Old Torrance has more than its share of long-standing restaurants. But it turns out that one of its more modern-looking buildings, the current home of Keegan’s Sports Bar and Grill at 1434 Marcelina Ave., has a longer history than one might expect. The building has been remodeled several times since John M. Christensen and hisContinue reading “Downtown Torrance building has housed just three different eateries since 1940”
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1924 Klan raid on San Pedro union hall included tarring and feathering, injuries to children
No one really knows the exact reason why members of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) labor union members became known as “Wobblies.” The union’s own website offers up four possible explanations. What is known about the IWW, founded in Chicago in 1905, is that it has always been controversial for its unabashedly socialistContinue reading “1924 Klan raid on San Pedro union hall included tarring and feathering, injuries to children”
For Torrance’s Roadium Drive-In, showing movies has been only part of its business
Richard Hollingshead opened the first modern drive-in theater in New Jersey on June 6, 1933. In his advertisements, he described it as a place where “the whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.” The concept really took off during the post-World War II suburban boom, especially in places with mild weatherContinue reading “For Torrance’s Roadium Drive-In, showing movies has been only part of its business”
Actress Natalie Wood’s 1981 death near Catalina Island remains officially unsolved
Natalie Wood was four years old when she first appeared in a Hollywood film. She played a young girl who drops her ice cream cone and looks suitably sad about it in the 1943 drama “Happy Land.” Her nonspeaking role was uncredited; she was on screen for about 15 seconds. She was born Natalia NikolaevnaContinue reading “Actress Natalie Wood’s 1981 death near Catalina Island remains officially unsolved “
Skechers rose from humble Manhattan Beach beginnings to $8 billion in annual sales
Boston-born Robert Greenberg moved to California in 1978 after deciding that a particularly brutal East Coast winter would be his last there. His relationship with the shoe industry began with his first West Coast venture, selling roller skates during the late 1970s skating craze. From that, he learned that the shoes had a more enduringContinue reading “Skechers rose from humble Manhattan Beach beginnings to $8 billion in annual sales”
Killer’s bullets cut short the dreams of Go Matsuura and Takuma Ito in San Pedro
They both aspired to become filmmakers. So, once their primary education was completed, Go Matsuura and Takuma Ito left Japan and chose to attend Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes to enroll in its film program. Matsuura was born in the United States, but had moved back to Japan with his family as a youngContinue reading “Killer’s bullets cut short the dreams of Go Matsuura and Takuma Ito in San Pedro”
The Diamond Match Company’s innovative potash operation in Wilmington didn’t last
Wooden matches need several elements to light successfully. English druggist John Walker discovered this fact in 1826, when he invented the friction match. Friction matches work by rubbing two surfaces together to create a small flame, which Walker discovered after dropping a matchstick covered with a chemical solution onto his hearth. When it burst intoContinue reading “The Diamond Match Company’s innovative potash operation in Wilmington didn’t last”
South Bay surfing pioneer Hoppy Swarts had a profound impact on the sport’s development
The story goes that on June 25, 1916, the day Lewis Earl Swarts was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his father, an oil industry worker, was reading a Hopalong Cassidy novel. The “Hoppy” nickname he gave his newborn son stuck, even after the family left Oklahoma to move to California, settling in Redondo Beach. Hoppy becameContinue reading “South Bay surfing pioneer Hoppy Swarts had a profound impact on the sport’s development”
Inglewood’s Century Boulevard undergoes another major transformation
A drive westward down Century Blvd. from Prairie Ave. to Crenshaw Blvd. in Inglewood in 2024 reveals an entirely different set of major landmarks than those that existed there just a few short decades ago. Not to mention, an entirely different universe that existed when the street was named nearly a century ago in 1925.Continue reading “Inglewood’s Century Boulevard undergoes another major transformation”
Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance found ways to appeal to a broader audience
Mitsuwa Marketplace isn’t the only Japanese supermarket in the South Bay, but it has grown into one of the most successful and visible such businesses in the area. Its origin can be traced back to its corporate predecessor, Yaohan Supermarket. Yaohan originated as a mom and pop grocery store opened by Ryohei Wada and his wife KatsuContinue reading “Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance found ways to appeal to a broader audience”
