| The Palo Alto History Project |
| Accidents at Town & Country Embarcadero Road and El Camino Real |
| Remembering Two Local Tragedies Town & Country Village has had a long and successful run as a prominent Palo Alto shopping center, but two freak accidents have marred the mall’s history. The first came in 1960 at T & C’s old miniature amusement park called Playtown and involved the son of Frank Freidel. A Harvard professor known for an extensive biography of Franklin Roosevelt, Frank was a fellow at Stanford for the summer. As the new school year approached, Professor Freidel was in the process of driving cross-country back to Harvard with his oldest son, David. On August 21st, his wife Madeleine and her three youngest boys were scheduled to fly back to meet him at their Belmont, Massachusetts home. Before the flight at 11 AM, Madeleine took the boys to Playtown at Town & Country. As she was standing in line to buy tickets for a miniature train ride, Phillip, who was just three and a half, wandered off and sat down on the tracks. Moments later, Playtown’s miniature train came around a curve in the track, driven by 17 year old Harold Huthmacher --- grandson of Playtown's manager. Harold had just turned around to see if his other small passengers were sitting down, when he turned back to see that ten feet in front of him, Phillip was sitting on the track. He slammed on the brakes so hard the train derailed. He attempted to jump from the train to reach the boy, but Phillip was struck head-on. He suffered massive head and leg injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Palo Alto-Stanford Hospital. Eight years later, another freak accident occurred at Town & Country --- this time involving an automobile. 64 year-old Audrey Haughey was attempting to park her friend's car in front of the S. Christian of Copenhagen glassware and home furnishings store, when her foot slipped off the brake and pushed the accelerator. The car lurched forward knocking 68 year-old Menlo Park resident Herman Ramhurst and his wife Marguerite through the store’s plate glass window and splintering a heavy wooden roof support beam. As the pillar crashed down, it pinned Mr. Ramhurst’s chest until he was able to be removed by Palo Alto police. He was pronounced DOA at Stanford Hospital due to major chest injuries. His wife escaped with only minor injuries. Two accidents in Palo Alto’s history --- long forgotten by many, but doubtlessly seismic events in the lives of those involved. -Matt Bowling |
| "I was on the phone looking out of my office window on the 2nd floor directly across from S.Christian of Copenhagen store when the gentleman drove his car over the bumper guard and knocked another person through the glass window. I saw the whole thing as it happened and hung up and ran over to the car and 2 or 3 of us lifted the car off the guy and waited for the para medics. As I recall there was a nurse who happened by and helped out." -Ron |
| Memories added by readers: |
| A fuzzy Palo Alto Times photo of the car that crashed into the S. Christian of Copenhagen store |
| Freidel's biography of FDR |
| Frank Freidel, whose son Phillip died in a freak accident at Town & Country Village |
| Another aged Palo Alto Times photo of Herman Ramhurst being taken to Stanford Hospital |
| Sources: Palo Alto Times, Palo Alto Historical Association |
