Originally K Street, this road was renamed in 1917, supposedly in memory of Captain Willard Kittredge (1829-1886), proprietor of San Fernando’s first hotel. The press often misspelled his name “Kittridge” – and his tombstone reads “Kitteridge”! – so the discrepancy is allowable. At any rate, Willard Kittredge was born in Maine, came to California in 1851 to be a miner, then joined the Army in 1861. He was stationed in Salt Lake City, where he married 19-year-old poet Daisy Wiley in 1866. They moved to Wilmington the following year and Willard became a hotelier. Daughter Charmian was born in 1871 – more on her in a moment. Willard opened the Railroad House Hotel in 1874 during San Fernando’s rowdy young days, and opened another hotel (Kittredge House) in 1877. That would prove to be a grim year, with Daisy dying of consumption, Charmian being sent off to Oakland to be raised by her aunt and uncle, and Willard going bankrupt and losing his hotel. He spent his later years fighting ill health, while his daughter grew up to be a writer, feminist, and bohemian. In 1905, Charmian Kittredge married The Call of the Wild author Jack London (1876-1916) and would edit and promote his later work. She died in 1955.
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