Haciendas bring back memories

I enjoyed the pictorials on haciendas (“So Simple, So Natural, So Very California” and “In the Rancho Spirit,” Sept. 25). The pictures remind me so much of my parents’ house. They live in a hacienda from the ‘20s. The house was built by the Stoody family and sat on more than 60 acres in what is now Whittier. My parents bought the home from the family estate with some of the original furnishings. It was certainly good to see a homage to some of the roots of early Californian family life. Thanks.

Richard Macias

Whittier

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The article about the Alvarado adobe in Pomona was interesting. When I was growing up (1931-50) in the Pomona valley, I remember two original adobe homes. One was on Arrow Highway and the other on North Park Avenue.

My family lived in the Park Avenue adobe in 1941-42. It was a rental then and was surrounded by an orange grove, but it still had some oak trees near the home. It was a long time ago, but I remember the thick walls and how cool it was in the summer and cozy in the winter.

It sat back from the road and was reached by a circular driveway. I remember the massive oak front door. That is probably because, while playing not far from the house one day, I found a large door key. It was four or five inches long, of heavy iron, obviously old, with ornate engravings on the handle. The assumption was made by my parents that it was most likely an original front door key, though we had no way to confirm this. My father gave the key to the owners, who lived in a more modern house nearby. I have no idea what became of it after that.

Everyone was aware of the origins of the house. We all felt the presence of history.

Bill Wade

Anaheim