Published in the Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mike Monroe
Mike Monroe
Replica of the Wright Flyer at the San Martin Wings of History Air Museum
During the Labor Day weekend, my wife and I traveled to Yosemite National Park. And while we did visit the valley, most of our time was spent in the Wawona area which was much more calm and relaxing than the hustle and bustle of the valley.
Our accommodations were at a small bed and breakfast in Fish Camp near the southern entrance of the park. As usual, my conversation with the proprietors turned to history, especially when the topic of old recreational vehicle’s came up. Not only did the couple who owned the B&B collect Model T Fords, but the husband worked for many years in the travel trailer business. Of course, I could not let the discussion pass without talking about Irv Perch and his Aristocrat Travel Trailer business he founded in Morgan Hill in 1958.
By coincidence, we were having some cabinet work done for our kitchen in one of the buildings that was at one time the administrative offices for the Aristocrat company. The next time you drive by the intersection of Church Street and San Pedro Avenue, look for the industrial complex that is now home to many small businesses residing where, at one time, over 170,000 travel trailers were manufactured until 1970. So I just could not resist telling the story of Mr. Perch as we sat visiting at the B&B. He was one of Morgan Hill’s more unforgettable characters and as the Mercury News remembered him – a “perpetual entrepreneur.”
Mr. Perch’s travel trailer business was very successful, thereby allowing him to pursue a variety of collecting hobbies including old cars and planes. His wife, Jan Perch, was an avid aviator, and the couple decided to sell the Aristocrat company and used the proceeds to invest in a 200-acre parcel known as “Hill Country” located at the eastern end of Maple Avenue. The Perch’s built a fine dining establishment called the Flying Lady Restaurant which include a small golf course, an airplane landing strip, and museums to hold all of his collections. One of his most prized possessions was a 1929 Ford Trimotor plane that appeared in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”
The San Martin Airport is now the sole remaining airfield in South County, serving private plane enthusiasts since 1972. A number of other airstrips have existed in and around Gilroy and Morgan Hill. The most well known was the Morgan Hill Airport, which was built in the late 1940’s just off of Cochrane Road near where Walmart is today. It was carved out of prune orchards and operated until the 1970’s when the new U.S. 101 freeway was under construction.
Another notable airfield story is the one of Leo Garbini as related in Donna Brodsky’s book San Martin – Then and Now. Mr. Garbini owned a garage at the corner of Highland Avenue and Monterey Road where he engaged in the auto and tractor repair business during the 1930s. He was also passionate about airplanes, owning several including a Curtiss Jenny.
Adjacent to the garage was a 20-acre landing strip that had been designated for airmail drop-off and, during World War II, as an emergency landing field. His parents had purchased land off of Murphy Avenue in 1915 which would later become the San Martin Airport.
There will be stories galore to share when we visit the Wings of History Museum — everything from the Aristocrat Land Liner to Leo’s deHavilland Gypsy Moth.
Join me for a tour of the museum and conversations about all the wonderful planes on exhibit in San Martin.
Mike Monroe is a business owner and naturalist. He is a docent for Santa Clara County Parks.
