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| HISTORY OF HERMOSA BEACH BY MAUREEN MEGOWAN, REMAX PALOS VERDES REALTY In its earliest days, Hermosa Beach was part of the original Spanish land grant for "Rancho Sausal Redondo" ("Ranch of the Round Clump of Willows") in 1822, a rancho with a land mass of nearly 25,000 acres which extended from the areas as far north of what is now Playa del Rey, as far east as Inglewood, and as far south as Hermosa Beach. ( See the History of the South Bay for a discussion of the early Spanish land grant Ranchos )
Many of the early settlers collected their own narrow planks and built precarious walkways between often-frequented spots. The hardier ones didn't bother -- they plodded through the sand. During certain seasons of the year, large herds of sheep grazed over the land further inland, and corrals and large barns for storing grain, as well as providing shelter for horses and farm implements, were located on the ranch between Hermosa and Inglewood. The first official survey was made in the year 1901 for the boardwalk on the Strand, Hermosa Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue. A short time afterward a record 500,000 feet of Oregon pine was installed along a mile and one-half of the Strand. This was duly recorded as a notable achievement by loyal Hermosans, but drew sneers from nearby Redondo residents who called it, "a walk to the middle of no where." The wood boardwalk was made of planks and extended the entire length of the two-mile Strand.
The Santa Fe railway was the only transportation system through Hermosa Beach. It was seven blocks from the beach. The street that led to the tracks was called Santa Fe Avenue, but was later renamed Pier Avenue. There was no railway station for Hermosa, but Burbank and Baker built a platform on the west side of the tracks near Santa Fe Avenue, and later the Railroad Company donated an old boxcar to be used as a storage place for freight. In 1926, the Santa Fe Company built a modern stucco depot and installed Western Union telegraph service in it. One of the most ambitious projects attempted in the city came in the mid-1920's with the opening of the building, which later became the Hermosa Biltmore Hotel. The Hotel was located between 14th and 15th Streets on the Strand. In those days it was the headquarters for the Surf and Sand Club, and was run on a private club basis. A number of wealthy persons backed the project and for several years the building, a notable achievement in those days, was the showplace and social center of Hermosa. The private club idea proved to be a losing proposition, however, and a few years later the founders and owners sold out to the Los Angeles Athletic Club. This group, with better financing, attempted to run the property on more or less the same basis but finally sold out to hotel interests about 1930. During World War II, for a short time the building was taken over by the federal government and used as a youth training center. This property was torn down in the late 1960's for development, and is now the site of a public park. ![]() 1927 Hermosa Beach Biltmore Hotel Other notable events in Hermosa during the mid-20's were the building of Pacific Coast Highway, and the opening of the Bank of America, at Pier Ave. and Hermosa Aves., and the Hermosa Theatre, which still occupies the same site on Hermosa Ave. across from the city hall. Source for Hermosa Beach History: http://www.hbchamber.net/history.htm http://www.hermosabch.org/about/history/brezhist.html http://www.hermosabch.org/about/history/fernhist.html http://www.hbneighborhood.org/HBhistory1.htm Click on the following for additional information on the history of the South Bay beach communities: HISTORY OF THE SOUTH BAY HISTORY OF PALOS VERDES ESTATES HISTORY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES HISTORY OF ROLLING HILLS ESTATES AND ROLLING HILLS HISTORY OF MANHATTAN BEACH HISTORY OF REDONDO BEACH HISTORY OF EL SEGUNDO HISTORY OF TORRANCE HISTORY OF SAN PEDRO HISTORY OF LOMITA CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAUREEN MEGOWAN REAL ESTATE HOME PAGE
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