After developing the AI-assisted ABC Biography of #6 Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976) of San Diego, California and ABC Biography of #7 Emily Kemp (Auble) Carringer (1899-1977) of Illinois and California (my maternal grandparents), I wondered what they experienced when they visited the California-Pacific International Exposition in San Diego in 1935.
I asked Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 to write a story about it based on information in the biographies (which are based on my genealogical research), and also information on the Internet about the Exposition. Here is the story about the Lyle Carringer family visiting the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition in San Diego:
A Day at the Fair: The Carringer Family Visits the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition
Saturday, June 15, 1935 - A Special Day
The morning sun was already warming San Diego's streets when the Carringer family gathered at the breakfast table on Saturday, June 15th. Today was special—they were going to the California Pacific International Exposition in Balboa Park, something they'd been planning for weeks. After carefully budgeting, Lyle had saved enough for the admission fees: fifty cents each for himself and Emily, fifty cents for fifteen-year-old Betty, and fifty cents for sixty-six-year-old Georgia Auble. Two dollars in total—nearly half a day's wages for Lyle—but worth every penny for a family outing in these difficult Depression times.
"I want to see everything about gardens and plants," Emily announced, her eyes bright with anticipation. Since their garden had been featured in the San Diego Union just three months ago, she'd been even more passionate about horticulture.
"The Ford Building for me," Lyle said with a smile. "I want to see that V-8 engine demonstration everyone at work has been talking about."
Betty bounced excitedly in her chair. "I heard there's a Hollywood Motion Picture Hall of Fame! And something called the Zoro Garden that everyone at school is whispering about."
Georgia chuckled knowingly. "I suspect I'll find my way to the Old Globe Theater. I heard they're performing Shakespeare, and it's been years since I've seen a proper play."
10:00 AM - Entering a World Transformed
The family took the streetcar to Balboa Park (down 30th Street, west on Broadway, and transferred to the Balboa Park trolley going north on 12th Avenue into the heart of the park), riding with hundreds of other San Diegans heading to the Exposition. As they approached, Betty gasped. The park had been transformed since the 1915 Exposition Lyle remembered so well. While the Spanish Colonial buildings from twenty years ago still stood, magnificent new structures had risen alongside them.
At the entrance, they paid their admission and received their tickets. The gates opened to reveal fourteen miles of exhibits and attractions stretching before them. Unlike the Spanish theme that had dominated in 1915, this Exposition embraced a bold new vision—American progress, technological innovation, and hope for the future.
"Where should we start?" Emily wondered, clutching the free map they'd been handed.
"Let's each pick something," Lyle suggested. "We have all day, and we can meet back for lunch."
Emily's Wonder: The Botanical Building and Gardens
Emily made straight for the Botanical Building, the lath structure she'd admired since 1915. Inside, she found herself transported to a tropical paradise. The botanical garden contained lilies, begonias, fuchsias, aralias, and varieties of ferns she'd never imagined existed. The plants harmonized beautifully with the large groves of eucalyptus and palm trees visible through the lath walls.
She walked slowly through the displays, studying how the plants were arranged, how different species complemented each other, how the lighting filtered through the lath created perfect growing conditions. She pulled out the small notebook she'd brought and began sketching ideas for their own garden at 2130 Fern Street.
An elderly horticulturist noticed her detailed notes and struck up a conversation. For nearly an hour, Emily talked with the expert about tropical plants that could survive in San Diego's climate, about heating systems for delicate species, about pool plantings and shade structures. He mentioned that the heated aquariums in the Botanical Building used the same principles she and Lyle had implemented in their glass house.
"Your garden sounds remarkable," the horticulturist said warmly. "You understand what so many people miss—that a garden should be a living room, a place where beauty serves life."
Emily walked away glowing, her notebook full of ideas that would transform their Fern Street paradise in the years to come. The Botanical Building had given her something precious: validation that what she and Lyle had created was truly special, and inspiration to make it even better.
Lyle's Fascination: The Ford Building and Modern Progress
Lyle found his way to the Ford Building, and the sight took his breath away. The massive white concrete structure, designed in the ultra-modern "Streamline Moderne" style by Walter Dorwin Teague, stood in stark contrast to the Spanish Colonial architecture surrounding it. It looked like something from the future—all clean curves and sharp lines, steel and glass and concrete proclaiming the promise of the machine age.
Inside the Court of the Pacific Nations, a revolving half-globe displayed twelve dioramas of Pacific nations. But what really captivated Lyle was the massive March of Transportation mural painted by Juan Larrinaga on the inside wall of the circular exhibit hall. The 20-foot by 450-foot painting chronicled the entire history of human transportation—from cavemen to spacecraft. Spacecraft! The idea that humans might one day travel beyond Earth filled Lyle with wonder.
In the main exhibition hall, he watched a Ford worker expertly disassemble and reassemble a V-8 engine, explaining each component with practiced ease. Having worked at Marston's for thirty years, Lyle appreciated the precision and skill involved in mass production. The worker explained how Ford's assembly line had revolutionized manufacturing, making automobiles affordable for ordinary Americans.
"Before Mr. Ford," the demonstrator said, "only the wealthy could afford cars. Now a working man like yourself might own one."
Lyle thought about his steady salary as an auditor at Marston's and his Model-T Ford. Could he someday afford one of these newer magnificent machines? The idea seemed both impossible and tantalizingly within reach.
He spent time in the courtyard, resting on one of the many benches provided for weary fairgoers, listening to a South American musical group performing near the V-8 logo fountain. The landscaping, designed by Milton Sessions (Kate Sessions' nephew), featured pepper trees and palms that provided welcome shade.
Before leaving, Lyle signed up for a ride on the "Roads of the Pacific"—a tour around different Pacific roads in a brand-new Ford V-8. The young Ford-trained driver expertly navigated the course while explaining the history of Pacific roads and the virtues of the new Ford automobiles. The ride cost extra, but Lyle considered it money well spent. As they drove, he imagined himself behind the wheel, driving Emily and Betty through San Diego's streets in their own V-8 automobile.
The Ford Building represented everything that impressed Lyle most: American ingenuity, technological progress, the democratization of luxury through mass production, and hope that even during the Depression, better days lay ahead.
Betty's Excitement: Hollywood Glamour and Youthful Adventures
Fifteen-year-old Betty felt like she'd stepped into a dream world. The Hollywood Motion Picture Hall of Fame exhibit featured a stock company of actors signed with the Screen Actors Guild, and she recognized costumes and props from movies she'd seen at the downtown theaters.
She watched demonstrations of movie-making techniques, makeup artistry, and costume design. The Dominos Club of Hollywood had contributed memorabilia from famous actresses including Carole Lombard, Thelma Todd, and ZaSu Pitts. Betty, who'd been studying art at San Diego High School, was mesmerized by the attention to detail in the costume designs.
But it was the Midway that truly captured her imagination. The $1.5 million entertainment area offered relief after walking through exhibits, with amusements designed to delight and surprise. She convinced her grandmother to join her later, and together they explored Gold Gulch—a replica of a California mining community from the 1849 Gold Rush, complete with burro rides.
"Can you imagine living like this, Grandma?" Betty asked, wide-eyed at the rough wooden buildings and dusty streets.
Georgia smiled. "My dear, when I came to America in 1889, many towns looked exactly like this. We've come a long way in just forty-six years."
Betty also insisted on seeing the controversial Zoro Garden, though from a respectable distance. The sunken garden with its lush tropical landscaping featured performers doing exotic dances with little clothing, and while the "Zoro Girls" were scandalous by some standards, Betty was more interested in the innovative garden design—multiple levels creating distinct areas within a single space. She made mental notes for her own future homes.
At Midget Village in the Casa de Balboa building, Betty watched with fascination as little people performed in tiny houses designed to charm visitors. She later learned that many of these performers would go on to appear as Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. The miniature world reminded her of the dollhouses she'd played with as a child, but seeing real people living in them felt like stepping between childhood fantasy and adult reality.
Georgia's Inspiration: The Old Globe Theater and Cultural Refinement
Sixty-six-year-old Georgia Auble had immigrated from Canada in 1889 and had spent her youth in an era when theater was the pinnacle of cultural entertainment. The newly constructed Old Globe Shakespearean Theater represented something she'd dreamed of seeing in San Diego—a permanent home for serious theatrical productions.
The building itself was magnificent, designed to evoke Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre in London. Inside, Georgia watched a matinee performance and was transported back to her youth, when theater companies would occasionally tour through the frontier towns of her Canadian childhood.
Between acts, she explored the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages in the area between the Ford Building and the plaza. Each cottage represented a different nation among the twenty-one participating countries: Argentina, British Empire, Chile, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Germany, Honduras, Irish Free State, Italy, Japan, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Sweden, Uruguay, United States, and Yugoslavia.
Georgia spent time in the British Empire cottage, chatting with volunteers about her Canadian heritage. She was delighted to discover that her native Ontario was well-represented, and she shared stories of her immigration journey with younger visitors who had never left California.
At the Palace of Education, housed in the remodeled 1915 New Mexico Building, Georgia attended a lecture on literacy programs being implemented across America through New Deal initiatives. As a woman who valued education deeply and had ensured her daughter Emily received proper schooling, she found hope in these programs aimed at lifting Americans out of poverty through knowledge.
The Standard Oil Building's 108-foot "Tower to the Sun," inspired by pre-Columbian palaces in Yucatan and central Mexico, captured Georgia's imagination with its bold Mayan-inspired architecture. She stood before it, marveling at how San Diego—a city that had seemed so small and provincial when she first arrived in 1889—now showcased architectural styles from around the world.
1:00 PM - Family Reunion at the Cafe of the World
The family reunited for lunch at the Cafe of the World, one of four restaurants serving fairgoers. Despite the expense—more than they'd normally spend on a meal—Lyle insisted this was a special day deserving of special treatment.
As they ate, each shared their favorite discoveries:
Emily bubbled with enthusiasm about the Botanical Building and her conversation with the horticulturist. "I have so many ideas for our garden! We could expand the tropical aquarium section, and I want to try some of those fuchsias in the lath house."
Lyle described the Ford Building's marvels and his thrilling ride on the Roads of the Pacific. "Someday," he said thoughtfully, "we might own a V-8 automobile. It's not as impossible as it once seemed."
Betty talked rapidly about Hollywood glamour, Gold Gulch's Old West atmosphere, and the innovative garden designs she'd seen. "Everything feels so modern and exciting! It's like the whole world is changing right before our eyes."
Georgia, more measured but equally moved, spoke of the Old Globe Theater and her conversations in the International Cottages. "This Exposition isn't just about showing off," she reflected. "It's about bringing people together, sharing cultures, finding hope in progress. We needed this—San Diego needed this—to remember that even in hard times, beauty and culture matter."
Afternoon Adventures Together
After lunch, they explored as a family. They visited the California State Building, now the palace dedicated to California's history and achievements. Inside, exhibits detailed California's Spanish missions, the Gold Rush, agricultural development, and Hollywood's rise as the world's film capital.
At the Palace of Better Housing (today's Casa de Balboa), they examined model homes showcasing modern conveniences—electric refrigerators, gas stoves, modern plumbing. Emily and Lyle studied the layouts carefully, dreaming of future improvements to their own home.
The Standard Oil tower fascinated them all, and they climbed the stairs for a panoramic view of the Exposition and San Diego beyond. From this height, they could see how the city had grown, spreading east toward the mountains and south toward the Mexican border.
They watched the Firestone Singing Fountains in front of the Ford Building, where water jets danced in synchronized patterns. The landscaping around the pool spelled out "Firestone" in flowers—a marvel of horticultural advertising that Emily studied with professional interest.
Evening Magic
As the sun began setting, the Exposition transformed. The lighting experts had created what the Official Guide proclaimed as "the world's greatest nocturnal spectacle." Seven fingers of lights atop the Organ Amphitheater blazed against the darkening sky, and every building was outlined in electric illumination.
The family made their way to the Ford Music Bowl, the 3,000-seat clamshell amphitheater next to the Ford Building, where the San Diego Symphony Orchestra was performing a free concert. The music, broadcast by radio across America, filled the evening air with Beethoven and Brahms.
Georgia sat with tears in her eyes. "To think," she whispered, "that people all across the country are hearing this same music right now. What a marvel modern technology is."
Betty leaned against her mother's shoulder, tired but happy. Lyle held Emily's hand, both of them thinking of their garden at home, comparing it favorably to even the grandest displays they'd seen today.
9:00 PM - Heading Home
As they waited for the streetcar home, the family looked back at the illuminated Exposition grounds. Nearly 45,000 people had visited on opening day just two weeks earlier, and today's crowds had been nearly as impressive. They were part of the 4,784,811 people who would attend the Fair in 1935.
"Will you remember this day?" Lyle asked Betty.
"Forever," she promised. "When I'm old like Grandma, I'll tell my grandchildren about the year San Diego proved it could do anything."
Georgia chuckled. "I'm not that old, dear. But yes, this is a day worth remembering."
What Each Treasure Most
As the streetcar carried them home through the June night, each member of the Carringer family held their own special memories:
Emily carried a notebook full of horticultural inspiration that would enhance their famous Fern Street garden for years to come. The Botanical Building had validated her passion and expanded her vision. She'd learned that their garden wasn't just a backyard hobby—it was art, it was science, it was life itself made beautiful.
Lyle had witnessed the promise of American progress embodied in the sleek Ford Building and its celebration of technology. The sight of that V-8 engine being assembled and disassembled, the ride in the new Ford automobile, the vast March of Transportation mural showing humanity's journey from caves to spacecraft—all of it reinforced his belief that hard work and innovation could overcome even the Depression's darkness. He'd seen the future, and it was bright.
Betty had experienced glamour, adventure, and the exciting energy of a world in transformation. From Hollywood costumes to Gold Rush mining towns, from exotic gardens to miniature villages, she'd seen that life could be magical even in ordinary times. The Exposition had shown her that creativity and imagination could transform any space into wonder. These memories would influence her artistic sensibilities for the rest of her life.
Georgia had found cultural refinement and international connection in the Old Globe Theater and International Cottages. The Exposition reminded her of how far she'd traveled—from a small Canadian town to this beautiful California city hosting a world's fair. She'd seen twenty-one nations represented with dignity and respect, proof that even in Depression times, humanity could choose cooperation over conflict, beauty over despair, hope over surrender.
A Shared Legacy
But more than individual memories, the Carringer family carried home something shared: the knowledge that they lived in a special place at a special time. San Diego, their San Diego, was proving itself capable of remarkable things. The Exposition would eventually attract 7,220,000 visitors over its 377 days of operation in 1935 and 1936, bringing $37.7 million to the city and employing thousands during the depths of the Depression.
For a family weathering economic uncertainty with grace and determination, the Exposition represented validation of their own values: that beauty matters, that progress is possible, that communities can accomplish great things together, and that even in hard times, there is reason for hope.
As they walked the block from the streetcar stop at 30th and Ivy to their home at 2130 Fern Street, Lyle put his arm around Emily. "Thank you for today," he said quietly.
"Thank us all," Georgia corrected gently. "Days like this happen because families choose to make them happen, even when it's not easy."
Betty ran ahead to feed the goldfish in their pools, eager to tell them about the magnificent Botanical Building and all the wonders she'd seen. The fish, of course, were merely hungry—but Betty's enthusiasm made even their ordinary evening feeding feel like part of the day's grand adventure.
Inside their home, as Emily put on the kettle for tea and Georgia settled into her chair with a satisfied sigh, Lyle looked around at his family and his comfortable house and thought about the Exposition they'd visited. The fair celebrated progress and the promise of better times ahead. But for Lyle Carringer, sitting in his living room with his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law, the future was already here.
He had work in difficult times. He had a home they'd built themselves. He had a garden that rivaled anything at the Exposition. Most importantly, he had family who loved each other and faced life's challenges together.
The 1935 California Pacific International Exposition would run until November 11th, when Corporal Joe Galli of the 30th Infantry would play "Taps" from the roof of the Palace of Fine Arts, officially closing the first season. The fair would return for a second triumphant season in 1936. But the Carringer family wouldn't wait that long to return—they'd visit again in September, and again next year, each time finding new wonders and new inspiration.
For now, though, they had their memories of this perfect June Saturday, when San Diego celebrated itself and four members of the Carringer family celebrated being alive, together, in a city and time worth cherishing.
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The Google NotebookLM Video Overview of this story is below.
After I read these types of social history summaries, I wish that I could be a time traveler for one day to visit the Carringer family in San Diego in 1935 and witness their daily lives. I'm glad that the general lifestyles and occupations are known from historical records and eyewitness accounts.
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