BajaNomad

DIVING- HUSSONG- COLUMBIA- TREASURE-HISTORY

dean miller - 10-6-2006 at 08:56 AM

It no secret to most "vintage" divers that Hussong's was once a divers hang out. In the 1950 & the early 1960s it was a place that was "Muy Tranquillo." The music was Strauss Viennese walzes played by a group of locals in the corner. The Maggies were huge, served with a glass and the container they were mixed in (at least to the divers) -a few sips and the Cantina was transformed into another time and another place.

Walter Hussong who (I think) was Percy's son was a very knowldgeable experienced pioneer diver and a darn good one. It was only narural that divers of the 1950s and early 1960s would check in on the way south to check on conditions or on the way back to the states to report on the diving.

Walter and Bill Hogan who owned the Underwater Sports shop in Long Beach, California, teamed up in 1956 to salvage what silver remained in the Columbia which was in 200 plus feet of water in or near the La Paz harbor. (To place this in perspective self contained (aka SCUBA) diving was only five (5) years old in the US, equipment was rudimentary crude and dangerous use and unheard of in most of Mexico)

They dove it every day for a month returning with nothing but the ships bell which Bill located 50 feet from the wreck. They "did not find the silver" = and "were poverty stricken."

HOWEVER, There is an epilog to this tale..

With in a year of returning Bill managed to purchase two large lots at the base of the Belmont pier in Long Beach and establish a huge dive operation including one of the first training pools. He then divorced his wife, concurrently losing the dive operation in the process to her. Next he established a "Divers Bar" called "Hogans" which he gave away more than he sold, In about 1960-1 (?) he packed up and moved to Costa Rica where he remarried, raised a daughter and lived the life of a gentleman famer for most of the remainder of his years, departing to to the big reef in the sky about thre years ago--But--- He "never found the treasure of the Columbia."

Walter on the other hand was living the good life in Ensenada. He was aways at the bar always avaliable to drop every thing if he recognized you to "talk diving." However, the good life caused his demise-- He ran his new 1962 Corvette of the road and was no more ( a diving buddy from long ago thought at La Mission) --but Walter also maintained -- "never found the treasure of the Columbia."

I am not a supper duper pooper one line poster to this forum I am only a lowly newby who according to some never posts and thing of value therefore this post maybe garbage to some. However I would like to enlist the aid of the older interested knowledgeable members.

To wit:
I am not certain that Walter was a Hussong. Or even if Walter was his correct name, but Walter is a common Teutonic name and as I understand the Hussongs were from Austria, as verified by the Strauss waltzes. I think they still spoke German. Walter was certainly bicultural and bilingual and could have been tricultural and trilingual, I don't know or at this junction of life I can't recall.

It is also noted that he didn't appear of Latin origin. It is recognized there is the possiblity of recessive genes, so could he have been a relation to Ruben Pena clan of Ensenada commerical diving and of Scuba-pro manufacturing fame? I don't know!

At present have not discovered a way to verify Walter's Mexican geneology.

Is there any one on this board who can offer assistance? Would appreciate valid comments or suggestions--one liners need not clutter the postings.

Thank you in advance for any and all assistance you can provide,

DM

Cypress - 10-6-2006 at 09:51 AM

1956 era scuba gear at 200+ feet!:O:wow: Every day for a month.:O They where lucky to have walked away from that with there lives.:spingrin:

dean miller - 10-6-2006 at 12:10 PM

It was a time when divers were divers not card & certification collectors...a different time and a different place.

Hogan was an ex WW11 US Navy salvage diver; Walter's training or experience was unknown--but he had guts!

The same year 1956, Morgan, Parks & Miller all Californians + Peter
Gimble a New Yorker from the Gimble department store family dove and recovered objects from the recently sunk Andrea Doria at 200 foor plus.

DM

Martyman - 10-6-2006 at 12:14 PM

I sure am glad they don't play waltzes in Hussongs anymore. Bring on the ranchero accordion!

dean miller - 10-6-2006 at 01:11 PM

" Would appreciate valid comments or suggestions--one liners need not clutter the postings."

Martyman,
Your comments are noted

DM

FARASHA - 10-6-2006 at 04:06 PM

HM, I'm trying to find out if HUSSONG is in any way a twisted version of an Common Austrian Familyname. Or an German, or Swiss.
Dean do you know if it was written orginally HUSSONG??
It almost sounds to me rather like a swiss origin this name - like HUS is usual meant HAUS / HOUSE in Switzerdeutsch.
Maybe HUS SONG is a MADEUP name?? from an Swiss name and SONG as in sing a song?? Sounds maybe stupid,but many emigrants did this with their names!!

Diving -Hussongs- Columbia -Treasure -History

dean miller - 10-8-2006 at 06:45 AM

Thanks Farasha & Don Jorge.

I just signed on to the forum and would like to acknowledge your very informative responses... I had anticipated that I would have been over whelmed with responses from this forum's Bajaphiles but it evidenty the question like Hussongs of the 1950s was "another time and another place" devoid of their common awareness of until now micro Baja history...

Yes! Don Jorge, Nothing but memories at this point in our lives--

Thanks again to both of you ,

DM

FARASHA - 10-8-2006 at 07:04 AM

HUS SONGS - HAUS GESANG; a typical family activity WAAAAY Back. Family sitting together and enjoying music and singing together.
I THINK the name is an abbrevation of this activity, rather then a REAL name. Although many people changed their names according to a business etc...when leaving their homes, ie migrate to other places.
Was a pleasure Dean !!

[Edited on 8-10-2006 by FARASHA]

chino - 10-8-2006 at 07:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by dean miller
It no secret to most "vintage" divers that Hussong's was once a divers hang out. In the 1950 & the early 1960s it was a place that was "Muy Tranquillo." Walter Hussong who (I think) was Percy's son was a very knowldgeable experienced pioneer diver and a darn good one. It was only narural that divers of the 1950s and early 1960s would check in on the way south to check on conditions or on the way back to the states to report on the diving.

Walter and Bill Hogan who owned the Underwater Sports shop in Long Beach, California, teamed up in 1956 to salvage what silver remained in the Columbia which was in 200 plus feet of water in or near the La Paz harbor. (To place this in perspective self contained (aka SCUBA) diving was only five (5) years old in the US, equipment was rudimentary crude and dangerous use and unheard of in most of Mexico)

They dove it every day for a month returning with nothing but the ships bell which Bill located 50 feet from the wreck. They "did not find the silver" = and "were poverty stricken."

HOWEVER, There is an epilog to this tale..


DM

I remember, as a kid, in the 60's my Dad droped his truck keys off of the old wodden pier in Ensenada and the place to find a diver was up at Hussongs. The keys were recovered and there was a party that nite, you know where!

dean miller - 10-8-2006 at 09:40 AM

It was not me!

If a Mexican it was probably Walter or one of Ruben Pena's relatives or divers, since Ruben had a "contract" to do all the commerical diving in the harbor.

However since you went to Hussongs I would guess it was Walter or or one of his local diver friends.

If a Gringo - ?Quien Sabe?

Thanks for the additional information -- Appreciated!
DM

Sallysouth - 10-8-2006 at 08:48 PM

I met John and his (then) wife Sharon and young son(Juan, I believe,of course) many years ago.(30 or so) They were intruduced to us by the Saad Family of Ensenada.As I recall, we were told that the Hussong family was of Russian origin.

dean miller - 10-10-2006 at 08:52 AM

Sally South,

I appreciate your recollection and sharing it with me and the board.

As a student of history I would question the Hussongs being of Russian heritiage. There were very few migrations from Russia in the 1800s other than the Jewish population which were under less than ideal conditions as a result of the horrible state -Tsar induced persecutions. The majority of the Jewish who unexpectedly departed Russia headed for the US landing at and many remaining in New York City. (remember Fiddler on the roof?)

However, in the early 1900s a group of Russians, of a particular religious sect were also expelled and settled in Baja's Guadalupe Valley between Tecate and Ensenada. In the early 1950s I recall first visiting the valley and seeing the natives in their white tunics and long beards. With in ten years the Mexican Goverment allowed Mexican squatters to also settle in and around Guadalupe and aquire land that was thought to be owned by the Russians. Once agan they were forced off their land...

My last visit to the area about 5 years ago there was only three orginal Russian families remaining in and around Guadalupe. By the way FYI these remaining Russians maintain a great hertiage museum in an originial Russian home--one of the few perhaps the last remaining Russian buildings--Certainly worth a visit.

Some went to TJ others to Ensenada...one member of the sect "Alexandro???" settled on the road to La Buffadora and established the very sucessful Campo La Jolla.

A large group migrated to the US and established a church off the 5 freeway near East LA. As many who migrate to the US they soon began dispersing into the culture and aquiring the traits and habits of "Americans."

Immediately after the Korean war I entered into my first commerical venture. One of my first employees was a lovely young lady who was having difficulties obtaining a position in aero-space industry. Seems she had been born in 1940 on the old highway at La Mission, in the back of a 1936 Ford as her father drove franticly towards the US so she would be a US Citizen. They didn't make it with her but they did a few years later with her sister's birth. She therefore was an Mexican emigree who spoke English, Spanish and Russian at the height of the US - Russian "cold war"

Her cousin who's hertiage can also traced to the Russian Guadalupe settlement was the Great NBA Basket ball player John Havachec (Spelling!)

The Mexican take-over and expulsion of the Russians in Guadalupe occured in the late 1950s. Accordingly, allowing a few years; 2006-1960 =46 years ago, your meeting was 30 years ago would indicate that Sharon was around 16 plus or minus a few years when the great expulsion occured

Therefore, I would suggest that perhaps John's wife Sharon's family was from Guadalupe and possiby of Russian hertiage. But then again
...............??Quein Sabe??

The current member of this board if they have been following this thread now probably know more about the gennealogy and heritage of the Hussongs than they do of their own familys genealogy and heritage.

DM

MamaMaria2six - 5-1-2007 at 12:40 PM

I would like to add... as a granddaughter to the HUSSONG family--- that they( my great grandfather JOHAN migrated from GERMANY--. He had four sons.... and one daughter.
We also have RUSSIAN realitives (by marriage) who still in Ensenada by the last name of KOTKOFF.

David K - 5-1-2007 at 04:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Don Jorge
the memories. Most of my time at Hussongs was spent after the waltz and before the Norteņo era. We were a ragmuffin group of ocean loving folk, waterman to some degree or other.

Johan Hussong founded Hussongs after immigrating from Germany and arriving in Ensenada via new York. Had four sons, John, Richard, Percy and Walter- From there they had sons and named them after each other and I always get confused trying to remember who belongs to whom. Those huge maggies are the constant.

Try contacting John Hussongs via email at the Quintas Papagayo hotel which he owns and is located just north of Ensenada. www.hussongs.com

Good luck and keep the dive stories coming.


Walt Hussong was a guest at my Viva Baja #4 party in 2003 and he is/ was the owner of Quintas Papagayo and has a home at San Carlos hot springs.