The SoCalGenie

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

El Camino College Unveils Digital Archive

If your ancestor grew up in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, perhaps he or she attended El Camino College, a community college located in Torrance.

The recently unveiled ECC Digital Archive (officially known as the El Camino College Student Media Digital Archive Project) provides online access to many resources in which you may find interesting tidbits about your ancestors’ experiences at the school. Included in the archive are all yearbooks and issues of the student newspaper and magazine from 1947-2012.

You can access the archives at http://digitallibrary.elcamino.edu/camino/guest.jsp.

Browse publications or search by name or subject to see what turns up!

Digital image, Denise Spurlock, 2013.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

City of Torrance Veterans Memorial

On 19 March 2002, the City of Torrance, California, dedicated its Veterans Memorial. Located at the corner of Maple Avenue and Torrance Boulevard, the memorial is a lasting tribute to Torrance citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice to their country. An alphabetical list of those memorialized appears below.

"Let me not mourn for those who have died fighting,

but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived."

General George Patton

Louis Alvarez

Joseph Anzak, Jr.

Bernard Bailey

Olin Barkdull

Rudolph Beranek

Rudolph Bernasconi

Arnold Bliefernich

Ralph Brightfield

Kenneth Brooks

Clent Brown

Claude Bruce

Gary Bruhn

Bryson Burkholder

James Byrne

Archie Caraway

Paul Carder

Michael Carter

Thomas Carter

Dario Chavez

Ernest Coburn

George Coburn

Morrison Cotner

Donald Craw

Douglas Crawford

Ricardo Crocker

Bert Crossland

Raymond Cruize

Leon Culverhouse

Dan Cunningham

James Daniel

Francis Dietlin

Thomas Dilkess

Michael Dixon

Robert Dodson

Miguel Duarte

Bobby Edwards

Charles Eisenacher

Edward Ernst

George Escobar

Anthony Eversull

Matthew Ferrara

John Fess, Jr.

Nestor Flores

John Foley

John Foster

Perry Franklin

Micah Gifford

Stephen Grant

Gary Grubbs

Jose Gutierrez

Chelsea Hamilton

Thomas Haslet

Robert Hatter

Isaac Heath

James Herlett

Alan Hill

John Hill

Ernest Hill, Jr.

George Isbell

Jesse Johnson

Frank Jones

Herman Jones

James Judge

Mark Judge

Terreace Kandler

Michael Kessel

Bryce Kindrick

William Kirkpatrick

Lupe Lara

Stephen Lewis

Anthony Lugo

Louis Madore

Eugene Markwell

Thomas Martin

Wallace Matayoshi

Danny McMinn

Ruben Merkel

James Mitchell

Garlan Moody

Joseph Mullen

Larry Munoz

Forrest Mutschlek

John Nestor

James Newton

Robert Noble

William Nunn

Richard O'Brien

Vladimir Obidine

Arthur Parker

Raymond Pennington

Milo Plunkett

Theron Price

Thomas Price

James Prowten

Gary Purcell

Fred Quaggin

Floyd Ramsey

Paul Ratliff

John Reynolds

Robert Richardson

Everett Richhart

Larry Robillard

Tony Roomsburg

Paul Sanderson

Warren Sapp

Clarence Scheibler

Williamm Schoolcraft

Robert Searle

Eugene Shaner

Akira Shimatsu

Gregory Simonian

William Sleeth

Addison Smith

Christopher Smith

Edgar Smith

Francis Snee

Robert Stambook

Alex Stewart

William Stewart

Gregory Stone

Eugene Strieker

Rodney Strobridge

Osamu Tamura

Ted Tanouye*

Yukiwo Tanouye

William Tarrance

Richard Thayer

Royce Tidwell

Frederick Tiffany

Kenneth Tudor

Leonard Vorhis

George Walker

Ronald Wanbaugh

Richard Washer

Earl Watson

Frank Webster

Norman Wensel

Walter West

Theodore Weymouth

Ivan Wilcox

Larry Williams

Thomas Williams

Walter Wissel

Brian Wood

Charles Works

Thomas Wright

*Congressional Medal of Honor

Monday, July 16, 2012

Infographic - California in the 1940 Census

Thanks to Archives.com for preparing this infographic about California in the 1940 census!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Countdown to the 1940 Census: Population Explosion!

With just four weeks to go until the release of the 1940 US Census, I thought it might be fun to look at a comparison of population statistics for Southern California for 1940 and 2010..

In 1940, California was the fifth largest state with just over 6.9 million residents; by 2010, the population of 37,253,956. That’s over a 500% increase in 70 years! Los Angeles County alone now has a larger population than some states.

In 1940, there were 44.3 people per square mile in California; it 2010, that number rose to a whopping 239.1 people per square mile. But California still ranks only #13 in population density. Density is much higher in the eastern states.

Los Angeles ranked as the 2^nd largest city in 2010, but it had not even ranked in the top ten U.S. cities until 1920. In 1940, it was the 5^th largest city. Another Southern California city—San Diego—ranked in the top ten in 2010, as the 8^th largest city in the country!

Here’s a comparison of our Southern California population, by county, in 1940 and in 2010:

County	1940 Population	2010 Population	% Increase
Imperial	59,740	174,528	292
Kern	135,124	839,631	621
Los Angeles	2,785,643	9,818,605	352
Orange	130,760	3,010,232	2,302
Riverside	105,524	2,189,641	2,075
San Bernardino	161,108	2,035,210	1,263
San Diego	289,348	3,095,313	1,070
San Luis Obispo	33,246	269,637	811
Santa Barbara	70,555	423,895	601
Ventura	69,685	823,318	1,181

The populations of some counties are still relatively small, but most now boast millions of residents! Did your parents or grandparents live in Southern California when the 1940 US Census was taken? What do (or did) they think of the population growth that has taken place?

Note: In preparing this post, I found an interactive graphic posted by msnbc.com that will let you look at changes in state populations and population density from 1910 to 2010. It’s interesting to play around with.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Obtaining Vital Records in Los Angeles County

Entrance to LA County Recorder's Office
Digital image, Denise Spurlock, 2011.

Birth, marriage and death records for Los Angeles County are housed at the County Recorder’s Office located at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Los Angeles County provides both certified and informational copies of vital records. If you do not meet the requirements for a certified copy, you may request an informational copy. The only difference is that the informational copy is stamped “informational” across the face of the certificate so that it cannot be used to establish identity. For most genealogical purposes, informational copies are adequate.

If you have all the required information (dates, names, etc.) and want to order a copy of a certificate, I recommend using VitalChek; it is easy to use and, in my experience, turnaround time is 10–15 days. I have also found that if you order more than one certificate, you pay the VitalChek fee for only one.

Los Angeles County also permits viewing of vital records and indexes that are not exempt from public inspection from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This can be a great alternative to purchasing an informational certificate; you can make a transcription instead! There is no charge unless you request that the clerk pull more than five records.

Records available for viewing include births prior to 1905 and from 1964–present, deaths from 1877–present, and marriages from 1852–present. Random searches are not permitted; an application must be completed for each record to be searched and identification shown to the clerk. After submitting the application, you will be allowed to search the indexes for the information needed for the clerk to pull the document (certificate number or marriage book/page). There are restrictions on use of the information; these are listed on the application.

Before placing an order for a certificate or visiting the Recorder’s Office, be sure to review the information posted on the agency’s website for hours of operation, applicable fees, restrictions, etc.

Happy searching!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Are You Looking in the Right Place?

When California was admitted to the Union in 1850, Southern California consisted of only four counties: San Diego (which was huge!), Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Take a look at this map from the California State Association of Counties website:

From 1850 to 1907, six additional counties were created. If you are not finding a particular record in one county, perhaps you should be looking in the parent county. Although it does not list all the boundary changes that have taken place over the years (click here for that), the chart below may be helpful in determining what other counties to check:

County	Created	Parent(s)	County Seat
Imperial	6 Aug 1907	San Diego	El Centro
Kern	2 Apr 1866	Tulare; Los Angeles	Bakersfield 1874-present Havilah 1866-1874
Los Angeles	18 Feb 1850	Original	Los Angeles
Orange	11 Mar 1889	Los Angeles	Santa Ana
Riverside	11 Mar 1893	San Diego; San Bernardino	Riverside
San Bernardino	26 Apr 1853	Los Angeles	San Bernardino
San Diego	18 Feb 1850	Original	San Diego
San Luis Obispo	18 Feb 1850	Original	San Luis Obispo
Santa Barbara	18 Feb 1850	Original	Santa Barbara
Ventura	22 Mar 1872	Santa Barbara	Ventura

There have been no changes in the location of the county seats, except in Kern County, and I don't believe you'll find what you need in Havilah!

Museum, Kern County Court House, Havilah, California; photo from Wikipedia.

Sources:

“California County History,” California State Association of Counties (http://www.counties.org/default.asp?id=5 : accessed 12 January 2012).
“California County Creation Dates and Parent Counties” FamilySearch Research Wiki, (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California_County_Creation_Dates_and_Parent_Counties : accessed 12 January 2012)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Tuesday's Tip - Riverside and San Diego Newspapers Online

The following Riverside and San Diego newspapers have been added to the historical newspapers collection available, by subscription, at GenealogyBank:

Riverside Daily Press, 5/20/1938-10/1/1942
(San Diego) Evening Tribune, 7/1/1925-1/25/1935
San Diego Union, 3/1/1908-7/8/1934

Newspapers are a wonderful source of information about our ancestors' lives. I was excited to find references to my grandfather's employment as a watchmaker for J. Jessop & Sons and an advertisement for his watch-making school in the San Diego papers.

By Lewis Hine [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Disclaimer: I have a paid subscription to GenealogyBank. I also have an affiliate agreement. If you click on the GenealogyBank link above and subscribe to their service, I receive a small commission. You pay the same price for a subscription as if you had visited the site on your own.

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year from the SoCal Genie!

Pasadena Schools Float in 1922 Rose Bowl Parade.
Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

The Rose Parade is tomorrow (January 2), so it doesn't feel like New Year's Day to me! But I offer the following poem to wish you all the best in 2012!

A New Year’s Wish.

May each day bring thee something

Fair to hold in memory—

Some true light to shine

Upon thee in the after days.

May each night bring thee peace,

As when the dove broods o’er

The young she love; may day

And night the circle of

A rich experience weave

About thy life, and make

It rich with knowledge, but radiant

With Love, whose blossoms shall be

Tender deeds.

—Helen Van Anderson Gordon

Source:

George Wharton James, editor, The California birthday book: prose and poetical selections from the writings of living California authors, with a brief biographical sketch of each (Los Angeles : Arroyo Guild Press 1909), 12.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Japanese-American Relocation Resources

Today we remember those who were killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which resulted in the United States entering into World War II. It is right that we should honor our fallen heroes.

But we should not forget the other Americans whose lives were also changed—those of Japanese ancestry. War causes nations to take actions that seem, to those in charge at the time, to be necessary. Such is the case of the relocation of Japanese-Americans to internment camps during World War II.

National Archives photo. In the public domain.
Original caption: Hayward, California. Members of the Mochida family awaiting evacuation bus. Identification tags are used to aid in keeping the family unit intact during all phases of evacuation. Mochida operated a nursery and five greenhouses on a two-acre site in Eden Township. He raised snapdragons and sweet peas. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration.
Date: 8 May 1942.

Descendants of those who were interned in camps may wish to know more about what life was like during those times. Much material about the Japanese-American experience is available at institutions in Southern California. Following are links to descriptions of several collections (an * indicates items are available online):

Japanese American Research Project (Yuji Ichioka papers), 1893-1973 – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Constantine Panunzio Collection of Material on Japanese American Internment, ca. 1853-1945 – UCLA
Estes (Donald H.) Papers 1887-2005 – Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego
Japanese American Internment Collection 1929-1956 – UCLA
Japanese American Relocation Collection* – Occidental College
Asian Pacific Studies Collection 1920-1993 – California State University, Dominguez Hills
Okubo (Miné) papers, 1932-2009 – University of California, Riverside
Murphy (Mollie Wilson) Papers 1942-1945 – Japanese American National Museum
Manzanar Collection, 1942-1994 (bulk 1942-1946) – California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Anderson (Hugh) Collection 1921-1959 – Pasadena Museum of History
Yamada (Mitsuye) Papers 1940-2005 – University of California, Irvine
Japanese American Relocation Photograph Collection 1930-1958 (bulk 1941-1946)* – University of Southern California (USC)

Friday, November 11, 2011

Lomita Veterans Memorial

In November 1997 the City of Lomita dedicated its Veterans Memorial. A second memorial was added later to include those who lost their lives in the Global War on Terrorism. On this Veterans Day, it is my honor to present the names of those who gave their lives in service to our Nation.

Digital image. Copyright Denise Spurlock 2011.

LOMITA VETERANS MEMORIAL

"Today we honor these brave men and women from our community who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. History has shown us that freedom is not free. We pay for it with the lives of our neighbors, family members and loved ones. May the spirit of these brave soldiers live in our hearts, so they will never be forgotten. Councilman Dave Albert, November 11, 1997"

World War I

CLYDE CHESTER BLAIN, USN

World War II

JERRY ANGELICH, USA

GEORGE REYNOLDS BAKER, USNR

ROBERT BARKER, USAAF

RAYMOND BARRA, USN

THOMAS WALTER BEECHAM, USN

RAYMOND BODAM, USMC

ROBERT BRUMPTON, USN

JACK CHEEK, USN

RICHARD COX, USA

MARTIN DEVRIES, USN

JOHN LOGAN EGNEW, USN

ROBERT FENTON, USA

LORY GARCIA, USA

BILL GLOVER, USN

CHELSEA HAMILTON, USA

GEORGE HENDERSON, USN

PAT HERNANDEZ, USA

GORDON JACOBS, USN

RICHARD JOHNSON, USN**

ALVAH DON JOHNSON, JR., USA

WILLIAM LUEDKE, USA

MELVIN MARTIN, USN

CLYDE MAXWELL, USN

JAMES MEADOWS, USMC

JOHN MULKERN, USN

MANUEL MURO, USN

CHARLES RICHARD O'BRIEN, USA

WALTER OWENS, USAAF

KRISTI PALICA, USA

JAMES PEIGHTAL, USNR

FLOYD RAMSEY, USA

ALBERT READING, USCG

ALLEN RIDER, USN

DICK RIDER, USA

PEARL T. ROOMSBURG, USA*

MARCUS ROWIN, USA

WAYNE SAMMON, USN

JIM SANDERS, USN

ROBERT SCHREIB, USMC

GEORGE STAMBAUGH, USNR

MILES STUBBLEFIELD, USN

MALCOLM G. TADLOCK, JR., USN

EDDIE TAPIE, USN

JESS TAYLOR, USA

LEONARD VORHIS, USN

NORMAN E. WILSON, USN

BOB WOLVERTON, USN

Korea

STUART CLARK, USA

DONALD DANA, USA

CHARLES DUNCAN, USA

JOE HOOKER, USA

DUANE PARSONS, USA

BOBBY SPRATT,USA

WILLIAM TEUCHERT, USA****

GEORGE WASHBURN, USA

Vietnam

JERRY D. ATKINSON, USMC

RICHARD A. BAGLIO, USA

ROBERT R. BOHLER, USA

PERRY BOZEMAN, USA

CURTIS BROCKINGTON, USA

JOHN T. CARROLL, USA

DENNIS RAY CARTER, USMC**

MICHAEL B. CARTER, USMC

MICHAEL F. COOK, USMC

LEON T. CULVERHOUSE, USMC

SAMUEL R. DURHAM, USA

ALAN R. GUYMON, USA

RICHARD W. HASTINGS, USN

DON RAY HEIMARK, USA

FREDERICK R. HORRIDGE, USMC

RICHARD L. KEELER, USN

JOHN LORTZ, USA

RAYMOND D. McGLOTHIN, USA

STEVEN W. MUSGROVE, USA

GLEN A. MUSGUIRE, USMC

CHESTER O'BRIEN, USMC

ALAN P. SANDOVAL, USMC

JOHN ROY TIGHE, USA

JOHN G. TURK, USMC

LESLIE JAMES WATSON, USA

*Female

**Missing in Action

***Died as Prisoner of War

****Died when missing in action

...ALWAYS REMEMBERED

Global War on Terrorism

JOSE GUTIERREZ, USMC

SERGIO RAFAEL DIAZ-VARELA, USA

Should you wish to visit, the Lomita Veterans Memorial is located next to the Post Office at 25131 Narbonne Ave.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Costs for California Vital Records to Rise

On October 2, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1053 into the law. Sponsored by Gordon, this new statute increases the base fees for certified copies of birth and death certificates by $9 over the next three calendar years—$5 on January 1, 2012, and $2 in each of the two subsequent years.

The full text of the bill can be found at http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/billtrack/text.html?bvid=20110AB105392CHP

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Shades of L.A.: Oral Family History Interviews

Twenty years ago, the Los Angeles Public Library, in cooperation with Photo Friends, undertook a project to document the ethnic diversity of Los Angeles by copying family photographs. "Shades of L.A.: A Search for Visual Ethnic History" took six years to complete and contains more than 7,000 photographs.

During the project, oral family history interviews were conducted with twelve individuals representing eight ethnic backgrounds. Recordings and transcripts of these interviews are now available online at Shades of L.A. Information on how to search the photo collection is also available on the page.

By unknown Los Angeles Daily News staff photographer
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Monday, October 10, 2011

Don't Miss the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar

Free and open to the public, the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar is being held on Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Doheny Memorial Library on the USC campus.

A joint effort of USC Libraries and LAasSubject, the bazaar will include exhibits representing over 80 participating institutions, including the Autry National Center of the American West, the California African American Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum. In addition to the institutional exhibits, there are educational sessions, documentary film screenings, and panel discussions.

What a great opportunity to learn about some of the special collections available here in the Los Angeles area! Click here for more information.

Be sure to download and view "Preservation 101: Basic Tips for the Household Archivist," a presentation given by Michelle Light, head of special collections and archives at UC Irvine, given at the 4th Annual Bazaar. Her speaking notes are included in the PowerPoint presentation.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Museum Day - Saturday, September 24, 2011

Smithsonian Building, Washington, D.C.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

On Museum Day, hosted annually by Smithsonian magazine, participating museums across the United States offer free admission to one person and a guest. (Smithsonian Museums offer free admission every day.) Visit the Smithsonian website for more information about Museum Day tickets.

Below is a list of participating museums in Southern California counties with links to their websites. Whether you are interested in music, art, science, living history, or something else entirely, you will surely find a museum in Southern California that appeals to you.

Remember that in order to get free admission on Museum Day, you must have an official ticket available at the Smithsonian website!

Kern County:

Kern County Museum, Bakersfield

Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest

Los Angeles County:

American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona

Autry National Center, Los Angeles

California Science Center, Los Angeles

Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles

Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles

Hammer Museum, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Art Association, Los Angeles