Welcome
Inside the Huntington’s Story Blog
By Nancy Armitage
My 1st Blog Post
Hi! My name is Nancy Armitage & I am a local historian of the Huntington Family History. It is a amazing story that runs from the Gilded Age, to the Victorian and Edwardian Eras. I have been researching the Huntington’s since 2004, when I became a reader at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA.
I was able to research the domestic & social life of H. E. “Edward” Huntington & Arabella “Belle” D. Huntington’s life. They lived in Huntington Mansion on the San Marino Ranch. The ranch was just south of Pasadena in sunny Southern California. Now, the San Marino Ranch is called Huntington Library, in San Marino, CA.
Now in 2020, Huntington Mansion is the Huntington Library Gallery where “Pinkie” & “Blue Boy” live. At the Huntington Research Library, I was able to see many of the Huntington documents like household invoices, receipts, menus, grocery lists, letters, & Huntington family journals. HEH was a amazing & thoughtful letter writer. Arabella on the other hand didn’t like to write letters; she often would have her social secretary (Miss Caroline M. Campbell) write letters for her. About 15 of Arabella’s letters were preserved in the archives. Then, I found out the Huntingtons had 5 other mansions & estates, which researched, also. Stay tuned for more on the Huntingtons.
Entertaining 110 guests: Huntington Ballroom on Nob Hill, SF, CA (1897)
by Nancy Armitage I was very excited when I found this Gilded Age dinner menu. It was located in one of Mr. Henry E. Huntington’s Rare Books; the book was called: The World’s Fair Menu & Recipe Book by Lehner. It was published in San Francisco, CA in 1915 for the World’s Fair that year […]
The Hobby Club of New York and Mr. H. E. Huntington
by Nancy Armitage The Hobby Club of New York was one of Mr. Henry E. Huntington’s very favorite social clubs. In fact, he was one of the founding members of this club & the co-vice-president, too. This group of hobby enthusiasts & collectors took the club seriously & had annals & by-laws. It stated in […]
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Nancy, this is such fascinating history! Thank you for your work and sharing all of this which paints a beautiful and vivid picture of The Huntington Story! I have an interest in this history because my maiden name is Ord and Helen Ord (whose mother was Caroline “Carrie” Huntington) was wife to Henry Norton Ord, my grandfather’s brother. My mother recalled visiting Helen in San Marino on Rosalind Road way back in the day and having a tour of the Library with Helen – and being absolutely riveted by Helen’s stories of her time at the Library with her mother Caroline and Uncle HEH. I’m still exploring all of these connections and if I have misstated any details please correct me.
Thank you!
Minnet
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Thanks you so much Minnetta for your message. The Ords and Carrie Huntington are mentioned in many of my blogs. Carrie was quite close with HEH. Carrie Huntington and her Husband: E. Burke Holliday both wrote journals that are located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. They would visit & stay with Arabella and HEH for a month or two at a time; then like you said moved down to Pasadena on Rosalind Road. There is a amazing huge silver tea set and tray that Carrie Huntington Holladay donated to the Huntington Library that is on display. Do you have any family recipes of the Ords or Carrie Huntington Holladay? I never found any of her recipes. Thanks so much, Nancy
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Hello Nancy! Thank you for your message and information! I do not have a favorite recipe to give you but, perhaps, I might be able to find one? No guarantees! My husband Bill and I are headed to Pasadena and staying at the Langham for 3 days in June and plan to visit the Huntington Library and visit the gardens and museum if it is open. We are very excited about our visit and exploring the wonderful story, history and sights of the Huntington Library! Please advice if you have any recommendations for us to see or do during our stay in Pasadena. Thank you!
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Nancy, so much interesting information. Your research and attention to detail is superb!
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Nina Much appreciated to hear from you. Thank you
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Nancy, Thank you for so much information regarding this local history.
You have certainly done so much research and I appreciate all your efforts and your Art work is incredible!!!!!
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