Category Archives: 1908

April 15, 1908: Accused Wife Killer Says ‘Everything Went Black’

Posted on April 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 15,1908: Quong Wai, who is fighting a deportation order, says he is an American born in San Francisco. He says immigration officers arrested him at a streetcar station without reason. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages, Homicide, Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

April 13, 1908: Dr. Hoffman’s Nerve Syrup Cures ‘Fits’

Posted on April 13, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 13, 1908: Dr. Hoffman’s “Nerve Syrup” has a pleasant taste and cures epilepsy, St. Vitus Dance and nervous trouble. What exactly is in it? The ad isn’t saying. Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, Front Pages, health, Science, Transportation, UFOs | Tagged , | Leave a comment

April 2, 1908: Great White Fleet Out of Tunes, Seeks Songs in the Key of Sea

Posted on April 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 2, 1908: Sailors of the Great White Fleet are tired of the same old songs and want something new to sing, maybe “I’m Afraid to Go Home in the Dark.” Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, City Hall, Downtown, Front Pages, Music, Transportation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

March 31, 1908: Traveling Blacksmith Shoes Fire Department Horses

Posted on March 31, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 31, 1908: A traveling blacksmith shoes the Fire Department’s horses, rather than taking the horses to the farrier. The last fire horse, Blackie, retired in 1923 and spent the rest of his life at Griffith Park, where he died in 1939. Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, Animals, Transportation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on March 31, 1908: Traveling Blacksmith Shoes Fire Department Horses

March 30, 1908: U.S. Seeks to Deport Immigrant Radicals From L.A.

Posted on March 30, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 30, 1908: U.S. immigration official interviews prisoners and mental patients in L.A. in a campaign to deport immigrant radicals. Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, Front Pages | Tagged , , | Comments Off on March 30, 1908: U.S. Seeks to Deport Immigrant Radicals From L.A.

March 22, 1908: Plans for a New Hall of Records

Posted on March 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 22, 1908: Los Angeles plans a new Hall of Records. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Architecture, City Hall, Downtown, Front Pages | Tagged , | Comments Off on March 22, 1908: Plans for a New Hall of Records

March 16, 1908: Homeless Camps in Mojave

Posted on March 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 16, 1908: The Times profiles camps of homeless men in Mojave. Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, Front Pages, LAPD | Tagged , , | Comments Off on March 16, 1908: Homeless Camps in Mojave

March 15, 1907: In Which We Begin

Posted on March 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 16, 1907: The first post of the 1907 blog that I began March 15, 2006. Twenty years ago! Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, 1911, 1914, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, City Hall, Freeways, LAPD, Streetcars, Theaters | Comments Off on March 15, 1907: In Which We Begin

February 18, 1908

Posted on February 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 18, 1908: A woman falsely claims to be a famous author, and a man has delusions of great wealth. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages, Transportation | Comments Off on February 18, 1908

February 11, 1908: The Latest in Men’s Shoes

Posted on February 11, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 11, 1908: The latest in men’s shoes. Question: Should the local Japanese American community be allowed to welcome the Great White Fleet when it visits Los Angeles? Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

December 26, 1907: Minister Rejects New ‘Godless’ U.S. Coins

Posted on December 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 26, 1907: The Rev. W.A. Jones of Knoxville Presbyterian Church refuses the congregation’s gift of $100 because it consists of newly redesigned $20 gold pieces that do not bear the motto “In God We Trust.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on December 26, 1907: Minister Rejects New ‘Godless’ U.S. Coins

December 22, 1907: For I Was Homeless and You Ran Me In — L.A. Prepares for ‘Hobo Season’

Posted on December 22, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 22, 1907: Los Angeles prepares for ‘Hobo Season’ with posters warning that the city sentenced the homeless to the chain gang. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on December 22, 1907: For I Was Homeless and You Ran Me In — L.A. Prepares for ‘Hobo Season’

December 20, 1907: Miracle Doctor Fer-Don Cures Man of 90-Foot Tape Worm!

Posted on December 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 20, 1907: Miracle doctor “The Great Fer-Don” comes to Los Angeles, with ads boasting of his amazing cures. Alas, his health tonic was merely colored water and a felony warrant was issued for him and his wife. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, 1909, LAPD, Medicine, Pasadena, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on December 20, 1907: Miracle Doctor Fer-Don Cures Man of 90-Foot Tape Worm!

December 18, 1907: County Coroner Dead Drunk at Bordello

Posted on December 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 18, 1907: Los Angeles County Coroner Roy S. Lanterman was arrested on charges of being drunk and disorderly at the Navajo, a bordello run by Ida Hastings, 309 Ord St. Hastings called police, who arrested Lanterman. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, 1909, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on December 18, 1907: County Coroner Dead Drunk at Bordello

December 4, 1911: Man Arrested for ‘Masquerading in Female Attire’

Posted on December 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 4, 1911: Clarence Westfall, 22, is arrested for masquerading in female attire when the boat from San Diego docks in San Pedro. Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, 1911, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Fashions, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Streetcars | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on December 4, 1911: Man Arrested for ‘Masquerading in Female Attire’

November 21, 1907: Mother, 17, Throws Baby From Train to Hide ‘Shame’ From Family

Posted on November 21, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 21, 1907: Louise Williams is arrested on charges of throwing her baby from an inbound train. “She was suddenly overwhelmed with the shame of meeting her mother and sisters at Los Angeles, who had not learned of her ruin,” her attorney said. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, African Americans, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on November 21, 1907: Mother, 17, Throws Baby From Train to Hide ‘Shame’ From Family

November 16, 1907: Husband in Elaborate Disguise Shoots Estranged Wife on Streetcar

Posted on November 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 16,1907: Frederick Cook faces trial for shooting his estranged wife on a streetcar, disguising himself so she wouldn’t recognize him. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Homicide, LAPD, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on November 16, 1907: Husband in Elaborate Disguise Shoots Estranged Wife on Streetcar

November 11, 1907: Cad Told the Truth Only Once — He Wasn’t Worthy of Her

Posted on November 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 11, 1907: On a trip to Topeka, Kans., to visit relatives, Lena River Packard of Los Angeles met Edgar (or Edwin) Campbell Arnold, a wealthy wholesale druggist who quickly became her constant companion and ardent suitor. Love soon blossomed and in a few months, Edgar arrived in Los Angeles to claim his bride. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on November 11, 1907: Cad Told the Truth Only Once — He Wasn’t Worthy of Her

November 5, 1907: Bride Travels From Scotland to Marry Fiance Seeking Better Life in L.A.

Posted on November 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 5, 1907: John Richie led the bass section of the choir at St. Machar’s Cathedral in Aberdeen, Scotland, while Testristina Adams was a contralto. They sang in the choir for about 10 years, and fell in love.
Two years ago, John left Scotland and came to Los Angeles, but not before asking Testristina to marry him. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Immigration, Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on November 5, 1907: Bride Travels From Scotland to Marry Fiance Seeking Better Life in L.A.

September 10, 1907: Horoscope — ‘A Very Uncertain Day’

Posted on September 10, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 10, 1907: Horoscope: A very uncertain day. No evil omens glare anywhere but in all aspects there lies a heavy veil, defying those who would peer into this day. Beware, therefore, of all and any unconsidered act. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Film | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on September 10, 1907: Horoscope — ‘A Very Uncertain Day’