A Happy Birthday Seal Beach Announcement

I put this blog on hiatus at the end of 2017 planning to return with new daily posts on January 1st, 2019, but then an odd thing happened. I discovered how much I enjoyed not being on the daily post treadmill and began to consider permanently moving on to other less time-consuming and potentially more lucrative projects.

So the past few months I’ve been weighing my desire to see this project to some form of completion against my own creative and financial needs and self-interest. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t financial costs to this project. Beyond losing potential income by focusing on writing local history pieces for free when I should be pursuing paid writing gigs, there are out-of-pocket expenses like subscribing to online newspaper archives and genealogy services. From a business standpoint, it’s clear I should just walk away.

My problem is that there’s still so much more Seal Beach history I’d like to share! This format is close to perfect for the type of local history I’m interested in, and I have scores of posts already researched and waiting to be written or posted. My fear is that if I leave now, I’ll never get back to finishing them or digging deeper into some of the other Seal Beach history I’ve uncovered.

So this is what I’ve decided.

Since 2015, I’ve managed to write and publish a post for 303 dates in Seal Beach History. Starting January 1st, 2019, This Date in Seal Beach History will run a daily post for every date in 2019. Most of these will be reruns of previously written posts, but I’ve begun work on fresh posts for those 62 dates I haven’t covered yet and will have them finished and scheduled for 2019 by this Christmas. This means that, by the end of 2019, I will have 365 dates in Seal Beach History covered, a post for every day in the year.

I’d feel good moving on at that point, but…

I have a wild, crazy notion. A wild, crazy and ambitious notion. One I should ignore.

There’s enough material in Seal Beach’s past to cover a full second year’s worth of new “This Date in Seal Beach History” posts — including February 29th since 2020 is a leap year. There are some great stories to tell, but I’d need the time to properly research and write them. I’d have to start work in January 2019 to stockpile posts well in advance for 2020, or I’d go nuts trying to keep up.

That’s the wild, crazy notion: To do one final year of this blog for 2020, complete with all-new posts and material and more.

However, there’s no way that I could devote the time and effort into that final year of new posts without a little support. By the end of this year, I will either set up a Kickstarter or Patreon page where Seal Beach history buffs and blog readers can help fund the 2020 blog. If there’s enough interest and funding for me to at least break even on my costs, I’ll do 366 posts for 2020.

I’m also looking into what I can offer as rewards and merchandise for tiers of support and planning what additional content I could offer if the funding moves beyond the breaking even stage. I’d welcome any ideas, insights, or suggestions at mike@SealBeachHistory.com

So this is my announcement, cunningly timed to be made on Seal Beach’s 103rd birthday:

1.  In 2019, there will be 365 posts, a mix of old and new material. That’s guaranteed.

2.  If there is enough public interest and funding for it, there will be a second year of 366 fresh posts and maybe more in 2020.

If not, This Date in Seal Beach History will end on December 31st, 2019.

Of course, if you’ve enjoyed the blog so far, a donation of any amount today at paypal.me/michaeldobkins would be greatly appreciated.

• Michael Dobkins

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Father Felix Doherty

Anyone have anecdotes, stories, and/or photos of Father Felix Doherty that they’re willing to share on the record?

I’ve started research for the first new blog post for next year (March 3rd). I’d like to include some quotes and personal recollections beyond the details of the tragedy.

Please share in the comments before 11/8/18. Thanks.

– Michael Dobkins

Announcement Posting on 10/27/18

WATCH THIS SPACE

December 31st in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1965, the Long Beach Independent reported that the Marina Democrats had elected new officers for 1966 and that club met the fourth Monday of each month in the Seal Beach city hall. New members were welcome.

Seal Beach City Hall – 1965

Robert L. Webb was the new president; Lois Briggs, corresponding secretary; Julie Dorr, recording secretary, Phyllis Lichenstein, treasurer, and Ann Caplicki, sergeant-at-arms.

The second vice-president was Bill Jones, and the first vice-president was a gent named Dean Dobkins.

Fancy that.

– Michael Dobkins

Top Five “This Date in Seal Beach History” Posts Of 2017

I’ve decided to take a sabbatical from posting in 2018 to work on other projects, but before I go it might be fun to see what posts had the most traffic this year. So here’s the top five posts for 2017 (click on the title to see the full post):

#5 – August 18th in Seal Beach History

Seal Beach likes its Girl Scouts, and they have fond memories of the clubhouse going back decades and covering many generations of Seal Beach girls.

 

#4 – We Will Go To The Moon…

When Seal Beach was incorporated in 1915, no one could have imagined that the city would be part of a historic effort to land men on the moon fifty years later.

 

 

#3 – November 26th in Seal Beach History

I don’t know if it was the rags to riches aspect of this story or Ernestine Goetz’s sweetly retiring nature, but this post attracted a lot of attention.

 

#2 – September 6th in Seal Beach History

Seal Beach loves its tiki apartment building.

 

 

#1 – Powerful Photos

This was posted back in 2010, but every year since “Powerful Photos” still has more views than any other post on this blog.

December 30th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1926, Parry’s Cafe advertised a special New Year’s Eve program of dining, dancing, and entertainment in the Santa Ana Register. It would be the last time this business would advertise.

Parry’s Cafe’s launch started out auspiciously enough with a grand opening earlier in the year with a grand opening on June 10th and two pre-launch nights of radio broadcasts on Long Beach’s radio station KFON featuring the Knickerbocker Orchestra and other Parry’s Cafe acts.

The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted the July meeting of the Associated Chamber of Commerce of Orange County at Parry’s Cafe on July 29th, so the future must have looked rosy to cafe owner George Parry headed towards the end of the summer season in 1926.

And then city politics got in the way. The details are hazy and contemporary sources are vague, but a recall movement against city trustees R.E. Dolley, J.O. Hohn, and C.O. Wheat was initiated due to extravagant use of public money, removal of city employees to hire non-residents in the now vacant positions, and holding secret meetings and “steam rolling tactics” in regular meetings.

Parry seemed to be in the middle of the recall or perhaps he joined it when the council passed an ordnance to raise cafe fees and prohibit music and dancing after midnight. Either way, on two petitions were filed with the city on October 22. The first petition asked for a special recall election, and the second petition was for a referendum election on the ordnance.

At the same council meeting, Marshall Foster submitted a report of the number of arrests made at Parry’s Cafe, and that the cafe’s license be revoked. Parry countered that the report was retaliation for his allowing recall petitions to circulated at his cafe, and that many of the arrests in the report occurred in the vicinity of the cafe, but not actually in the cafe itself.

For the rest of the year, recall supporters, Parry, and the city government were locked in a tactical battle to get the special election held. Burr Brown, the city attorney, decided the petitions weren’t valid on technicalities and recommended that they be filed without action. The recall election and Parry’s Cafe losing its license without due process became matters for the courts. In the meantime, Parry’s Cafe continued to operate throughout December in spite of the council’s efforts shut it down.  Optimistically, the cafe promoted Christmas Eve and Christmas entertainments and advertised for New Year’s reservations.

Finally a special election was held on January 7th, 1927. The recall failed, the city trustees kept their seats, and Parry failed to get the dancing and music ordnance revoked. By January 20th, George Parry gave up legal efforts to prevent the city from interfering from his business and decided to shut down his cafe.

– Michael Dobkins

December 29th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1923, the Santa Ana Register ran a detailed story on the political climate in Seal Beach as the city approached the end of the year. The provocative headline for this story read, “SEAL BEACH TORN BY INTERNAL STRIFE CAUSED BY ALLEGED LAWLESSNESS WHICH WOMEN LAY TO LOOSE LIQUOR CONDITION.”

Closed on Sundays?

Seal Beach residents were divided. On one side, some, including the city’s older and more established citizens, felt that a restrictive morality was preventing Seal Beach from taking full advantage of a Southern California boom. The other side felt that an out-of-town element brought a rowdy atmosphere of lawlessness and drunkenness to the city that was ruining the virtuous small town community that attracted many residents to the locale.

This long brewing issue came to a head when the Women’s Civic Improvement Club demanded that dancing be prohibited on Sundays which was the busiest night for the detested out-of-town element and its weekly carousing. The club’s campaign included calls for the removal of current city officers and employees, especially City Marshal Jack Combs who was accused of protecting bootleggers and providing lax law enforcement to the city. Combs denied the accusations, but still resigned.

Ultimately, the city council bowed to public sentiment and passed an ordnance prohibiting Sunday dancing in Seal Beach. The Bayside Land Company, owner of the dance pavilion, the roller coaster, and the rest of the beachside amusement zone retaliated by closing the entire amusement zone on Sundays. The Women’s Civic Improvement Club was also no longer permitted to use the amusement zone’s sun room for their meetings.

Most newspaper articles covering these events ended the the story at that point — with the Women’s Civic Improvement Club being hoisted by the petard of their own activism (even though they almost immediately had a new meeting place at a local church.) The Santa Ana Register dug a little deeper.

The article points out that the city had been incorporated eight years earlier as a resort town with the Bayside Land Company investing nearly half a million dollars invested in the roller coaster and the amusement. Now Tom Moore, who ran the dance pavilion had chosen not to renew his operating license and the owner of the Jewel City Cafe had decided to relinquish his lease with Bayside Land Company.

City Recorder Clerk G. H. Morrison, an agent for the Bayside Land Company was interviewed about the situation.

“What will become of Seal Beach? We’ll be another Sunset Beach within a short time.”

“Seal Beach is logically a beach resort, and it a ‘one day’ town. That is, Sunday is the biggest day of the week, since the weekend pleasure seekers are the principal source of income for the city.”

Morrison admitted that there was trouble coming to Seal Beach. “It is true that there was a lawless element here on Sunday night, attracted by the sale of liquor. There were frequently as many as 200 sailors here, drinking and carousing, and the stench of liquor was obnoxious. Gambling was conducted openly.”

However, Morrison didn’t blame the dance pavilion or the amusement zone. He felt that the problem was with the ease with which alcohol could be obtained. Cars lined the streets on Sunday nights and bootleg whiskey sold almost openly. Fights were frequent.

Morrison himself, was a member of another Seal Beach organization of over 60 citizens, the Law Enforcement League that had called for the county attorney and officials to assist in shutting down bootlegging in Seal Beach that had resulted in three raids that Morrison claimed had all but completely shut down liquor traffic there.

Morrison and a group of 22 like-minded businessman had submitted a petition requesting that the dance pavilion be left open, but Morrison said the petition “was lost in the shuffle and was never read.”

There was even dissension within the Women’s Civic Improvement Club. Mary J. Washburn, president, shared that when the club’s resolution calling for the dance ordnance was passed, only sixteen of the twenty-two members were present, and five of those abstained from voting. Washburn said that the original purpose of the club when launched was to help clean up Seal Beach, to beautify the city, to urge cleaner streets, and promote civic pride.

Judge J. C. Old felt differently. “A number of property owners have told me that they are now willing to build homes in Seal Beach and bring their families here, since there is no danger of the lawless element congregating here once a week.

The articles closed with W.D. Miller, president of the California National Bank of Seal Beach and Sidney Ehrman, trustee of the Hellman Estate, making separate but similarly optimistic assessments of Seal Beach’s future as an ideal location for businesses and residences in Seal Beach.

And that was the state of Seal Beach was as it slid towards the end of the 1924 in the last few days of December.

• Michael Dobkins

December 28th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1913, the Santa Ana Register ran another Henry DeKruif Seal Beach ad. This time a jolly seal works on his new year’s resolutions of which there is only one — “I hereby resolve to spend the rest of my days at Seal Beach.”

– Michael Dobkins

December 27th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1924, the Santa Ana Register ran this photo of the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Company’s steam plant under construction at First Street and Ocean Avenue in Seal Beach.

The photo’s caption gave the following statistics on the new power plant. It was more than 200 square feet and would be 500 feet long when the next units were added to the structure. The main building was 100 feet high with an open steel structure to carry high tension electrical transmission lines 50 feet higher. The soon to be constructed smoke stack would be 375 feet high and would be the larger stack west of the Mississippi.

A view of the completed steam plant after the original smokestack was replaced by a much shorter smoke stack after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake

Click here for more posts on the steam plant.

– Michael Dobkins

December 26th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1924, a box of Havana cigars was mysteriously placed on table for the Seal Beach city council meeting.

The Labourdette Building

Before we get to the reason for those cigars on the table, I’d like to remind you that this meeting did not take place in the current city council chambers or even the public meeting room that occupied the second floor of the city hall built in 1929. This meeting took place in on the first floor of the Labourdette Building that once served as Seal Beach’s city hall and stood on the east side of the 200 block of Main Street. I also need to remind you that this meeting took place long before any laws banning smoking in public places, and most public meetings had a London fog hovering above from all the publicly acceptable smoking.

So why was there a box of cigars on the city council table in 1924? Seal Beach City engineer, Captain Hilyard had just become the proud father of a baby girl, and he wanted to celebrate his good fortune by sharing cigars with the council and his peers. Wasn’t that sweet?

– Michael Dobkins