"Capt." Pete Van Horn exemplifies what makes Mentone California such a great place.

Описание: Another wonderful thing about growing up in Mentone was there was never a lack of colorful people. Near the very top of the list is “Capt.” Pete Van Horn.
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Disclaimer: I never got to know Pete , however I remember meeting him a number of times (he was a very likeable guy) and we lived less than a quarter mile from each other for many years, but we did have mutual friends, so his story is a combination of memories and research.
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Pete grew up in “the rich people’s neighborhood” just off Sunset in Redlands. His Dad was a VIP in the citrus industry, and was even President of the Orange Show once. Pete graduated from Redlands High and went to Viet Nam. When he returned he opened a second hand/antique store near Inland Ford, and just down the street from a bar named “Fathers Also”. (more about that later). When the Redlands City fathers chose a Mall over those wonderful old buildings, all those businesses went away.
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I understand he lived in “Downtown Mentone” until he bought his “dream house” for about $35,000 on Garnet Rd. (AKA Greenspot Rd.)
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It was a couple of years later that we noticed the property was changing. It was easy to watch because you could see it from Mentone Blvd. One day the rooster that once adorned the exterior of Fathers Also appeared on the roof of the house. I remember seeing it the first time, and I liked it much more than my wife did. I remember her saying “He must have a VERY understanding wife”
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The property then began to quickly evolve. The next item that appeared was a HUGE statue of Paul Bunyan. And then the head of the Statue of Liberty with light bulbs in the eyes. Then a Beechcraft 18 was on the roof of another building. A collection of boat motors started lining the fence, street signs started appearing. When my kids were small we would pull into the well worn turnout across the street and admire the collection. (“admire” was not exactly the verb my wife used).
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In researching this I found a TV news story and a clip from a (so called) “reality” show. I also found the Paul Bunyan Ranch Facebook page with many pictures. I combined all my discoveries into the video clip attached.