I spent a day hanging out with my history homie Jesse Lopez, who took me on a tour of hidden history around Long Beach. We hit 4 spots: the "Recreation in Long Beach" mural at Harvey Milk Park, the Venus Statue in the Westin Hotel Courtyard, the Route 6 plaque in front of the Terrace Theater, and the Jergins Building pillars at the Willmore Heritage Garden.
All of these landmarks have been moved from their original locations and are some of the only remaining relics of some of Long Beach's historical architecture.
This is Foo Howser ™ going in search of the hidden history of Long Beach.
Big shoutout to Jesse Lopez for the tour, you can find can find his amazing history content on his YouTube channel @HeyLongBeach and you can follow him on IG @jessethelopez.
Huge thank you to The Historical Society of Long Beach for allowing me to use some of the photos from their archives.
References:
“City Invests $3,000,000 in the Aud. and Pier” by Staf, The Long Beach Sun. March 5, 1932.
“Mural for Front of Auditorium is Council Proposal” by Staff, The Long Beach Sun. June 27, 1936.
“Auditorium’s Tile Mural to be Dedicated” by Staff, The Long Beach Sun. Jan. 24, 1938.
“Unique Mural to be Preserved” by Staff, The Long Bech Independent. Sept. 6, 1972.
“Mural Moves with the Times” by Elise Emery, The Long Beach Independent, March 21, 1975.
“Visiting Long Beach History: Jergins Pillars, WPA Mosaic and Route 6” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. May 24, 2020.
West Coast Theater | Los Angeles Theaters Blog
Fox West Coast Theatre | Cinema Treasures
“Visiting Long Beach History: Jergins Pillars, WPA Mosaic and Route 6” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. May 24, 2020.
“Long Beach West Coast Theater’s Hidden Statue” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. May 26, 2024.
“GAR Memory Perpetuated as Five Family Organizations Open Parley” by Don Brackenbury, The Long Beach Press-Telegram. May 4, 1953.
“Grand Army of Republic Regains Spot in History” by Hugo Martin, The L.A. Times. Nov. 5, 1992.
“U.S. 6 - The Grand Army of the Republic Highway” by Richard F. Weingroff. Federal Highway Administration.
“Long Beach History: Route 6” by LBTV YouTube Channel. Feb. 1, 2023.
“Attractive Passage Under Busy Street is Big Traffic Aid” by Staff, The Long Beach Sun. March 31, 1929.
“Hard Rock Hotel Plans 2027 Opening in Long Beach; Jergins Tunnel to be Speakeasy, Mayor Says” by Brandon Richardson, The Long Beach Business Journal. Nov. 13, 2023.
“Long Beach Lost: With Hard Rock Hotel going on Top of Jergins Tunnel, a Look into the Past” by Brian Addison, longbeachize. Nov. 14, 2023.
“Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd in Long Beach” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. July 13, 2017.
“Visiting Long Beach History: Jergins Pillars, WPA Mosaic and Route 6” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. May 24, 2020.
“Building Long Beach History: The Jergins Tunnel Entrance Sign” by Hey Long Beach YouTube Channel. June 24, 2020.
Music:
“Plantation” by Omri Smadar
“Rooftops” by Paper Planes
“New Beginnings” by Paper Planes
“Blue On” by Assaf Avalon
“Never Gonna Let You Go (Instrumental Version) by Steven Beddall
#californiography #foohowser #longbeach #hiddenhistory
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