Historic Cemeteries of Long Beach
Historic Cemeteries of Long Beach

Author: Gerrie Schipske

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2016-09-19

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1439657653

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The stories of those who lived in the city by the sea begin long before the 1878 date on the oldest headstone found in the city. Long Beach was the site of ceremonies, and perhaps the burial grounds, for the Tongva tribe. Many of those who later settled the city are buried in one of the four known cemeteries, Municipal, Sunnyside, Forest Lawn Long Beach, and All Souls. Two of the cemeteries hold the graves of several hundred Union and Confederate Civil War veterans, one Medal of Honor recipient, and a slave who served in the 1st Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment. The histories of the Municipal and Sunnyside Cemeteries include the 1921 discovery of oil, which made national news as descendants of the deceased fought for the oil underneath the graves. The fight resulted in a second Sunnyside Cemetery that later became Forest Lawn Long Beach. The scene of oil derricks surrounding the cemeteries was so surreal that it caught the attention of Ansel Adams, whose photographs of Sunnyside Cemetery are included.

African Americans in Long Beach and Southern California: a History
African Americans in Long Beach and Southern California: a History

Author: Claudine Burnett

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2021-03-09

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 166551678X

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Racial discrimination and unrest are intertwined with the history of Long Beach and Southern California in Ms. Burnett’s latest book. African Americans in Long Beach and Southern California begins in the 1800s and continues to 1970, reaching into later years to describe what that history has led to today. Ms. Burnett spent over five years researching recently digitized African American newspapers which has allowed her access to the black perspective on issues rarely written about in the white press or by other authors. Personal stories, legislation, Southland history and possible solutions to decades old problems are presented, making for an interesting and informative read. It is a unique work, sure to open the eyes of many.

Forever L.A.
Forever L.A.

Author: Douglas Keister

Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Published: 2010-05-01

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1423616537

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Stunning photographs, fascinating text, and easy GPS directions for finding gracious architecture, fabulous artwork, and memorable gravesites of famous Los Angeles “residents.” Award-winning photographer/writer Douglas Keister has authored thirty-six critically acclaimed books on residential architecture as well as those on cemetery exploration. He lives in Chico, California. A simple guide for cemetery lovers.

Historic Hospitals of Long Beach
Historic Hospitals of Long Beach

Author: Gerrie Schipske R. N. P.

Publisher: America Through Time

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781634990943

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This book outlines the history of both Long Beach and its hospitals. Few other California cities can boast of their efforts to keep the public healthy as can Long Beach. Its first inhabitants, the Tongva, insisted on personal and household hygiene. The moment Long Beach became a city in 1897, officials established a board of public health and appointed a public health officer. Consequently, when epidemics struck, the city had fewer causalities. Residents of Long Beach, like most Americans in the early twentieth century, gave birth, treated illness and even underwent surgery at home. Hospitals were considered places for the poor and the severely infirm or places to quarantine contagious disease. The seaside's "perfect climate" was utilized by sanitariums to market relaxation and recuperation. As Long Beach grew, and its medical professionals became more sophisticated, sanitariums became hospitals. First, Long Beach Hospital, then Seaside, followed by St. Mary's, Community and Harriman Jones. Long a destination for retired and active military, Long Beach was also home to two Naval hospitals and one veteran's hospital.

Died in Long Beach
Died in Long Beach

Author: Claudine Burnett

Publisher:

Published: 2016-06-25

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781524611026

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Long Beach was one of the many Southern California cities that grew out of the railroad fare wars of the late 1880s. It was built by men and women who toiled to make it the great metropolis it is today. These are the tales of those who died or are buried in Long Beach. Some were illustrious in their time, others just common folk with interesting stories to tell. Politicians, city founders, visitors, influenza victims, Civil War veterans and accident victims are all discussed here, as well as the hospitals, doctors, undertakers and others who cared for the dead and dying. But what makes Long Beach's Sunnyside and Municipal cemeteries different from all others is the question of whether the bodies said to be there still remain. The "cemetery wars" of the 1920s erupted when oil was discovered on Signal Hill. Oil and other debris ran over the graves and the promised mausoleum that many had already paid for was cast aside in favor of black gold. People were angry, barricading themselves by the cemeteries' gates to prevent oil rigs from getting to the mausoleum site. Slant drilling caused headstones and markers to sink into the ground, graves were covered by the run off debris from the oil fields above. Many bodies were moved, their headstones left behind, with haphazard records kept of where the corpses were relocated. It would take a 10 year court case to determine if the dead still had "rights." In this book you will learn about the fascinating history of Long Beach's unique cemeteries, the stories of those said to be buried in them, and whether Long Beach's "cities of the dead" may be haunted by angry souls whose final abode did not allow them to "rest in peace."

Culture, Celebrity, and the Cemetery
Culture, Celebrity, and the Cemetery

Author: Linda Levitt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-05-30

Total Pages: 119

ISBN-13: 0429880383

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Monuments and memorials commemorating the dead and past events around the world have recently gained importance, not least because we are living in an era in which many are driven to record and archive the events of their lives. Cemeteries, in particular, are increasingly viewed as places associated with popular culture and cultural memory, with many now being considered as heritage tourism sites. Culture, Celebrity, and the Cemetery analyses the famous Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, USA, examining how the cemetery presents itself as an attraction, whilst also safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage. Focusing on an analysis of the articulation and performance of commemoration, Levitt examines how the cemetery leverages its rich resources to draw visitors and the diverse ways in which visitors interact with the cemetery, considering the influence of celebrity culture, fandoms, and cinema culture. Combining ethnographic research with cultural analysis, the book situates Hollywood Forever in the context of cemetery development in the United States and argues that touristic visits to cemeteries more generally have become similar to visits to more traditional memorials. Providing more than just a critical analysis of this fascinating cemetery as a landscape of famous death, Levitt coherently weaves the theme of cultural memory and meaning-making throughout every chapter. Offering the first book-length study of the cultural impact of Hollywood Forever in particular, and the cemetery as public heritage space in general, Culture, Celebrity, and the Cemetery will be of interest to scholars and students of heritage studies and tourism around the world.

Early Long Beach
Early Long Beach

Author: Gerrie Schipske

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738575773

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Few other cities can boast of the natural assets, the people, and the events that shaped the first 50 years of their history, as can the city of Long Beach, California. First inhabited by the Tongva people, the land was taken away by the Spanish, then granted to "friends of the King," who in turn sold parcels to real estate speculators working with the railroads. It was called many names before Belle Lowe suggested in 1884 that the townsite be known for its eight miles of long beaches. Its oceanfront provided a resort area, a landing strip for early aviators, a fishing industry, a port for shipbuilding and trade, and a location for the US Navy to anchor its "battle fleet" in 1919. However, discovery of oil in 1921 transformed the city, bringing incredible wealth and an explosive growth in population. By 1938, the city's population was 200,000 and would be a major factor in the Southern California war effort.