Long Beach’s Los Cerritos

From its beginning, the Los Cerritos neighborhood had a strong sense of community. The young bachelors established the first club in the neighborhood with a clubhouse overlooking Los Cerritos Park. Known as the El Rodeo, it was active until many of the young men were called off to World War I or succumbed to marriage. A club founding member, Oliver Sweningsen, continued annual meetings of the club until 1974, when 8 of the original 122 members were still living. Swensingsen died the following year. No other record of meetings could be found.

By 1927, the Los Cerritos Improvement Association was formed. Charles R. Rowlett, often called the “Mayor” of Los Cerritos, was its first president. He strongly opposed oil drilling in the neighborhood and worked to ensure the neighborhood was beautified. The Los Cerritos Improvement Association incorporated in October 1940 and again in 1991 to address issues related to traffic, crime, and noise. In 2010, the organization became the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association.

The sale of lots by the Virginia Country Club meant that many prominent Long Beach families moved into the neighborhood to live close to the club, which became a focal point of social activity. Residents who may have had connections through business or civic pursuits also socialized together. Families were also brought together by the activities of the Los Cerritos School. Today, summer months find residents down at Los Cerritos Park, enjoying the Long Beach Municipal Band concerts. A July 4th parade has been held every year for decades, attracting several thousand residents who walk, bike, or drive their classic cars, suitably attired in red, white, and blue. The parade has intensified the spirit of camaraderie in the neighborhood, and it is not unusual during summer weekends to find street closures for block parties.

EL RODEO CLUB. Formed in May 1909 so that the young men of the neighborhood had a meeting place, this club’s charter members were Lee Cronk, Roger Roe, Frank Long, Ray Darcy Clarence Meacham, Everett Burk, Mark Schilling, Forest Boughman, William Sweningsen, Fred Hudson, Richard Bixby, Irving Fordham, William Store, Phillip Bixby, Walter Housworth, Oliver Sweningsen, Alec Lawson, Frank Vail, Peter Fraser, and Wilber Downs. Dick Bixby came up with the name El Rodeo. (HSLB.)

CLUB MEMBERS AT THE BEACH. The club members initially leased a beach house in Long Beach west of the Virginia Hotel. Shown here are, from left to right, (first row) Charley Glenn and Jack Rothwell; (second row) Larry Darby, Lee Cronk, Walker Saunders. Bert Walp, ? Lockhart, Dane Anderson, and William Sweningsen; (third row) Cecil Schilling, Clem Nadeau, Bill Blake, Al Vivian, and Stanley Stoneacker; (fourth row) ? Stone, Oliver Sweningen, Carl Brunn, Don Darby, Frank Long, Raymond Darby, Clyde Hammer, and Ed Loy. (HSLB.)

EL RODEO CLUBHOUSE. To raise enough money to build a clubhouse, members enlisted female help in selling subscriptions to the Herald Examiner, and won $4,000 and a few acres on Bellflower Boulevard, which they sold. Mrs. George H. Bixby donated four acres of land for the clubhouse, on Country Club Drive, just across the street from Los Cerritos Park. (HSLB.)

EL RODEO CLUBHOUSE INTERIOR. The clubhouse opened on June 29, 1911. By 1913, the men had paid off their $2,000 mortgage with matching funds provided by Richard Bixby. The club members preserved the ashes of the mortgage bond in a sealed box. This photograph was owned by Earl Daugherty, a member of the El Rodeo Club. (HSLB.)

CLUB MEMBERS ON MOUNT WILSON. The El Rodeo Club engaged in numerous activities, including camping on Mount Wilson. Bert Walp is holding a frying pan. Oliver Sweningsen is wearing a hat. Sweningsen, the club’s first president, held yearly reunions. In 1949, the reunion included 30 former members; 25 members came in 1967. The 1974 reunion was attended by seven members: Charles V. Harris, J.R. Holton Sr., Donald Darby, S.W. and Oliver Sweningsen, Lee Cronk, and George Vogeley.

HOW COULD HE DO IT? Members of the El Rodeo Club disqualified themselves from membership by falling in love. Here, club members poke fun at their fallen comrades. Between marriage and World War I, club membership dwindled from 112, and the clubhouse closed in 1918. (HSLB.)

PICNIC BY THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. Adults and children often spent time along the banks of the Los Angeles River. In this photograph are, from left to right, Oliver Sweningsen, Edwine Vignes Sweningsen, Amelia Vignes, Marie Vignes Sans Souci, and Fred Sans Souci. (Courtesy of Ellen Collins.)

LOS CERRITOS MARKET. Residents were fortunate to have a grocery store in the neighborhood, located at 3912 American Avenue (now Virginia Road), later 3923 Long Beach Boulevard. The early proprietors were brothers Walter C. and Otto Yaisli, who operated the market for 24 years. Otto was the owner, and Walter and his wife lived in an apartment above the store. (Courtesy of Carol Conley.)

OTTO YAISLI. Yaisli, here posing next to his delivery truck, brought groceries to the homes in the neighborhood. About $350 to $400 worth of groceries were delivered each month to the Bixby and the Dudley family at the Bixby mansion. Yaisli also leased a portion of his buildings to a beauty salon and jewelry store. (Courtesy of Carol Conley.)

LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE. Photographs of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake tend to be of downtown Long Beach, but private homes also sustained damage. The Merrell home at 4201 Chestnut Avenue lost its chimney. Many Los Cerritos residents took to living in tents in their yards until the aftershocks subsided. Bricks from fallen buildings were used in the construction of many patios in Los Cerritos. (Courtesy of Janet Watts.)

CALIFORNIA MILK SANITORIUM. The first institution established for the exclusive treatment of noncontagious diseases such as anemia, gout, arthritis, and ulcers through the use of milk, the sanitorium was constructed about 1919 at the corner of American Avenue and Wardlow Road. It moved in 1926 to 4010 Virginia Road. Several eminent physicians swore by the success of milk treatments, and the sanitorium drew patients from around the country. (HSLB.)

LOS CERRITOS MATERNITY HOSPITAL. Located at 4005 American Avenue (now Virginia Road), the Los Cerritos Maternity Hospital was convenient for expectant mothers in Los Cerritos. It was acquired by Pacific Hospital in 1944. (HSLB.)

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT ON WARDLOW ROAD. Hundreds lined Wardlow Road on July 16, 1938, to watch Pres. Franklin Roosevelt’s motorcade drive by on the way to San Diego. Although the president only drove through Long Beach, he would return in September 1942 for an inspection tour of Douglas Aircraft.

HORSEBACK RIDING ALONG THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. Many families in Los Cerritos kept horses stabled along the river. This photograph, taken between 1937 and 1939, shows the approximate location of current homes on Devon Place. On the left is John B. Merrell. He is accompanied by his sister Marjorie Merrell. (Courtesy of Marjorie Merrell Bartlett.)

NEIGHBORS AT THE JIMERSON/KNATZ-MULVEY HOME. Neighbors greet John and Glen Jimerson (holding a baby) in a horse-drawn wagon in front of 4181 Country Club Drive in this late-1930s photograph. (Courtesy of Gary Holland.)

WORLD WAR II TOY PLANE. Manley Natland constructed this full-sized toy airplane during World War II for his kids. It was equipped with toy machine guns and decorated with teeth dangling a cigar. Taking advantage of his oil background, Natland constructed it on a derrick-like structure for elevation over the rooftops.

CAMPFIRE GIRLS TEA. In 1940, the Campfire Girls helped serve tea at Florence Turner’s house at 4299 Country Club Drive. Pictured from left to right are (seated on the lawn) Barbara Enloe and unidentified; (seated on chairs) Marjorie Merrell, Cynthia Taves, Carolyn Clock, Jeane Whisenank, and Janet Wilkinson; (standing) Janice Campbell, Margaret Wilkinson, Betsy Taves, and Barbara Condit. (Courtesy of Margaret Wilkinson Mahannah.)

NEIGHBORS DINNER. Pictured here at the Sky Room in 1942 are some of the notable citizens of Los Cerritos. They are, from left to right, Dorothy Combs, Stender Sweeney, Josephine Sweeney, Manley Natland, Eldridge Combs, Frances Clock, Henry Clock, Ruth Hubbell, Maurice Hubbell, and Dorothy Natland.

“ROCKETMAN” GARY GABELICH. Gary Gabelich set the land speed record with his rocket-powered vehicle Blue Flame on October 23, 1970, averaging a speed of 622.3 miles per hour. Gabeich died in a motorcycle accident in 1984. In 1985, the Long Beach City Council approved dedicating a portion of the Los Cerritos park to his memory. Gabelich was the husband of Rae Gabelich, councilwoman for Los Cerritos from 2004 to 2012. (Courtesy of John Mulvey.)

MUD MANIA. The perfect venue for children who like to play in the dirt is the annual Mud Mania. Rancho Los Cerritos was constructed of adobe brick, and this event allows adults and children the opportunity to make adobe bricks, plaster a wall, and make a tiny adobe house. (RLC.)

KIDS IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE. For over 30 years, Los Cerritos neighbors have come together to sponsor their own annual July 4th parade. With bikes decorated, hundreds of Los Cerritos children line up at the start of the 2005 annual parade. (Courtesy of John Mulvey.)

SUFFRAGETTES. Los Cerritos residents Geraldine Knatz (left) and Lillian Kawasaki, dressed as suffragettes, await the start of the 2005 parade in a Model T owned by Craig Carter. (Courtesy of John Mulvey.)

START OF JULY 4TH PARADE. J.R. (left) and Patrick Mulvey await the start of the 2004 parade in a Thunderbird owned by Jan Hower. (Courtesy of John Mulvey).

FROM MODEL TS TO MUSCLE CARS. Neighbors bring out their vintage cars for the 2013 July 4th parade. (Courtesy of John Mulvey.)

FILMING IN LOS CERRITOS. Because of its wide streets and mix of housing styles, Los Cerritos is a prime filming location for movies, television shows, and commercials. Here, a commercial is being shot at 4181 Country Club Drive. (Courtesy of John Mulvey.)