The Forgotten History of Oil in Los Angeles

Today we will be taking a dive into the forgotten history of oil in Los Angeles. Did you know at one point in time California was producing one quarter of the entire worlds oil. Subscribe for more!

[@toastnjam7384]

I recall seeing all those oil derricks as a kid back in the 50's. In about 10 years they were almost all gone. I think Huntington Beach were the last to go.

[@baopham8676]

The Wilmington oil field is still active. It spreads across from Torrance to Seal Beach including the THUMS islands.

[@enriquearanda5845]

All my life, I had no idea the fields were there until I stumbled upon them cycling in 2020. I was slapped sideways at the sight 😂

[@helpis0ntheway]

Your videos are seriously amazing! Thanks for the history lessons.

[@revazquez]

Great video! Never knew this hidden history of LA. Thank you!

[@oneolddog8809]

Born in Long Beach cal. , 1954. Oil wells and orange groves. Ahh the good times.

[@d-v-cez9152]

Del Amo Mall in Torrance still had oil pumps in their parking lot...South Bay from Beach Cities to Dominguez Hills was very productive along the Newport-Inglewood fault of oil rich anticline oil traps. Del Amo and Reyes oil fields had gushers on them.

[@zionisimkills1098]

La Habra , Whittier, Diamond Bar , interesting bit of History, Richard Nixon, President Nixon , Grew up poor in Yorba Linda on an Lemon farm, after his family sold off moved away, Hugh Oil Strike was Found.

[@toastnjam7384]

Back in the early 90's I worked part time for catering co and we did a house party in Yorba Linda and they had an oil pump pumping away in the back yard.

[@Nwstwd]

We used to go to LA every summer for years in the 60s, and I remember these things used to be everywhere. When I moved there in the 80’s to go to college, they were mostly gone. Very weird.

[@3nineteen319]

They are not gone. They are inside of buildings all over Los Angeles.

[@sarnobat2000]

It's scary how rapidly things change from our childhood. As a millennial, the time period you mention doesn't feel like that long ago.

[@robertaccorsini4663]

Interesting. There are many references to the Los Angeles and California oil industry in the old Perry Mason series.

[@k1k2lee]

Almost feel like big oil cancelled the show because of it

[@GSMSfromFV]

A little bit of added history . . . . As mentioned, oil was discovered in Huntington Beach in 1920, currently located at Oil Discovery Park (Well #1), on Summit Drive, just west of Goldenwest St. Oil was discovered on Signal Hill in 1921, with the discovery well located at the corner of Temple Ave. and Hill St. Back in the '60s, I drive back and forth over Hill St. on my way to/from high school. Oil was discovered in Baldwin Hills near Inglewood in 1924. What all three of these discoveries have in common is that they are located on the Newport-Inglewood Fault, which was the source of the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.

[@NormanSilver]

I worked in a Fire Station where an oil well was directly beneath the building underground. We knew it BUT never had an bad experiences.

[@sarnobat2000]

I had no idea, and I am listening to Kevin Starr's audiobook on the history of California. Thanks for the education.

[@UneducatedGeologist]

Nice video. Good imagery and voice over

[@frankjoseph4273]

LA was the Saudi Arabia of the 1920s

[@ronmcmartin4513]

The city of La Brea, and the La Brea Tar Pits near Beverly Hills is also a sign that oil was present.

[@caiusduggan9911]

epic! ive always wanted to build one of those

[@WasteMediaTV]

Subscribe to my Patreon for a step by step guide on how to build a space elevator

[@helpis0ntheway]

@@WasteMediaTV link?

[@donaldlatham7040]

my mother would not let us in the house until she had checked our feet after being at the beach. that stuff was seeping out of the ground in Huntington beach. they should extract the black gold that is beneath there feet and get the state out of debt.

[@scasey1960]

The movie 5 easy pieces takes place within the California oil fields (and not Texas). The movie features the country music from Bakersfield ie the Bakersfield sound).

[@blainemonaco2092]

2:55 looked like a forest at first glance…..

[@asteverino8569]

The oily boid catches the woim.

[@erikdeeNOSPELLSNO]

Vibrant City!!? I say Cosmic Hellhole!!

[@mach179]

I agree. I lived in So Cal from 1966 to 2010. The first 11-years in Pomona and the rest in Lancaster. I retired and never went back.

[@erikdeeNOSPELLSNO]

@@mach179 In Santa Barbara there is a bumper sticker: "Keep L.A. 100 miles away!"

[@johnnystall9683]

U in film school? USC, perhaps?

[@marisgarcia6314]

😀😀😀😀😀😁😁😁😁