The American west is one of the great areas in which the real west and the mythological west can be diametrically opposed. This month, we talk about two Scots who played a role in both. One is Hugo Reid, the other Andy Clyde.

Hugo Reid was born in Cardross, Dunbartinshire, Scotland on 18 April 1811. Reid had an unfortunate love affair, as a result of which caused him to decide to leave Scotland ay age 18, and travel to the “New World”. In the latter part of the 1620, he started a trading post in Hermosillio in Mexico with a business partner, William Keith. (Hermosillio is located in Sonora the northern part of Mexico which is found just south of Arizona).

In 1832, he visited the city of Los Angeles, which was then in Alta Mexico and not part of the United States. He met a woman who came from the Gabrieleño peoples, one of the Native peoples from the are. She had been named Victoria Bartolomea Comicrabit at the Mission San Gabriel.

Reid and his wife were granted land of just less that 13,500 acres. The grant was substantiated in 1845 by Pio Pico, the governor of Alta California. Unfortunately from 1846 to 1847 the California Campaign was being waged by the US against Alta California, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga. The hostilities between the US and Alta California was over. The US however rejected the grant made to Reid and his wife.

Reid was unhappy with the treatment of the indigenous populations by Franciscan who administered the missions there. He wrote a series of letters or articles describing the language and culture of the Gabrieleño people. These were published in the Los Angeles Star newspaper in 1852. These writings were published in book form in a rather limited edition in 1926 and again in 1939. Some felt that Reid had been prompted to this unusual action by a desire to become an Indian agent in the area.

Reid died on Dec. 12^th 1852 and was buried in Our Lady Queens of Angel Church in Los Angeles. However, the body has been moved (twice) once to the Campo Santo (cemetery) on North Broadway where Cathedral High School now stands. Later the body was moved to East Los Angeles, where it was buried in the new Calvary Cemetery.

Hugo Reid is remembered in Hugo Reid Park, located on S Michillinda Ave & Hugo Reid Drive in Arcadia, California.

Now, on the other side of the coin we have Andy Clyde, another Scot – this one born March 25^th 1892 in Blairgowrie in Perthshire, Scotland.

He came to the United States and became an actor appearing in Mack Sennett comedies. As his career developed, he took on secondary parts often as a sidekick to the lead actor.

One of the things that Clyde is certainly remembered for is his performances in the “Hopalong Cassidy” films and programs. He appeared in 36 of the 66 Hopalong Cassidy as “California Carlson”, sidekick to William Boyd’s Hopalong as they had their adventures through the old West. If that weren’t enough of the old West, Clyde also appeared in many other westerns including Annie Oakley, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Tales of Wells Fargo, Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and the long lived Gunsmoke. His last performance in the T.V. series Lassie. Altogether, Clyde’s resume contains over 300 performances!

Andy’s brother, David, appeared also came to the U.S, and became an actor appearing in a number of films including some Boston Blackie and Sherlock Holmes films. Their sister Jean also did a turn as an actress, appearing in three British productions.

So here we have two Scots, both of whom have a strong involvement with the American West – one of whom played a role in the changes that occurred in California as the area transfers from Mexico to the United States. The other has been involved in the depiction of the American West in films.

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