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Tag: Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce

  • September 11th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1960, the Los Angeles Times ran a short article on Phyllis Jay and the Seal Beach Marina Players.

    Bruce Jay looks on as his mother Phyllis Jay prepares for a performance
    Son Bruce looks on as his mother Phyllis Jay prepares for another performance

    In March 1959, Phyllis Jay produced and directed a 30-minute parody of South Pacific for a Huntington Beach High School PTA benefit. The performance was to be for one night only, but the response was too good to stop at one performance. As high school trustee Willard Hanzlik put it, “It’s so good it ought to hit the road.”

    Jay’s group of amateur players did just that, performing the piece 26 times locally at various benefits for PTAs, scout groups, veteran hospitals, senior citizens, and the mentally handicapped.

    Cooperation and adaptability was the key ingredients to the Seal Beach Marina Players success.

    Marge Tozer, one of the players designed and built the sets to fit into one station wagon with three different backgrounds to be used depending on the size of the stage. The players had to be flexible enough to perform with or without curtains, on small, medium, or large stages, and sometimes at floor level where the actors could literally “reach out and touch” the audience.

    A major highlight for Mrs. Jay was a Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted “welcome neighbor” party night. The Seal Beach Marina Players gave three performances in one night in a 300-seat school auditorium (probably the J. H. McGaugh School Auditorium). 

    At the time of the article, the group had raised $3,000, approximately $24,000 in 2016 dollars.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • July 27th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1919, the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce held what was referred to in the newspapers as the First Annual Water Carnival.

    Seal Beach is still waiting for its second annual Water Carnival.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • June 9th in Seal Beach History (3 of 8)

    On this date in 1916, this article and these ads ran on the third page of a Seal Beach promotional section in the Santa Ana Register. This was on the Friday of the first opening summer weekend under the Seal Beach name, and this was the newly incorporated city at its most ambitious and confident.

    The copy, ads, and illustrations are formatted below for easier reading and a larger view of the graphics.

    ADMINISTRATION BLDG IS A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE

    Houses Bay Side Land Company Officers and Amusement Directors

    The recently completed administration building on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Main was built and, for most part, is occupied by the Bay Side Land Company and its officers. P. A. Stanton is president of the company; I. O. Lothian, vice-president, and J. P. Transue, secretary. The main offices of the company were formerly at the Title Insurance Building at Los Angeles. The entire office paraphernalia was moved to Seal Beach almost two weeks ago.

    Amusement Department

    The amusement department of the Bay Side Land Co., which is really a new department, is in the charge of Frank Burt — who was Director of Concessions and Admissions at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition — and Bert St. John, resident manager of amusements. Both gentlemen have a wide reputation as amusement managers and resort builders.

    Mr. Burt has probably supervised the construction and opening of more amusement parks than any man in the country. It is for this reason that many of the zone concessionaires followed him to Seal Beach, thus giving the resort an exposition tinge throughout.

    Mr. Burt is giving particular attention to the architectural harmony and the arrangement of the buildings. This plan is new in the amusement line and follows as a result of the impetus given to architecture in its highest form at the great exposition. Heretofore but little attention was paid to harmonic layout at resorts, particularly in the erection of the various small concessionaires’ buildings, but at Seal Beach Mr. Burt sees to it that everything is constructed with regard for and in keeping with one set of plans.

    Mr. Edwin Symmes, the architect who laid out a large portion of the exposition grounds and palaces, is co-operating with Mr. Burt so that there may be no irregularity and no unsightly crowding of buildings at Seal Beach.

    Mr. Bert St. John, who acts as resident manager of amusements, is known as a theatrical director of wide experience. The Bay Side Land Company secured two live wires in Frank Burt and Bert St. John.

    Streets are Oiled

    At present all streets are graded and oiled. It is planned, however, to asphalt them within the next year. Cement walks, water, gas, electricity and telephones have been installed for some time.

    ——————–

    OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST GIVEN TO INVESTORS

    Seal Beach, since the completion of the good roads system, is within easy access from every point in Orange County. This fact alone makes the “Jewel City’’ resort loom as the coming amusement and recreation center.he strides made during the past year – even the last three months — are more astonishing than the growth of Long Beach, and the claims the Robert B. Armstrong Company are making for Seal Beach as an investment center seem wholly within reason.

    Building Activity

    There is more building construction going on at Seal Beach at present than at any other place in Southern California. On the ocean front the various concessionaires are spending several hundred thousand dollars in an attempt to give Orange County the most up-to-date amusement center on the coast. The attractions brought down from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition are eliciting comment everywhere. Investors know such things bring the crowds, which, in California, is usually followed by a rapid Increase in population.

    In the business section the largest and most important new structure is the Administration Building, the home of the Bay Side Land Company, which for most part is the owner of Seal Beach.

    Another building is a two-story yellow brick erected by a Mr. Rosenthal.

    A number of one-story stores have recently been completed on Coast Boulevard at the foot of Main Street.

    Resident Section

    In the resident section bungalows and cottages are being built in almost every two or three blocks. Property valuations have increased at a rapid pace and the type of buildings constructed are of a more expensive nature than is customary at beach resorts.

    The standing population at this writing is about 1200, which runs to approximately three thousand during summer. This estimate takes into consideration only such as remain for a period of two months or more. Week-end visitors run into the thousands.

    Real Estate

    Robert B. Armstrong Company, who are selling agents for Seal Beach property, have been the big boosters of Seal Beach, which was known as Bay City when they took hold a little over two years ago. There was nothing there but a few houses, three or four stores and a small bath house.

    Today Seal Beach looks like the coming Coney Island, with property valuations correspondingly bright.

    There are but few business lots to be had at Seal Beach, but residence ing amusement and recreation center ¡lots may still be purchased on terms.

    This year will be the busiest since Robert B. Armstrong Co. began their rejuvenation of old Bay City. The well-known realty firm is making preparations to take around droves of people and show them Seal Beach values this summer.

    Argument

    Following are a few reasons for buying property at Seal Beach, as given by the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce:

    “Seal Beach is a growing little city of about 1200 inhabitants, situated in the extreme southwest corner of Orange County, 26 miles from Los Angeles, and 16 miles from Santa Ana.

    “While the city is still in its infancy, it shows great promise of becoming a city of beautiful homes.

    “Graded and oiled streets, cement walks, water, gas, electricity, phones, stores, etc., that make up all the conveniences of a city are already established.

    “Seal Beach offers an ideal place for a beach home with a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean on the south and west, Alamitos Bay on the west and north and Anaheim Bay on the east, and rich soil lots upon which to build, out of danger from high tides. Seal Beach has a great future before it, not only because it has all that any other beach has, but more, and is so easily accessible from all directions.

    “Seal Beach is not only easy of access by the trolley routes but has paved boulevards leading to Santa Ana and Los Angeles and all the inland towns, and is the starting point of the Coast Boulevard to San Diego.

    “Seal Beach is a safe place to come with your family; a safe beach, no treacherous undertow or tide rips, a quiet home beach with no saloons but with plenty of healthy amusements. If you live in Seal Beach it is the next best thing to a continuous vacation.

    “A half mile either way from Main Street are the two still water bays, Alamitos and Anaheim. The flow of the tides in and out of these bays, breaks the currents along the ocean front, thereby preventing any undertow and at the same time furnishing an ideal place for canoeing, sailing, rowing, motor boating and swimming. Anaheim Bay is about four miles long and, with its arms has about ten miles of navigable water. Shell fish are plentiful. Prior to the building of the railroads, old Anaheim Landing was an important shipping point; later a village of fishermen, now a popular part of Seal Beach. At the mouth of the Bay there is a choice residence section known as Seal Court.”

    ——————–

    THE APARTMENT HOUSES

    There are several apartment houses in Seal Beach. Largest and foremost among them, however, are the Wieland Apartments, Chris Wieland, proprietor. The building occupies a conspicuous location, with a commanding view of the ocean from the second floor. It is just a short block to the ocean from the apartments.

    Mr. Wieland has been rushing work on a handsome new porch, which will be completed in time for the opening.

    Check out the other seven June 9th This Date in Seal Beach history post. There are more ads, photos, and illustrations to enjoy.

    Page One

    Page Two

    Page Three

    Page Four

    Page Five

    Page Six

    Page Seven

    Page Eight

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • May 27th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1926, the Santa Ana Register published this gushingly enthusiastic profile of Seal Beach with a photo spread.

    In my Seal Beach research over the years, I’ve come across some wild feats of hyperbole, but I think the first three paragraphs in this article have all other beat.

    In spite of its manic lack of restraint, this article provides a solid snapshot of what Seal Beach was in 1926 and what it was trying to present itself as to the world. (This does not include the whopper about the single drowning or the claims of safety. Whoof, such mendacity!)

    So I’m going to quote the entire article and include the photos with commentary after the article.

    SEAL BEACH’S NO UNDERTOW CLAIM BRINGS MANY VISITORS

    ———————–

    Safety Factor Is Stressed By Residents of Town; Commerce Body Active

    ———————–

    BIG POWER PLANT TO BE ENLARGED

    ———————–

    Vehicular Bridge Across Outer Channel of Bay Backed by Community

    ———————–

    When Mother Nature chiseled the coast line of what was destined to Southern California, she gave particular attention to one favored spot, saying: “Here I will create a beach that will provide safe bathing for mankind, especially the women and little children.”

    With this end in view, she formed two Inland bays with entrances from the Pacific ocean nearly a mile apart, and between these she made a gradually sloping sandy beach free from dangerous riptides and strong undertow.

    Neither time nor tides have changed this condition, and since the early days of civilization in Southern California, what is now known as the city of Seal Beach has been recognized as one beach where surf bathing is safe.

    Surf Bathing Safe.

    The greatest degree of safety in the surf is between two bays, Anaheim and Alamitos. Although thousands go into the surf there every season, so far as known there has been but one drowning, and that near the Alamitos bay channel, when a man who could not swim attempted to negotiate the breakers on a hastily constructed raft.

    The safe condition of safety exists in Anaheim bay inside the bridge, but bathers are warned to keep away from the outer channel with its deep water and treacherous currents.

    For these reasons, many inland people spend their summer vacations at Seal Beach and Anaheim Landing, which is a part of the city, and it is believed the greatest number of summer visitors will be accommodated this year, because there are many cottages and tents available for summer use.

    Arrange Housing Facilities

    The chamber of commerce has taken up the matter of providing housing facilities for summer visitors and complete details may be had by writing to Harry H. Newton, the secretary.

    Besides safe bathing, Seal Beach offers many other attractions, such as boating on the bay, excellent fishing and various amusements, one of these being a large dancing pavilion. There is also a roller coaster and other concessions in the amusement zone.

    Seal Beach derives its name from the large herds of seal that have made their home here since the memory of man. They can be seen at the mouth of Alamitos bay, near the big power plant, in their natural habitat, being an attraction for tourists from all over the world. Plans are forming for a seal park, this being a part of the scheme for a vehicular bridge across the outer cannel of Alamitos bay.

    History of Town

    In 1903 P. A. Stanton and I. A. Lothian purchased 200 acres of land on the ocean front between Anaheim and Alamitos bays. The land was platted and the new town given the name of Bay City. In 1915, It was incorporated as a city of the sixth class under the name of Seal Beach, in honor of the large herd of seals.

    Seal Beach has a municipal water system, sewers, electricity, gas and many miles of permanently paved streets.

    Although the incorporated limits of Seal Beach include approximately 800 acres, only 200 acres are in the platted portion, the balance being a part of the Hellman ranch. This ranch land will not be available for homesites until after the question of oil is determined. Drilling operations are being conducted on the property by the Associated Oil company, but so far without any favorable showings. Executors of the Hellman estate say if prospecting operations prove the land is barren of oil in paying quantities, they will subdivide the portion in Seal Beach and put it on the market for homesites. The Hellman hill is declared to be one of the most desirable places in Southern California for this purpose.

    Seal Beach is located on the South Coast highway. Within 15-mile radius of Seal Beach, there are 25 towns that, with intervening territory, have a combined population of more than a quarter of a million people.

    Bridge Project

    A project is under way for building a vehicular bridge across the outer channel of Alamitos bay that will connect Ocean boulevard in Long Beach with Ocean avenue in Seal Beach. Preliminary plans for the structure will soon be completed.

    Will Enlarge Plant

    On the point overlooking the entrance to Alamitos bay is located the Seal Beach electric generating station of the Los Angeles Gas and Electric corporation. The first unit of the plant was placed in operation last July. When completed the plant will consist of three units of 48,000 horsepower each and the total cost will be approximately $15,000,000. The second unit will be started next year.

    The three boilers of the first unit have a capacity of 175,000 pounds of steam each, and the giant smokestack stands 275 feet high, a landmark seen from many miles distant.

    Electric energy is generated here and distributed in Los Angeles over a high-power transmission line.

    Chamber Is Active

    Seal Beach has an active chamber of commerce, of which W. D. Miller, president of the California State bank, is president, and Harry H. Newton, secretary. The organization has accomplished much in the way of civic development and is taking a leading part in the project of a vehicular bridge across the Alamitos bay channel.

    Mrs. E. W. Reed is president of the Woman’s Improvement club and Mrs. Merle Armstrong is secretary. There is a Business Men’s club, of which A. W. Armstrong is president and Harry H. Newton, secretary.

    Seal Beach Is proud of its public school system. It has a fine group of buildings with a competent corps of teachers. The district at present has only a grammar school, being affiliated with the Huntington Beach high school district.

    Two churches, Methodist and Catholic, provide places of worship, and there is a growing Masonic lodge.

    R. E. Dolley is president of the board of trustees. Other members of the board are J. P. Transue, A. E. Walker,  J. R. John and C. O. Wheat. Mrs. Ollie B. Padrick is city clerk and Ira E. Patterson is treasurer.

    Altogether, Seal Beach offers unusual attractions for either the home seeker or the vacationist.

    Here are enlarged versions of the photos from the Santa Ana Register spread.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • April 19th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1924, the Santa Ana Register shared an odd little news item under the headline, “Seal Beach Not To Exhibit Seal At Orange Show.”  

    Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy of Seal Beach had rescued and adopted a deserted orphaned seal pup, and the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce had suggested that the seal represent the city at the Orange show. An unnamed (at least in the article) citizen heard of the plan and condemned it “in no mild terms as against California game laws.”  The plans were dropped and the seal remained in the care of the Kennedys.

    The Orange show in question was not the Orange Show that continues today as an annual tradition in San Bernardino, but most likely the 4th annual Valencia Orange Show that was to be held on May 16-25 in Anaheim. There were big plans for the event to be a massive celebration (and living advertisement) for Orange County’s agriculture, farming, real estate, industry, weather and so on. An Italian motif had been chosen for the design of the buildings on the show grounds, no doubt to evoke Southern California’s alleged resemblance to the Mediterranean, as extolled in thousands of colorful orange crate label illustrations.

    Alas, the 4th annual Valencia Orange Show was not meant to be.  An epidemic outbreak of foot and mouth disease force the organizers to cancel the event for 1924 a bare month before the opening. The event resumed in 1925, and the show’s tradition of not exhibiting seals also continued.

    A less happy continuing tradition is the issue of orphaned seal mammals, and over nine decades after Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy rescued theirs, it is probably a good idea to direct readers to the Pacific Marina Mammal Center’s page on Stranded Marine Mammals for tips on how to properly handle our aquatic pals in distress.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • April 6th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1920, the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce held the fourth annual Snowball Dance.

    April_6_1920_Snowball_Dance
    According to a February 2 story in the Santa Ana Register, “an entirely new decorative scheme is being perfected which will make the massive dance pavilion resemble a mass of snowballs” and a new stage setting would make “the decorations the most elaborate ever seen in Seal Beach.”

    Music was provided by the six-piece Silver Spray Orchestra, a popular local group that even had its own late night show broadcasted from Long Beach’s KFOX radio station in 1929 and 1930.

    The 1919 Snowball Dance had 1500 dancers, but the chamber prepared for at least 2000 dancer for the 1920 event. Hypothetically, 51,500 dancers should be anticipated for this year’s Snowball Dance, but Seal Beach’s last Snowball Dance was held in 1921.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • April 5th in Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1958, the first Miss Seal Beach was crowned.

    Nitpickers could argue that she was not the first Miss Seal Beach, and technically there’s some truth to that.

    On June 5, 1924, a grunion festival featuring open air dancing on Seal Way to a 45-piece band, bon fires and marshmallows, and a grunion hunt, was held. Also listed for the grunion festival was an event billed as a wedding ceremony of Miss Seal Beach and Mr. Long Beach. No other details were given, but I assume the marriage was purely symbolic civic boosterism.

    In 1926, twelve year old Norma Barraclough of 148 Seventh Street portrayed “Miss Seal Beach” as part of an elaborate celebration of the opening of the state highway from Huntington Beach to Laguna Beach. Starting in Long Beach, a “Miss Long Beach” boarded a boat on motorized wheels that journeyed down the coast to Laguna, stopping at each city along the highway to pick up a young girl, ages ranging from eight to twelve, representing that locale. (Coletta Dean portrayed “Miss Sunset Beach.”)

    In 1930, an unnamed “Miss Seal Beach” garnered at least 18,300 votes in a county-wide popularity contest to decide who would be queen at the American Legion celebration in Brea on Labor Day, but Lucille Brawley of Brea was crowned queen with 55,300 votes.

    It’s worth mentioning those previous Miss Seal Beaches of yesteryear in passing, but the one true first Miss Seal Beach, a local girl chosen in a local contest to represent the city for a year, was crowned in 1958 on April 5th.

    I’ll share that first Miss Seal Beach’s name in a bit, but first let’s cover some details of the build-up to her crowning. It’s also important to note that in 1958, there wasn’t even a hint that Miss Seal Beach would become an annual tradition with some breaks in between) that continues to this very day. It’s doubtful that the event would have continued if she hadn’t fulfilled the role so well.

    On March 21, 1958, the Long Beach Independent reported that an event billed as a “Glamourama” was to open the Seal Beach season that year. B.C. (Jimmy) Phelan, chairman of the event shared that the program would include a boat parade, a dance, and an art exhibit. The highlight of the event would be a contest in which a “Seal Beach Beauty Queen” would be selected. The winner would received a sportswear wardrobe, a trophy, and a modeling course. Two runner-ups would also receive trophies.

    Two days later, the Sunday Los Angeles Times ran a photo of eight contestants and shared more details about the event.

    It named the ten contestants vying for the title of Miss Seal Beach of 1958: Mary Jo McKee (16), Sharon Pearsall (16), Rozalind Madick (16), Chantal Moschella (19), Barbara Calkins (19), Madeline Keller (19), Sally Harper (16), Bonnie Sharp (16), Christie Sexton (17), and Vickie Larrain (16).

    The ten contestants were paraded on trailer-mounted boats “through the principal streets of Seal Beach” at 12:30 p.m., and the contest would be held at the entrance to the Seal Beach pier at 2 p.m. Mayor Paul Calvo would welcome the contestants, and Harvey Wagner would act as MC for the entertainment and also perform as a singer.

    The judges were Oscar Meinhardt, executive producer of the Long Beach Miss Universe contest, Mrs. Carlin Drake, Miss United States of 1955 under her maiden name of Carlin King Johnson, Dr. Lois J. Swanson, Associate Dean of Students at Long Beach State College, and Assemblyman Richard Hanna of Westminster.

    The article also listed the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce’s committee for the event: Jim Phelan, Beverly Cole, Frank Finch, Harry Rose, and Ben Jones.

    So who was the first Miss Seal Beach? Meet Christie Sexton.

    Ms. Sexton shared the following personal account with me in an 2015 e-mail:

    It was a big deal at the time; with parade down Main St., etc.. As a side note, I happened to win the contest, much to my surprise, and it really helped form who I became as an adult; giving me much more confidence, etc. I went on to model for a short time, thanks to one of the prizes being a modeling course at Elda Berry Modeling School in Long Beach, and the Miss Orange County Fair contest, 1958. I did not win that contest (won by Miss Brea).

    My interests were mainly on swimming and tanning with the gang at our 10th Street beach hangout and my part-time job at the café at end of the pier…The pageant frowned on getting tan, and it was difficult to drag me away from the beach for photo shoots, promotional events, etc.

    One highlight of that year was representing Seal Beach on the Dude Martin TV show. My escort was Alan Harbour. We had to both leave our respective girl/boyfriends, and travel in, I believe, Alan’s Corvette, to Hollywood. We had a great dinner after the show at Diamond Jim’s on Hollywood Blvd. Both Doug Buell (my boyfriend) and Pauline DeSadeleer were not too happy about Alan and me spending the day in Hollywood without them. LOL.

    After the year as reigning queen, I was happy to give up my crown at the 1959 pageant held at McGaugh Elementary School to a beautiful girl named Vickie.

    I did not pursue modeling or the “phoniness” of pageants and went on to have a rewarding career in the executive secretarial and marketing/sales fields, in addition to raising two daughters. After over 50 years of working I finally retired this past January from Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. I have fond memories of my Seal Beach days and I guess, in my heart, I will always be a Seal Beacher!

    Thanks for listening!

    Christie Sexton
    Miss Seal Beach 1958

    Ms. Sexton later clarified that Alan Harbour was a city employee at the time, and the city had requested that he accompany her to the Dude Martin show.

    She was also kind enough to share a clipping from the April 6, 1958 Long Beach Independent that showed her holding the very first Miss Seal Beach trophy (it was made of brass!) and a photo of her crowning the second Miss Seal Beach, Vickie Larrain, in 1959. (It’s an oddity that the only two contestants missing from the Los Angeles Times photo in 1958 went on to become the first two Miss Seal Beaches.)

    On a personal note, I’d like to thank Ms. Sexton for her generosity in sharing her memories of the event and her years as Miss Seal Beach. I had wanted to cover this event back in 2015 for the centennial, but I couldn’t find any clear images in the newspaper archives.

    It’s been four years and Ms. Sexton has been very patient, but with her images and the one I found from the Los Angeles Times, Christie Sexton’s Date with Seal Beach History can finally be shared.

    – Michael Dobkins

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  • January 30th In Seal Beach History

    On this date in 1924, a newly reorganized Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce meet under the direction of president C. J. Smith. The school orchestra opened the meeting with several musical selections.

    Dr. Everett Reed requested that Mrs. Padrick, city clerk, and I. C. Smith, a Los Angeles manufacturer and Seal Beach resident, assist him on the committee of industry and manufacture.

    H.W. Raymer of the entertainment committee suggested that a banquet be held to promote interest and sociability.

    C. M. Conlee brought to the chamber’s attention some much-needed public improvements, such as a school bond issue, a public restroom, street names installed on curbs, and a new city hall (it would take over five years for this suggestion to become a reality) .

    F. L. Wilson also suggested that air transportation to Seal Beach would soon become a reality.

    Finally, J. C. Putnam reported that every business firm in Seal Beach with one or two exceptions had joined and that number of members of the reinvigorated Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce would surpass one hundred before the meeting adjourned. 

    All this was reported under a Santa Ana Register headline of “SEAL BEACH TO BACK CHAMBER WITH VIM.” We don’t see much vim around town nowadays.

    – Michael Dobkins

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