Category Archives: Black Dahlia

March 25, 1907: Young Bike Messengers a Key Part of L.A. Drug, Sex Trade

Posted on March 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 25, 1907: Young bike messengers perform an essential service in Los Angeles’ vice trade, providing information on where to buy drugs and where to find women of easy—if any—virtue. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 2006, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

March 20, 1907: St. James Raises a Church — Burned in 1973 as Hate Crime Against Gays

Posted on March 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 20, 1907: St. James Methodist Episcopal Church plans a new building on the site of its current facility. The church was destroyed in 1973 in an apparent hate crime against gays. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1917, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Religion, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

March 18, 1907: In L.A. Schools, Young Ivan and Josefina Learn English

Posted on March 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 18, 1907: In this classroom, Onya, Ivan, Josefina and Leah learn to speak English, The Times’ Henrietta B. Freeman reports. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1910, 1912, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Education, LAPD, Music, Streetcars | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia Book Club for March 2026

Posted on March 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this installment of the Black Dahlia Book Club, I discussed a two-part news feature from 1949 titled “Someone Knows!” and a 1950 radio show titled “Somebody Knows!” Continue reading →

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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 | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming March 17, 2026

Posted on March 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The third session of the Black Dahlia Book Club will meet March 17 at 10 a.m. on YouTube. This time I’ll look at a two-part retrospective on the case, published in 1949 in the Los Angeles Mirror in its “Someone Knows! series, and the radio show “Somebody Knows” from 1950. Continue reading →

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March 10, 1907: Religious Leader’s Last Words ‘I Will Return in 1,000 Years’

Posted on March 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 10, 1907: The world loses two religious leaders: Mary Baker Eddy and John Alexander Dowie, founder of Zion, Ill. Dowie’s last words were “I will return in a thousand years.” Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, March 2026

Posted on March 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case includes a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a possible appearance on Michael Connelly’s podcast. Continue reading →

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March 1, 1907: L.A. Businesses Running Out of Space to Dump Garbage

Posted on March 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 1, 1907: Downtown businessmen are at a complete loss over what to do with the garbage from their operations and want the city to either take it or designate a dump they can use. Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is March 3

Posted on February 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@lmharnisch) next Tuesday, March 3, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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February 21, 1907: Mystery Killer Poisons Dogs and Cats in Angeleno Heights

Posted on February 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 21, 1907: A mysterious poisoner is killing dogs and cats in Angeleno Heights. The killer preys on purebreds rather than mongrels, The Times says. Continue reading →

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February 18, 2007: Architectural Ramblings

Posted on February 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 18, 2007: In exploring neighborhoods from 1907, I visited La Salle Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia Book Club for February 2026

Posted on February 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

The second session of the Black Dahlia Book Club is on YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. This time, I discussed books by four journalists involved in the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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February 17, 1907: Before Staples Center — City Straightens 12th Street

Posted on February 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 17, 1907: People on West 12th Street argue about straightening out the street between Main and Hoover. Some say it would raise property values, others counter that it would ruin homes and bring costly assessments. The street was later wiped out and is home to a certain sports arena. Continue reading →

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February 11, 1907: Woman Fractures Skull Leaping From Streetcar That Passed Her Stop

Posted on February 11, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 11, 1907: Mrs. A.C. Newton of Central Avenue is near death after fracturing her skull by leaping from a streetcar that passed her stop. News reports show someone was injured almost every week by jumping from a streetcar that failed to stop. Image shows a new Baptist church at 2nd Street and St. Louis. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming February 17, 2026

Posted on February 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The second session of the Black Dahlia Book Club will meet February 17 at 10 a.m. on YouTube. This time I’ll look at the memoirs of four journalists who covered the case. Continue reading →

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February 8, 1907: Peace Returns to Buena Vista Street

Posted on February 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 8, 1907: The death of family matriarch Mrs. James Stewart ends a feud between the Donnatins and the Stewarts over something that Charles Donnatin said to a young woman across the street. Continue reading →

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February 7, 1907: Cop Killer’s Widow Arrested in Liquor Raid

Posted on February 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 7, 1907: Charles Babbitt is sentenced to 30 days in jail on charges of domestic violence after the testimony of his 6-year-old son. “Papa hit me with a whip and it cut my head,” the boy said. “Then he hit mama.” “The man blinked his eyes and said that he did it because he was drunk” The Times says. Continue reading →

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February 4, 1907: Architectural Ramblings — South Pasadena

Posted on February 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 4, 1907: Architectural rambling with “artistic bungalows.” Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, February 2026

Posted on February 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case includes a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a brief introduction to the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

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