anaheim-bulletin 1955-07-15

SILVER DOLLARS FOR BANK With $50,000 in silver dollars being readied for shipment to Bank of America's Disneyland branch it's no wonder that Gladys McGormley stands guard with a shotgun. She and Leo Wagman, head man at the bank there, call at Bank of America's central cash vault at Los Angeles to help prepare the 50 bags of silver dollars for shipments. Wagman pours the "cartwheels" into an old-time strongbox, to be dropped off by stagecoach at Disneyland branch on opening day, in true 1890 style. All the details are authentic to the 1890 period, down to the big brass Yale padlock on the old stagecoach box. Bank in Disneyland Is Real Institution When visitors enter the magic kingdom of Disneyland, one of the first things they will see is a bank that looks like it came straight out of the Disneyland Mark Twain riverboat, the Santa Fe-Disneyland railroad, and the bank itself. They are as cashable in the "outside world" as other banks. Customers of Bank of America branches in other cities of California can use the interbranch services, making deposits, withdrawals, loan payments, and other transactions at Disneyland for their own branches. The bank will be open for business every day, including Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And just so little folk who have banking to do won't have to reach so high, there's a Bank in Disneyland Is Real Institution When visitors enter the magic kingdom of Disneyland, one of the first things they will see is a bank that looks like it came straight out of the 1890's. A peek inside the pony-sized office will reveal that real banking is going on there at a great rate. This is Disneyland branch of Bank of America, and it will offer most of the services found in any modern bank, even though a brass hatrack, shiny cuspidors, and an old fashioned settee with matching chair grace the lobby. Sitting just behind the rail in an old-fashioned arm chair will be a man who will smile and nod at visitors and customers alike, and who will look just a bit proud. Perhaps he looks that way because he will be the only Bank of America branch manager in existence with a roll-top desk. Tellers, dressed in their vests and string ties, will push silver dollars and other money through old-time wickets. Visitors, looking over the shoulders of these tellers, will see an ancient wooden filing cabinet, high bookkeeping desk and stool, and an 1880 typewriter still in working order. But there's nothing ancient about the solid concrete vault that will protect the money and documents, although the vault door is in the style of the early period. Both sightseers and people who want to do banking business will be welcome. Special souvenir guide maps of Disneyland will be given to all who want them. Except for escrow service and safe deposit boxes all the services of the statewide banking firm are to be offered. Most popular should be the brightly colored souvenir money orders, which visitors can send home to family and friends. Issued without a service charge in denominations of $1, $5, and $10, they are imprinted with pictures of the Disneyland Mark Twain riverboat, the Santa Fe-Disneyland railroad, and the bank itself. They are as cashable in the "outside world" as other money orders. Anyone can open an account or cash checks as in other banks. Customers of Bank of America branches in other cities of California can use the interbranch services, making deposits, withdrawals, loan payments, and other transactions at Disneyland for their own branches. The bank will be open for business every day, including Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And just so little folk who have banking to do won't have to reach so high, there's a special "small fry" window built much closer to the ground than the others. STUBBORN BURRO This burro decided to exert his natural prerogative and be stubborn as a Missouri mule until he caught a glimpse of the Disneyland stables where some 20 of his near relatives live in high style. All the equine at Disneyland receive the greatest of care and have been well rehearsed in their daily chores. Builders of Disneyland Take Big Job in Stride Long-recognized as one of the West's outstanding builders, McNeil Construction Co., was called upon for the construction of Disneyland. And, in less than a year the Los Angeles firm converted the orange and nut groves into the fabulous Disneyland. Much of the construction was unique for the firm for it meant going well back into yesterday in building the Main St., U. S. A. area. Castles of old and such structures were new to the workers but they took them in stride. But building of Tomorrowland was nothing unique for the McNeil firm. Throughout their long career in the Southland they have been building for tomorrow. The firm did much in converting Los Angeles from a mere country town into one of the great cities many years ago. And through three generations this progressive construction has been a McNeil feature. McNeil Construction Co. now is well recognized as a concern which will undertake work on a contract of any size, anywhere. Moving equipment onto the Disneyland site in mid-July, 1954, McNeil crewmen first had to remove 12,500 orange trees, 700 eucalyptus trees and 500 walnut trees. HUGE PROJECT Immediately after the trees were removed, work was startledation of underground utilities. Nearly 2 million board feet of lumber went into the buildings constructed; 5,000 cubic yards of concrete went into construction; 350,000 cubic yards of earth were moved; 4,000 lineal feet of sewer line installed; 2,000 lineal feet of storm drain piping; 4,000 feet of gas line and 7,000 feet of water line installed. Over 1,000,000 square feet of asphalt paving was done in the parking area and streets inside the park. All of the millwork, wrought iron work and staff work was done right on the jobsite by McNeil forces. Over 60 subcontractors were employed on the project and materials were purchased from several hundred sources in Southern California, or elsewhere as the need arose. "From the standpoint of construction this project certainly has been unique," says F. M. Franz, manager of operations for McNeil. "We feel sure there has never been anything built like this in Southern California, or elsewhere in the United States. Many of the items were constructed from artists' sketches." The McNeil Construction Co. history dates back to 1888 when John V. McNeil saw the future of the Los Angeles area and went into the building business. It is now a co-partnership of Lawrence G. McNeil and his son, Bruce McNeil. Its record of achievements includes practically every type of structure; industrial plants, commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels, churches, apartments office buildings, department stores, resorts, warehouses large housing projects, U. S. military and naval establishments, and recreational facilities such as the Las Vegas horse racing plant. LARRY TAKES OVER When J. V. McNeil suffered a physical breakdown while a job in Tucson, his son-Larry who had learned the construction know-how by working jobs since the age of 16, over. Larry became known as the "boy contractor." In 1951 the third generation came into the construction picture when Bruce W. McNeil at the age of 16, became a cipherer's helper and began learning the business. In most any city in Southland you will see permanent monuments to the McNeil firm. Among major jobs he been the vast Firestone plant in Los Angeles, the Will Overland plant, Los Angeles Union Oil Co. plant, Wilmton; Lockheed Aircraft plant Burbank; Times-Mirror builing, Los Angeles; Ninth Broadway Building, Los Angeles; First Trust Building, Ladena, and many, many other. In Long Beach their own construction included the Farm and Merchants Bank Buildiing the Security - First National Bank Building, and 400 2-story room homes for the Navy. Offices of the company at 5858 Wilshire Blvd., Angeles. Today the extensive experience of McNeil throughout years has made it possible the firm to undertake a construction contract of any kind anywhere. It was this recoupled that led Walt Disney to union them for Disneyland. Edison's Planning for Future Gives Ample Power for Park After a year's study-survey, Walt Disney selected a section of the old Rancho San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana near the city of Anaheim in Orange County and changed it into a land of fact and fantasy. "Disneyland," as millions will know the 160 sunny California acres, is divided into four major kingdoms of Walt Disney's dreams — Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontiersland and Adventureland. In 1952, after years of imagination, Disney's enterprises began to grow constructively — sketches, blueprints and today, realities. After less than a year of bustling activity on the old ranch site, engineers, steam-fitters, architects, landscapers, carpenters, scenic artists and an almost endless list of other crafts and professions have changed an orange grove into a $17,000,000 show-place of magic and living facts. Disneyland is a fresh new concept in family entertainment, designed for the enjoyment of every individual and family member from grandparents to grandchildren. One of the seemingly major elements in making Disneyland possible and one which probably shall remain the greatest "magic" of all times, yet taken for granted, is the presence of electricity. The ingenious uses made of Thomas A. Edison's invention has helped Disney's dream come true and every child's favorite character come alive. The part light and power has played in the appearance of Disneyland also is the result of planning and looking into the future, and at the same time keeping pace with record demands for electricity in the unprecedented growth of the Southland since the end of World War II. To the utilities of this area whose expansion is dictated by the demands for service of the communities they serve and who must build ahead to make such growth possible, this condition has brought with it many attendant problems. Typical of the companies affected is the Southern California Edison Co., whose service territory includes all or part of 10 Southern and Central California counties. At the end of 1945 there were 670,463 electric meters connected to Edison lines. Today this figure has increased to over 1,300,000 meters. Keeping pace with ever-increasing demands for electricity as well as planning for the future increases, occasioned the Edison Co. to undertake the largest expansion in its history. During this postwar period Edison's gross plant expenditures have amounted to more than $500,000,000 to improve and enlarge its electrical generation, transmission and distribution facilities. At Disneyland too YOU KNOW THEY'RE COOKING WITH GAS This natural prerogative mule until he caught stables where some 200 high style. All the equines greatest of care and have daily chores. BERRY TAKES OVER When J. V. McNeil suffered physical breakdown while on job in Tucson, his son Larry had learned the construction know-how by working on jobs since the age of 16, took over. Larry became known as the "boy contractor." In 1951 the third generation came into the construction picture when Bruce W. McNeil, the age of 16, became a carenter's helper and began earning the business. In most any city in the southland you will see permanent monuments to the McNeil farm. Among major jobs have been the vast Firestone plant in Los Angeles, the Willys-overland plant, Los Angeles; Union Oil Co. plant, Wilmington; Lockheed Aircraft plant,urbank; Times-Mirror building, Los Angeles; Ninth and Roadway Building, Ios Angeles; First Trust Building, Pasena, and many, many others. In Long Beach their construction included the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building, the Security - First National Bank Building, and 400 2-bedroom homes for the Navy. Offices of the company are 5858 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Only GAS gives you such mode 20 Different Restaurants Visitors to Disneyland are sure to be a well fed group with 20 restaurants and snack bars available to serve 8,000 people per hour. A wide and varied choice of restaurant facilities is provided on the Park's 60 acres, including different dining places in every area, each in keeping with the theme of the particular part of Disneyland in which it is situated. Near the Plaza at the end of Main St., the visitor will find two distinctly types of restaurants. One is the Plaza Pavilion, a completely new conception of high quality, low cost food service, while the other is a recreation of early century elegance of the Delmonico-style restaurant, named the Red Wagon Inn. Complete meals at moderate cost may be obtained here. Tomorrowland includes a modernistic Space Bar offering a preview of food service tech- niques and atmosphere as it will be in 1986. It carries out the theme of Tomorrowland to the letter. Chicken of the Sea's Pirate Ship restaurant, a feature of Fantasyland, is designed as dining facilities to serve light family meals. Refreshments and light food are offered from stands planned with the flair and color of a circus in this kingdom. For those who wish something different in the way of food and refreshments, Frontierland provides a complete, varied appeal. Included in the old West section of the Park are a Chicken Plantation restaurant, an Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle house, an authentic Mexican Taco cafe and a Frito house. In Adventureland, the visitor is given a chance to quench his thirst with a variety of exotic fruit and berry beverages native to Polynesia. A buffeteria serves light lunches to the adventurous explorers. and too, NOW E G AS The chefs at Disneyland—like chefs the world over—know that nothing equals the live Gas flame when it comes to fine cooking. The chefs at Disneyland—like chefs the world over—know that nothing equals the live Gas flame when it comes to fine cooking. (And millions of homemakers agree.) Gas is fast—utterly dependable and completely controllable. What's more, Gas cooking is clean and economical. Add to all this the fact that today's ultra-modern Gas ranges bring you dozens of up-to-the-minute features and you can see why—at Disneyland—the overwhelming choice is Gas. SOUTHERN COUNTIES GAS COMPANY Disneyland is one of the wondrous places of this world. In its planning, nothing has been spared to make your visit a magical one—long to be remembered.