Mother’s Day 1911: La Mesa Springs Celebrates Old Maids, New Neighbors

Although most states recognized Mother’s Day by 1909, it would not be formally honored as a national day of observance until 1914. Still, on Mother’s Day 1911 (May 14 that year) the La Mesa Lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America sponsored a citywide observance. 

(The Modern Woodmen were an early fraternal benefit society—in effect a cooperative insurance company set up to provide benefits for families who had lost a wage earner.)

Lodge members, along with the all-male La Mesa Band, led a procession from their lodge quarters on Railroad Avenue (now Nebo Drive) down Lookout Avenue to the then brand-new Congregational Church building on Third Street.  There the Rev. Charles W. Hill gave a rousing sermon on the values of motherhood.  The standing room crowd then headed out for their own private celebratory gatherings.

The Old Maids Convention

Not to leave out the single-women lobby in La Mesa Springs, the Ladies’ Guild of the Congregational Church had met just two days earlier for the “Old Maids Convention.”  This frivolously named evening of popular entertainment featured the “best of local talent” in music and dramatics performing at the La Mesa Opera House.

Mrs. F.F. Martin led this “tongue-in-cheek” event highlighted by the “Old Maid competition.”  The competing ladies dressed up in their most dowdy outfits  before being judged by “Professor Make-over” (played by La Mesa Bank cashier Edward Upp).  

The San Diego Union of May 12, 1911, reported that Mrs. Helen Masters and Misses Mansur, Hill, Jones, and Knapp would all be receiving the “make-overs.”  No further details were forthcoming as to what that specifically entailed—perhaps an early version of What Not to Wear?

The “Convention’s” formal entertainment program included Miss Alice Mansur’s vocal solo, Mrs. Helen Masters’ poetry reading, a violin solo from Opera House proprietor Sidney Baldridge, accompanied songs from Miss Dickinson and W.O. Staples and rope jump demonstration from the Misses Moore and Hill.  A soldout house enjoyed the festivities.

Opera House Season

Mr. Baldridge’s Opera House, built in 1908 at the northeast corner of Palm and Lookout, housed more traditional programming as well.  One week earlier, the Opera House sported a special concert of the San Diego High School Orchestra and Boys’ and Girls’ Glee Clubs. 

Since almost all La Mesa high school students attended San Diego High School at this time (little El Cajon Valley High being the only other local option), a great  crowd was expected as well as visitors from San Diego.

Shocking SDG&E

Such electric performances could not outshine the shocking headline of May 4 in the San Diego Union that San Diego Gas & Electric Co. would “Lower Price of Lights at La Mesa.”  It seemed that little La Mesa Springs had grown to the point, then over 600 residents, that they now qualified to have their “rural electric rates” dropped down to the lower urban rates found in much larger San Diego! 

Bad News, Good Karma

Such good news helped temper some not-so-good news.  On April 26, Arthur E. Young and his family were left homeless after a fire destroyed their La Mesa Springs house and its contents. 

Yet with the help and generosity of the community, and Mr. Young’s Woodmen Lodge brothers, the story would quickly improve.

The Union of April 27 reported that within hours of the disastrous fire,  residents  collected nearly $100 toward a relief and rebuilding fund for the Youngs.  Within a week, the residents had pledged subscriptions totaling $255 in relief donations.  In June, the Union reported that the Woodmen Lodge had matched the donations, and the Youngs’ new house was under construction.

Interestingly, in a case of good karma, Mr. Young had helped organize the local Lodge for a similar relief effort some months earlier for the Burnham family after their home had burned.

La Mesa Springs 1911: Community Coalescing

Such examples of spirit and unity reflect the coalescing of the small rural town into a community. 

The tragic fires triggering Constable Orsborn, also in charge of the volunteer “Fire Company,” to schedule drills to ensure their understanding of the company’s equipment.  In an April 28 interview, Orsborn let it be known that growing La Mesa Springs, and its recently formed fire company, would need new and improved fire “apparatus” if the town were to be ready to fight such future conflagrations.

And growing it was—and most rapidly.  Weekly reports in the Union detailed the constant sales of lots to new residents, and the building of new homes and business buildings.  In the April 20 edition alone, 24 new homes were listed as being under construction. 

Other news reports on La Mesa Springs referenced plans for new parks, street improvements including concrete sidewalks and curbs, “exotic” ornamental trees, new businesses and institutions, and the need for another expansion of the old 1895 Allison Schoolhouse to meet the growing student population.

As spring 1911 rolled into summer, La Mesa continued to build itself into a progressive community determined to take on its own problems, challenges, and needs—and eventually to determine its own destiny through its own self-governance.