Close to the center of Solvang—near enough to invite tourist parking during weekend festivals—sits a lovely but modest home owned by Leo and Mary Mathiasen. Along with their house, the Mathiasens moved to this neighborhood in 1961, when Solvang was a small community but brimming with Danish heritage.
Leo and Mary purchased their house from the Santa Ynez Valley Bank (now Rabobank, on First and Copenhagen), who wanted it relocated right away to make room for a parking lot.
Today it is flanked by tidy homes with flower gardens, well-tended lawns, flagpoles and porch chairs.
Yet when they first arrived, the Mathiasens were practically in the country. “This was the end of the line,” says Leo, pointing out the window.
“There was a barn here and a cabin there, but only a few houses.” Nearly 50 years later, in anticipation of Solvang’s upcoming 100th anniversary, the Mathiasens reflect upon the community they helped create and upon how much has changed since that day in 1960 when Leo interviewed for a job as Secretary-Manager of the Solvang Municipal Improvement District (SMID).
Solvang welcomed the Mathiasens, both descendents of Danish immigrants. Originally from the Midwest, the couple met at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1948. “It was a wonderful school, small and close-knit,” says Mary.
“A lot of folks had Danish backgrounds.” The Mathiasens were not among total strangers when they arrived in Solvang. Mary’s aunt, Sorine Jensen, lived in Solvang, as did many acquaintances the couple made while at Grand View College.
“We renewed our friendships when we came to Solvang,” Mary says. Leo explained that the town began growing as a tourist destination shortly after WWII when the community was featured in an article in the Saturday Evening Post. At that time Solvang operated entirely under county jurisdiction, but in order to fund much-needed public improvement projects like a community sewer and water system, the Solvang Municipal Improvement District was formed.
Local leaders lobbied the State of California for help, and in 1951 the needed legislation was passed, giving SMID the power to sell bonds to finance public projects. SMID also effectively took care of whatever management the community needed on the local level. During the 25 years that Leo worked for SMID as its first and only Secretary-Manager, he was always on call—often seven days a week.
“The first couple years, I did it all: read the meters, wrote bills, did repairs, made budgets,” Leo recalls. A week into the job, on the day of his 33rd birthday, Leo got a call that the sewer was overflowing. “That was my first real sewer-cleaning job,” he says. On that day and on those succeeding, Leo gained intensive on-the-job training. “I did whatever it took to keep the system running, and people taken care of.”
The floods of 1969 stand out in Leo’s mind as the most challenging time in SMID history because sewer lines washed out and many district utilities were completely destroyed.
Leo had a small staff, so it took several months, and some federal government assistance, to get the infrastructure replaced. Conversely, one of Leo’s funniest memories came from a year of light flooding, when the road out to the wastewater treatment plant was impassable by vehicle.
“We got a dingy and rowed across the river to get to the treatment plant.
We did that for a while until the boat capsized,” Leo recounts. He remembers the joke that kept his crew laughing for months afterward: “We had our own navy until we sunk our ship, and the captain went down with it.”
Solvang’s municipal building, public parking district and public rest rooms rank high on Leo’s list of SMID accomplishments. In addition, he emphasized the cooperative relationship between the SMID board and Santa Barbara County, which resulted in many public improvement projects.
Hans Christian Andersen Park was one of these, jointly purchased by Santa Barbara County and the Solvang Community. “Those were great investments in the future,” Leo affirms. In 1985 Solvang became a city, and Leo was appointed the City Administrator.
The structure of his job began to shift at this point, requiring less hands-on work in the field and more office-bound administration. Leo retired from this position in 1989 but did not quit working full time until 1996. He was mayor of Solvang in 1994 and 1999.
Commenting on the many nights and weekends spent working during his years of employment, Leo declares, “It helps when you love what you do and you are part of it.
I always considered myself a stakeholder. It was my community. I lived here and I wanted the best for it.” While Leo worked in city management, Mary held the position of Attendance Clerk at Solvang Elementary School for 24 years, between 1973 and 1997.
“She was like a grandma to a lot of kids,” muses Leo. Mary nods her head and beams, “It was wonderful. I just loved it.” Throughout the years, the Mathiasens have multiplied their friendships and acquaintances through participation in many groups, including Bethania Lutheran Church, where they have been members for 50 years, and Atterdag Village (formerly the Solvang Lutheran Home), where Leo has served on the board for 40 years.
Leo attends many city council meetings, where he shares his opinion on public decisions, and Mary is a docent at the Elverhoj Museum. For the Mathiasens, the premier event of the year is Danish Days.
During his years of SMID, Leo monitored parking for the event, and they were Grand Marshals in 2006. In recent years, Leo has joined the aebleskiver team, making Solvang’s distinctive Danish pancake balls for the outdoor breakfast served during the event.
Between gatherings, events and frequent breakfasts at Solvang Restaurant, the Mathiasens stay active at home, enjoying the many remodeling projects that have improved the house since its journey across town back in the ’60s. Out in the yard, flowers are blooming in bright arrangements and sunlight spills in on the couple.
Of their many years together, Leo and Mary at 83 and 80 have only fond memories.
“Time goes so quickly. Everything has gone well, that’s the main thing,” Mary says. Leo agrees, “It has been a great ride.” He looks at Mary and then says with a smile, “Solvang is a great place to be.” It is fitting that the city’s centennial celebration corresponds with Leo and Mary’s 60th wedding anniversary.
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