Oil field in Inglewood, CA, 1920s

1920s, An oil field in Inglewood, CA.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson. 

Bridge over the Mojave River, Victorville, CA, 1952

1952, Bridge over the Mojave River, Victorville, CA.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson.

Fontana International Dragway, 1960s

1960s, Fontana International Dragway.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson.

Zoot Suit Riots, Main Street, DTLA, 1943

1943, The Zoot Suit Riots, Main Street, DTLA - 1943.  Thank you to David Smith.  

Someone made the case that this is an example of unrelenting racism, and I replied that it has more to do with counterculture.  Fashion movements tend to call people together in rebellion of current events.  The Zoot Suit style originated in the 1920s with black theater, then popularized in the 1930s and 1940s by black dance moves who liked the depleted pants that afforded them greater movement while dancing.  Other cultures caught on, but it were blacks who started it.  

So the year is 1943, two years into the U.S.'s involvement into WWII, which began in 1941.  In 1942, you have the Sleepy Lagoon murder, named for a nearby reservoir in the city of Commerce, the same year the Japanese were extracted from home, business, and neighborhood and forcibly resettled by the government to camps around the western states of the U.S.  Like the Germans, the Americans too had their camps.  Not to mention the draft that was kidnapping U.S. male citizens, 21 to 36.  A lot going on.  People's legal status was being rewritten overnight, class status being overturned overnight.  A lot of changes and reshuffling in wartime, putting people on edge.  Who was to know where the threat started and stopped?

Pachucos, Lincoln Heights Jail.  Thanks to OJ Romero.

Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA, 1960s

1960s, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson.

1960s, Tomorrowland Terrace, Disneyland, Anaheim, CA.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson.

"Only in Hollywood," 2018 Documentary on 1988 Dodgers' Winning Season

Documentary on the Dodgers' 1988 season, called "Only in Hollywood," narrated by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame.

Thank you to Karl McMillan.  

1988 Dodgers' roster.

Jim Lefebvre was National League Rookie of the Year in 1965.

Don Drysdale passed in 1993.

Jerry Doggett passed in 1997.

Al Campanis passed in 1998.

Willie Crawford passed in 2004. Graduated from Fremont HS, all-city in football and baseball.

Steve Howe passed in 2006.

Willie Davis passed in 2010.

Ron Fairly passed in 2019.

Ron Perranoski passed in 2020.

Tommy Lasorda passed in 2021.

Don Sutton passed in 2021.

Bill Sudakis passed in 2021. Heard nothing about his passing.

Vin Scully passed in 2022.

Maury Wills passed in 2022. Wills played for the Dodgers, 1959-1966, before being traded to Pittsburgh for two years, 1967-1968. Then traded to the Expos in 1969, and finally back to the Dodgers for 1969-1972.

Al Ferrara, outfielder, passed in 2024. Played for the Dodgers in 1963, 1965-1968.

Len Gabrielsen is still with us. So is Bill Grabarkewitz.

I thought Ross Porter had one of the best baseball voices. He called games for the Dodgers from 1977-2004. He had a post-game show that I listened to almost nightly after Dodgers games. Wikipedia says that "Ross was rated among the top 60 baseball announcers of all time by Curt Smith in his book Voices of Summer." 

Douglas Aircraft Plant in Long Beach looking down on the C-47 assembly line, 1942

1942, This is the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Long Beach looking down on the C-47 assembly line in 1942. A total of 4185 C-47s and their variants were made. They were produced here during World War II. Over 5000 others were made at Santa Monica and Oklahoma City. These were military versions of the DC-3.  Thank you to Kevin Fleming.

South Broadway, 1954

1954, Looking south down Broadway. The Million Dollar Theater, Broadway Dept. Store, Pan American Building, a Goodwill store, Grand Central Market and Third Street Store, can be seen. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection) https://buff.ly/3xevvzD. Thank you to the LAPL.

The International Building, landmark on Temple St. next to the New City Hall, Los Angeles, 1929

1929, The International Building, Left, a landmark once on Temple St. Beside the New City Hall, Los Angeles (1929).  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles USA.

In 1929, the International Building stood as a prominent landmark on Temple Street, adjacent to the newly completed Los Angeles City Hall. The structure, with its grand architectural details and intricate stonework, was a symbol of the city’s early commercial and governmental growth. As City Hall became the centerpiece of downtown, the surrounding area transformed into a hub of civic activity. The juxtaposition of the old and new reflected the constant evolution of Los Angeles, as historic buildings gave way to modern developments while the city cemented its place as a major metropolis.

1924, The Temple Block area in Downtown Los Angeles with the International Bank Building at center.  Note the beautiful 5-lamp ornate streetlights.  Thank you to the Water & Power Museum.

Not a single building in the above photograph survives.  The building on the left is the Temple Block, the old Hall of Records is background left, then the International Bank Building, the Sandstone Courthouse on the back right, and finally the Federal Post Office on the far right. 

from Calisphere, 

The International Building, left a landmark on Temple St. beside the new City Hall, is ordered demolished to make way for expansion of civic center. Building also houses the City Health Department, May 31, 1929.

from Water & Power Museum, 

In 1928, the building was dwarfed by the new 30-story Los Angeles City Hall, and soon after calls for its demolition increased, resulting in its razing.  But that didn't happen until sometime after 1954.  The portion of Spring Street that its front entrance faced no longer exists. 

1947, Aerial view showing the Old International Building squeezed in between the Federal Courthouse and U.S. Post Office Building (completed in 1940) and City Hall (completed in 1928).

Parking Lot at Wilshire Blvd. & Grand Avenue, Los Angeles,1946

1946, A View of a Parking Lot Located at Wilshire Blvd. and Grand Avenue, Los Angeles (1946).  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles USA.

In 1946, the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Grand Avenue reflected the city’s increasing demand for automobile infrastructure. This parking lot, filled with post-war cars, symbolized LA’s shift toward car culture, where personal vehicles were becoming the primary mode of transportation. The surrounding buildings hinted at the commercial and financial importance of Wilshire Boulevard, which was rapidly transforming into one of the city’s most prestigious business corridors. This view of a simple parking lot captured a moment in time when the city’s skyline was evolving, and space for cars became just as valuable as space for people.

"Move-In Day in Lakewood, California, 1953."

1953, It's titled "Move-In Day in Lakewood, California, 1953."  And though it's a staged photo for Life Magazine, it is neat to see the moving vans from the '50s.  Thank you to Bushman Uk for the pic.  

Keith Suhr explains,

This was a staged photo for Life Magazine in 1953: "Life magazine published a photograph in 1953 that was supposed to be a typical move-in day in booming Lakewood, with a moving van in every driveway and each family’s belongings on their front lawn. In reality, it was a staged publicity photograph. As Lakewood Park publicist Don Rochlen recounted many years later, new residents "were moving in at the rate of 60 families a day. So to symbolize that, we got 60 moving vans up and on the street and told people just to come out and put out a few pieces of furniture on the lawn.” 

I've had very few experiences in Lakewood.  Conroy lived there, which put it on the map for Mom and Dad.  We visited them infrequently, but they came to our home in Duarte far more often.  Will never forget watching the UCLA vs. Notre Dame basketball game there in 1974.  I used to walk to the local school, shoot baskets, and play some one-on-one and pick-up games there.  That was fun.  There were moments at that school of feelings of loneliness, compared to the back alley pick-up games I'd played with my cousins in Denver.  As I recall, the outdoor courts were located at a school with multiple courts, back-to-back and side-to-side.  But the only school near the Conroys is Lindbergh Middle School, but I can't find any pics online to confirm the existence of the outdoor courts.  So many things have changed since pre- and post-1974.  There is a park nearby called Cherry Cove Park, but it's mostly grass and no bb courts to be seen. 

The other memory I have with Lakewood is indirectly through the essay by Joan Didion, titled, "Trouble in Lakewood," 1993.  I loved the essay, I loved her.

"Trouble in Lakewood,” Joan Didion, 1993, July 26.  The New Yorker.  This was one of the best articles I’d read on gangs; nay, perhaps the first one I’d read on gangs.  It was about the Spur Posse gang in Lakewood, CA.  Didion had written other articles on California, one in particular that I liked was hers on San Bernardino, CA, titled “Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream.”  It was stunning in its flow and shocking in its brutal detail.

Great Music from the 1970s

What is a Black Betty? 

The origin and meaning of the lyrics are subject to debate. Historically, the "Black Betty" of the title may refer to the nickname given to a number of objects: a bottle of whiskey, a whip, or a penitentiary transfer wagon. However, in more modern song references, the term "Black Betty" alludes to a fast car or motorcycle.

This is what you missed not being born in the 50s or 60s.  You missed the great music, songs, and performances of the 1970s.  

from Wikipedia, 

"Black Betty" (Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources say it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material.   

 

There are numerous recorded versions, including a cappella and folk. The song was eventually, with modified lyrics, remade as a rock song by the American band Ram Jam in 1977. Subsequent recordings, including hits by Tom Jones and Spiderbait, retain the structure of this version.

Japanese Americans leaving for Owens Valley, 1942

 

1942, Japanese Americans leaving for Owens Valley.  Photo courtesy of the LA County Public Library.  Thank you to Raymond DeLea, Jr. 

1st & Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, 1940s

1940s, 1st and Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, CA.  Thank you to Tom Anderson.

The Astor Hotel, 2nd & Hill Streets, 1960

1960, 2nd Street looking east from Hill Street.  The Hotel Astor is on the southeast corner.  (William Reagh Collection) https://buff.ly/3WqaJqI.  Thank you to LAPL.

Old Dayton Avenue Bridge, Looking East, Los Angeles, 1926

1926, A Photograph of the Old Dayton Avenue Bridge, Looking East, Los Angeles (1926).  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles USA.

In 1926, the Old Dayton Avenue Bridge stretched across the Los Angeles River, serving as a vital connection between communities. Its sturdy concrete design and graceful arches reflected the engineering advancements of the early 20th century. Looking east, the bridge framed a view of industrial buildings and rolling hills in the distance, symbolizing the blend of urban and natural landscapes that defined Los Angeles. The Old Dayton Avenue Bridge stood as a testament to the city's growing infrastructure, facilitating movement and commerce across its expanding territory. 

Lost Another Great: Keith "The Snake" Larsen, 1960-2025

Keith's brother, Ricky, passed in 2018.  Just such sorrowful moments.  More pics of Keith racing.

1973, Keith taught me how to do a 1 and a 1/2 dive from the high dive at Duarte's Aqualand.