Alyssa Navapanich Emile Pourroy, Dalila Pourroy, and the McGinley Estate, Oceanpark.ws, 2005, 2005b, 1941, 1919
"My Great grandparents worked for the McGinleys and lived on the estate until my Great Grandfather died in 1941. My understanding is that [Walter McGinley] purchased land from "Lucky" Baldwin's relatives [near Montebello], struck oil and became very wealthy. My Grandmother told stories of getting a spoonful of brown sugar from the kitchen during the depression. My Great Grandfather was the grounds keeper for the McGinleys and planted most of the trees that are still there at Joslyn Park. His name was Emile Pourroy. My Great Grandmother worked in the house and cooked making fancy cakes, preserves and such. Her name was Dalila Pourroy. My mother remembers the McGinley Estate as all of my family has called it with fond memories. My Grandfather, Karl Rydgren, still lives in Santa Monica on Fifth street in a colonial that was built by Haas-Baruch of Iris Foods. He has been living in Santa Monica since 1919 and can tell amazing stories about his life. My grandfather remembers everything including addresses of places that have been torn down. He is a treasure trove of Santa Monica trivia. Make sure you ask him about his house. It is the only house to go up the California Incline . . ."
See Karl Rydgren (1914- ) I Remember, Unpublished Ms., 1975 [Reprinted 2005], 2000, 1942, 1936, 1934, 1933, 1932, 1930, 1930s, 1929, 1924, 1920s, 1919, 1914, 1908, 1906,
[Karl and Alice Rydgren raised a family of three, Alice, Jon and Dennis M., and have many grandchildren. Karl and Alice went to Santa Monica High, and their daughter, Alice, went to St. Clements. In a conversation in 2005, he spoke of his wife's interest in collecting dolls and hand-painted plates, some of which had been painted by Mrs. McGinley herself. He also recalled that Mr. McGinley had worked for Mrs. "Lucky" Baldwin as her secretary but that he had had some sort of concession on either the Venice Pier or the Ocean Park Pier and had known a lot of circus people, many of whom came to visit his estate in Ocean Park. Other visitors included Alaskan Governor John Strong and Jack Dempsey. Rumor had it that McGinley had lost $25,000 dollars betting on one of Dempsey's fights.
[Karl's] His house he recalls was moved to the site of an old town dump from the Gold Coast up the California Incline. Mr. Rydgren also mentioned St. Catherine's Hospital, on 4th and Bicknell, which later became a Rest Home before it was closed down and apartments built.]
Hello Mr. Roberts!
"I hope this finds you well. My grandfather and I put together a letter with photos for the landmark commission for his home on Fifth Street. He is very excited. I guess the Landmark Commission was to meet sometime this month. He really wanted one of the family members to buy and live in the house after he is gone but since that is impractical, he just would like for it to not be torn down.
"I finally did get a chance to look at the names and spellings on the story you put on your webpage from my grandfather. Here are the corrections I found:
"Karl Bertil Rydgren's parents were: Eric Arthur Rydgren and Clara Eureka (Carlson) Rydgren. Clara and Eric had 5 children: Clara who died in 1919 just after arriving in Santa Monica of diphtheria. Torsten (nicknamed Todd), Karl, Eric and Clarence.
"Karl and Alice Rydgren both graduated from Santa Monica High School and had 3 children: Alice, Jon and Dennis. (Alice and her brothers went to Saint Monica's Catholic School).
"Just a note, St. Clements is the church that my Great Grandparents: Emile and Dalila Pourroy, my Grandparents Karl and Alice Rydgren and my Parents: Ron and Alice Converse were all married and I was baptized there-of course so were all of my mother's relatives before me. I guess since 1914 (when my great-grandparents got married) that church saw a lot of Pourroys and Rydgrens through the years!
"Thank you so much for being such an inspiration to our family and for guiding us to the Landmark Commission. I hope that my grandfather's dream of his house living on long after he is gone will come true.
Thanks so much,
Alyssa Navapanich