Mr. Buick’s honeymoon road trip for three

The 1920s was a time of rapid change, as horsepower replaced the

horse, roads linked small towns together, and cities became within

easy reach of most people.

It was a time of individuality, as people across America began

building their dream businesses along these ribbons of highways. Some

of these buildings took the shape of giant hot dogs, tamales, owls,

people or giant tepees. What made all this possible was the coming of

the automobile and of car dealers in every town, including our own

town of Huntington Beach.

We had our share of car dealers in the 1920s, and it was only

natural to use these vehicles to advertise not only the product but

our town too.

Remember our story of the time, in June 1926, when Huntington

Beach wanted to publicize its new boat landing and barge? Our

citizens came up with the idea of a Fish Parade, a caravan of

decorated cars that toured Orange County.

In the first car were our city trustees, and one of these men was

Charles G. Boster. He was popularly known as Mr. Buick, because he

was the sales manager of the Pacific Auto & Supply Co. at 403 Walnut

Avenue.

Boster, like William Gallienne and Boxie Huston, had one aim --

advertising their beloved town of Huntington Beach.

In 1922, Boster dreamed up the idea of using one of his new Buick

touring cars to advertise his dealership and our town. He called this

car the Honeymoon Special, and his plan needed a local couple to get

married and take the Buick on a honeymoon trip to San Diego.

Boster found Loretta Armitage, a secretary at Tom Talbert’s real

estate office, and William Elgar, who operated his Auto Laundry at

Harlow’s Service Station on Fifth Street.

It was on April 30, 1922, that Rev. Robert M. Donaldson married

the couple at 3 p.m. in Seal Beach. After the ceremony, Boster had

some trouble getting the couple away from their friends.

Finally, the newlyweds drove off in the groom’s car and, at a

prearranged place, met up with the Boster Buick Honeymoon Special.

The couple, along with Boster, drove to Huntington Beach, where they

were met by a local newspaper photographer. Boster had the car

decorated with colorful signs. One in front read, “Oh Boy, A Real

Buick Wedding.” In back, a large sign read, “Buick Honeymoon,

Huntington Beach to San Diego.” Along the sides were signs reading,

“We’re Married,” “Who Cares,” “She is Boss,” “Don’t Tell Pa” and

“This is the Life.”

The couple, with Boster along for the ride, drove to Santa Ana to

begin their trip, and of course more pictures were taken.

Travel in those early days was more of an adventure than it is

today. You didn’t have good maps and had to use landmarks to guide

you.

As the newlyweds entered Tustin, they looked for a fork in the

road near a bank and turned onto the left fork that led them to

Irvine.

Leaving Irvine, the couple headed for San Juan Capistrano and,

some 31 miles later, entered Oceanside. From there, they drove

through Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff and Del Mar.

After that, it was uphill on the Torrey Pines grade, where the

couple looked for a water tank. Then they took a right turn to

descend into La Jolla at Prospect and Girard streets.

While in La Jolla, the couple and Boster enjoyed a bountiful

dinner before arriving at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego at 8:45

p.m.

At this time, California had what were known as blue laws. That

meant everything was closed on Sunday -- no open gas stations or

markets -- and if you broke down, you were out of luck until Monday

morning.

All along their route, people came out to cheer the couple on --

motorists honked their horns and motorcycle cops waved to them.

The next morning, the couple spent an hour across the border in

Tijuana, Mexico, before heading back toward Huntington Beach.

The Honeymoon Special headed to Coronado for lunch and took the

ferry across the bay to San Diego. They left San Diego on Monday at 4

p.m. When they arrived in La Jolla, they stopped to rest and stretch.

Our Honeymoon Special again hit the road and headed for Capistrano

for a luncheon with the bride’s sister at the Palm Cafe. The couple

arrived home in Huntington Beach on Monday night at 11.

Boster’s Buick had covered 346 miles and used a little over 19

gallons of gas.

The wedding party’s trip to San Diego took them three hours and

eleven minutes. All along the way pictures were taken of the couple

and Boster’s Buick advertising Huntington Beach.

I wonder how many honeymooners today would take such a trip in an

open 1922 Buick touring car with all those signs plastered on it. I

wouldn’t mind taking such a trip, but where am I going to find a lady

to go along with me as my wife?

Boster’s Buick did bring a lot of good publicity for our town. How

the newlyweds felt about sharing their honeymoon with so many people,

we’ll never know.

A month later, Boster sponsored a Buick trip up to Lake Arrowhead.

Later, he would be elected as a city trustee and would serve as

mayor.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.