Historic Mar Vista Lima Bean Field

If you are standing anywhere on the Westside, it is likely you are standing where a lima bean field used to be. Mar Vista is a particularly rich area for agriculture, always has been. Mar Vista was known as being in the Lima Bean Belt of the Nation. Back in 1868, a sailor from South America was in Santa Barbara. When asked about the longish green vegetable he was eating, he replied that it grew near his home in LIMA PERU. Lima Beans from Lima! Glen Howell, Mar Vista Historical Society historian, says according to Gidney, Brook and Sheridan in The History of Santa Barbara, San Louis Obispo and Ventura Counties California, (published in 1917), in 1868, Henry Lewis planted the first lima beans ever put in the soil of the United States. They could be found all along the coast. Santa Monica had a lima bean warehouse in 1917, a picture of which is in “Santa Monica, The Early Years”. Anawalt Lumber at Sepulveda and Pico was formerly a bean field. Hughes aircraft was a massive bean field. In Westchester, some residents could just lean over the fence and pluck a few. Asked one long time resident how she cooked them. “Boiled them”.
Mar Vista celebrates 80 years since Mar Vista became part of Los Angeles. That event is to be celebrated on August 5. What better way to commerate Mar Vista History than for some of us to plant a mini-lima bean field. The beans were put in the ground on May 30, just under the Ocean View Farms entry sign on the Southeast corner of Centinela and Rose. Now if the lima beans will cooperate, we’ll have beans galore by August 5. Our cool coastal air needs to let the hot sun shine down on these descendents of those beans from Peru. Watch us grow! Pick up a lima bean recipe at the Mar Vista Historical Society booth on Grandview on August 5. Or guess how many lima beans in the jar. Hold a lima bean cookoff! History is so fun!!

Visit our website: http://marvistahistoricalsociety.net/

Bean Soup Mix

BEAN around for a while.

http://www.sobay.net/cities/westchester/

Westchester Map

Hang time

Or friend Mickey's set of wheels. Mickey bikes 5 miles a day!


Mickey the Chess Champ!

view our class website!

www.neighborgapbridge.com

Westchester according to Wiki!

Westchester, Los Angeles, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Westchester is a neighborhood in western Los Angeles, California, United States. It is home to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Loyola Marymount University (LMU), and Otis College of Art and Design.

Our Experiences at the Westchester Senior Center

Frederick sharing jokes and a doughnut

June Rose 

Playing some pool

Sarah sharing stories with Nimo

Eleanor being interviewed by Sarah

During our research at WSC, we had the opportunity to meet many interesting people and learn a lot about their lives and experiences.  Here are some photos of these times... :)

Soup du Jour

Hey there! Our names are Melody, Sarah and Lyndsay and we put together this blog to share our soup making experience with the world. Our group is from the IL class Neighbor Gap Bridge at Otis College of Art and Design in LA. We created a neighborhood soup for the Westchester community, in which our school resides. Our recipe for "friendship soup mix" inspired us to involve as much of the Westchester neighborhood as possible. We took photos of seniors at the Westchester Senior Center and documented their shared personal stories of their life for the labels of the soup. 

Friendship Soup Mix Ingredients

1/2 cup dry split peas

1/2 cup dry lentils

1/4 cup dried onion flakes 

2 teaspoons  dried Italian seasoning 

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup uncooked pasta of your choice

Here are some of their stories.... 

Eleanor's Story

Loves California, loves the weather here. Loves to dance. "Dance like nobody's looking, shake your booty". Has been here for 25 years, originally from New York raised 3 children has 8 grandchildren. Raised her kids now wants her own time. "I owe no one nothing. I've done my part". Lives in Playa del Ray. Loves the close nit community. Eldest daughter passed away from Breast Cancer believes in being cautious, don't take life for granted and don't waste time. You can't be invincible. 

Earl's Story 

43 years with the city. Has been in Westchester for 16 years. Worked with kids in the Valley was asked to transfer to Westchester . Was scared to come work with seniors at first. But now loves it, the community has become a family to him. "It's the most peaceful center I know of, there's no bickering, no fighting, it's really great. The Farmer's Market is great for the Center, always brings in a diverse group of people, new people who want to join. We're always looking for more seniors to come in." We have a drama clubs, yoga classes, movie nights, we love old time movies, they are the most popular here. Is trained in CPR and the defibulator. "Working here you have to prepared, always be safe in case of an emergency cause it does happen. For us seniors, the secrete is to be active" . Was a former athlete and professional boxer and club fighter since the age of 17. "You gotta let them  boo. You need to be calm, boxing and life is like a matador, sometimes the bull wins." 

June Rose's Story 

Raised in Venice, California moved to Playa Del Ray lived there for 51 years. There were no houses when she moved to Playa del Ray remembered the string bean fields there was very little, only one theater and one department store. Has one son who still lives here. Loves it here at the center and loves the community, has been coming her for 10 years. Favorite past time: playing bridge and gold. Loves matza ball soup.

Frederick's Story

Lives in Marna, lived there for 7 years. Was a copper miner for 24 years, married to wife for 40 years. Has one daughter. U.S is his favorite country after visiting Denmark, Norway, Madrid and Germany. Part of the Camping club, enjoys camping. Volunteers at the Veterans Hospital, enjoys record collecting. Is a huge jokster, ask him a joke and he''ll give you one. "He bit that dog....hot dog!" What type of "b" gives milk?...a boobie".