Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25
CAME To PACIFIC COAST
ON TRAIN IN YEAR 1877
Memories of Mrs. Stephen J. Rem
DALI a Bride of the
Early Days

Forty-three years ago Mrs. stephen
J. Kendall, then a bride of a few
weeks, was a passenger on the
second railroad train that touched the
Pacific coast at San Francisco, rev
days later coming to Los Angeles Win
her husband on a steamer. =.
Los Angeles was then very small
town and Mrs. Kendall grew weary OF
the quietude, longing for her home
back east.
In a recent interview with Herald
representative Mrs Kendall said:
"If l had had to stay another year
in this little, dusty place. where two
successive years of drouth had killed
every bit of vegetation and where the
dust in the streets and in the air made
life seem hopeless, believe l should
have died.
RAINS CHANGE VIEWS
After a few months, however, when
me rains came and l saw the WONDER
fl results that followed l commenced
to zee what possibilities Los Angeles
held. One day in speaking to friend
1 eajd: L wish that 1 could live here
for Cne hundred years. l am confident
that in q century of time this city or
the west will have grown to be one Of
beauty and culture, where the climate
will bring travellers by the thousands
and residents viii throng to make thell
homes that they may enjoy the con-
slant sunshine, the flowers and the
wonderful ocean breezes.
When she voiced this prophecy Mrs.
Kendall did not dream, nor did any OF
her acquaintances think, that today
she would be living here In the midst
of this glory which her own words
had so clearly outlined and which even
nntt ttfni icti 10 Of
then did not dare to credit.
"It Is today as though 1 had lived
that full century, said Mrs Kendall.
"In any other country or state the
progress and development would have
required at least that time, possibly
mi ch more. California, however, with
its luxury OF sunshine, Its wealth of
metal, floral and scenic possibilities,
has outstripped my widest flights of
fancy, and today in less than half the
century 1 thought would be needed we
find ourselves living in one of the fair
est cities of the world"
PRIZES RARE PICTURES
Mrs. Kendall has a we'll developed
interest in matters of historic moment
and has in her collection many rare
pictures of scenes in the early Los
Angeles. These pictures show more
vividly than words can do the almost
miraculous changes which have taken
place in the city.
From the low mission structures of
wood and adobe built in the old Span
ish form of the hollow square, to the
edificeS of steel and concrete which
modern skill and enterprise have
erected along the streets of the city
is far cry. Not more has been ac-
complished in that respect, however,
than in thousands of other details.
90 hi lob. IN II
wonderful city.
1t is a constant qualification to the
residents of this city that so many Of
the pioneers are given the privileges of
sharing in these wonderful improve
ments.
Surely, if anything could make it
worth while to have suffered depri-
vations, lack of social life. removal
from intellectual pleasures and all of
those things which go so far toward
making up the life of the modern wom-
an of our civilization. it would be the
realization today that to some degree
she had been instrumental in bringing
these very pleasures and conveniences
to this city.
PIONEER BRIDES BRAVE
II the American woman had not come
west, if she had not braved the dam
gers of Indian battles. the inconVen-
fences of travel. the lack of spiritual
and social environment then there
would have been no need for any of
those features of life. and the west
would still have been the wilderness it
seemed for so many years.
AS the American woman usually gets
what she wants and as the American
man has been accustomed for many
years to get for her those things she
desires, it follows that all Los Angeles
Oroganf haqIIfU ia 6ua CIiraOfIv IN fhnSo
first brave young brides impelled by
love of husband and love of adventure
to journey far from the comforts of
parental homes.
"All the town was over on the other
side of the Plaza" said Mrs. Kendall,
'and Mrs. Ola. one of the cleverest
and most charming of those women
Of pioneer days, was wont to speak of
a certain piece of property owned by
her husband as Sleepy Hollow be-
cause Of it's remote location and the
general air Of quiet and peacefulness
pervading its locality. That property
Is now occupied by the stores of Mr..
Coulter and Mr.. Robinson. Then
Broadway did not exist at all, but was
merely a continuation of Fort street
from up on the hill where the old fort
of General Fremont was located. 1t
was at the exact spot where Mrs.
Banning now lives" continued the
speaker, although the Banning home
was not built until comparatively re-
Gently. Mr. Banning took his young
wife to live at Wilmington, and it was
there that their two daughters were
born"
PICTURE SHOWS FREMONT
The four women who were among
the earliest pioneers were Mrs. Rem
dali, Mrs. Mary Banning. Mrs John
Edgar are still among the most act
i've and efficient Of the workers along
club and philanthropic lines of the
city. The have preserved their in
terest in me activities of the world
and it's progress and are Invaluable