Surf City’s first baker, John H. Eader

A LOOK BACK

Recently, I met up with former City Councilman Ralph Bauer and his

wife Charlene on Main Street and was reminded by them that the 100th

anniversary of the Huntington Beach City School District was coming

up shortly.

So this week I though I would again write about the person whose

name graces its entrance.

When it came to making bread John Howard Eader sure knew how to

make it. John and his bakery made the breads and pastries for

Huntington Beach for 56 years.

It was on George Washington’s birthday that he was born in 1887 in

Brownsville, Tenn. John came from a family of nine children -- four

boys and five girls. Of Scotch-Irish, Welsh, English and German

descent, John acquired the best qualities of each.

Since he was 12 years old, John had been earning his own way in

life. So hard work was no stranger to his fine man.

In 1903 John left Brownsville and came to California to live in

Los Angeles, where he took on several odd jobs around Los Angeles

area for six years.

It was on Friday, April 1, 1909 that John rolled into Huntington

Beach to work in a bakery here that was owned by his brother-in-law

Raymond Keyzer.

John fell in love with this tiny seaside community from the start

and would remain here for the rest of his life.

His brother-in-law sold the bakery to Pete Larsen in September of

1910. But friction developed between Larsen and John and after

working in Larsen’s bakery for one month John quit his job and went

to work for the Venice Bay City Bakeries.

But his love for Huntington Beach was to strong and on Dec. 23,

1910 he moved back to the town he loved. John bought Larsen’s bakery

and set up his own bakery. Not only did he bake bread, pies and

cakes, he also drove a horse and wagon delivering them to the

neighboring farming towns of Bolsa, Smeltzer, Talbert, Westminster

and Wintersburg twice each week.

Surf City resident Bill Gallienne went to work at Eader’s bakery

in September of 1911 and not only did they mix the bread dough for

Eader’s famous butterfly bread, they also entertained the early

risers in town by singing popular songs of the day.

Longtime Huntington Beach resident Arline Howard, a relative of

Gallienne, told me she too worked at Eader’s bakery.

As a line in a popular song goes, “ ... and a man must have a

mate,” so it was also true for John. For on Oct. 21, 1911 that John

married Minnie Lee Clark and the two of them worked side-by-side at

the bakery.

Their new home was located in back of the bakery at 110 5th St.

and their bakery was located at 111 Main St. In April 1913 their

first daughter, Charlotte, was born. In time, five more children

would come along -- Howard, Eddie, Marjorie, Lois and Robert. Whereas

John was born on Washington’s birthday, Howard and Robert were born

on Lincoln’s birthday.

John and Minnie bought a new home at 411 9th St. on April 26, 1916

and John would remain there for the rest of his life.

When World War I started drafting men into service, John had the

distinction of being the second man from all of Orange County to be

called up.

He was a member of our elementary school board from 1921 to 1933

and had the distinction of handing each of his children their

graduation diplomas.

When John first opened his bakery all the bread dough was mixed by

hand, but as time went by he mixed the dough using a gasoline engine

and still later electricity was the motive power to mix the stiff

dough.

I can remember seeing a photo of John and Minnie baking fish

outdoors for the Grand Army of the Republic.

In 1925 John had the old bakery building torn down and had

constructed a more modern building at the same location. That

building lasted until redevelopment demolished it in 1992.

Eader’s bakery supplied all the baked goods for not only the Grand

Army of the Republic encampments here, but also supplied the baked

goods to the Methodist Camp meetings here too.

In June of 1942 John relocated his bakery to 209 Main St. and

throughout the 1950s Eader’s Bakery was a familiar sight on Main

Street. John served as a director in our Chamber of Commerce in the

early years and was also a member in our Masonic Lodge No. 380 and he

was a Shriner and a member in our Rotary Club. He served five years

on our library board too.

It was on May 11, 1965 that John left us after 56 years in the

town he loved best, Howard told me. She told me that the service was

handled by our Masonic Lodge and was at the Methodist church. The

Rev. Shaw conducted the service, Janet Clapp was soloist and Edna

Conrad played the organ.

Today the name John Eader lives on in a school named for our

town’s most famous baker.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.