MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1997
Try this on for size. Cultural landmark No. 601: the farm where Mister Ed was conceived. That would be the talking horse. Of course. The farm and its redwood barn are being considered for cultural and historic landmark status by the Los Angeles Cultural Arts Commission. But rest assured, experts consider Harvester Farm to have other merits beyond this dubious distinction. Jay Oren, staff architect for the city’s Cultural Arts Commission, said the turn-of-the-century barn is one of the last remaining structures of its kind in Los Angeles. The simple ranch house and old barn may seem like pretty ordinary buildings; indeed, they once were. But since housing developments and strip malls long ago replaced the San Fernando Valley’s ranches and gobbled up the 15 acres that once surrounded it, Harvester Farm and places like it became unique, Oren said. And not just for the Mister Ed connection. Legend had it that Mr. Ed, the blond star of the CBS sitcom, “Mister Ed”, which ran from 1961 to 1965, was bred at Harvester Farm. Huffman heard it first from his mail carrier 10 years ago, but didn’t believe it. But further research seemed to prove the mail carrier correct. Mister Ed’s real name was Bamboo Harvester, following the tradition of giving a horse his father’s name. The horse died in 1979 at the age of 33, according to the Great TV Sitcom Book.
50 years ago — 1972
CAPE KENNEDY – A new international communications satellite rocketed into a successful preliminary orbit Saturday night on its way to a stationary outpost high above the Pacific. Among its first assignments will be relay of television pictures of the winter Olympics in Japan and of President Nixon’s trip to Mainland China.
75 years ago — 1947
REPUBLIC, Wash. – Newspapers pointed with pride Wednesday to the tiny Republic News-miner as an example of their motto, “Tell the truth without fear or favor.” For in the most prominent place on page one of the paper, published in this Northeastern Washington hamlet, appeared the following article: “Ken R. Kuehl, editor and publisher of the News-miner, spent Monday night in Ferry County’s finest hotel and Tuesday morning paid a fine of $10 plus $2.50 costs for being drunk and disorderly.” 100 years ago — 1922
While in the operating room at St. Joseph’s Hospital last Tuesday morning performing an operation for appendicitis, Dr. Max Henning felt a sudden attack which readily appeared to him to be appendicitis. He continued the operation and finished it. That afternoon he entered the Methodist Hospital as a patient and a diagnosis proved that he had appendicitis. Dr. Battle Malone and Dr. W.F. Clary operated on him.
125 years ago — 1897
A. E. Cameron, secretary and treasurer of the Graves & Vinton Cotton Co., and T. B. Armistead were elected members of the Memphis Cotton Exchange.