Clifford Fletcher Reid was born in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1883. His first business venture after dropping out of college involved selling stereopticon cards. He turned out to be a natural salesman. After marrying and moving to Portland, he found real estate suited his marketing skills. The vibrant market in the Los Angeles area in theContinue reading “Clifford Reid envisioned Torrance’s Hollywood Riviera as part celebrity enclave”
Tag Archives: history
Broadcast television took several decades to become prevalent in American homes
For a scientific marvel that has had amazing, far-reaching impacts on almost all aspects of modern life, it took television a long time to arrive in homes. The concept of using radio waves to transmit images from one place to another began to take root in the early 1900s. The first use of the wordContinue reading “Broadcast television took several decades to become prevalent in American homes”
Torrance teen’s whirlwind wedding to Swiss businessman caused a sensation in the 1950s
The wedding of Martha Morris, dubbed the “Cinderella Bride” by the Torrance Herald, to Swiss industrialist Roland DeVigier in 1951 sounds like one of those modern-day I’m-gonna-marry-a-prince movies on the Hallmark Channel. At first, anyway. The 16-year-old Morris lived with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ray Morris, on 215th St. in the Harbor GatewayContinue reading “Torrance teen’s whirlwind wedding to Swiss businessman caused a sensation in the 1950s”
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”
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”
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”
Pann’s restaurant survives as one of a dying breed of Googie-style eateries
The Googie style of mid-century modern architecture got its name from Googie’s Coffee Shop, a Hollywood diner built in 1949. Architect John Lautner designed the building at the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights boulevards, right next to Schwab’s drugstore. Lautner’s creation sported wildly angular roofs, giant glass walls, dayglo-bright neon signage and modernist interiors.Continue reading “Pann’s restaurant survives as one of a dying breed of Googie-style eateries”
El Segundo takes its time to create a splendid setting for its public library
The Standard Oil Company of California essentially created the city of El Segundo when it opened its massive refinery there in late 1911. The company had purchased Frank Bennett’s 840-acre farm in June 1911 after its Richmond refinery in the Bay Area had reached its production capacity. I Standard, now known as Chevron USA, putContinue reading “El Segundo takes its time to create a splendid setting for its public library”
Some South Bay and Harbor Area cities found the road to incorporation rocky
Here’s a trick question for you: Which South Bay/Harbor Area city was the first to incorporate officially? The answer: Wilmington, in 1871. The second? San Pedro, 1888. An incorporated city is a municipality whose business affairs, public works and civic activities are managed by elected officials who have been chosen by the votes of itsContinue reading “Some South Bay and Harbor Area cities found the road to incorporation rocky”
