Long Beach’s Los Cerritos

Jotham Bixby began selling off small ranch lots for the establishment of a colony in 1875. The Cerritos Colony, or the Willows, became a self-sufficient farming community comprising approximately 20 families. In 1912, a Daily Telegram reporter visited Los Cerritos and described a “5 acre fairyland” created by Samuel and Edna Lasell, who turned a barley field into land yielding full-grown pepper trees, black acacias, oranges, and apples in a mere three years. The Lasell home was called an example of the possibilities of home life in Los Cerritos. The 1910 census lists Mr. Lasell on Perris Road (today’s Santa Fe Avenue, the heart of the Cerritos Colony). For many, the lure of cement sidewalks and oiled streets was enticing, and by 1916, the Lasells, like other colonists, moved further north into the Los Cerritos subdivision. The 1906 subdivision offered large lots of 50-by-250-feet backing up to a 16-foot-wide alley. One of the first lots sold was to Mary Kent Vignes, wife of John Louis Vignes. Part of a well-known Los Angeles family, John Louis Vignes is the grandnephew of Don Luis Vignes, a French immigrant who developed the first commercial winery in Los Angeles and for whom Vignes Street in Los Angeles is named. John and Mary Vignes had five daughters. Although the Vignes family is not found in Los Cerritos today, the family had a major influence on the development of Los Cerritos. Oscar King, who operated the Cerritos adobe dairy, also became one of the first residents. The 1913 Long Beach directory lists Oscar and his brother Howard King as residents of the Cerritos tract, on the Pacific Electric right-of-way north of the Willowville station. Additional subdivisions were created by Jotham Bixby’s daughter, Amelia Bixby, and the heirs of the George H. Bixby family in 1911 and 1912. The residents in the late 1920s can be found on a Krenek Investments map, along with census and voter registration data.

PERRIS ROAD MAP. This 1892 map lists the owners of land along Perris Road (today’s Santa Fe Avenue) in the Cerritos Colony. The Long Beach and Redondo Road is Willow Street, and the street between lots 21 and 30 is Hill Street. (Courtesy of Huntington Library, L.A. County Assessor’s Road Map Collection.)

GEORGE MARION TEEL. Teel (1854–1926) married Mary McCoy in 1885 at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Cerritos Colony. He later affiliated with the Holiness Church and was assigned responsibility for a tent, where he preached at camp meetings in the colony. He died a member of the Church of Nazarene.

TEEL FAMILY REUNION. Elijah Teel, a member of the Holiness Church, and his family lived in the Cerritos Colony in the late 1870s and 1880s. This photograph shows the Teel family reunion in 1902. Elijah Teel is seated in the center with the long white beard. To his right is his wife, Martha. On his left is his son George Marion Teel. (Courtesy of Sherri Lentz.)

PICNIC IN THE RANCH IN THE WILLOWS. This 1897 photograph from the Cerritos Colony, also known as the Willows, includes, from left to right, ? Harris (a neighbor), Harris’s two daughters, Mary Kent Vignes with her three daughters, Miss Lester (nanny), Amy Marcellus (Mary’s sister), John Louis Vignes, and ? McQuillus (ranch hand). (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

LONG BEACH IMPROVEMENT COMPANY ADVERTISEMENT. This 1912 Daily Telegram advertisement for a lot in Los Cerritos notes that “protective building restrictions call for nothing but harmony and beauty.” Early deeds not only limited ethnicity of purchasers and residents but also required a dollar amount be spend on the home’s construction. Charles H. Windham was the sales agent taking visitors from Long Beach to visit Los Cerritos.

THE LITTLE CLUB. Women on this roster came together in 1930 to create the Little Club to alleviate some of the suffering the country experienced in 1930. Half of the women on this list were part of the “Over Here Girls” who made surgical dressings and raised funds for the Red Cross during World War I. The Little Club made infant layettes and was active until 1965.

MARY KENT MARCELLUS AND JOHN LOUIS VIGNES. The Vigneses moved into the Los Cerritos subdivision in 1910. They were civic leaders instrumental in the founding of the Los Cerritos and Dominquez School Districts. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

MAP OF LOS CERRITOS BEFORE 1920. This map, compiled from several made by Loretta Berner, with some revisions by the author, identifies the original street names in the Los Cerritos subdivision along with the surrounding ranches, and it illustrates the proximity to the Cerritos Colony. The locations of the George H. Bixby and Richard Bixby homes are also shown. (Map illustrated by Joseph Maldonado.)

JOHN LOUIS VIGNES. Vignes was a rancher and a dairyman. He also served on the grounds committee for the 1910 Dominguez air meet, along with Dick Ferris, a Los Angeles promoter, W.K. Bixby, William Humphreys, and Arthur W. Kinney. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

VITAL VIGNES FAMILY. This c. 1875 photograph shows Vital Ferdinand Vignes, the father of John Louis, and his wife, Emma Lecroq, and their children. In the first row are Julia (left) and Ferdinand (in Vital’s lap). Standing in the second row are, from left to right, Adella, John Louis, and Helen. Upon hearing of the birth of his son John’s fifth daughter, Vignes wrote, lamenting, “all hope was lost to have a descendent of the Vital Vignes family.” (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

VIGNES CHILDREN. This c. 1896 photograph of the children of John and Mary Vignes is labeled “Rancho Los Cerritos,” although the exact location is uncertain. Shown here are, from left to right, Marguerite, Marie, Antoinette (in nanny’s lap), and Edwine. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

JOHN VIGNES HOME. The John Vignes home was located at the southwest corner of Temple and Court Streets, which today would be Pine and Thirty-seventh Streets. The home was designed in the Maybeck style, after architect Bernard Maybeck. It was moved to 4045 Virginia Road and later demolished. This photograph was taken in 1910. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

VIGNES DAUGHTERS. John and Mary Vignes had five daughters. Vignes was adamant that all his daughters be educated and that their spouses provide a proper home for them. Although the Vignes family name is no longer found in Long Beach, his daughter’s families were active in civic affairs. Surrounding their mother, Mary, are, from left to right, Edwine, Amelia, Marguerite, Marie, and Antoinette. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

YOUNG WOMEN FARMWORKERS. A shortage of men during World War I to work the farms meant that young women from Los Cerritos and neighboring farms were “drafted” as farmworkers. Nicknamed “farmerettes,” those pictured here in November 1918 are, from left to right, Lena Reuther, Dorothy Andrews, Amelia Vignes, Josephine Andrews, Mabel Shaw, and Florence Reuther. (RLC.)

JOSEPHINE ANDREWS AND FLORENCE REUTHER. Boot-clad and with puttees (leather worn for protection on the legs), ranch hands Josephine Andrews (left) and Florence Reuther, married later to George Buehn, pose for a photograph. (RLC.)

FLORENCE REUTHER AND AMELIA VIGNES. Florence Reuther (left) and Amelia Vignes pause during plowing. Josephine and Dorothy Andrews were the daughters of R. “Ray” Chester Andrews, who took over the operation of the Mitchell Ranch. (RLC.)

FARMERETTES WITH LORETTA BERNER. Taking a break at the water wagon are, from left to right, Loretta Berner, Amelia Vignes, Dorothy Andrews (on wagon), Josephine Andrews, Florence Reuther (crouching), Lena Reuther, and Mabel Shaw (on horseback). Future historian Berner, 10 years old, drove the water wagon with a 10-gallon milk can of drinking water. (RLC.)

MARGUERITE VIGNES. Marguerite Vignes graduated from the University of Southern California College of Fine Arts in June 1911. She taught art and made greeting cards, often using homes in Los Cerritos as her subject matter. Her work was exhibited in Long Beach and Los Angeles. (LCS.)

WALP RESIDENCE. Marguerite married Bertine James Walp, who built a home for his new wife in Los Cerritos at 3808 Cota Street (now Cedar Avenue), not far from her parents’ home. The Craftsman-style, one-story home was constructed in 1914. When her husband, Bert, died in 1933, she became the director of arts and audio visuals for the Long Beach School District. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

REMODELED WALP HOME AND ANTIQUE SHOP. The Walps added a second story and started an antiques business, Hobby House, from their home. The sign is visible in the photograph, hanging from the lamppost. Their pursuit of early American furniture took them on numerous trips. The home is currently being restored by owners Maureen and Aaron Price. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

WALP, REYNOLDS & DODD, TAILORS. Posing here are, from left to right, Bert Dodd, Bert Walp, and Edward W. Reynolds. Together, they opened up a gentlemen’s clothing business on West Third Street in downtown Long Beach. All three were associated with the Hansen clothing company at Pine Avenue and Third Street prior to striking out on their own. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

MARIE VIGNES AND FREDERICK SAN SOUCI. Louis Vignes’s daughter Marie was the first teacher at the “North” Los Cerritos School. The Los Angeles State Normal School Bulletin for 1914 lists Marie Kent Vignes as a graduate on June 26, 1913, of the General Professional Course. She married Frederick San Souci, who was killed in a car accident in 1947. Marie was injured but survived. She never remarried but continued to teach. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

OLIVER AND EDWINE SWENINGSEN. John Vignes’s daughter Edwine married Oliver Sweningsen. Edwine graduated from the University of Southern California Conservancy of Music as a pianist. In 1907, Sweningsen and his family relocated to California, and his father operated a general store at Anaheim and American Avenue (now Long Beach Boulevard). Oliver worked as a laborer, then an electrician for Craig shipyard, before moving on to work for the Bell Telephone Company. This photograph was taken in the summer of 1914. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

SWENINGSEN HOME. The Sweningsens moved into their new home at 3819 Chestnut Avenue in 1914. The couple was married only four months after her sister Marguerite was wed. John Louis Vignes required that all prospective sons-in-law have a home, and this house is very similar to the Walp residence. (Courtesy of Kurt and Edwina Barats.)

THE SWENINGSENS AT THE CERRITOS STATION. Edwine and Oliver Sweningsen await a train at the Cerritos Station on the Pacific Electric line. The station adjoined the Cerritos Park on the west side. The steps that led down to the station still exist. In the background is the El Rodeo Club, which had a prominent location overlooking the park. (Courtesy of Kurt and Edwina Barats.)

WILL J. REID. A prominent Los Cerritos resident was Will J. Reid, who provided insurance coverage for commercial fishing vessels before he invested in the Hancock Oil Company. A community leader and philanthropist, Reid was a hunter who became an avid conservationist and president of Ducks Unlimited. Reid published the history of the Los Cerritos Gun Club.

BRADLEY FAMILY. Charles Alexander Bradley Sr. and his wife, Clara Belle Farrell, are in the driveway of their residence at 3829 Weston Place with their 1925 Jordan Roadster. In the background is 3838 Weston, built in 1924 for Charles Z. Walker. Next to the Walker house is 3846 Weston Place, built in 1921, occupied by C.W. Freeman of Standard Oil Company, then by Will J. Reid. (Courtesy of Pat and Mary Bradley.)

CHANGING STREET NUMBERS. Between February 1924 and November 1925, the street numbers on Weston Place and possibly other streets were changed. This photograph shows Charles Alexander Bradley Jr. with his parents and their 1929 Stutz Cabriolet in front of 3615 Weston Place, which is today 3829 Weston Place. The house still stands. Bradley Sr. was caught in a flash flood and flipped the Stutz. (Courtesy of Pat and Mary Bradley.)

INDEX OF REGISTERED VOTERS. This 1916 index lists those registered to vote in the Cerritos precinct. Political party affiliation is listed for many residents. The majority are Republican or Democrat, with a few Progressives, Prohibitionists, or Socialists. Note that the Cerritos precinct is larger than today’s neighborhood.

MAP OF RESIDENTS. This late-1920s map shows lot owners in a portion of the neighborhood. Made by the Krenek Investment Company, it was likely used to help sell real estate, as it promoted proximity to the country club and the diversity in size of lot and type of housing.

DR. JOHN R. JIMERSON. Jimerson was a well-traveled pediatrician with a love of nature. He delivered many of the babies born to residents of Los Cerritos. He contracted with noted architect Kirtland Cutter to build a cottage for he and his wife that would have plenty of niches for their collections. The home is at 4181 Country Club Drive. (Courtesy of Gary Holland.)

FRED W. WOOD HOME. The mailbox in front of this home, presently at 3800 Weston Place, identifies the resident as F.W. Wood and the address as 339B. Wood built several homes in Los Cerritos, including 3812 Weston Place, where he also lived, and 202 and 212 East Bixby Road. His son James W. Wood went into the oil business. (Courtesy of the Jablonski family.)

DON AND BERTHA WALLACE. Wallace was a world-renowned wireless radio operator. From his home in Los Cerritos, he kept Long Beach connected during the 1933 earthquake and made world news when he communicated with Admiral Byrd at the South Pole in 1930. (Courtesy of Jan David Perkins.)

RADIO STATION W6AM. The Wallaces built their home in Los Cerritos in 1929 because of the open space for his radio antennas. The home is located at 4214 Country Club Drive. (VCC.)

W6AM QSL CARD. Amateur radio operators use QSL cards to confirm two-way radio communication between stations. Like postcards, they are sent through the mail. This QSL card from Don Wallace commemorates the 1933 Trans-Pacific Yacht Race, when Wallace operated W6AM from below decks on Capt. Richard Loynes’s boat, the Contender. The Contender won the race.

RUTH CRAIG MERRELL. Merrell was the daughter of shipbuilder John F Craig. She married Thomas Merrell. She is shown in their home at 4201 Chestnut. She was an active club woman and a great organizer of events for the children of the neighborhood. The Merrells had three children: Edith, Marjorie, and John. (Courtesy of Janet Watt.)

MANLEY AND DOROTHY NATLAND. Manley Natland was a geologist who worked for Shell and then the Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARCO). He used fossilized rock found at the construction site of the ARCO Towers in Los Angeles to make tables and statuary. In 1981, in connection with the Los Angeles bicentennial, the fossilized rock Natlandite, named for Natland, became the official Los Angeles rock. The Natland home was at 4247 Pine Avenue.

THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1938. On February 27, 1938, it began to rain. By March 4, the rain had dumped more than 11 inches on Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles River overflowed its banks, resulting in widespread flooding. Here, Dorothy Diehl Natland stands in her backyard at 4247 Pine Avenue during the flood.

JAMES G. CRAIG. During the early part of the 20th century, the wetlands of Los Angeles and Orange Counties were rich with ducks, and hunting was a common pastime of many Los Cerritos businessmen. Craig was an executive with the Craig Shipbuilding company and lived at 4242 Pacific Avenue with his wife, Evelyn, and family. He also was part owner of the Farmers Gun Club, located on a portion of former Rancho Los Alamitos land.

MAYOR BURTON CHASE. Burton Chase and his wife, Polly Brown, lived at 4160 Country Club Drive. Chase was elected mayor of Long Beach in 1947 and was appointed by Earl Warren as a county supervisor in 1953. Burton Chase Park in Marina Del Rey is named for him. He is credited for the development of the Music Center in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of William Townsend.)