The Nation: Historicity Denied

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Mrs. Emma Wygal of La Habra, Calif., was owed some past-due payments on a land sale, and she asked a young local lawyer to collect them for her. He did, and charged her only $5 for his services. The year was 1939, and the fledgling attorney was Richard Nixon. Not long ago, a group of La Habra citizens concluded that the site of that transaction ought to be preserved, so they collected some money, titled themselves Nixon Law Office Preservation, Inc., and applied to the California Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee to have the building designated a historic landmark.

Out of the question, said the committee, because the site lacks "statewide significance and impact." After some research, the La Habra group found that other sites that have been approved include "a place where a bandit was hanged and the grave of a camel driver," and decided to appeal the decision.