84-631: The historic Pacific Electric Building (also known as the Huntington Building , after the railway’s founder, Henry Huntington , or simply 6th & Main ), opened in 1905 in the core of Los Angeles as the main train station for the Pacific Electric Railway , as well as the company's headquarters; Main Street Station served passengers boarding trains for the south and east of Southern California. The building
168-480: A high rate of death , particularly among children, attributed to many factors like diseases that spread quickly in the close quarters of the mission's walls, as well as torture, malnourishment, and overworking. In 1843, Juan Temple bought Rancho Los Cerritos , having arrived in California in 1827 from New England . He built what is now known as the " Los Cerritos Ranch House ", a still-standing adobe which
252-578: A D or F grade on beach water quality during rainy periods in the Beach Report Card published by Heal the Bay . However, during dry periods the water may have an A or B rating in the same reports. The Los Angeles River discharges directly into the Long Beach side of San Pedro Bay, meaning a large portion of all the urban runoff from the entire Los Angeles metropolitan area pours directly into
336-458: A businessman and art collector, Huntington was a major booster for Los Angeles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many places in California are named after him. Born in 1850 in Oneonta, New York , to Solon Huntington (1812–1890) and his wife, Henry Saunders (1821–1906) grew up hearing about his uncle Collis P. Huntington . His uncle became one of The Big Four , instrumental in creating
420-526: A fire, and January 1991 when the factory was demolished partially due to air quality remediation efforts . Ford had earlier opened a factory in Los Angeles at 12th Street and Olive, with a later factory built at East Seventh Street and Santa Fe Avenue after 1914. Come 1938, the creation of Housing Authorities for both the City and County of Los Angeles were complete — and North Long Beach was to be home to
504-466: A household was $ 80,493, with family households having a median income of $ 96,970 and non-family households $ 56,245. The per capita income was $ 41,896. Out of the 443,634 people with a determined poverty status, 13.8% were below the poverty line . Further, 17.9% of minors and 16.2% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 6.0% of
588-744: A large monument, in the Gardens of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The Huntington Hotel was originally named Hotel Wentworth when it opened on February 1, 1907. Financial problems and a disappointing first season forced it to close indefinitely. Henry Huntington purchased the Wentworth in 1911, renaming it the Huntington Hotel. It reopened in 1914, transformed into a winter resort. The 1920s were prosperous for
672-448: A male householder with no partner present, and 32.5% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.57 and the median family size was 3.34. The age distribution was 20.0% under 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. The median income for
756-471: A people from which their lives began. In 1784, the Spanish Empire 's King Carlos III granted Rancho Los Nietos to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto . The Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos were divided from this territory. The boundary between the two ranchos ran through the center of Signal Hill on a southwest to northeast diagonal. A portion of western Long Beach was originally part of
840-484: A popular annual event in Long Beach until the 1960s. Another Bixby cousin, John W. Bixby, was influential in the city. After first working for his cousins at Los Cerritos, J.W. Bixby leased land at Rancho Los Alamitos . He put together a group: banker I.W. Hellman , Llewellyn and Jotham Bixby, and him, to purchase the rancho. In addition to bringing innovative farming methods to the Alamitos (which under Abel Stearns in
924-658: A population of 462,257. The population density was 9,191.3 inhabitants per square mile (3,548.8/km ). The racial makeup of Long Beach was 213,066 (46.1%) White , 62,603 (13.5%) Black or African American , 3,458 (0.7%) Native American , 59,496 (12.9%) Asian (4.5% Filipino , 3.9% Cambodian , 0.9% Vietnamese , 0.6% Chinese , 0.6% Japanese , 0.4% Indian , 0.4% Korean , 0.2% Thai , 0.1% Laotian , 0.1% Hmong ), 5,253 (1.1%) Pacific Islander (0.8% Samoan , 0.1% Guamanian , 0.1% Tongan ), 93,930 (20.3%) from other races , and 24,451 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 188,412 persons (40.8%). 32.9% of
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#17327868844791008-604: A portrait by Oswald Birley at the Huntington Library , portraits of Huntington were also painted by the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury who built a studio less than a mile from Huntington's estate in San Marino in 1924-1925: a full-length, based on a photograph, is at the Collis Potter & Howard Edwards Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, and two seated versions, a small one of which
1092-839: A road to the summit, and develop the hill as a park to benefit the city of Riverside. park. The road was completed in February 1907. The property was later donated to the city of Riverside by the heirs of Frank Miller, and today the hill is a 161-acre (0.65 km ; 0.252 sq mi) city park. Huntington was a Life Member of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California. Huntington retired from business in 1916. On May 23, 1927, Henry E. Huntington died in Philadelphia while undergoing surgery. He and Arabella are buried, with
1176-665: A total of 1,626 scheduled Pacific Electric trains entered or left Los Angeles at Main Street Station in 3262 interurban car trips daily. The elevated tracks and passenger concourse on the back of the building were constructed in 1916. With the great rise in the number of automobiles in the 1920s, congestion — from the cars, from sharing streets with the cars, from sharing the streets with Los Angeles Railway ’s Yellow Cars — often caused PE trains to run late, especially while traveling north on Main Street towards Glendale, and west to Hollywood and Santa Monica. To relieve such problems,
1260-489: Is a Mexican American / Chicano community in Long Beach. Cambodian people and Hmong Americans also settled in Long Beach. There is a Buddhist community in Long Beach. As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 451,319 people and 170,965 households. The population density was 8,906.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,438.9/km ). There were 181,251 housing units at an average density of 3,576.9 per square mile (1,381.0/km ). The racial makeup of
1344-613: Is a National Historic Landmark . Temple created a thriving cattle ranch and prospered, becoming the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. Both Temple and his ranch house played important local roles in the Mexican–American War . On an island in the San Pedro Bay , Mormon pioneers made an abortive attempt to establish a colony (as part of Brigham Young 's plan to establish a continuous chain of settlements from
1428-538: Is approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Los Angeles , and is part of the Gateway Cities region. The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the United States and is among the world's largest shipping ports. The city is over an oilfield with minor wells both directly beneath the city as well as offshore. The city is known for its waterfront attractions, including
1512-541: Is the 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter city , Long Beach is the 7th-most populous city in California , the 2nd-most populous city in Los Angeles County, and the largest city in California that is not a county seat . Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach lies in Southern California , in the southern part of Los Angeles County. Long Beach
1596-481: Is water. Long Beach completely surrounds the city of Signal Hill . Long Beach has a climate that can either be described as a hot semi-arid climate or a hot-summer Mediterranean climate . In general, the city features hot summers and mild to warm winters with occasional rainfall. Days in Long Beach are mostly sunny, as in Southern California in general. Temperatures recorded at the weather station at
1680-976: The Central Pacific Railroad (later part of the Southern Pacific ), one of the two railroads that built the transcontinental railway in 1869. Henry Huntington later worked with his uncle, holding several executive positions under him with the Southern Pacific . After Collis Huntington's death in 1900, Henry Huntington assumed the senior Huntington's leadership role with Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia . He later married his uncle's widow Arabella Huntington . In 1906, Huntington divorced his first wife Mary Alice Prentice Huntington (1852–1916). They had four children together: Howard Edward (1876–1922), Clara Leonora (1878–1965), Elizabeth Vincent (1880–1965), and Marian Prentice (1883–1973). His wife Mary died in 1916. She
1764-525: The Long Beach Airport , 4.0 miles (6.4 km) inland from the ocean, range more greatly than those along the immediate coast. During the summer months, low clouds and fog occur frequently, developing overnight and blanketing the area on many mornings. This fog usually clears by the afternoon, and a westerly sea breeze often develops, keeping temperatures mild. Heat and high humidity can sometimes coincide in summer, which may cause discomfort due to
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#17327868844791848-543: The Rancho San Pedro . Its boundaries were in dispute for years, due to flooding changing the Los Angeles River boundary between Rancho San Pedro and Rancho Los Nietos. By 1805, what had been the major Tongva village of Puvunga was thoroughly depleted of villagers, most of whom were brought to Mission San Gabriel for conversion and as a labor force. Many villagers died at the mission, which had
1932-770: The San Gabriel Mountains . In 1905, Huntington, A. Kingsley Macomber , and William R. Staats developed the Oak Knoll subdivision , located to the west of his San Marino estate in the oak-covered hilly terrain near Pasadena . In 1906, Huntington, along with Frank Miller , owner of the Mission Inn , and Charles M. Loring , formed the Huntington Park Association , with the intent to purchase Mount Rubidoux in Riverside , build
2016-594: The Westside , San Fernando Valley , or San Gabriel Valley . While overall regional pollution in the Los Angeles metropolitan area has declined in the last decade, pollution levels remain dangerously high in much of Long Beach due to the port pollution, with diesel exhaust from ships, trains, and trucks as the largest sources. Additionally, Long Beach is directly downwind of several of the South Bay oil refineries . Any refinery process or chemical upset that results in
2100-574: The 1950s. (see also: History of Retail in Southern California ) Oil was discovered in 1921 on Signal Hill, which split off as a separately incorporated city shortly afterward. The discovery of the Long Beach Oil Field , brought in by the gusher at the Alamitos oil well#1 , made Long Beach a major oil producer; in the 1920s the field was the most productive in the world. In 1932, the even larger Wilmington Oil Field , fourth-largest in
2184-585: The 6th and Main PE Terminal's sole function until 1942. Trains entered the back (east side) on ground-level track from San Pedro Street, loaded and unloaded passengers inside the building concourse, then exited onto Main Street (west side) and turned north or south. (See the attached photograph accompanying this article.) In 1942, the terminal was converted to accommodate the Pacific Electric's growing fleet of buses . Trains continued to enter and use
2268-660: The California Railroad Commission issued Order No. 9928 in 1922, which called for the Pacific Electric to build a subway to leave downtown's busy streets. The Subway Terminal Building , a second PE terminal, was then built across downtown at the base of Bunker Hill at 4th and Hill Streets by Pershing Square to serve the subway, which opened December 1, 1925, speeding passenger service considerably to Hollywood, Santa Monica, San Fernando, and Glendale. Interurban rail service remained
2352-713: The County Authority's first order of business: the Carmelitos Housing Project, Southern California's first affordable housing complex. Long Beach, as a port city, had a relationship with the U.S. Navy even before the war. The city was part of the Battle of Los Angeles during World War II when observers for the United States Army Air Forces reported shells being fired from the sea. Anti-aircraft batteries fired into
2436-440: The Los Angeles metropolitan area coastal communities to the northwest and southeast of Long Beach, which largely have west facing coastlines. The 1200 ft Palos Verdes hills block west to east airflow and a significant amount of the coastal moisture that marks other coastal cities, such as Manhattan Beach , Santa Monica , and Newport Beach . As in most locations in Southern California, most rainfall in Long Beach occurs during
2520-575: The PE terminal on outdoor passenger loading platforms and stub tracks at the rear (east side) of the PE Terminal. Trains used a ramp up from San Pedro Street that crossed Los Angeles Street to reach the loading platforms. Passengers walked into the terminal concourse via an enclosed bridge. Over the next decade, interurban rail routes to Bellflower , the Watts local , and Long Beach and harbor area were abandoned and replaced by motor coaches . The last active route
2604-851: The Pacific to Salt Lake ). Following the U.S. Conquest of California , Temple had his Rancho Los Cerritos deeded to him by the Public Land Commission . In 1866, Temple sold Rancho Los Cerritos for $ 20,000 to the Northern California sheep-raising firm of Flint, Bixby & Company , which consisted of brothers Thomas and Benjamin Flint and their cousin Llewellyn Bixby . Two years previous Flint, Bixby & Co had also purchased along with Northern California associate James Irvine , three ranchos which would later become
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2688-516: The Rancho Los Cerritos to William E. Willmore , who subdivided it in hopes of creating a farm community, Willmore City . He failed and was bought out by a Los Angeles syndicate that called itself the "Long Beach Land and Water Company". They changed the name of the community to Long Beach at that time. The City of Long Beach was officially incorporated in 1897. The town grew as a seaside resort with light agricultural uses. The Pike
2772-642: The United States and the British Empire , President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued United States Executive Order 9066 which allowed military commanders to designate areas "from which any or all persons may be excluded". Under this order, all Japanese and Americans of Japanese ancestry were categorically removed from Western coastal regions and sent to internment camps , without regard for due process . 24,000 Jews live in Long Beach. Jews are concentrated in Rossmor, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Lakewood in
2856-420: The United States, and which is mostly in Long Beach, was developed, contributing to the city's fame in the 1930s as an oil town. The M6.4 1933 Long Beach earthquake caused significant damage to the city and surrounding areas, killing a total of 120 people. Most of the damage occurred in unreinforced masonry buildings , especially schools. Pacific Bible Seminary (now known as Hope International University )
2940-456: The age of 18 living in them, 61,850 (37.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 26,781 (16.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10,598 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12,106 (7.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 3,277 (2.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . Of the households, 46,536 (28.5%) were made up of individuals, and 11,775 (7.2%) had someone living alone who
3024-471: The atmospheric release of refinery by-products (commonly sulfur dioxide ) will usually impact air quality in Long Beach due to the west-south-westerly prevailing wind. Similarly, the water quality in the Long Beach portion of San Pedro Bay , which is enclosed by the Federal Breakwater , commonly ranks among the poorest on the entire West Coast during rainy periods. Long Beach beaches average
3108-399: The basement of the nearby Greyhound Terminal, and this continued during R apid T ransit D istrict (SCRTD) operations. Following the closure of the terminal's main floor depot, the former waiting room and bus concourse were converted to a parking garage. With the commercial and social decline of Main Street and the east side of downtown in general, the rented offices on the upper floors of
3192-435: The building became less desirable and gradually emptied out. The building was largely vacant for many years, though it became a popular location for the movie and television industries. Over 400 location shoots have taken place there, including scenes from Forrest Gump , LA Confidential , Jumpin' Jack Flash and interior shots for the 1970s Streets of San Francisco TV series. In 1908, Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet
3276-442: The building was converted by ICO Group into residential live/work lofts and is occupied by residents. Several commercial tenants have filled the first floor spaces along 6th Street. The original Cole's space was renovated and divided to add another restaurant and bar. The building lobby currently displays a number of artifacts left over from its days as once an exceptionally active interurban rail terminal. "DANGER" warnings are set into
3360-657: The cities of Huntington Beach and Huntington Park , as well as Huntington Lake . Huntington is credited with creating the first Homeowner's Association as a means of de facto segregation in his investment properties. Also in greater Los Angeles are the Huntington Hospital in Pasadena , Henry E. Huntington Middle School in San Marino , and the grand boulevard, Huntington Drive , running eastbound from downtown Los Angeles. Its landscaped central parkway
3444-474: The city that bears Irvine's name. To manage Rancho Los Cerritos, the company selected Llewellyn's brother Jotham Bixby, the "Father of Long Beach". Three years later, Bixby bought into the property and would later form the Bixby Land Company. In the 1870s, as many as 30,000 sheep were kept at the ranch and sheared twice yearly to provide wool for trade. In 1880, Bixby sold 4,000 acres (16 km ) of
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3528-579: The city was 34.6% White, 20.1% some other race, 12.5% Asian, 11.8% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 1.0% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 18.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44.0% of the population. Of the 170,965 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% were couples cohabitating, 22.3% had
3612-493: The city's population was of Mexican heritage. Non-Hispanic Whites were 29.4% of the population in 2010, down from 86.2% in 1970. The ethnic Cambodian population of approximately 20,000 is the largest outside of Asia. The Census reported 453,980 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 5,321 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,956 (0.6%) were institutionalized. There were 163,531 households, out of which 58,073 (35.5%) had children under
3696-571: The city's population, arrived during the Department of the Interior 's Bureau of Indian Affairs urban relocation programs in the 1950s. Long Beach once had a sizable Japanese American population, which largely worked in the fish canneries on Terminal Island and on small truck farms in the area. In 1942, not long after the Attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent Japanese declaration of war on
3780-479: The city. The population density was 9,149.8 inhabitants per square mile (3,532.8 inhabitants/km ). There were 171,632 dwelling units at an average density of 3,402.6 per square mile (1,313.8/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 45.2% White , 14.9% Black or African American (U.S. Census), 0.8% Native American , 12.1% Asian , 1.2% Pacific Islander , 20.6% from other races , and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 35.8% of
3864-551: The closure of the manufacturing facility in 2015. Long Beach also saw an instance of the Chicano(a) movement in 1968. Long Beach is about 21 miles (34 km) south of downtown Los Angeles . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 80.35 square miles (208.1 km ), of which 50.70 square miles (131.3 km ) is land and 29.64 square miles (76.8 km ) (36.8%)
3948-616: The door on December 23, 1941. The plant produced C-47 Skytrain transports, B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and A-20 Havoc attack bombers simultaneously. Douglas merged with the McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967 where the Douglas DC-8 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 were built. In 1997 McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing , which made C-17 Globemaster transport planes in Long Beach until
4032-644: The end of the 1930s the hotel was vibrant again. When World War II began, all reservations were cancelled and the hotel was rented to the Army for $ 3,000 a month. Following the war, the Huntington's fortunes improved again. In 1954 Stephen Royce sold the hotel to the Sheraton Corporation , serving as general manager until his retirement in 1969. The hotel operated until 1985, when it closed because of its inability to meet seismic standards. The structure
4116-450: The harbor water. This runoff contains most of the debris, garbage, chemical pollutants, and biological pathogens washed into storm drains in every upstream city each time it rains. Because the breakwater prevents tidal flushing and wave action , these pollutants build up in the harbor. The water enclosed by the breakwater, along most of the city's beaches, can be subject to red tides due to this stagnation as well. Because of these factors,
4200-498: The heat index. According to data analysis provided by the NWS , The annual average temperature of Long Beach is 64.9 °F (18.3 °C), of which August is the hottest month with an average temperature of 74.3 °F (23.5 °C), while December is the coldest month with an average temperature of 56.7 °F (13.7 °C). In terms of temperature, Long Beach and other California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have
4284-469: The hotel, as Midwestern and Eastern entrepreneurs discovered California's warm winter climate. The hotel's reputation for fine service began with long-time general manager and later owner Stephen W. Royce. By 1926, the hotel's success prompted Royce to open the property year-round. The "golden years" ended with the stock market crash and the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s. By
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#17327868844794368-608: The hottest month of the year usually in August and the coolest month in December. Long Beach has 23 days of afternoon temperatures above 90 °F (32.2 °C) each year, and about two days a year are above 100 °F (37.8 °C). Long Beach's location directly east of the Palos Verdes Peninsula , paired with its south facing coastline, results in the city sometimes experiencing different weather patterns than
4452-527: The late 1850s and early 1860s was once the largest cattle ranch in the US), J.W. Bixby began the development of the oceanfront property near the city's picturesque bluffs. Under the name Alamitos Land Company, J.W. Bixby named the streets and laid out the parks of his new city. This area would include Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore and Naples; it soon became a thriving community of its own. J.W. Bixby died in 1888 of apparent appendicitis . The Rancho Los Alamitos property
4536-472: The narrow gauge city-oriented Los Angeles Railway (LARy), known as the 'Yellow Car' system. In 1901, Huntington formed the sprawling interurban, standard gauge Pacific Electric Railway (the PE), known as the 'Red Car' system, centered at 6th and Main streets in Los Angeles. Huntington succeeded in this competition by providing passenger-friendly streetcars on 24/7 schedules, which the railroads could not match. This
4620-502: The night sky, although no planes were ever sighted. Long Beach's population grew substantially during and after the war, with workers being needed for wartime manufacturing and G.I. bill recipients seeking out homes in California. Suburbs were built by the Bixby land companies and others. Douglas Aircraft Company 's largest facility was its Long Beach plant, totaling 1,422,350 square feet (132,141 m ). The first plane rolled out
4704-516: The original concourse on New Year's Day to carry crowds to and from the Tournament of Roses events in Pasadena until 1950 when Northern District ( Pasadena – Sierra Madre – Monrovia–Glendora ) rail service was abandoned. After that, the PE concourse saw no trains and Main Street tracks were no longer used. Remaining service to Glendora , the Harbor, and to Bellflower was provided at the rear of
4788-650: The permanently docked RMS Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific . Long Beach also hosts the Grand Prix of Long Beach , an IndyCar race and the Long Beach Pride Festival and Parade . California State University, Long Beach , one of the largest universities in California by enrollment, is within the city. Indigenous people have lived in coastal Southern California for over 10,000 years, and several successive cultures have inhabited
4872-448: The population of the town, followed by English at 5.2%, Irish at 5.0%, Italian at 3.1%, American at 1.8%, Polish at 1.3%, French at 1.1%, Scottish at 1.1%, Sub-Saharan African at 0.8%, Swedish at 0.7%, Greek at 0.6%, Scotch-Irish at 0.6%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 0.6%, Russian at 0.5%, Dutch at 0.5%, Danish at 0.5%, and Norwegian at 0.5%. The 2010 United States Census reported that Long Beach had
4956-421: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 258,726 people (56.0%) lived in rental housing units. During 2009–2013, Long Beach had a median household income of $ 52,711, with 20.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line. As of 2014, the population of Long Beach was 473,577. As of the census of 2000, there were 461,522 people, 163,088 households, and 99,646 families residing in
5040-593: The population. The city has changed since the 1950s, when its population was predominantly European-American and the city was nicknamed "Iowa by the Sea" or "Iowa under Palm Trees" as it had a slower pace than neighboring Los Angeles. In 1950, whites represented 97.4% of Long Beach's population. Since the second half of the 20th century, the city has been a major port of entry for Asian and Latin American immigrants headed to Los Angeles. The Harbor section of downtown Long Beach
5124-400: The ports, and short-haul tractor-trailer trucks ferrying cargo from the ports to inland warehousing, rail yards, and shipping centers. Long-term average levels of toxic air pollutants (and the corresponding carcinogenic risk they create) can be two to three times higher in and around Long Beach, and in downwind areas to the east, than in other parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, such as
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#17327868844795208-642: The present-day area of Long Beach. By the 16th-century arrival of Spanish explorers, the dominant group was the Tongva , who had established at least three major settlements within the present-day city. Tevaaxa'anga was an inland settlement near the Los Angeles River , while Ahwaanga and Povuu'nga were coastal villages. Povuu'nga was particularly important to the Tongva, not only as a regional trading center and hub for fishermen, but for its deep ceremonial significance, being understood as their place of emergence as
5292-633: The remaining 3,500 acres (14 km ) of Rancho Los Cerritos was subdivided into the neighborhoods of Bixby Knolls , California Heights , Los Cerritos , North Long Beach and part of the city of Signal Hill . Pine Avenue near 4th became the center of a large shopping district. Besides upscale Buffums (1912; expanded 1926), in 1929 alone Barker Brothers , the Hugh A. Marti Co. , and Wise Company and Famous department stores built large new stores, Walker's (1933), and nearby at American and 5th, Sears (1928) and Montgomery Ward (1929). It would remain popular until suburban malls sprung up starting in
5376-463: The sidewalk at the Main Street location where trains once entered and left the building, remaining as evidence of its original grand purpose. Henry E. Huntington Henry Edwards Huntington (February 27, 1850 – May 23, 1927) was an American railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Huntington settled in Los Angeles , where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estate interests. In addition to being
5460-407: The system contained over 20 streetcar lines and 1,250 trolleys, most running through the core of Los Angeles and serving such nearby neighborhoods as the Crenshaw district , West Adams , Echo Park , Westlake , Hancock Park , Exposition Park , Vernon , Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights . The system integrated the 1902 acquisition, the Mount Lowe Scenic Railway above Altadena, California in
5544-420: The water in Long Beach is sometimes unsafe for swimming, up to weeks each year. The area has historically included several ecological communities, with coastal scrub dominating. The top five countries of origin for Long Beach's immigrants are Mexico , the Philippines , Cambodia , El Salvador and Vietnam . The most common foreign languages spoken in Long Beach are Spanish , Khmer and Tagalog . There
5628-539: The winter months. Storms can bring heavy rainfall. The annual precipitation in Long Beach is 12.02 inches (305.3 mm), of which the precipitation from December to March of the following year accounts for 81% of the whole year. June to September is usually rainless, especially August. See or edit raw graph data . Long Beach is composed of many different neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods are named after thoroughfares, while others are named for nearby parks, schools, or city features. Long Beach suffers from some of
5712-557: The worst air pollution in the entire United States . Most of the city is in proximity to the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the prevailing westerly-to-west-south-westerly winds bring a large portion of the twin ports' air pollution directly into Long Beach before dispersing it northward then eastward. Heavy pollution sources at the ports include the ships themselves, which burn high-sulfur, high-soot-producing bunker fuel to maintain internal electrical power while docked, as well as heavy diesel pollution from drayage trucks at
5796-408: The “Great Merger” of Pacific Electric into Southern Pacific Railroad in 1911, the PE Building became the home of Southern Pacific in Los Angeles. In 1925, a second electric rail hub, the Subway Terminal , was opened near Pershing Square to serve the north and west. The building opened on January 15, 1905 as a terminal for the electric railways being constructed by Henry Huntington . In 1914,
5880-409: Was 33.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. There were 176,032 dwelling units at an average density of 3,422.2 per square mile (1,321.3/km ), of which 67,949 (41.6%) were owner-occupied, and 95,582 (58.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 195,254 people (42.2% of
5964-444: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 99,229 families (60.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.52. The age distribution of the city was as follows: 115,143 people (24.9%) were under the age of 18, 54,163 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 140,910 people (30.5%) aged 25 to 44, 109,206 people (23.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 42,835 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
6048-588: Was acquired by Huntington's son-in-law John Metcalf, and a larger one (which is presumed lost) which was engraved by an artist called Witherspoon in 1928. The artist also painted Huntington's granddaughter Mary Brockway Metcalf (this is on long-term loan to the offices of the Director of the Huntington Library and Art Gallery). Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California , United States. It
6132-716: Was built of reinforced concrete in 1906. After a 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -year major renovation, the hotel reopened in March 1991 as the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel and Spa. The hotel completed a $ 19 million renovation in January 2006; it changed hands in early 2007 and became Langham Brand International, Huntington Hotel & SPA. Huntington left a prominent legacy with the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens on his former estate in San Marino near Pasadena. Other legacies in California include
6216-649: Was dedicated to Huntington in 1907, in recognition of his contributions to the development of Mount Rubidoux, remains on a large boulder known as Huntington Rock. After Huntington's death a second tablet was placed on the north side of the hill at a place named the Huntington Shrine. His legacy on the East Coast includes the Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta, New York , opened July 9, 1920 in his childhood home. As well as
6300-536: Was designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh . Though not the tallest in Los Angeles, its ten floors enclosed the greatest number of square feet in any building west of Chicago for many decades. Above the train station, covering the lower floors, were five floors of offices; and in the top three was the Jonathan Club , one of the city's leading businessmen's clubs introduced by magnates from the Northeast . After
6384-461: Was forced to move classes out of First Christian Church of Long Beach and into a small local home due to damage. The Ford Motor Company built a factory called Long Beach Assembly at the then address in 1929 as "700 Henry Ford Avenue, Long Beach" where the factory began building the Ford Model A . Production of Ford vehicles continued after the war until 1960, when the plant was closed due to
6468-459: Was in the period of a boom in Southern California land development. Housing was built in places such as Orange County's Huntington Beach , a Huntington-sponsored development, and streetcars served passenger needs that the railroads had not considered. Connectivity to Downtown Los Angeles made such suburbs feasible. By 1910, the Huntington trolley systems spanned approximately 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of Southern California. At its greatest extent,
6552-459: Was once home to people of Dutch , Greek , Italian , Maltese , Portuguese and Spanish ancestry, most of them employed in manufacturing and fish canneries until the 1960s. According to a report by USA Today in 2000, Long Beach is the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States. It has a relatively high proportion of Pacific Islanders (over 1% as of the 2000 Census), from Samoa and Tonga . Most American Indians , about 0.8% of
6636-461: Was opened on the lower floor of the building and is still there today. As such, Cole's claims to be Los Angeles' oldest restaurant and pub that has been in operation in the same place since its founding. It is one of two local establishments which lay claim to having invented the French dip sandwich . Additionally, the structure held the architectural offices of Greene and Greene circa 1905. In 2005,
6720-542: Was previously the right-of-way for the Northern Division of the Pacific Electric. Riverside's city park on Mount Rubidoux was originally named Huntington Park, and the road to the top was named Huntington Drive. After Frank Miller's heirs donated the property to the city, the city renamed the park the Frank A. Miller Rubidoux Memorial Park, and the road has become known as Mount Rubidoux Drive. A plaque that
6804-494: Was split up, with Hellman getting the southern third, Jotham and Llewellyn, the northern third, and J.W. Bixby's widow and heirs keeping the central third. The Alamitos townsite was kept as a separate entity, but at first, it was primarily run by Llewellyn and Jotham Bixby, although I.W, Hellman (who had the largest single share) had a significant veto power, an influence made even stronger as the J.W. Bixby heirs began to side with Hellman more and more. When Jotham Bixby died in 1916,
6888-554: Was the Long Beach Line . The final "Blimp" multiple unit interurban train to use the terminal (so named for their unusual plump size and round front windows) to Long Beach was on April 9, 1961 and was in MTA green livery: no longer painted the famous and classic Pacific Electric red. MTA Bus service continued to operate from Sixth and Main until 1964. The MTA ran "Freeway Flyer" motor coach service to old PE destinations from
6972-640: Was the birth sister of Clara Elizabeth Prentice-Huntington , whom his Uncle Collis and his first wife Elizabeth had adopted. Huntington's marriage to the widowed Arabella Huntington in 1913 shocked San Francisco society. They were about the same age, so had no children. Huntington expected to assume control of the Central and Southern Pacific after his uncle's death. He was blocked by bondholder's representative James Speyer , forcing him to sell his interests to E. H. Harriman . In 1898, in friendly competition with his uncle's Southern Pacific, Huntington bought
7056-599: Was the most famous beachside amusement zone on the West Coast from 1902 until 1969; it offered bathers food, games and rides, such at the Sky Wheel dual Ferris wheel and Cyclone Racer roller coaster . Gradually the oil industry, Navy shipyard and facilities and port became the mainstays of the city. In the 1950s it was referred to as "Iowa by the sea", due to a large influx of people from that and other Midwestern states. Huge picnics for migrants from each state were
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