Category Archives: Long Beach

Death Reveals ‘Burglar’ Is Suspicious Husband in Disguise

Posted on January 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

            Jan. 18, 1911: Jealousy takes a tragic turn in Long Beach as a suspicious husband tries to catch his wife cheating on him with a house guest and is shot to death when the … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Countdown to Watts, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Long Beach | Leave a comment

Finch Stole Two Cadillacs, Went to Las Vegas

Posted on January 23, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Betty Jean Behr shows a photo of victim Barbara Jean Finch. What to do with the radioactive waste piling up in Long Beach? Dump it in the ocean!   March 22, 1960: A judge rules that Long Beach has … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Environment, Homicide, Long Beach | 1 Comment

Nuestro Pueblo

Posted on August 9, 2009 by lmharnisch

Aug. 7, 1939: Only a few more Nuestro Pueblo installments are left. In September 1939, Joe Seewerker was hurt in a car accident and the columns stopped except for a final farewell in October. 

Posted in art and artists, Long Beach, Nuestro Pueblo | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — The Cyclone in Long Beach

Posted on July 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

Sept. 16, 1968, the end of the ride for the Cyclone. This postcard of the Cyclone roller coaster at the Nu-Pike in Long Beach has been listed on EBay. The world's longest, fastest roller-coaster was torn down in 1968 to … Continue reading →

Posted in Long Beach, Parks and Recreation | Leave a comment

A Brutal Sport Hounded to Extinction

Posted on July 19, 2009 by lmharnisch

Coursing as depicted in The Times on Dec. 12, 1897. "The rabbit dodged this way and that, squatted suddenly to the ground while the hound rushed past. Once, the dog's teeth sank in the hindquarters of the rabbit, jerked the … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #games, 1897, 1898, Animals, City Hall, LAPD, Long Beach, Parks and Recreation, Politics | Leave a comment

Found on EBay — Long Beach Plunge

Posted on April 3, 2009 by lmharnisch

This postcard of the Plunge in Long Beach has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $2. At left, an orchestra provides music for Ladies' Day at the Plunge in Long Beach. Above, ladies, please cover up!

Posted in Architecture, Long Beach, Parks and Recreation | Leave a comment

Red Hot Chili Pepper!

Posted on March 10, 2009 by lmharnisch

Daily Mirror reader Todd Mecklem sends this Aug. 2, 1909, clipping from the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Unfortunately, The Times didn’t find this item newsworthy.

Posted in Food and Drink, Long Beach, Music, Stage | Leave a comment

April 22, 1938

Posted on April 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, there are people in this world who insist that before the advent of top-40 radio in the 1950s, programming was a formless blob. Note, in fact, that programming was often tightly organized in 15-minute blocks. Below, Officer Donald M. … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Front Pages, Long Beach, Rock 'n' Roll | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Long Beach quake

Posted on March 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 11, 1933 Long Beach Email me

Posted in Front Pages, Long Beach | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Feb. 25, 1958

Posted on February 25, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, a profile of William Alland, who played the reporter tracking down the life of "Citizen Kane" and in his final years worked for the Los Angeles Times poll. Below, A race car plows into a crowd of spectators at … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Long Beach, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Feb. 21, 1908

Posted on February 21, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, meet Charles West, who says: "I have never treated my wife very mean, although I slapped her a couple of times when I thought she needed it." Below, mayhem on 3rd Street when a piano mover ties a horse-pulled … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Long Beach, Transportation | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Girl in coma

Posted on May 31, 2007 by lmharnisch

  May 31, 1957 Long Beach Suzanne was supposed to have a simple bit of surgery. Didn’t everyone get their tonsils out? The 15-year-old went into St. Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach on May 31, 1956, but during the operation, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Long Beach | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The bad dream

Posted on April 23, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 23, 1957 Los Angeles "It’s like a bad dream," he said. "You keep thinking you’ll awaken and find it’s a bad dream." Edward Simon Wein, given five death sentences under California’s "Little Lindbergh Law" for a series of kidnappings … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Caryl Chessman, Homicide, Long Beach, San Fernando Valley, Venice Division | 3 Comments

I love to tell the story

Posted on April 20, 2007 by lmharnisch

  April 19, 1957 Los Angeles It seems incredible, but The Times never ran an obituary on Charles E. Fuller, who helped found Fuller Theological Seminary and was one of the pioneers of radio evangelism. Broadcasting live from the Long Beach … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, broadcasting, Long Beach, Religion | Leave a comment