Main Street Mondays – 1950s
Main Street in Seal Beach has been a favorite subject for photographers throughout its 95 years of history. Every Monday between now and the end of the Seal Beach Founders Celebration, we’ll be posting a different image of Main Street. This week’s Main Street image comes to us from Linda Buell.
(l to r) Gordon Hooper, Bob Robertson (standing behind the tram) Alan Harbour, Doug Buell, Eddie Fritz & Jack Sauters. Driver: Frank Smith.
click on the image for a larger view
This image almost duplicates last week’s Main Street image except for a great view of the much missed pier tram and a better view of the Bayside Land Company Building in the background.
Painted on the side of the white truck behind the tram are the words, “Marines March of Dimes” and “Polio Fund.” This dates the photo to no later than 1958 because that was the year the March of Dimes shifted its mission from curing polio to preventing premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality after Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine proved effective.
Be sure to check back each week for more historical photos and stories of Seal Beach.
– Michael Dobkins
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This Date in Seal Beach History 
Michael, great blog post! I’m sure the tram I ride on was a little different but that picture sure brought back memories. Thanks to Linda Buell for the picture!
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That’s my Dad on the tram! The tram was still going when I was a kid and all of us kids loved to walk down to the pier with our quarter and ride the tram on the pier!
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So great to see Dad Doug Buell from so long ago! Yeah Cari, I do remember that tram from the good ole days…fun times!
Thanks Linda, for sharing! ;-)xox
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I think this was around 1955 or 56. It sure brought back a lot of memories of some favorites: Doug – boyfriend ’56-’60 & future husband and father of my daughters, Lisa and Laura; Alan – loved to watch him and the Little Ceasar car club tinker on their cars across the alley and then good friends with him and Pauline; Eddie – had lots of fun at parties on the “hill” in his black (’55 I think) Chevy; Bill – LOTS of fun dancing and partying in the garage behind his dad’s Seal Beach Post and Wave…and taking Mambo lessons with him; and Frankie (great drummer & dancer & had a cute lavendar convertible coup, if I remember correctly). Gordon was special & was as good looking as his brothers, Denny and Gary! Ah, that tram – rode it everyday in the summer of ’57 to my job at the Lescher’s Pier Cafe. Kenny Heggstrom was the driver then.
I could share so many more memories…
Thanks for taking me back!
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So great- sometimes I wish I lived back in that time era! Christie, I didn’t know you worked on the pier cafe!
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oh mom, i love hearing those old stories! 😉
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THIS IS ’55 OR ’56 FOR SURE….THE LITTLE KID BETWEEN THE TRAM AND THE TRAILER IS DANNY LENNAHAN. THE BRICK BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND WAS ORIGINALLY THE PACIFIC ELECTRIC PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TERMINAL. LATER IT WAS THE SITE OF THE WEBSTER’S TV SCREEN MAGNIFYING BUBBLE FACTORY. AS I REMEMBER, THERE WAS A POOL HALL THEN AN ART GALLERY IN THE BUILDING DURING THE FIFTIES AND EARLY SIXTIES.
GORDON HOOPER MOVED OUT OF TOWN SHORTLY AFTER THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN. HE WENT TO COLLEGE UP NORTH THEN SAILED TO AUSRTALIA, WHERE HE HAS NOW LIVED FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS.
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