The Keystone area as it exists today roughly encompasses a triangular portion of west Carson north of 228th St. and between the 110 and 405 freeways. (Some also identify the county area to the west between the L.A. city strip and the 110 as being Keystone as well.) It’s a fairly small slice of theContinue reading “Present-day Carson was once known as Keystone”
Author Archives: Sam Gnerre
Even without that period, the George F Canyon nature preserve is still wondrous
No one knows definitively why George F Canyon, which runs west from Palos Verdes Drive East in Rolling Hills Estates to the Rolling Hills border, officially has no period after the “F” in its name. In addition, no one seems quite sure as to whom “George F” refers. Several theories on both have been putContinue reading “Even without that period, the George F Canyon nature preserve is still wondrous”
How Torrance came to establish its own water distribution system
Real estate developer Jared Sidney Torrance had a lot on his plate as he prepared to establish the city of Torrance in 1911. After his initial purchase of $3,500 acres of land from the Dominguez family, he needed to provide something, and fast, that both prospective residents and the large companies he hoped to attractContinue reading “How Torrance came to establish its own water distribution system”
Rolling Hills Prep: More than an ordinary college prep school
An institution such as Rolling Hills Preparatory, REACH and Renaissance Schools doesn’t just spring up overnight. Its evolution came about through a combination of creative vision and a lot of hard work. Known informally as Rolling Hills Prep, the high school was founded by Evelyn Dawn in 1981. Dawn, who I wrote about in aContinue reading “Rolling Hills Prep: More than an ordinary college prep school”
Once Harbor City’s library branch closed, it took decades for it to reopen
The first Harbor City public library came into existence just four years after lots in the area’s first subdivision went on sale in 1912. On Feb. 21, 1916, the county of Los Angeles started a small library in the new community between Torrance and Wilmington. The library’s exact site remains unclear, other than that itContinue reading “Once Harbor City’s library branch closed, it took decades for it to reopen”
Hard-working immigrants from Mexico transformed Torrance’s Pueblo neighborhood
Modest, well-kept suburban family houses line the four-lane stretch of Del Amo Blvd. between Crenshaw and Van Ness boulevards in Torrance. The area sports a community center, a new public park and other amenities. But it wasn’t always like this. When the first immigrants from Mexico settled in the area in 1908, it was undeveloped,Continue reading “Hard-working immigrants from Mexico transformed Torrance’s Pueblo neighborhood”
San Pedro’s Dalmatian American Club has its roots in the fishing industry
When you mention Dalmatians to most people, they associate the word with the dog breed. The 1961 Disney animated feature “101 Dalmatians” brought the spotted canines, previously best known as fire station dogs, to wide popularity. The breed is believed to have originated in the coastal area of modern-day Croatia known as Dalmatia. The nameContinue reading “San Pedro’s Dalmatian American Club has its roots in the fishing industry”
Clifton Moore helped transform a fledgling LAX into a modern airport
One name consistently crops up when I write about the history and development of Los Angeles International Airport: Clifton Moore. He helmed LAX from 1968 until 1993, navigating the city’s aviation center through a period of transitions and upheavals. Clifton A. Moore was born into a working class family in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood inContinue reading “Clifton Moore helped transform a fledgling LAX into a modern airport”
Torrance’s Shery High looks at continuation schools in a different light
Continuation high schools are much misunderstood. When I was in high school, they were known as the places where all the reprobates, drug users and ne’er-do-wells of every stripe ended up when traditional high school stopped being an option for them. That was just a few years after California passed a law in 1965 mandatingContinue reading “Torrance’s Shery High looks at continuation schools in a different light”
Redondo’s Beachbum Burt’s epitomized the laid-back restaurant vibe of its era
When it came to restaurants, Burt Hixson dreamed big, then delivered. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Hixson signed on for a stint on a Norwegian freighter at age 17. He was determined to see the world, especially the South Seas and Asia, through the lens of a camera, spending every free moment overseas filmingContinue reading “Redondo’s Beachbum Burt’s epitomized the laid-back restaurant vibe of its era”
