#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 30...Boats...."Hello My Dear Ones"....Nino Traveled By Steam Ship to Italy in 1934

   S.S. California List of Passengers (front cover)

1934

S.S. California List of Passengers (inside)

Tersilla Brondolo's name appeared as Miss T. P. Brondolo from San Francisco, destination: Genoa Italy.  The Lloyd Triestina shipping company was created in 1919 and ran passenger services all around the world. 

  S.S. California List of Passengers

Back

Nino's passport picture.  She was still an Italian Citizen at the time of this trip, and did not become a naturalized citizen of the United States until 1936. 

       I posted on June 29th, 2024 about my paternal grandmother Terry Brondolo (Nino) and her trip to Vesime, Italy in 1934.  She was 23 years old.  She took many pictures of her family still in Italy on that trip,  which I shared.  How did she get there?  What was that trip like?  Thankfully, she saved small nuggets of memorabilia, postcards, and her "log" which give us an idea of what steam ship travel was like in 1934!   

  Nino began her "Log" on April 14, 1934 "Somewhere out at sea nearly four and one half miles from San Francisco".  I will at some point scan her papers and another notebook and transcribe them.  Her beautiful handwriting can be hard to read!  But for now, let's begin her trip.  

    Nino's "Log", page 1

   On page 2 Nino described "A most memorable scene...is our own Golden Gate, as I watched it while we were steaming thru, with the Presidio, Cliff House and Beach on one side, and the Sausalito Hills and part of our new bridge on the other, while the sun was just beginning to wend its way to the other part of our world".  And off she went! 

  She went on to describe her room on board...."After conversing and walking a bit I came down to my cabin to unpack, as I decided to stay.  It really is more lovely than it seemed at first, for I have more privacy and it is so cozy and snug.  In fact, I have a large board panel in my dresser which I pull out, and on which I am now writing".  She made use of the ship's stationery to write letters as well as her log. 

Post card of the  "Salone da Pranzo" or

Dining Saloon on the S.S. California

   Nino described her first lunch on board...."Now for lunch--first, antispasto of all kinds such as we have when we entertain company including mushrooms al olio, etc. Then came ravioli, and not until then did I realize today is Sunday! Veal and potato chips and egg plant followed sausages and sour kraut (?)  Then pastry ...and cheese of three kinds, with fruit and strawberries and cream--ah! Now let me tell you, the courses were served by a gallant young man, with white gloves on, if you please, and each item we had a different plate, even a different fork and knife with each change.  Oh boy I'd hate to be the dishwasher!  Honest to--he changed plates, knives and forks seven times, no foolin'!  And, Louie, take note, we had vino bianco di Santa Margarita-and it was good-also a bottle of vino rosso,  Chianti Ruffino,  which was almost better.  Flowers on the table and music at intervals made a delightful atmosphere.  My two friends were saying just what I thought 'marvelous service, grand food, delightful passengers, cheerful surroundings, grand boat, what more could we ask?' ". 

Four kinds of fish knives for passengers on the SS Victoria, also in the Triestina Line.  Pretty fancy!

Chiswick Chap April 2022/Wikipedia 

     The ship docked in Los Angeles to pick up more passengers and then continued on to Guatemala.  While on board, Nino took Italian lessons from the ship's doctor (she referred to him as Il Dottore), got a haircut from the ship's barber and participated in a life-saving drill. She saw flying fish and huge turtles trying to keep up with the ship.  She switched to using the Purser's typewriter (she had special permission to use his office during his lunch hour) to continue with her Log, making things much easier for me to read!  She also gave Mrs. Perasso and Mrs. Podesta a "manicuring".  After dinners, there were movies and dancing in the bar-room.  Nino danced with a friend named Ingrid to "thunderous applause" from the guests.  

  April 27, 1934..."We are approaching the Panama Vicinity and we are all up at seven 0'clock so that we do not miss anything..."

 

 A Postcard from the Panama Canal Zone 1934

Another postcard from the Panama Canal

   After some shopping in Colon, Nino got back on board and the ship passed through the Panama Canal (there are copious notes on what she saw) and headed for the Canary Islands. On the way, she wrote, "Miss Dorothy McLain and Miss Winona W. are two very lovely young ladies who are traveling with W.'s aunts and intend to go around the world , after spending six months in Europe--Kay and I have befriended them and the other day we had a game of shuffle board.  What an exciting game.  Kay and I were winning and had only 1 point to get, when Kay shoves the last disc and pushes Winona on the winning side.  Well, there were plenty of shrieks then.  Next time, we'll see that we win.  Practically living in a bathing suit--have a swing over the covered hatch and the children have a great time with me swinging with them.  Also have other games such as hit the bull's eye, and a rowing machine, etc. Always something to do."

    

 Postcard of the  " Sala da musica" or the Music Room on the S.S. California 1934. 

   "Last nite we had a Musical Evening, and I was very happy to see that Miss Evelyn Antonelli had been invited here to play for us.  She plays beautifully and received quite an applause...the Commandante (the captain) came over and congratulated the mother and Evelyn after the program was finished, and invited them to drink with him. He also asked Evelyn if she had some friend she would like to invite, as he noticed she and I had been quite friendly, and she mentioned me, so I , too, went along with the specially favored guests of the evening in the music room where a table set for six was waiting for us.  Two glasses of champagne certainly did wonders for me, for I felt like dancing the rest of the nite.  Which we did until twelve anyway.  It certainly is a good thing that the officers are invited to dance with the passengers on nites of festivity, as otherwise we would have to dance with ourselves--the only male passengers are ancient." 

  

  Caption on back "May 9, 1934 In the Mid Atlantic

Terry, Kay, Evelyn

Day after the Masquerade"

    Masquerade night was held May 8, 1934 on board.  "There were several Mae Wests, a Zulu native, Indian Prince and Princess, Spanish Senoritas, ...And of course, the Sailorettes, namely Evelyn Antonelli and I..."    Nino won third place and was presented with a "..darling little Italian Compact with powder and mirror" by the Captain. Ben Hur with the outfit made of bath towels received second prize and the Zulu native won first prize. Nino had borrowed a purser's sailor outfit for the party and returned it, to his delight, perfumed. 

    On May 15, 1934, Nino got up at 3 A.M. to view the Rock of Gibralter.  She stayed up to see the sunrise, and promptly went back to bed.  That night, she dined with the Captain for dinner. 

 Captain's Dinner Menu May 15, 1934. (inside)

    "Three nites ago, we were invited over to the Captain's table, and are thrilled with our Captain--he simply is everything a man could be--charming, pleasant, sociable, and what not.  At any rate, the dinner passed along beautifully...."

 Captain's Dinner Menu (back and front)

"After which a dance followed.  This is the last dance of the trip and I was thrilled to have had the very last dance with the Cap't.  Oh Katia is our song!"

  Nino arrived in Genoa on May 20, 1934 at noon.  She had worked very hard at her job in San Francisco as a stenographer to pay for her trip; this cruise was a much different trip than the one she took from Italy to America in 1917 on the Giuseppe Verdi with her mother and two brothers as they immigrated to their new country.  There is so much more to share with family about this trip (pages and pages in fact), but for now, we can see how much she enjoyed her first cruise back to her home country.  She enjoyed every minute of it!  She continued to go on cruises with friends and family and had other travel adventures throughout her life.  She always made new friends where ever she was going. Her life was filled with family, friends, music, dancing and of course, shuffleboard. 

Shuffleboard Courts at the Valley of the Moon Mobile Home Park....the site of many games with family and friends! 

Nino at her stenographer's job in San Francisco.  Date stamp on back September 12, 1935.

 Postcard of the Rex, the ship Nino came back to New York on, October 3, 1934.  She had $10 in her pocket. 

Nino on an Alaskan Cruise in 1978, acting as Captain!

Relationship Reference:  me->Dale Boothby->Tersilla Palmina Brondolo Boothby (Nino)

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 29...Automobiles...Granna and Nana Pose With Their Automobiles

 

"Granna in the 'Ford'"

From Dorothy Hayes' Memory Book

Location of the photograph unknown.  Road trip? 

Dorothy Hayes' Memory Book (cover)

    Automobiles...I found these pictures of my great great grandmother Anna Levers King (Granna) and my great grandmother Emma King Hayes (Nana) inside of a small picture album that belonged to Dorothy Hayes (my great Auntie Dot). She added these photographs taken in the mid 1920's and early 30's to her Memory Book and I thought they would be fun to share this week.  These women were proud of their automobiles! 

  A page from Auntie Dot's photograph album...

   The caption reads "Look out Granna!" 

This series of  photographs may have been taken by Charles King. 

The caption reads "Just going for a little ride".  This looks to be a Model T Ford 1925 model?

 "Granna's pond and Ford"

Photograph taken on the King's San Jose Ranch

Granna  "At the Dumbarton Bridge"

Photograph taken by Charles King (Papa). 

  This photograph had a story on the back...Betty was my grandmother.  The Dumbarton Bridge was opened on January 27, 1927 and was the first vehicle bridge to span the San Francisco Bay.  It was 1.63 miles long and was seen as a symbol of the future.  It was 2 lanes, 23 feet wide and had a drawbridge. That must have been a site to see in their Model T Ford! 

 The caption reads "Mamma and the Kids".  On the back is written "Mother, Frances and Betty".  

Photograph possibly taken by Dorothy Hayes or George Van Duzer, location unknown, possibly Grass Valley.  Nana married George Van Duzer in 1926  and this may have been his car. 

    This is my great grandmother, Emma King Hayes Van Duzer, with two of her daughters, Fran and Betty.  My grandmother looks to be about 8 or 9 years old which would put this picture at around 1926 or 1927. I'd love to know the make and year of the car.   Emma (Nana) was said to have been one of the first women in Grass Valley to learn to drive a car.  She would have needed to, as after 1924 she was divorced from Lester Hayes and had three girls to get from here to there! 

 "Dot, Gertrude and the 'Blue Pirate' 1930

   Auntie Dot added her own experiences with her friend Gertrude to her album,  posing in front of the "Blue Pirate"!  Auntie Dot was 20 years old in 1930. 

 "Dot and Gertrude 1930"

    I wonder what adventures Auntie Dot and Gertrude had in the "Blue Pirate"!  I can imagine two independent girls in their early twenties having many adventures together in their own car.  Thank you, Auntie Dot, for sharing a small sampling of your Memory Book. 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret (Betty) Hayes Hansen->Emma King Hayes (Emma and Lester Hayes had three daughters:  Dorothy (Dot), Frances (Fran) and Margaret (Betty)  ).  

#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 28...Trains....150 Years of Family History on The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway. Woooo Woooo!

    Engine Number 5, an 1875 Baldwin steam locomotive that was

part of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway from 1899-1940.

Photograph taken at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway Museum's Second Sunday Steam-Up on  June 9, 2024 by AliA.

      This week's theme is Trains...Family on my maternal side has connections to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway which span around 150 years or so and continue to this day! 

   

 Map of Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad

from Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad by Gerald M. Best Howell-North Books-Berkeley California 1965 Page 12.

    The Narrow Gauge Railroad ran between Nevada City, California and Colfax, California from 1876 to 1943.  It provided service between Nevada City and Grass Valley, as well as service to the station in Colfax which was a stop on the Central and then  Southern Pacific railway going east to west across the country.  The little railway provided passenger services, as well as freight, lumber and produce shipment services to the communities it served along its 22.64 mile route. It also began providing transportation for  Sunday School Picnics and Miners Picnics, where many a Cornish pasty was eaten! 

   Riding on the Narrow Gauge Railroad began with the Hurd family living in Virginia City, Nevada and the Burrows family living in Grass Valley, California.  The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, and passed through Reno, Nevada on its way to Sacramento, California.  Passenger service of the Virginia and Truckee  Railroad from Virginia City to Reno  began in late 1871.  The Hurds were in Virginia City by 1875 and their eldest daughter Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows was married to Alexander Burrows and living in Grass Valley.  If the families wanted to visit coming from Virginia City, it was just a small matter (!) of taking the V & T to Reno and then transferring to the Central Pacific line which took them over Donner Pass to Colfax.  From Colfax, they could then ride the Narrow Gauge line to Grass Valley.  The distance traveled was about 100 miles. It must have seemed like a modern revelation to be able to see family so far away in such a short time! Although, I'm sure the trip took the better part of a day or longer.  The train trip these days from Reno to Colfax is a short and relaxing three hours.  The drive from Reno on I-80 to Grass Valley takes an hour and a half to two hours depending on weather, traffic and never ending road construction.  Sometimes riding the train is still the way to go! Plus, it is still an affordable way to travel at around $30 one way. 

 From The Morning Union October 13, 1881.  Mrs. Burrows (my great great grandmother) and her children rode the train to Virginia City to visit her mother, Harriet Hurd as well as her sisters and brother who still lived there.  By this date Elizabeth Jane had 4 children; the youngest was just 9 months old.  My great grandmother hadn't been born yet. 

From The Morning Union, August 23, 1882

Harriet Hurd rode the train over the mountains to visit her daughter, Mrs. Burrows.  Trips and visitors were always hot topics in the newspapers of the day. 

   Also from The Morning Union, September 10, 1893: 

"Mrs. A. Burrows left for Virginia City about midnight of Friday, being summoned on account of the serious illness of her mother, Mrs. Hurd."  No doubt Elizabeth Jane rode the train.  Sadly, Harriet Hurd died that night on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountains at the age of 59.  The train wasn't fast enough.  

    

Engine No. 5 at the Carson City Nevada Great Western Steam Up July 2, 2022. Photograph taken by PattiA. 

   Nevada County  Narrow Gauge Railroad Engine No. 5 was built in 1885 for the Carson Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company in Carson City, Nevada. It was named "The Tahoe".  In 1899 it was purchased for the NCNGR and renumbered the No. 5; it began service between Grass Valley and Colfax and was certainly one of the several  locomotives that transported family members at one time or another. 

This picture was found in the King Album, and may have been taken at a Sunday School Picnic or other function in the woods.  I would put the date at around 1900 when the Kings were living in Grass Valley.  My great grandmother Emma King is seated on the right, second from the front.  There may be George relatives in this picture also.  Cornish scones, clotted cream,  jam and tea were on the menu! 

 

There were cars just for picnic baskets, which needed to be dropped off the evening before. Was that car packed with ice and straw?  I hope so!

    No doubt we had relatives attend these picnics, riding the train to Chicago Park.  The Kings and Hayes were members of the Methodist Church, and the Burrows and Hansens were members of the Episcopal Church.  These picnics were a community tradition and were annual affairs. It must have been exciting to have the  train ride and picnic to look forward to every year. 

    Special picnic trains also took passengers on Fourth of July excursions;  moonlight excursions, and special event trains continued for many years. The little train even brought the circus until 1893 when the circus train derailed causing two deaths.  The circus played in Colfax or Sacramento from then on.  I don't know of any relatives that saw the circus, but it would have been possible! 

 In my post of January 14, 2021 (Her Patriotism Unbounded) I shared the story of  how my great grandmother Vere Burrows took the train to Colfax in 1903 to meet Teddy Roosevelt (and she shook his hand!).  

   My great grandmother took the President's Special to Colfax where she shook the hand of Teddy Roosevelt.  She paid 50 cents for the roundtrip ride. 

Vere Burrows is in this picture somewhere!  This was a wonderful opportunity for community members to meet the President in person, and the train brought them there. 

From Nevada County Narrow Gauge by Gerald M. Best

Howell-North Books, Berkeley, California 1965.  Page 84.

   Vere Burrows also rode the little train from Grass Valley to Colfax in 1904 very early in the morning.   She and her new husband, John Hansen, caught the Southern Pacific main line in Colfax to go the coast for their honeymoon!

   

  

    Enlargement of the original newspaper article

The Daily Morning Union July 3, 1904

     By 1940 No. 5 was relegated to helper service, having survived a fire in which its cab and running boards were burned off.  The tender still shows signs of the fire by the notable wavy pattern in its sheet metal.  The Nevada County Narrow Gauge ceased operations in 1943.  The automobile and better roads made travel to the main line faster and more convenient. 

     The No. 5 (the "Tahoe") was rebuilt and  sold to Hollywood where it starred in the movie "The Spoilers" in 1942, and appeared in over 100 movies and T.V. series. It returned to Nevada County in 2018 where the boiler was restored.  It  can be found at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum where it now operates. The No. 1 (The "Glenbrook") can now be found at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.  Locomotives No. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9  were all eventually scrapped. 

  We  love to celebrate our Narrow Gauge Railroad history by supporting and visiting our local museums who have done such a wonderful job preserving the historical locomotives and continue to run them for the next generations.  What a treat! We also support and ride the steam train in Virginia City, but that's a  story for another day. 

 Our Grandson was invited to sit in the cab of the Tahoe No. 5! 

July 2, 2022 Carson City Nevada Great Western Steam Up

Photograph taken by PattiA. 

 Our grandson in front of No. 5, a piece of his history! 

July 2, 2022 at the Carson City Nevada Great Western Steam Up

Photograph by PattiA.

  

On October 5, 2023, I had the opportunity to take the train back home from the Colfax Depot.  I did not get to ride the train from Grass Valley to Colfax as my ancestors did, (we drove), but riding the train over the Sierra Nevada mountains to Reno was a wonderful experience.  I think my ride may have been smoother than theirs!

Photograph by PattiA.

 Photograph by PattiA. 

 My view out the back window of the Amtrak car.  We were coming into Reno in the late afternoon.  This could have been a Maynard Dixon painting.  Photograph by PattiA. 

 Our son, grandson and granddaughter at the NCNGRR Museum in Nevada City, California. Photograph taken June 9th, 2024.  The No. 5 was back home in Nevada City. 

Our daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter in front of the Tahoe No. 5.  Photograph taken June 9th, 2024.  

 Exploring Mill Street, Grass Valley, with Grandma Boothby.  Time for some ice cream after all the history lessons!

Photograph taken by AliA.  June 9, 2024. 

References:

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

https://ncngrrmuseum.org/

Nevada County Narrow Gauge by Gerald M. Best Howell-North Books Berkeley, Ca. 1965 (in our family collection). 

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_County_Narrow_Gauge_Railroad

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 27...Planes....The Boothbys Learn How to Fly

 

 Dad and Mom's Piper Comanche 250 with the new paint job. Wasn't she pretty? 

June 1978 print date on back of photograph. 

Grass Valley, California

   Both my parents learned how to fly in the very early 1970's.  My Dad, Dale Boothby, got the flying bug and could talk about nothing else.  Of course, when he got the idea to learn something new, he jumped in 150%. And sometimes 200%!  He started flying in January of 1971 and got his 3rd Class license in March of that year. He then got his instrument license to fly under IFR (instrument flight rules).  He learned to fly at the same time as a good family friend, Mr. Sauers.  Well, if Dad could learn to fly, then Mom could too! 

  Mom (Margaret Boothby) started ground school with Mrs.  Sauers.  Both passed the exam, and Mom started flying lessons in June of 1971.  She received her Airman 3rd Class license on September 16, 1973.  After the flight test, she asked the examiner if her license could please read "Airperson 3rd Class". He politely declined because that would not be government regulation.  As Mom said, "I tried...it was the 70's after all".  

 Mom really wanted very much to  learn to fly, but parts of the learning didn't come easily. Dad helped her study navigation, and she spent many hours later on being his navigator when they flew together.  Mom  often flew the plane on long trips, but didn't do take offs or landings because she wasn't checked out in the Piper. Our plane was larger and more powerful than the Cessna 150 that she trained in. 

   

 GlennJ., Dr. Ross, and an unknown gentleman.  Photograph taken at a Rotary Fly-In at the Nut Tree Airport, Vacaville, California.

Date sometime after 1978. 

    Mom was learning to fly during her teaching years at Pleasant Ridge Elementary in Grass Valley.  She prepared lessons on flying, weather and navigation for her students (lucky students!).  She took them on a field trip to Beale Air Force Base to see the Thunderbirds perform; afterwards her students got to meet the pilots and have pictures signed.  Mom was a fantastic teacher! 

 From The Union, Grass Valley, California.

Date unknown, but sometime before August of 1973. 

    Mom's first cross country solo flight was August 23, 1973, from the Nevada County Airport to Colombia and Sacramento.  Her second cross country solo flight was August 28, 1973 flying to Concord.  Her next solo flight was September 1, 1973 and she flew to Stockton and Fresno and back home again.  She was on a roll! 

 Interested kiddos at an unknown event at the Nevada County Airport. Our plane is in the background.  Dad was very involved with the airport activities and we also spent many hours playing in the hanger while Dad fiddled with the plane.  Mom would bring over hamburgers from Humpty Dumpty for dinner.  If we were lucky, we got to see the fire planes take off and land during a fire. 

    My sister and I were the beneficiaries of our parents' ability to go anywhere faster than our friends' parents. We rode in the back of the plane to Southern California to stay with Dad and Mom's pharmacy school friends and experience Disneyland, Lion Country Safari and Knotts Berry Farm. We flew to Grandma's house (Nino's) for Easter lunch and dinner in Sonoma and were home by bedtime.  We flew to the Nut Tree for lunch many times!  Dad flew to Chico State University  in 1981 to pick me up for a dentist appointment in Grass Valley (I had my wisdom teeth out).  Any chance he could get, he would rather fly than drive.  It was way more efficient and much more fun!  Actually, when I think about it, he drove a car just like he was flying.  

   One fun (!) memory for my sister took place when she was in kindergarten.  Dad was doing his IFR training and did it early in the morning so he could get to work afterwards. He took Steph with him a few times,  all dressed for school, and she would be in the back seat while he did his unusual attitudes under the hood.  Poor Steph was dropped off at school feeling very green. One day, her teacher asked if she didn't feel well and she replied "My Daddy took me flying"...  She said she barfed every time.  

  We did have some scary times, too.  I remember vividly to this day being in the plane and landing at the Nevada County Airport.  A tire popped as we landed, and Dad deftly got us stopped in the ditch at the side of the runway at a very odd angle. We were safe, but it was just about the only time I head my Mom swear....(and all she said was "Godfather!").  And there was the time we were flying down to southern California and it was particularly cold and we were in some bad weather.  Dad had the heater on full blazes trying to keep us warm in the back seat.  I think there may have been some ice on the wings, also...but he navigated his way out of that situation thankfully.  And, flying with Mom always made me feel safer.  We had two pilots on board! 

   Later on, Dad flew my son to Camp Joyful Noise, where Mom and Dad spent a few weeks every summer teaching music and computer skills.  Dad continued to fly for many years, taking whomever needed a ride to the places they needed to go.  He and his flying buddy Mr. Peavy had lots of flying adventures after my sister and I got married and moved away.  Dad successfully passed "check rides" with an inspector until September of 2009.  It broke his heart when he could not pass his physical due to his cancer diagnosis. He took one last ride with a flight instructor before he passed away in 2012 that no one knew about until after he was gone.  The instructor saw Mom one day and told her that Dad was satisfied with his flight.  I'm glad he got to fly one more time.  

   Mom still has flying adventures, but this time on big jet airliners.  She and I flew to Arizona several times to visit her sister Claire, and she flew with my sister to join a cruise ship trip a few years ago.  My sister, my daughter and I recently flew to Las Vegas for a fun get together. So, we are still flying! 

   

  Thanks, Mom and Steph for your help writing this story!