Walter H. Righter (1905 - 1982) - Aviation Engine Pioneer

Walter Hammond Righter (1905 - 1982)

Chapter 1. Home Home on the Ranch : Part 3

Last Updated : October 17, 2005

In June the orange blossoms were in bloom and the heavenly aroma permeated the whole orchard. Years later on June 25, 1929, Walt picked orange blossoms for his bride and she wore them in her hair for that special day.

Walt and Norma's wedding, June 25, 1929

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Walt and Norma's wedding, June 25, 1929

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On Easter Sunday in 1932 their daughter Frances Jean was born. Two and a half years later Catherine Louise arrived in September, 1934.

Norma, Walt, Cathie and Fran, Christmas 1934

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Dad, a talented machinist and craftsman became an engineer and inventor of note with a number of patents to his credit. In the early years, so as to spend as much time with his young family as he could, he built a small 'shop' at the end of our garage

Then one day he came home with a large drafting board. But, where to put it was a problem. It was shuffled about the house trying to find a spot. After moving the dining room table a few feet into the living room there was just enough room for a the drafting board and a chair.

Dad at his drawing board c.1934

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I think this is where my real love of sketching, drawing and later painting stemmed from which, as is mentioned elsewhere, has continued to the present where I have only just completed the line by line restoration of all of his engine blueprints of the 1930s and 40s.

Dad however did not always fit the engineer stereotype. He had a keen sense of humor and wrote clever limericks and poems. He also had a very quick wit.

One day my mother, Norma, found a note on the kitchen door. "Tread softly as you enter and silently close the door. In honor of noble effort applied to dirty floor. Walt." He was a very kind, fun and funny, generous, thoughtful person and his word was his bond.

Dad could make something out of most anything, metals or wood, carvings, drawings, printing and drafting, or with bailing wire, get the engine running again on his old schooner. He made a scooter and a racing go-cart for a grandson and furniture for his young daughters, a swing set, a merry-go-round made out of a big wagon wheel.

Fran (left) and sister Cathie, Merry-Go-Round, c.1937

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He helped my mother Norma with her puppet shows and the puppets, made a stage and a clown that could throw a ball in the air and catch it. He also made miniature furniture. One was a piano that could open and shut by the puppet professor.

A Puppet Show, Sep. 12, 1937

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A Puppet Show, Sep. 12, 1937

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They were very clever wonderful shows and the back yard would be filled with all the neighbors on the block, around thirty or more parents and children at a time. Norma loved to have parties and was very creative planning them.

A Puppet Show, Sep. 12, 1937

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Fran (at rear) and Cathie, 3 years old that day, Sep. 12, 1937

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A Puppet Show (in preparation) , Sep. 12, 1937

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"Note on the right behind the fence the (light) oval shaped trash burner. In those days we had to burn our own trash. It was built out of large stones cemented together." "The stage was set up in front of Dad's first shop that he attached to the garage he built (on the left side)"

She and Dad had fun parties for his employees and often had badminton and ping-pong matches in our back yard for the neighbors on weekends. In the summer they had huge picnics at Crystal Springs in Griffith Park for the employees and their families with at least 100 people attending. They played badminton, ball games and amusing racing contests. [Try running in big burlap feed sack.]

Righter Manufacturing Co, Family Picnic

'Crystal Springs', Griffith Park, Jul., 1943

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In the winter there were the Christmas dances and a gift for each employee.

Righter Mfg Co., Xmas Party, 1942

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Righter Mfg Co., Xmas Party, 1942 (detail)

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2048 Watson Street, Glendale, CA, 1931

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After the war Dad bought the house next door and built the two little houses into one large one with a lot of basement space underneath. In one area he had his own machine shop down stairs. In the 1940s it became a major attraction for his daughter's boyfriends.

When Fran's girlfriends came to visit their boyfriends would ask to come along with them. The boys would soon disappear down stairs to see what 'Mr. Righter' was working on. Dad, always patient, was a great teacher and the guys loved it!

2048 Watson Street, Glendale, CA, 1947

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2048 Watson Street, Glendale, CA, 1947

Photo: Righter Family Archives - Click Image to Enlarge

"You will notice the home has a driveway on both sides. Our original one on the left and the other on the right belonged to our neighbor when we bought their house next door. Dad moved their garage next door to the right where my uncle Lyle, Aunt Clara Louise and cousins, Marilyn and Paul, lived. Lyle Forman was my mother's brother.

You can see there drive way on the far right. The drive ways were made with two strips of cement just wide enough apart for the wheels of the car. Notice how close the strip was to the bay window (far left) after the fake fireplace was turned into a bay window."

Continue on to part 4

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