Upland butterfly farm was among odd venues in Southern California
Even in the early 1900s, Southern California was setting trends and one curious craze in the region was a growing collection of unconventional “farms” with quirky features that frequently made national headlines.
In 1924, William Hewlett and his family began operating the nation’s first butterfly farm in Upland, and newspapers across the country were quick to publicize the unique enterprise.
Hewlett, along with his wife Alice, and their daughter Esther moved to Upland in 1919 from Palomar Mountain in San Diego County. After finding a suitable location in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, they opened a butterfly farm that would operate for about 35 years.
The colorful insects were marketed as decorations and for use in jewelry. Their novelty items were sold in gift shops and nationwide in mail-order catalogs.
The Hewlett butterfly farm was eventually moved to San Antonio Canyon, about 1 mile above the current San Antonio dam. The Hewletts sold their products out of a gift shop adjacent to their farm on Mountain Avenue, and Esther kept the business going until the mid1950s.
By 1925, several curious farms had been established in Southern California, and new ones were popping up all around the area.
Cawston’s Ostrich Farm was likely the earliest curious farm opened in Southern California, with operations starting in Los Angeles, in 1888. Edwin Cawston personally imported about 50 birds to start his farm, which was moved to a permanent location in South Pasadena in 1896.
Ostrich feathers were a major fashion statement at the turn of the 20th century, and the birds were also used for their eggs and meat. Surprisingly, ostrich meat doesn’t taste like chicken and connoisseurs say it tastes like premium beef!
It wasn’t the first or only ostrich farm in Southern California, but Cawston’s did become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, and it even had its own stop on the Pacific Electric trolley system.
The farm gained international fame with its unique postcards, distinctive merchandise and unusual attractions. Visitors to the farm could watch ostrich shows, ride in carts pulled by the giant birds, and pose for ostrich selfies.
Cawston’s 9-acre farm was at 1010 Sycamore
Ave. in South Pasadena. It closed in 1935.
The Los Angeles Alligator Farm opened in 1907, and visitors were allowed to mingle with the deadly (but somewhat tamed) reptiles. The farm was at 3627 Mission Road, Lincoln Heights.
With virtually no regulations for public safety or the treatment of animals, the alligators performed preposterous stunts like sliding down a slide and pulling carts carrying people. The enormous gators were even trained to carry people (including children) on their backs!
In November 1925, the Palo Alto Times newspaper published an article titled, “Freak Farms Increasing in S. Cal.” The article stated:
“So far, however, the alligator farm sphere does not seem to be overcrowded, and there are at least two prosperous ostrich farms, a goldfish farm, a lion farm, two butterfly farms, a frog farm, several silver fox farms, and a number of pigeon farms.”
The alligator farm moved from Los Angeles to a facility across from Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park in 1953. It was renamed the California Alligator Farm, and it operated primarily as a reptile zoo until it closed in 1984.
Gay’s Lion Farm opened in 1925 in El Monte, and it operated as a lion-breeding facility and tourist attraction until 1942. The 5-acre park was near the southeast corner of Peck Road and Valley Boulevard, which is now under the 10 Freeway.
Tourists could watch regularly scheduled lion shows, and the animals were also used by movie studios, zoos and circuses.
A terrifying lion escape occurred in 1928, when three lions made a break for freedom through an improperly closed gate. One lion was re-caged after fatally wounding a trainer, and the other two were killed in a barrage of gunfire by police and trainers.
Today, a statue and monument mark the location of the farm that once housed 200 lions, and nearby El Monte High School’s team name is the Lions.
Another notable curious farm was the enormous Pigeon Farm in Elysian Park, located along the
Los Angeles River, west of the intersection of the 5 and the 110 freeways.
The 6-acre farm housed more than 100,000 pigeons, and operated from 1898 until 1914, when it was destroyed by a flood on the Los Angeles River. The Pigeon Farm was less of a tourist attraction than a notable oddity that produced squab meat and a horrifying amount of bird guano.
Southern California is still home to a vast array of amusement parks and unique tourist attractions, and many of them can trace their success to the curious farms that helped spawn the tourism industry in the region.
Mark Landis can be reached at Historyinca@ yahoo.com