Tag Archives: transportation

Sept. 11, 1947: Driver of Beer Wagon Gets Revenge on Streetcars

Posted on September 11, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. “Big Bill,” driver for Maier & Zobelein, blockaded a procession of cars on Spring Street yesterday afternoon because he was insulted and angry. He had driven … Continue reading →

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Aug. 23, 1907: Motoring to Yale, L.A. Student Averages 29 Miles Per Day

Posted on August 23, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. William Renwick, recent graduate of Pomona College, was to attend Yale in the fall, and rather than more mundane modes of travel decided to head East by auto in what he hoped … Continue reading →

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Aug. 10, 1947: North Broadway Tunnel, Doomed Downtown Landmark

Posted on August 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Building contractor Robert Beryle regarded the 762-foot Broadway tunnel, excavated in 1901 through Fort Moore Hill, as his masterpiece. Another crew was building the 1,045-foot 3rd … Continue reading →

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July 25, 1907: Fire Burns Foothill Bridge, Main Route From Monrovia to L.A.

Posted on July 25, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. July 25, 1907 Arcadia, Calif. Despite the efforts of 75 volunteer firefighters, a blaze rapidly consumed a 150-foot wooden bridge on Foothill Boulevard over the Santa Anita between Arcadia and Monrovia.

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July 7, 1947: 4,000 Bikers in ‘Gypsy Tour’ Wreak Havoc in Hollister

Posted on July 7, 2018 by lmharnisch

“Hey, Johnny, what are you rebelling against?” “What’ve you got?”

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July 1, 1907: What Was the Gas Mileage of the Horseless Carriage?

Posted on July 1, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. July 1, 1907 Los Angeles If you ever wondered if the Locomobile or Pope-Hartford got great gas mileage, the answer is no, as shown in the results of the 185-mile Lakeside Endurance … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

June 26, 1947: Helicopter Hovers Over Clipper Ship

Posted on June 26, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. An unknown press photographer in Long Beach captured them in a small fraction of a second, the old three-masted square-rigger and the brand-new helicopter: old and … Continue reading →

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1935 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux

Posted on June 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

One of the joys of living in Southern California is the random opportunity to see gorgeous cars – new and vintage – in the wild. We saw this 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux a few blocks from the Daily Mirror … Continue reading →

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June 8, 1947: Neighbors Organize to Block Workers for Trackless Trolleys

Posted on June 8, 2018 by lmharnisch

  Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Perhaps one of most the common and ingrained bits of wisdom about old Los Angeles is the vast conspiracy of bus companies and car dealers … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

May 24, 1907: LAPD Motorcycle Officers Charge Driver and Passengers With Speeding

Posted on May 24, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. May 24, 1907 Los Angeles Otis Skinner, the actor starring in “The Duel” at the Mason Opera House,” is under arrest because of a curious regulation in which passengers of a speeding … Continue reading →

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May 20, 1947: Madman Muntz Sells Cars at a Bargain

Posted on May 20, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.

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History Deals a Deadly Hand

Posted on May 12, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. May 12, 1907 We’ve been having fun all week with the Shriners, parading around in their costumes, engaging in peculiar rites and pondering silly questions like “What Makes the Wildcat Wild?” Then … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: Late-Night Streetcar Service Captures the Heartbeat of the City

Posted on March 9, 2018 by lmharnisch

Feb. 27, 1947: I missed this ad for Los Angeles Transit Lines in my previous pass through the Sentinel and I just had to run it. Militant Angeleno: This is for you!

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Hollywood’s ‘Five-Finger Plan’ Aids Traffic in the 1920s-30s

Posted on July 17, 2017 by lmharnisch

  A postcard of the Cahuenga Pass showing the cross erected in 1923 in memory of Christine Witherill Stevenson, one of the prime movers in establishing the Hollywood Bowl. Listed on EBay for $6.50. Throughout the history of Los Angeles, … Continue reading →

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Rediscovering Los Angeles: Why Are L.A. Streets So Narrow?

Posted on February 11, 2016 by lmharnisch

Nov. 14, 1924: This is the second of two articles I have from the Los Angeles Examiner titled “Rediscovering Los Angeles.” Notice that even in 1924 people were complaining about traffic and congested streets. Reporter W.W. Kane notes:

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L.A.’s Transportation Past Found in Broadway Excavation

Posted on October 5, 2015 by lmharnisch

  This work site at Broadway and 2nd Street is fenced off, but a gate was left open Friday long enough for me to snap a picture. The ongoing excavation  for the Metro station has revealed railroad ties apparently set … Continue reading →

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Union Station Opens in Los Angeles, May 1939

Posted on May 1, 2014 by lmharnisch

June 29, 1938: Nuestro Pueblo, by artist Charles Owens and writer Joe Seewerker,  depicts the construction of Union Station. Here are some posts that I wrote years ago, including several when Union Station turned 70. — Grand Design for Los … Continue reading →

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1947 World Inventors Exposition at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium

Posted on October 13, 2013 by lmharnisch

An EBay vendor has listed a program from the 1947 World Inventors Exposition. According to ads in The Times, this is where the Tucker automobile had its “premiere public showing.”   Bidding on the program starts at $19.95. I wrote a … Continue reading →

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L.A. Streetcars — Another Look

Posted on September 20, 2013 by lmharnisch

March 4, 1907: Los Angeles’ sainted streetcar system has a bad day. Beacon and 6th streets, minus the streetcars, via Google Street View. One of the most deeply held and ardently expressed beliefs about Los Angeles’ past is the shadowy … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Our Sainted Streetcars – Glendale Edition

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lmharnisch

A postcard showing what the vendor says is a depot for the Los Angeles and Glendale Electric Interurban Railway system has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $249.99. Times clips show that by 1904, the Los Angeles and Glendale … Continue reading →

Posted in 1904, Downtown, Found on EBay, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments