Jack Saves Tarzan's Life!

Jack worked at the Bakersfield Inn as a lifeguard before he entered the navy. Johnny Weissmuller, famous for the Tarzan movies, used to visit.  Once, according to Jack, the pool was being cleaned and was empty.  Weissmuller was drunk and was about to dive into the pool.  Jack convinced him to come down and saved his life.  I make no claims to the truth of this story: it may well be part of family mythology.  I remember seeing the Bakersfield Inn when we would drive down from Fresno to visit my grandparents. (The image is of Weissmuller at a swim meet in 1924 and is a public domain image by George Grantham Bain. Images of Weissmuller in 1944 would tend not to be in the public domain.)

Jack's Childhood Ku Klux Klan Incident

Ku Klux Klan match on Washington 1925 20-40,000 people.

Jack says that when he was three years old the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on his dad's front lawn.  He saw it all from across the street where he was staying in his cousin's house. This was one of the most frightening experiences in his life. The Ku Klux Klan was very active in Southern California during this period.  They targeted Catholics, and Jack's family was Catholic.  Also, his dad, Harold Leddy, was a lawyer who sometimes ran for judge.  This would be 1925.  Jack was living in Pasadena. Other cities in the L.A. area were noted for the Ku Klux Klan presence, for example Inglewood and Anaheim. Wikipedia says that "On February 20, 1925, it was reported that the 'Ku Klux Klan element' in Inglewood was supporting the recall of five city trustees (council members) in an attack on Street Superintendent O.O. Farmer 'because of the employment in his office and field force of men who are not yet American citizens.'" (Anti-immigrant sentiment is no new thing!) Another source says that "the Klan decided to make Anaheim, California, into a model Klan city; it secretly took over the city council, but was voted out in a special recall election" En.Citizendium.org

Ku Klux Klan in Anaheim California, 1924

Here is an account of the Anaheim takeover from the Anaheim Police Department History "Through the election, the unsuspecting populace placed the KKK in a position to effectively take control of city government. Many city employees wisely chose to resign their employment with the city. However, nine of the ten officers on the Anaheim Police force, including Chief Moody, chose to retain their jobs and sided with the Klan. The Klan spread their messages to the townspeople entering into the city. The letters  'K.I.G.Y.' (Klansmen I greet you) were visible to all entering Anaheim as the letters were painted on the pavement entrances to the city. Anaheim temporarily and jokingly became referred to as 'Klanaheim.' Although the Klan claimed a large Anaheim membership, it is believed that the total Anaheim membership never exceeded 300. The Klan, who restricted its membership to Protestants, centered its cause on Puritanism, calling for the strict enforcement of prohibition laws. The KKK of Southern California did not make race a major issue, but instead centered their wrath against local churches. The Klan attempted to tie drunkenness and lawlessness as a conspiracy by the Catholics. Klan parades and public demonstrations were common to Anaheim in 1924. On at least one occasion, Anaheim Policemen had been seen directing traffic while wearing their white robes and hoods. When crosses were burned in town, Klansmen were stationed on top of nearby buildings ready to shoot anyone who attempted to extinguish the fiery cross. In August of 1924, a large nighttime initiation rally was held at City Park, now known as Pearson Park. The rally was the largest Klan rally ever held in California at the time. It was attended by an estimated 10,000 people, some from as far away as San Bernardino and San Diego. The townspeople of Anaheim would only tolerate so much. On February 3, 1925, a successful recall election was held by the citizens of Anaheim to oust the four Klan-affiliated City Trustees."  This report confirms that Catholics were special targets of the Klan in the Southern California area and that crosses were burned.

Jane and the Iowa Mountaineers

Jane joined the Iowa Mountaineers before she moved to Califonia.  Click on the link to see a web site which has some impressive photographs.  I like this one.  It was the largest University mountaineering club in the world.  It was founded in 1940. 

Driver for Earl Warren

Earl Warren as Governor of California 1943? (The photo is public domain from Wikipedia, photographer unknown.)

Jack says he was a driver for Earl Warren in Bakersfield. Warren later became Governor of California and then Supreme Court Chief Justice.  Bakersfield was Warren's home town and Warren went to Bakersfield High.  Jack says he was his driver when he was in Bakersfield. He drove his dad's Buick. He says his dad and Warren were good friends. Jack says he started this job, which was unpaid, when he was 13! Since he was born in 1922 he would have started in 1935. Jack says that he was Warren's driver when he was D.A. in Alameda and later when he was running for Attorney General. This is what Wikipedia says Warren was doing this period.  "In 1938 he won the primaries in all major parties, thanks to a system called "cross filing," and was elected [as Attroney General] without serious opposition. Once elected he organized state law enforcement officials into regions and led a statewide anti-crime effort. One of his major initiatives was to crack down on gambling ships operating off the coast of Southern California. As Attorney General, Warren is most remembered for being the moving force behind Japanese internment during the war—the compulsory removal of people of Japanese descent to inland internment camps away from the war zone along the coast. Following the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Warren organized the state's civilian defense program, warning in January, 1942, that, "The Japanese situation as it exists in this state today may well be the Achilles heel of the entire civilian defense effort." Throughout his lifetime, Warren maintained that this seemed to be the right decision at the time."  Warren was elected Governor in 1942. Warren recommended Jack to be a commissioned officer in the Navy, and I believe he was the youngest Lieutenants during that time.

Harrison Leddy

Jack and Jane's Grandson Harrison, son of John Charleson Leddy and Sheila Quarry.

Tom Leddy and Jane Leddy in San Francisco in 2006?

Margaret Eddie as a Child in Carson City

Photograph of my grandmother, Margaret. On the back in Grandma's hand, it says: Margaret F.C. Eddie, Carson City, Nev. 1898.  Her father was a minister at the Episcopal Church there.  My cousin Claire Hackett sent me this image.  Margaret was birn Oct. 4,1894 and died in 1984 in Costa Mesa, California.

Visit to North Dakota

Jane remembers the big trip of her childhood being from Iowa to North Dakota where her father owned a farm that he had homesteaded.  Her father rented the house to a large family and Jane remembers sleeping in a bed with three other girls.  As a single child, that was quite an experience.

John Philip Souza

Jane remembers being taken by her father to Iowa City to hear John Philip Souza.  He had formed his own band which, between 1892 and 1931 toured the United States.  He died in 1932.  Here's another picture of him available from Wikipedia from a 1940 stamp.

My grandmother, Jack's mother, Margaret Leddy (Eddie)

This photo of my grandmother looks like it was taken in the 1920s.  I remember her as a wonderful old character who lived in Costa Mesa, California.  We would go down often during the summer and walk to the beach in Newport.

Margaret was a teacher and retired August 6, 1964.  She had a diploma from State Normal of Los Angeles dated June 24, 1915.  She was a holder of a Grammar School Certificate for Imperial County in Jan. 1919 and taught at the Brawly Grammar School from Feb. 1918 to Dec. of 1920.  At that time she was called Margaret Forbes Charleston Eddie.  She was also a teacher in Los Angeles City in 1920.  Between 1935 and 1939 she taught in Kern County.  Kern county schools she taught at were Edison School, Hospital School, Norris School, at well as Arvin Night School In 1939 she started teaching in Bakersfield City. When she started as a teacher then of the special evening class of the Arvin Migratory School, Arvin, California her salary was $4.00 per night, teaching Tuesday and Thursday night from seven to nine. During WWII she taught full-time from 1942-1945 at Bakersfield City Schools.  In 1954-55 she also taught full time. . She resigned from the Bakersfield City School District at the close of the 1954-5 school year.  She also taught at he Horace Ensign Junior High School in Newport between 1955 and 1957 as a substitute, also at Capistrano Beach.  This information is collated from drafts of letters Margaret wrote at the time of her retirement and from official documents.

In 1939  Margaret lived at 130 Oleander Ave., Bakersfield, CA. with her husband Harold, and her as many of her four boys who were living by that time (need to check).


Margaret was called Margaret Eddie Leddy after she married.

One of their addresses was 396 East 15th Street, Costa Mesa, CA.  That's where I remember them the most.  After Grandpa Leddy died Jim Leddy moved in for a time.  Grandma (Margaret) loved to talk.  She also enjoyed her sherry and cheese and cracker, which she shared with us when we were grown up.  Grandpa had his own study filled with books.  He was fond of book collecting and I probably caught that from him.

Jack's trip to Tijuana while in the Navy during WWII

Jack, on the right, was in the navy, presumably stationed in the San Diego area at that time.  He went with his commanding officer and the officer's wife to Tijuana.  Another woman in the photo was supposed to be Jack's date, but he says he didn't really like her. The story he tells is that they got into some trouble and had difficulties getting back across the border.  I think they were escorted by Mexican authorities to the border-crossing.  I check with him on the details of this story and revise this post if I got it wrong.