Alice Chandler and others in in Montie Montana's show, 1960s : 無料・フリー素材/写真
Alice Chandler and others in in Montie Montana's show, 1960s / Orange County Archives
ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 2.1 |
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説明 | Dorothy Alice Chandler (1928-2023) was a cowgirl, pilot, trick rider, horse trainer, riding instructor, dog breeder, ranch hand, missionary, movie extra, model, and likely Orange County’s first female Sheriff’s Deputy. Born in Tennessee, she came west to Orange County with her family when she was three. Young Alice fell in love with the outdoors, horses, and the Old West and her father found work as gardener for the Irvine family. The Chandlers lived in a shack near today’s Peters Canyon Park and Irvine Park, in Orange Park Acres, amid the Irvine Ranch’s cattle operations. Alice was as expert horsewoman by the age of 21. In later years she would sometimes help the Irvine Ranch cowboys and other local ranches during large cattle roundups.Alice often chased trespassing hunters and fisherman off the property. Local Sheriff’s deputies suggested that her efforts might be more effective if made official. In 1949 she went to see Orange County Sheriff Jim Musick who interviewed her, made her a deputy, and gave her a badge. Her duties were to keep trespassers – especially poachers -- away from Peters Lake and to respond to other local emergencies. “You may be a special deputy assigned to the Irvine Company,” said Musick, “but you’re a real deputy. And if I ever need you, you’ll be on call.” It was an unpaid position, and no training was provided but several deputies and cowboys had already taught Alice how to shoot. In the early 1940s, the Chandlers bought the land they’d been living on in, plus 100 surrounding acres, creating the Chandler Ranch – an equestrian center at 20342 Chapman Ave. Many young Orange Countians learned the fundamentals of horsemanship there. Alice Chandler worked the ranch and taught riding lessons. During the 1950s, Gene Holter’s Wild Animal Show would stable some of their exotic animals at Chandler Ranch when they were in the area. It was an early brush with show business for Alice Chandler, but hardly the last.Alice visited the Irvine Ranch on business and met movie director Billy Wilder who was filming parts of the 1957 Jimmy Stewart film, “The Spirit of St. Louis” there. Wilder saw Chandler and two of her sisters and made them extras in the film. Although she briefly joined the Screen Actors Guild, Alice was never on the big screen again and never saw Wilder’s film. “There are a lot of chores on a ranch,” she said. “We didn’t have time to go to the movies.”In the 1960s, noted rodeo rider Montie Montana offered her a job trick riding and barrel racing in his traveling Western equestrian show. “We rode with his wife and daughter for years,” Alice said. There are no known copyright restrictions on this image. All future uses of this photo should include the courtesy line, "Photo courtesy Orange County Archives."Comments are welcome after reading our Comment Policy. |
撮影日 | 2023-06-22 10:18:08 |
撮影者 | Orange County Archives , Orange County, California, United States of America |
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