Los Angeles, California: Kilted Since 1832

[Riverkilt]

So you guys have me reading Calloway's "White People, Indians, and Highlanders."

I'm wrapping up and back on page 234 I find, "Hugo Reid, originally from Cardross (north of the Clyde), came to America as a sailor and jumped ship at Los Angeles in 1832. He married a Gabrielino Indian woman named Victoria and adopted her children, who took his surname and evidently also took to wearing kilts."

No details other than that tease...footnotes go to old stuff.

But DANG!!! 177 years of kilting in Los Angeles....something to celebrate - who'd have ever thunk it??

Whoa!! Googled the guy and here's a whole bunch of info http://www.laokay.com/halac/HugoReidAdobe.htm Looks like they named a school after him too.

Ron

[GMan]

Perhaps we should have a Kilt day in LA to celebrate!

[KFCarter]

I read that, but didn't follow-up... thanks Ron, for posting that great link!

[Riverkilt]

Found this on ElectricScotland

In Hispanic California, for example, Hugo Reid, originally from Cardross, married a wealthy Gabrieleno woman, Doña Victoria. By this union he inherited two ranchos and two adopted sons, Felipe and José, who soon sported imported kilts and went by the surname Reid.

[macwilkin]

Fernec Szaz's Scots in the North American West 1790-1917 (University of Oklahoma Press, 2000) also discusses the "Scots Piasano of Los Angeles" in some detail.

Regards,

Todd

[Sionnach]

Holy cow, what a history! and to think that I used to live in the Highland Park area of LA, right next to Pasadena. Must have been the same land as Reid's Ranch.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Another Reid came from Scotland and got married in Laprairie near Montreal , Canada on February 11 , 1713.

His name is Jean Reid (notice the French translation of John...), son of David Reid and Elisabeth McKinnon, both of Inverness.

So that would make it, err, almost 300 years of kilting in Montreal !

Go Canada !


Best,

Robert

[Bugbear]

Well... The Scottish immigrants of the past have left an impression on America, and have made a piece of what America's culture is today right along with everyone else. I just don't see how this can be disputed.

Clearly by this storry or account, there has been mixing of both trible and American culture with Scottish culture going way, way back. I plan on remembering that!

[hospitaller]

Well... The Scottish immigrants of the past have left an impression on America, and have made a piece of what America's culture is today right along with everyone else.

Yes, same thing in Chile and Argentina, also in america.

.

[cessna152towser]

Great story, Ron, the Scots seem to have gone far and wide.
I even have a second cousin in Santa Barbera CA and another in Honolulu, Hawaii.