In 1943, Republic Studios dubbed Roy Rogers as “King of the Cowboys,” doing so as part of the promotion for its film of the same name in which he was then starring. It was pretty heady stuff for the man born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Nov. 5, 1911. His parents, Andy andContinue reading “Singing cowboy Roy Rogers had brief but significant ties to Lawndale early in his career”
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It took many years for the two Cabrillo marinas in San Pedro to become reality
Los Angeles Harbor Area pleasure boat marinas have been around for a long time. The Al Larson Boat Shop, one of the oldest, opened its 128-slip small boat marina in 1924. Two marinas were built in Wilmington right after World War II, the Yacht Haven Marina in 1947, and Holiday Harbor in 1954, with moreContinue reading “It took many years for the two Cabrillo marinas in San Pedro to become reality”
The worst accident in LAX history took place miles away from the airport itself
The 80th anniversary of the first commercial flights at Los Angeles International Airport will arrive this December. The former Mines Field west of Inglewood became the city’s first official airfield, Los Angeles Municipal Airport, on Oct. 1, 1928, but the first commercial flights to use the facility didn’t do so until Dec. 9, 1946. ItContinue reading “The worst accident in LAX history took place miles away from the airport itself”
The National Aquaplane Races caused a sensation in the beach cities in the 1930s and 1940s
When the first aquaplane race from Catalina Island to Hermosa Beach by way of Manhattan Beach was held in 1935, the race got unofficially nicknamed the “ironing board derby.” It would later officially be named the National Aquaplane Race. What in the world am I talking about? Let me explain. Despite the name, aquaplane racesContinue reading “The National Aquaplane Races caused a sensation in the beach cities in the 1930s and 1940s”
Rancho Palos Verdes’ seaside shopping center at Golden Cove
The Golden Cove Shopping Center in Rancho Palos Verdes isn’t located directly on the ocean. It just feels like it is. Situated at the southern terminus of Hawthorne Blvd. at its intersection with Palos Verdes Drive West, the cozy center is named for Golden Cove, an ocean cove dotted by tidepools that’s just a briefContinue reading “Rancho Palos Verdes’ seaside shopping center at Golden Cove”
Del Amo Financial Center spotlighted Torrance’s thriving 1960s business community
Everything was clicking for the South Bay economy in the latter half of the 1960s. Employment opportunities abounded, and residential and commercial development was booming. Along the Hawthorne Blvd. retail corridor, the large outdoor South Bay Center had been a success since opening in 1957 in Redondo Beach. A couple miles further south, Torrance respondedContinue reading “Del Amo Financial Center spotlighted Torrance’s thriving 1960s business community”
1940s Hollywood found the South Bay and Harbor Area ideal for film location shooting
Modern filmmakers – and not just Quentin Tarantino – have often used South Bay and Harbor Area locations as cinematic backdrops. Ten years ago, I wrote about some of the notable films that have been filmed here, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “The Usual Suspects” and many more. Countless television episodesContinue reading “1940s Hollywood found the South Bay and Harbor Area ideal for film location shooting”
Unusual financing plan launched San Pedro’s Hacienda Hotel in 1955
According to the San Pedro News Pilot, the idea arose out of a chamber of commerce meeting in San Pedro in 1950. Having observed the rapid postwar growth boom of neighboring suburban communities, a unnamed member of the group of local business leaders and boosters said something like, “What this community needs is a goodContinue reading “Unusual financing plan launched San Pedro’s Hacienda Hotel in 1955”
The Point and Plaza El Segundo transform former El Segundo chemical plant site
The El Segundo Works of Allied Chemical’s General Chemical Division opened in El Segundo in 1920 on a large lot on the northeast corner of Sepulveda Blvd. and Rosecrans Ave. It produced agricultural and industrial chemicals. The town itself had incorporated just three years earlier, but it was growing quickly. Standard Oil of California hadContinue reading “The Point and Plaza El Segundo transform former El Segundo chemical plant site”
Explosion and fire at Union Oil tank farm in Wilmington lit up the skies in 1951
After more than a century in operation, the owners of the Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery officially closed down operations at its plants in Wilmington and Carson on Dec. 31, 2025. Union Oil owned the Wilmington refinery, located at 1660 W. Anaheim St., until 1997, when the company sold it to Tosco Corp. Tosco turnedContinue reading “Explosion and fire at Union Oil tank farm in Wilmington lit up the skies in 1951”
