2017

Welcome to 2017. This Date in Seal Beach History will be a mix of recycled past posts with original posts for dates that the blog hasn’t covered yet. If you see material you’ve seen before, please be patient. I’ll be posting some new Seal Beach history and photos throughout the year. With luck, we’ll finish 2017 with a post for each date in Seal Beach history. Thanks. – mpd

June 25th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1977, The Anglers Tackle Box on Electric Avenue hosted an all-day fishing clinic, featuring Leonard “Straggler” Lussier, noted Baja and Southern California saltwater fishing authority, a movie, prizes, discounts, experts and much more!

– Michael Dobkins

June 24th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1914, a “big auto excursion’ left Santa Ana at 10:30 a.m. sharp to visit Seal Beach to enjoy “the surf, fishing, dancing, and bowling” and, representatives of the Guy M. Rush Company dearly hoped, put money down on a newly built home or beach lot.

– Michael Dobkins

June 23rd in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1927, two men were rushed to the Seaside Hospital in Long Beach. Robert I. Gilchrist, 54, of Sunset Beach and David Carlson, 37, of Seal Beach were struck by a car as they crossed the highway. The driver, Lynn Colburn of Long Beach reported the accident to the Seal Beach Police, claiming that he had been blinded by the headlights of an approaching car and did not see the two pedestrians. Colburn was released by the police when news that neither men were seriously injured.

– Michael Dobkins

June 22nd in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1916, fishermen on the Seal Beach pier had a close encounter with a large California gray whale. Not only were the fishermen surprised by the whale spouting a large spray of water over them, but the whale also forced the anglers to take cover by rocking one of the pier pilings while attempting to scrape barnacles from his (or her) back.

After an hour, the friendly aquatic mammal swam out to sea, leaving the fishermen to their normal activities and with a (dare we write it?) whale of a tale to share. (Ouch, sorry.)

– Michael Dobkins

June 21st in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1940, The Seal Beach Lions Club held its first annual election.

Seal Beach Community Church pastor F. Harold Essert replaced founding president of the Lions Club, J. C. Felts. Max Henkey, Dr. Homer De Sadeleer, and Mayor Elmer J. Hughes were elected first, second, and third vice presidents. James Arnerich was elected Lion Tamer and J. S. McLean was re-elected Tail Twister. A. V. Stegen and H. Mendenhall were voted in as new directors while Lee Benno and Frank Moran were holdover directors. 

Seventy-five years later, the Seal Beach Lions Club also remains an active and vital force in  the Seal Beach community. You can find out more about the club’s modern-day activities by clicking here.

– Michael Dobkins

June 20th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1966, the Seal Beach McGaugh Pool officially opened. A joint venture between J. H. McGaugh Intermediate School and the City of Seal Beach, the pool cost $118,000.

Students had used the pool during the school year, but June 20th was the official opening for the entire community. The first schedule for recreational swimming  was offer in two sessions on weekdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m and then 2:45 to 4:15 p.m.  The weekend schedule had three sessions from noon to 1:30 p.m., 1:45 to 3:15 p.m, and 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Swimming instruction was also offered.

– Michael Dobkins

June 15th in Seal Beach History

On this date in 1965, The Delicates appeared for one night only at Larry’s Goldfinger’s A-Go-G0 with Adrian Lloyd IV and Donn Coats filling out the rest of the bill.

If Larry’s Goldfinger’s A-Go-Go is remembered at all today, it’s as a controversial topless spot that barely lasted for a few years at the old Garden of Allah location on Pacific Coast Highway in spite of the city’s efforts to shut it down. The location had an even briefer stint under the name Surfer Girl A-Go-Go (which seems appropriate since this address was right across the alley from Rich Harbour Surfboards) before ultimately being bulldozed to make room for a Jack-In-The-Box drive thru. Now a Fresh and Easy Market stands at this address, and the wildest thrill that would be tolerated here would be perhaps a gal in a halter top doing the froog while waiting to use the self-service register.

But fifty years ago, Larry’s Goldfinger’s A-Go-G0 spent a few months as a live music venue, and the above ad featured some local Southern California acts that were popular in the Long Beach area at the time.

The Delicates were a West Coast girl group that lasted a couple of years (not to be confused with an earlier group called The Delicates based in New Jersey). The Delicates recorded tracks for Challenge, Pulsar, and Soultown Records and were Brenda Joyce Evans, Billy Rae Calvin And Michelle Doe, although some sources include Alder Ray as a member of the group. Perhaps some pop music historians can leave some input and corrections in the comments section.

Thanks to Youtube, we can listen to some of the music that might have been heard from The Delicates in Seal Beach fifty years ago.

But wait! There’s more. Donn Coats and drummer Alvin Lloyd both had a varied history playing with a variety of bands, including together in a group called Alvin Lloyd IV, and they functioned as a house band for Goldfinger’s from June to September in 1965.

Donn Coats and The Playbacks made some recordings earlier in the sixties.

Coats was performing in the fifties as this clip from 1957’s “Rock Baby Rock It” shows.

Please, anyone with experiences and knowledge about this groups and performers, share in our comments section.

– Michael Dobkins