The History of Long Beach, California. Past, Present & Future.

The History of Long Beach, California in Photos from 1880 to now and beyond.
www.islandoflongbeach.com

[@user377047]

I will never understand why they tore the Pike down, it was here before Disneyland if anyone had foresight they should have cleaned it and expanded it. I enjoyed it alot. I remember my grandmother would always take us down on Wed, during the summers. At that time it was the SoCal place to go. That was in the 50s, yep I'm old.

[@shariberry3123]

My great aunt lived in Long Beach by 1920, probably earlier. I remember seeing pictures of her on the beach, wearing black stockings while shoveling sand in a pail with her toddler son. My mom was born in 1930 Pasadena, and stayed with her aunt in Long Beach every summer growing up. She told me when she was 3, her cousins would walk to the beach carrying a beach umbrella across that my mom would sit on like you ride a horse. When she was a few years older, her mom moved her there and she would go to the Pike. She told me that she would talk to this very nice man who worked there, he had a wife and kids. She said he was really super hairy, and when the crowds would come over, he would shoo my mom away to rattle his chains and growl. He was a side show performer at the Pike during the Depression, just an ordinary guy trying to feed his family. My mom graduated from LB Polytech in 1947, she said it was an amazing school. RIP mom, I love you.

[@bharfarar]

I grew up in Long Beach in the 60's and 70's, and it was a paradise to me. If I'd only known back then how beautiful life was in that city, I'd have done much better. But...you're a kid, and you don't appreciate things like you should.

[@thisisseb]

2:08

[@nmcraven]

Nice pictures, but they go by too quick per frame.

[@1912fld]

WHY did they tear down the Municipla Auditorium? What a beautiful structure - no lost. I played at the opening of the Spruce Goose - what a wonderful sight -also gone... moved up north. thanks for posting.

[@ragazzi25]

Lived in Long Beach late 80s and really enjoyed the area...Queen Mary was a fun ship to visit, they had a restaurant on the main deck called Promenade where I had lunch with my parents, great times!

[@alexdelrio45]

I agree with you! Long Beach was BEAUTIFUL back then!! I was a young boy in the 1960s, and your right about not appreciating things when your a kid.I view many historical photos of Long Beach from the years of the 1930s thru the late 1960s. What a beautiful city it was!!! It was AWESOME!!

[@scotness]

I am a 2nd generation child from Long Beach. Growing up in the 70's and early 80's I heard a lot of beautiful stories of how the city grew and watching this video it showed it.

[@MsShelbones]

My family moved with the Navy to Los Altos, where my parents bought their first home on Gondar. I grew up through the 50s in the most wonderful extended neighborhood family a kid could ever hope for. Thank you for reviving those memories with this incredible record of a beautiful community. I think I even spotted myself at the grand opening of the shopping center, 'driving' a little red car as it circled round and round on the ride!

[@oliviaanne786]

Thank you to the Historical Society of Long Beach. You've all done such a terrific job.

[@alexdelrio45]

Hi, I grew up in Redondo Beach and graduated at Redondo Union High School. We went to the Pike in the mid 1960s with my parents. What a great place that was. I veiwed many photos of Long Beach of it's past and it was amazing. They tore down many historical buildings and that's a shame! If they only keep the Pike and The Cyclone Racer and restored it, it would have been a historical landmark!! People would have visit it from all over the world!

[@lovelylight1972]

the pics were going so fast but I was still enjoying the amount of history you have here great job

[@kenmarilyn]

The Video was Wonderful, My mother grew up in Long Beach and was 2 years old in the 1933 earthquake. I went fishing & Swimming when I was child. Really Loved it there.

[@bobweaver2685]

I was born in Long Beach in 1941, and my brother, sister, and I all went to Poly High School. That school was established in 1895. I don't know if that is the oldest school there, but it is one of the oldest. Woodrow Wilson was not established until 1926. The tents you see in some of those old photos were taken after the 1933 earthquake.

[@alicecortez2411]

Love going to the mall .with my parents and family .the long each plaza in the 90s .love shopping in Montgomery ward .and going to the pike for walks

[@TheBRYDOG]

JUST FYI- THE VIDEO SHOWS THE VILLA RIVIERA HOTEL IN "1900". CONSTRUCTION WASN'T COMPLETED ON THE VILLA RIVIERA UNTIL 1929.

[@jhrvta]

My mother was born in nearby San Pedro 2/3/1928. Going to stay on RMS Queen Mary today and for a couple days (!). Mom spent much time in LBC as a child and teenager. This trip is in her memory.

[@petestamour2087]

I grew up in LB. I lived at 1825 Ostrom Avenue right across from Tincher Elem.. I went to Tincher for only one year and then went to St. Joseph's Elementary and graduated in 1965. Our summers were spent hitchhiking to Seal Beach. Sometimes hitchhiked with surfboards. I recall listening to the Beach Boys and Jan n Dean,Ventures, and a lot of other surf music. I can still smell the fishy/salty smell of the air and hear the sounds of the caliope at Pierpoint Landing in my mind.

[@TheKelli23]

Thank you. I haven't seen a lot of those pictures in so long. I use to have a book of Long Beach. Telling the whole history how it got its name and so on. It had a lot of those pictures in there. And all the all names of the names of the streets. Thank you so much.