows, and once even
had a party in the Grand Ballroom of the Astor Hotel in New York
City.
Like a true star, Trigger made special personal appearances.
He always traveled in style, carried his own horse-sized passport, and
signed his name with an X in hotel registers.
Trigger finally retired in 1957 and died in 1965, at age 33.
Roy Rogers was heartbroken. He said he had lost “the greatest horse
who ever came along.”
KIDS CORNER
For facility rental information visit
www.carriagemuseum.org
P.O. Box 1587
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1587
Ca r r ia g e & We s t e r n Ar t M us e um
2016 Car ria ge Museum Of ficers and Board Members
The Board of Directors met in January of 2016 and approved the following
list of Officers and Board Members:
Peter Georgi, President
John Henigin
Tom Peterson, Vice President/Curator
John Parke
Angela Miller-Bevan
Nick Katzenstein
Chuck Pressley
Owen Schafer
Clay Dickens
Paul Uyesaka
Ellen Harte, Secretary
Ward Goodier
George Begg
Museum Information
Located in Pershing Park
129 Castillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
805-962-2353 or 805-569-0731
www.carriagemuseum.org
FREE ADMISSION
Hours 9 - 3, Monday - Friday
Docent Tours:
Third Sunday of the month
1 - 4 pm
Griff Durham, Museum Consultant
Established in 1974, the Carriage and Western Art Museum
of Santa Barbara is a non-profit organization with the mission
to collect, display and preserve historic horse-drawn vehicles,
saddles and western memorabilia.
Educational outreach and
docent training programs
available.