Though scarcely more than a decade old, the city of Torrance was humming during the 1920s. Major industrial plants had set up shop there, employing thousands of workers, and developers were kept plenty busy trying to build enough housing for them Many of the workers from outside the area who commuted to their jobs atContinue reading “Torrance planners struggled for years to connect Cabrillo and Eshelman avenues”
Author Archives: Sam Gnerre
Redondo Beach dive shop owner searched for hidden treasure – and found it
One can almost picture Mel Fisher on his father’s Torrance chicken farm dreaming of a more exciting life. Born on Aug. 12, 1922, the World War II Army Corps of Engineers vet had moved to California after the war from Indiana, where he had attended Purdue University. While in the army, he’d been stationed nearContinue reading “Redondo Beach dive shop owner searched for hidden treasure – and found it”
Torrance hog farms became community nuisances as the area’s population grew
Looking around at the South Bay landscape today, it’s hard to imagine it as the thriving agricultural area it once was in the first half of the 20th century. Dairy farms once dotted the landscape. Giant greenhouses near present-day 190th St. and Western Ave. raised and sold orchids and gardenias renowned nationwide, and the PalosContinue reading “Torrance hog farms became community nuisances as the area’s population grew”
Remembering when Western Airlines was “the only way to fly”
If you lived on the West Coast and watched television in the 1960s and 1970s, you couldn’t miss the Wally Bird commercials. In the ads, the animated spokes-bird for Western Airlines reclined on pillows on a company plane’s fuselage while drinking champagne, a reference to the airline’s popular in-flight champagne service. His signature slogan: “WesternContinue reading “Remembering when Western Airlines was “the only way to fly””
Pioneering architect Julia Morgan designed the San Pedro YWCA headquarters in 1918
The San Pedro YWCA was formed during the World War I era to give young women devoting themselves to supporting the war effort a place to live and find community. Those goals were totally in keeping with the ideals of the original Young Women’s Christian Assocation, which was founded in London, England in 1855. PhilanthropistContinue reading “Pioneering architect Julia Morgan designed the San Pedro YWCA headquarters in 1918”
The Harden Estate gatehouse in Portuguese Bend housed a pair of famous tenants in the 1960s
The Harden Estate gatehouse in Portuguese Bend was built to be the gateway to a larger house that was never built. For nearly 100 years, it has stood guard over a mostly empty parcel of land behind it. Just across Palos Verdes Drive South from the gatehouse lies Narcissa Drive, the road that leads toContinue reading “The Harden Estate gatehouse in Portuguese Bend housed a pair of famous tenants in the 1960s”
The burgeoning city of Torrance tries to deal with its growing trash problem in the 1950s
The front-page headline in the Torrance Press screamed it out with one giant word: “RATS.” The newspaper, known for its sensationalism, had been going all in on addressing a variety of concerns expressed by nearby residents over the Torrance City Dump. The dump, located on a large plot of barren land at the southwest cornerContinue reading “The burgeoning city of Torrance tries to deal with its growing trash problem in the 1950s”
Lisa Leslie’s status as a generational basketball talent became clear at Morningside High
On Feb. 8, 1990, Morningside High center Lisa Leslie scored 101 points in a prep basketball game against South High of Torrance. In the first half. The 6-foot-5 senior’s attempt to break the record of 105 points in a game, set by Cheryl Miller of Riverside Poly High in 1982, no doubt would have succeededContinue reading “Lisa Leslie’s status as a generational basketball talent became clear at Morningside High”
The 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Hill put aviation in the spotlight
What if I were to tell you that a French pilot had flown an airplane from a dusty hillside on the outskirts of Carson to the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia and back, safely? I’m guessing you’d be underwhelmed by the 45-mile trip, but tens of thousands of spectators gathered on Dominguez Hill just eastContinue reading “The 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Hill put aviation in the spotlight”
On vacation
The South Bay History blog is on vacation this week. I won’t be adding a new post on Friday, Nov. 1. My next new post will go up on Friday, Nov. 8th. Thanks for reading!
