1956-1957
On Vacation: Eleanor Rodgerson’s Journey to Disney
Dr. Eleanor Rodgerson (1909-2007) was an obstetrician-gynecologist in private practice in Sacramento, California. She also served on the faculty of the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. She and Donald had four children: John Robert McKinnon (b. 1943), Donald Chisholm McKinnon (b. 1944), Jane Ruble McKinnon (b. 1947), and William Rodgerson McKinnon (b. 1948). Her personal papers contain four scrapbooks from vacations taken with her children, including this one, which highlights a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
Eleanor and her children spent their 1956 Easter vacation in Disneyland and Ensenada, Mexico. Eleanor includes various mementos from her trip, such as tickets, brochures, and flyers. Additionally, she provides some narration to memorialize her vacation.
Transcription: Easter Vacation 1956 To Disneyland. Padua Hills Institute, and south to Ensenada, Mexico; Home by way of El Centro, Indio, Palm Springs. Total trip – 1,715 miles
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers, Archives and Special Collections.
Includes a photograph of the motel Eleanor and her family stayed at (top), an announcement for a lecture series of the Southwestern Pediatric Society with addresses scribbled on it (center), and a brochure with Disneyland hotel rates (bottom).
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
Transcription of the image above:
4 days before Easter vacation, 1956, we left for a trip to Disneyland and Ensenada, Mexico. The children were so anxious to reach Disneyland that we were able to keep going until we found a motel in Glendale. It had a convenient kitchenette for breakfast and toilet that promptly ran over – and television, of course. We bought a few groceries, and visited a Van de Camp’s bakery. (Nice shopping district). That was Tuesday.
Wed and Thur we stayed at the fabulous Disneyland Hotel. We stayed on the 2nd floor – adjoining rooms with our own balcony. Orange groves in bloom all around us. Oranges on the ground fun for throwing at each other – the children thought. Infra – red lights in the bathroom for keeping wet bathers warm until dried.
Special Hotel Tram took us to Disneyland.”
Top: Informational brochure on Disneyland, printed in 1955.
Center left: Schweitzer Falls on Adventureland Ride.
Center right: Disneyland Band on Main Street of model turn-of-the-century town.
Bottom left: Pirate Ship where “Chicken-of-the-Sea Tuna” lunches were served.
Bottom right: Steamboat “Mark Twain” at landing in Frontierland.
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
Eleanor adds context to the mementos that she includes from the trip to Disneyland with more information about what she or her kids did at each location. For example, the following mementos document the different partnerships that Disneyland had with other companies and what each experience was like.
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
Transcript of left page:
- “Tickets were bought with admission + 8 rides — $1.50 for children under 12 $1.00 for Jorn with student body card. We adults went in for ad-mission of $1.00.”
List of items on the right page with transcriptions:
- First row, left: Monsanto Chemical Company Exhibit in Disneyland advertisement.
- The caption reads: “An exhibit in Tomorrowland.”
- First row, right: An admission ticket to Disneyland, California for children with the price $1.50.
- Second row, left: A receipt for the McKinnon D A & Fam’s reservation with Disneyland Hotel and restaurants in Anaheim, California.
- Second row, right: Yellow “Official Driver’s License for Richfield Autopia at Disneyland.”
- The caption reads: “In Tomorrowland, little cars could be driven on a miniature superhighway. John + Dee spent all their money here.”
- Third row, left: Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R. Ticket.
- The caption to the right reads: “The [Casey Jones] train ran around Disneyland for a sort of birdseye view.”
- Fourth row, left: Green Steamboat “Mark Twain” ticket
- The caption reads: “Steamboat ticket. Sometimes the band rode along.”
- Fourth row, right: “Alumination Card” of the Kaiser Aluminum Exhibit.
- The caption reads: “From exhibit in Tomorrowland.”
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
In addition to the materials related to Disneyland, Padua Hills Theatre, and Ensenada, Mexico, Eleanor’s scrapbook also includes information on summer activities in Sacramento, California. Additionally, she also includes a guide for popular food and hotels in California, Nevada, and Old Mexico.
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
Box 15: Folder 2, D-439 Eleanor Rodgerson Papers
Overall, Eleanor’s scrapbook documents her journey as a parent vacationing in California and Mexico and reveals more about how she planned her vacation and what she and her family experienced. The bonus of her scrapbook is that she also documents information about the locations and attractions that were popular for families at the time.