by Nancy Armitage
A little backstory of Mr. H. E. Huntington’s year: 1902. Pacific Electric Railway Co. (the LA “red cars”) was created in 1901; H. E. Huntington was the principal stockholder & president. HEH’s vision was to connect all the many cities of Los Angeles Country & down to Orange County, also (Newport Beach, Bolsa Chica, & Huntington Beach, California). Mr. Huntington completed the 1st line of the PE (Pacific Electric Railroad Car) Line in 1902, which ran from Los Angeles Downtown to Long Beach, CA. This was very popular train especially on the weekends for locals, to enjoy the beach cities during hot sunny days. FYI in the 1920s, the Pacific Electric Railway Co. (PE): it was the largest electric railway system in the world. Huntington had big ideas for Los Angeles, it is amazing & mind boggling what he accomplished in 27 yrs. (1900-1927- the year he died)!! But Mr. Huntington actually retired in 1910 & at that point he started on his famous Huntington Mansion, Botanical Gardens, & famous Huntington Library- we see today. Which he did in only 17 years; he accumulated all his English antiques & paintings, rare plants & flowers & trees and rare books and manuscripts.
H. E. Huntington was also the owner of Los Angeles Railway Co., purchased in 1898, with 20 streetcar lines & 1,250 streetcars, moving thru all the neighborhoods of Los Angeles like: Hancock Park, West Adams, Exposition Park (USC), Echo Park, Westlake, & Vernon. So he wasn’t new to Los Angeles in 1902, he had been here for several years running LA Railway Co. H. E. Huntington in June of 1901, was also President of Los Angeles & Redondo Railway Co.
In the early 1900’s, Mr. H. E. Huntington lived in San Francisco with his 1st wife, Mary Alice. When he was “In-Residence” in Los Angeles, he usually stayed at the Van Nuys Hotel; a elegant hotel in downtown Los Angeles, CA. Later, he lived on the top floor of the Pacific Electric Building. A couple years later, H. E. Huntington & his son, Howard E. Huntington had a top floor of suites at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. It was in January of 1903, that Mr. Henry E. Huntington bought the property of the San Marino Ranch (501 acres) near Pasadena, CA & several other ranches surrounding it. When he bought the ranch, there was a large Victorian house where he could lodge. But he soon ask Myron Hunt (architect) to tea & they made plans to build the Huntington Mansion on the same spot.
I found a very informative newspaper article, about Mr. Henry E. Huntington. How he was welcomed to Los Angeles by a group of business men in January of 1902 . The Los Angeles Herald Headlines on Jan. 12, 1902 read, “HENRY E. HUNTINGTON IS given an informal dinner” (that made me laugh – it was a very costly, elegant, & expensive 12-course banquet dinner with wines & champagne to pair with each course). “Henry E. Huntington entry into the commercial life of Los Angeles was last night pleasantly observed about 40 of the leading citizens of the city.” I’m intrigued tell me more…
These Angelinos hosted this dinner at the Angelus Hotel located on 4th & Spring Street downtown Los Angeles; promoted as the tallest hotel in Los Angeles – at 7 stories high. Their honored guest was Mr. Henry E. Huntington. The dinner was held in the just completed “New Angelus Room”- a large Banquet Room. The lovely evening lasting about 3 hours: it began at 6:30 with a Reception serving Manhattans Cocktails & a elaborate delicious dinner ending about 9:30 pm.
The “New Angelus Room” was decorated like a conservatory with numerous festoons (swags & garland decorations) of smilax intertwined with fragrant roses, geraniums, & other flowers. The room was wainscoted – a natural pine cedar at 7 ft. tall, walls frescoed a deep red with arches. Which gave a Moorish exotic effect, reminiscent of architecture of Morocco or Spain to the event. “the table was set in the form of a 3-sided square, the center of which was filled with palms, similax, & carnation” flowers with the appearance of a foreign exotic green house.
“There were no set toasts but after the coffee & cigars had been served, the Mayor of Los Angeles Meredith P. Snyder, Judge Silent [lawyer & owned Los Alisos Ranch, horticulturist], J. S. Slauson [Politician & Land owner of So. Calif.], Epes Randolph [Civil Engineer for many railroads that the Huntingtons built, Railroad executive & manager Los Angeles Railway & Pacific Electric Railway; also dear friend of H. E. Huntington & very funny man], the guest of the evening (HEH), & others respond” & spoke.
The gentlemen & business men of Los Angeles: it was a interesting group of men, land owners, Rancho owners, interested in California & preserving Los Angeles & California, & horticulture. All the things that Mr. Henry E. Huntington was interested in. “Throughout the evening a pleasant spirit of informality prevailed”, there is that word again.
That night these were the men in attendance : Homer A. H. Naftzger, John F. Francis, J. Ross Clark, J. R. Newberry (Newberry Park), M. P. Synder (Judge), H. W. Frank, J. S. Slauson, M. H. Sherman, Dr. Norman Bridge, J. M. Elliott, Frank F. Flint, Ferd K. Rule, Dr. Carl Kurtz, W. B. Cline, R. H. F. Variel, T. E. Gibbon, E. P. C. Kiokke, Charles Silent, O. T. Johnson, John A. Hopper, A. B. Cass, L. W. Blinn (Art Nouveau House in Pasadena), R. W. Burnham, C. N. Sterry, M. H. Newmark, H. Jevne (owned Gourmet Market in Pasadena which Huntington used), W. C. Patterson, Kaspare Cohn, J. “John” A. Muir (Adventurer & Naturalist, preserver of Yosemite, CA), F. J. Thomas, H. B. Ainsworth. G. J. Griffith (Griffith Park LA), L. T. Garnsey, Epes Randolph (Railroad executive), C. R. Drake, Wesley Clark (Clark & Bryan real estate brokers in Downtown LA), Eben Smith, Dr. F. K. Ainsworth.
The elegant & delightful dinner located in the large banquet room of the new hotel, is as follows:
Dinner Menu
Canape d’ Anchois [Anchovy Canapes]
Blue Point Oysters [Finest oysters you could find at the time]
Celery [Rrelish]
Bouillion de Volaille en Lasse [Tasse – Soup Course a light flavorful bouillion ]
Paupiette of Salmon Marquery [Fish Course -Salmon beautifully poached in parchment paper with lemon slices, dillweed, thyme, salt & pepper, olive oil or butter with white wine, served with veggies with sauce]
Pommes Benedictine [Chicken Course -Eggs Benedict & prosciutto on toasted English muffin with Hollandaise sauce on top]
Lamb Chops, Braised [Entree course]
Bouquetiere, New Peas [French “petit pois” green garden peas in butter]
“Punch Imperial” [in a old cookbook, I found “Imperial Punch Royale” with pineapple, brandy, sugar, oranges, lime juice, water, tawny port, maraschino liqueur, champagne or prosecco, sparkling water like Appollaris]
Roast Canvas Back Duck au Cresson [Game course]
Asparagus Hollandaise [Vegetable course of steamed asparagus with a creamy lemon sauce]
Combination Salad [Salad course served French style after the entrée & the game courses. This combination salad, I assume was probably 2 salads. They could have been a seafood salad or shrimp over arugula with French Dressing, or Avocado & Orange Salad, or a Waldorf salad – [maybe a nod to H. E. Huntington being raised in New York state]
Fantasie Ice Cream [Fancy Ice Cream in different shapes like railroad cars or animal]
Gateaux Assortis Fruits [Fancy Cakes like Petit fours or Opera Cake & assorted California fruits or dried fruit like apricots & nuts. Remember this is a winter dinner & the chef is getting fresh California fruits & veggies, what a treat, while the rest of the US is under deep layers of snow!]
Fromage de Roquefort with Toasted crackers [Cheese course of French cheese Roquefort with toast made of a small French baguette or thinly sliced melba toast
Cafe Noir & Cognac [Black coffee & French Cognac & after dinner drinks]
Libations of Cocktails, Wine, & Champagne served thru the evening:
Manhattans (a New York cocktail made of bourbon or whiskey with sweet vermouth, angostura bitters, & maraschino cherry – another nod to Mr. H. E. Huntington’s New York)
Amontillado Sherry [Spanish sweet sherry, perfect served with the Oyster course]
Chateau d’Yquem [Best sweet white wine in the world, served with the fish or chicken course]
C. & F. Potet Canet [beautiful French red wine, best drank at 10-12- or 15 years ages, paired with red meat like the lamb]
Egyptian Deities [Expensive & special hand-rolled cigarettes made by a New York- based Greek tobacconist: Soterios Anargyros; a nod to the exotic Moorish & Moroccan theme and surroundings]
Mumm’s Extra Dry [French Champagne -“a golden champagne with a stream of petillant bubbles rising to the top of the glass & soft aromas of lemon, grapefruit, white peach & apricot. Expect a long, lingering finish, full of vanilla, honey, & caramel” From the history of G. H. Mumm’s champagne]
Cognac [smooth French Brandy- flavors of fruit, nuts, honey, caramel, vanilla & other spices]
Carolina Perfection [I think these were cigars known for a woody flavor & fantastic perfume served with the cognac]
Document: Los Angeles Herald Newspaper January 12, 1902 No. 103 – Found in CDNC 12-11-2017 NDA
Canape de Anchois or Roquefort Butter Canapes
This Roquefort-Anchovy canape packs a powerful punch of flavor. A lot of people don’t like anchovies, this is a good way to disguise them, because they are quite tasty. This recipe was in one of Mr. H. E. Huntington’s rare books: Sunkist Recipes Orange & Lemon Cookbook by Alice Bradley. There is a illustration in this cookbook that looks exactly like Mr. Huntington dressed up for formal dinner in white tie & tails walking into a formal dinner. Mr. H.E. Huntington had a affiliation with Sunkist Orange Company. On his Huntington famous orange crate illustrated with a toucan bird, Sunkist is stamped on the crate with ” H. E. Huntington Packing Ass’n. San Marino, California” written on the bottom. The original recipe called “Savory Butter Sandwiches” did not have cayenne pepper. They used the recipe for petit tea sandwiches for afternoon tea or “receptions”. You could use melba toast or a petit French baguette, sliced thin.
2 oz. French Roquefort or Blue cheese
1/2 cube sweet butter, soft
2 t. anchovy paste (comes in a tube -Italian markets)
2 t. French Dijon mustard
1/2 Sunkist lemon, squeezed
dash cayenne pepper or paprika
In a small bowl, add all ingredients & mash with a fork/spoon. If using melba toast spread mixture on toasts. Decorate with minced baby chives or a sliced gherkin pickle on top. If using petit French baguette, slice bread, place on a cooking sheet. Pop in oven 350 for 15 mins. cook until golden brown. Spread the savory butter on the toasted bread. Serve these Roquefort butter toasts on a silver tray line with a paper doily, place some herbs like rosemary or thyme on the tray. Remember to serve with cocktail napkins. Adapted recipe by Nancy Armitage from Sunkist Recipe cookbook (Huntington Library San Marino, CA)
Waldorf Salad
I found this recipe from one of Mr. Huntington’s rare books called The Homemaker, published in 1921 by American Bank Building in Los Angeles, CA.
2 red apples cubed
2 green apple “Granny Smith” are nice & tart, cubed
1 c. green grapes, halved
1 c. purple grapes, halved
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 c. black walnuts, toasted & chopped
several tablespoons of mayonnaise
Cut fruit, celery,& nuts in add to a medium bowl. Coat with mayonnaise Serve in a crystal bowl, lined with lettuce leaves . Adapted recipe by Nancy Armitage
Inside the Huntington's Story 