The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper (which became the Orange County Tribune in 1908) stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading over the microfilm, year by year, to get a sense of what was happening in the town over the years, and creating a mini archive. Below are some news clippings from 1920.

According to the census, Fullerton’s population was 4,415, quite an increase from 2,690 in 1910. The 1920s would bring a population “boom” to the city as new subdivisions and business blocks were created.

In 1920, Fullerton adopted the slogan, “Fullerton–Rich in Soil, Rich in Schools and Homes.” Having never heard this slogan, I assume it was later abandoned.

Local Politics

1920 was an election year and seven people ran for City Council. They were J.R. Carhart, Albert Sitton, L.P. Drake, Simon J. Oxarart, R.A. Mardsen, Arthur Marson, and W.F. Coulter.

The election resulted in a “landslide” victory for Coulter, Drake, and Mardsen.

Coulter was chosen among his council colleagues as the Mayor.

William Schumacher was elected to represent Fullerton on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Women’s Suffrage/Rights

1920 was an important year for women, as that is when the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, granting women the right to vote. In California, this right had already been granted back in 1911.

Significantly, 1920 was the first year a woman was elected to public office in Fullerton. Belle J. Benchley was elected a grammar school trustee. Benchley would eventually move to San Diego, where she would become a noted zookeeper and author.

A Mrs. [no first name given] Gillette was hired as assistant city engineer.

Gillette heroically halted a fire that could have destroyed the city’s pumping plant and Edison transformer house.

1920 was also the first year women were allowed to serve as trial jurors in Orange County.

The Town of Orangethorpe

Before the town of Fulleton was founded in 1887, some early ranchers settled in an area south of the town-to-be, an unincorporated community called Orangthorpe. In 1920, city leaders attempted to annex part of Orangethorpe so as to extend the city’s “sewer farm” which is now the Fullerton airport. The ranchers who lived around this area organized to fight this Annexation.

The ranchers were successful in blocking this annexation, and they even voted to incorporate as the town of Orangethorpe to protect the land from future annexation attempts.

New Housing Developments

As I mentioned earlier, the 1920s would see a housing and business boom in Fullerton, as new subdivisions were created. In 1920, the Jacaranda tract was created near downtown.

New Business Developments

In addition to housing, new business blocks and buildings were added to downtown, such as the Gardiner Building, McKelvey & Volz Drug Store, the Sanitary Laundry Building, and more. I apologize for not including photos of these buildings. I will work on that for a future post.

Unfortunately, part of this “progress” meant destroying old buildings, such as the Henderson Blacksmith shop, which was one of the oldest shops in town.

Oil!

Along with oranges and walnuts, oil continued to be a major industry in Fullerton, with lots of wells in the hills north of town.

The map below shows some of the local fields in La Habra, Brea, and north Fullerton.

Health Care

There was talk of making the Fullerton Hospital a municipal (city-owned?) one; however these plans were dashed when a man from Anaheim bought the hospital, which is now the Women’s Transitional Living Center.

Crime

By far, the biggest crime story of 1920 was the murder of local rancher Roy Trapp and the assault of his wife by a Black man named Mose Gibson, who fled town after the crime.

There was a manhunt for the murderer, who had given the false name of Henry Washington.

Because the murderer was Black, many local citizens wanted to lynch him when he was caught. This was the 1920s, when lynchings were not uncommon.

Eventually, Mose Gibson was captured near the Mexican border, and brought to the Los Angeles jail, where he confessed to the murder.

Gibson was tried and sentenced to death by hanging.

As reported by the Tribune, feeling in Fullerton regarding Gibson was “intense.”

Tribune editor Edgar Johnson didn’t exactly help matters by calling Gibson “the lowest type of human beast.”

Prior to being hanged, Gibson also confessed to several other murders and crimes across the United States. One of the people he confessed to murdering was J.R. Revis of Louisiana. Unfortunately, a Black man named Brown, it turned out, had been wrongfully lynched for the murder.

While Gibson was in San Quentin prison awaiting execution, a group called the Housewives Union sent a letter to the governor of California, pleading for the man’s life.

“We ask your attention to the case of Mose Gibson, condemned to suffer the death penalty, September 24,” the letter stated. “The fact that the man is a negro is likely of itself to prevent him fro having that consideration before the law which a white man in his humble position might receive. It seems that when a negro is the culprit, that the white man feels it his peculiar privilege to indulge in any amount of brutality.“

Alas, Gibson was hanged, nonetheless.

Anti-Japanese Racism

In 1920, anti-Japanese feeling in California was intense. In 1913, the state had passed the Alien Land law, which sought to prevent Japanese immigrants from owning or leasing land.

Tribune editor Johnson contributed to this hysteria by printing articles such as the following:

Apparently, it was politically advantageous to demonize Japanese immigrants. A Senator James D. Phelan came to Fullerton to speak on the “Japanese Menace.”

In 1920, Californians were asked to vote on a new Alien Land Law, which sought to close some loopholes of the 1913 law. Surprisingly, the Tribune published an ad urging voters to not to support the new law because, well, obviously.

Unfortunately, the law passed by a large majority of voters, including a majority of Fullertonians.

California was not the only state to pass an exclusionary law against the Japanese. Texas (of course) followed suit, a long with Arkansas, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Culture

For entertainment and culture, Fullertonians would see movies at the Rialto Theater, performances at the Fullerton High School auditorium, visit the Orange County Fair, or check out the annual traveling Chautauqua show.

The local American Legion post sponsored a Big Minstrel Show, which presumably featured white performers in blackface.

The local Masons built a huge new temple which is now the Springfield Banquet Center.

Sports

Fullerton opened a ball park at what is now Amerige Park, a popular venue for local teams to play, like the Fullerton Merchants.

International News

In international news that feels kind of relevant now, Zionist Jews began settling in Palestine, fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe.

The newly-formed League of Nations (a precursor to the United Nations) began to meet.

The war of Irish Independence raged.

The 1920 Presidential Election

As I mentioned earlier, 1920 was an election year, and there was much local interest. During the California primary, there was support for Republican Herbert Hoover which took the form of a Fullerton Hoover Republican Club.

Seeking to cast a wide net, the Hoover Club sought members of all parties–Democrats, Not Stated, Socialists (yes, that was a somewhat popular party in 1920), Prohibitionists, Progressives, etc.

Another popular Republican hopeful was former California governor Hiram Johnson, who was a progressive Republican (yes, that was a thing).

Ultimately, Hiram Johnson won the California primary over Hoover, although Hoover got more votes in Fullerton. This was back when California was a red state.

The 1920 socialist candidate for president was Eugene V. Debs, who ran from a prison cell because he objected to World War I.

Ultimately, however, Johnson wouldn’t get enough delegates to be the Republican candidate in the general election. That would go to Warren G. Harding, who would defeat democrat James M. Cox to become the 29th president of the United States, the first to be elected with women voting.

The 1920 election was a Republican landslide.

Deaths

As reported in the Tribune, the following prominent people died: W.B. Houston, former postmistress Gregg, Mrs. Alex Gardiner, Anna Stone, and Ira H. Dysinger.

Stay tuned for more news stories from 1921!

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper (which became the Orange County Tribune in 1908) stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading over the microfilm, year by year, to get a sense of what was happening in the town over the years, and creating a mini archive. Below are some news stories from 1919.

Housing

Fullerton’s population was growing, and there was a housing shortage, so there was much new construction. The 1920s would bring a big housing boom to Fullerton. The Board of Trade established a “housing fund” to finance construction of new housing.

“The Housing proposition is the most important problem which confronts the city today. We not only need good houses but we need business blocks, as people who desire to engage in business here are turned away every day,” the Tribune reported.

Realtors R.S. Gregory and George A. Ruddock announced the opening of a new subdivision on six acres of walnuts and Valencias on the 200 block of West Whiting, next to downtown. Many of these houses still exit.

Another new subdivision was Jacaranda Pl., developed by Charlie Gantz. Many of these homes still stand today as well.

New Construction

New construction downtown featured apartments and a bungalow court, plans for a new Masonic Temple, a new business block, and a new garage for Fullerton’s pioneering auto dealer Lillian Yeager.

Racism

While Fullerton was building new housing and businesses for its white residents, there was vocal opposition for the construction of housing for Mexican Americans.

“The first thunderbolt was in the form of a petition from 117 prominent citizens headed by former trustee August Hiltscher and backed up by William French, former city marshal and now justice of the peace and newly appointed city recorder. This petition was a protest to the building of a concrete structure by the Santa Fe at Highland and Santa Fe avenues for the housing of its Mexican employees,” the Tribune reports. “The petitioners asked if it would not be possible to prevent the erection at that point or at least the housing of the Mexican element in that locality. The matter was discussed from every angle but there seemed to be no relief from a legal standpoint, and finally a resolution was adopted by the board asking the company to abandon that site and erect its building near its section houses, and City Attorney Allen was delegated to present the resolution in person to Superintendent Hitchcock at San Bernardino. Mr. Allen left for San Bernardino this morning to carry out the mission.”

“City Trustees Davis, Strain, and Woodward and City Attorney Allen were closeted with Superintendent Hitchcock of Hitchcock of the Santa Fe in his private car in the yards of the company at this place this morning to discuss the matter of the housing of Mexican workers at Highland and Santa Fe avenues by the company,” the Tribune reported. “A mass meeting has been called for this evening at the city hall for taking action.”

Utlimately, the Santa Fe Railroad won, and got the housing built, much to the consternation of Fullerton residents, many of whom showed up at a “mass meeting” to protest the construction.

“The Santa Fe Railroad Company will continue its work and complete its building at the corner of Highland and Santa Fe avenues for the housing of its Mexican employees and will house them right there,” the Tribune reported. “This bald assertion is made because the mass meeting at the city hall Thursday evening to take steps to avert the menace simply went up in smoke, and went sky high. The council chambers was filled to the doors with property owners, principally from the “infected” district, and they talked and talked and talked, but never got anywhere.”

One of the protestants was heard to say, “Well, we don’t like it, but we’ve got to take it.”

Anti-Asian Sentiment

In other racism news, there was a statewide movement to prevent Japanese immigrants from living among whites and owning property.

“That the Fourteen Counties’ Association of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys are taking active steps to prevent the settlement of lands in those valleys by Japanese, Hindus, and other Orientals, is the announcement of President Van Bernard of the association,” the Tribune reported.

“Orange County should take similar steps to protect the lands of this county,” is the declaration of Garden Grove ranchers.

President Van Bernard issued the following statement at Sacramento:

“With the crystallized sentiment throughout California that the citizens of this state should encourage only such newcomers in their midst as they would permit to associate with their wives, daughters, and sons, we are prepared to make a fight to the finish against the present system of leasing lands to Orientals.

“There are Japanese babies in this state owning farms paid for with money earned by their mothers and fathers working 18 hours a day, and living according to  a standard which means extinction for the white race. The blight is menacing, indeed. I will say that if in the struggle for existence the fittest to survive are those who can live in the most primitive surroundings, then the Japanese are the fittest to survive.

“We must have means to abrogate this state of affairs. If Orientals are within the law in acquiring land in this manner, we must change the law. Else the future of this state will resemble the Hawaiian Islands in their change from a fairly American community to one in which the Japanese have an immensely dominant interest, and where Buddhist temples out-number Christian churches.

“In making these remarks I am not, instigated by prejudice against Orientals. My contention is that the Oriental and the Caucasian are so absolutely opposed in every viewpoint and outlook of life that they cannot live harmoniously in close association or even on contiguous land.”

“Dangers which confront the residents of Orange County, such as forest fires and the Japanese question, were the principal features which were brought up and discussed by the Association of Commerce of Orange County at its regular monthly meeting, which was held at the…Round Table Women’s club house at Placentia Wednesday night,” the Tribune reported.

“Circulation of initiative petitions to put the anti-Japanese bill of Senator J.M. Inman on the ballot in 1920 will be started immediately following the publication of the complete text of the proposed law,” the Tribune reported. “Senator Inman who is president of the State Anti-Japanese association which will circulate the petitions, stated that the nine sections of the law will positively prohibit Japanese or other aliens ineligible to citizenship from owning or leasing agricultural land in California.”

These movements led to the passage of California’s Alien Land laws, which prevented many Asian immigrants from owning land in California.

The pages of the Tribune are filled with anti-Asian sentiment and racial slurs:

Race Riots

Anti-immigrant sentiment and racism was a growing problem throughout the United States, culminating in a series of actual race riots in cities across America. This became known as the “Red Summer.”

According to Wikipedia, “Red Summer was a period in mid-1919 during which white supremacist terrorism and racial riots occurred in more than three dozen cities across the United States, and in one rural county in Arkansas. The term “Red Summer” was coined by civil rights activist and author James Weldon Johnson, who had been employed as a field secretary by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1916. In 1919, he organized peaceful protests against the racial violence.”

The Tribune reported on these race riots.

Labor Strikes

Adding to the racial unrest across the United States, there were many labor strikes, many of which turned violent.

Americanization

A popular movement seeking to prevent both racial and labor strife was called “Americanization” in which employers provided education to “Americanize” its foreign-born immigrant workforce. In contrast to today’s appreciation for diversity and cultural and linguistic difference, the Americanization movement sought to mold different ethnic identities into English-speaking Americans.

The Fourth District Congress of Mothers and parent-Teachers’ Associations met in all day conference in Santa Ana and a prominent theme was the “Americanization” of the foreign-born.

“Where no English is spoken disease breeds, because the immigrant cannot read the suggestions of the Board of Health. The I.W.W. [Industrial Workers of the World] breeds where no English is spoken,” the Tribune reported. “The country is awake to the danger of the alien population, and “Americanizing” must become the great national movement.”

Locally, citrus growers, in collaboration with educational leaders, established special schools in “Americanization” for their predominantly Mexican workforce.

Read more about Fullerton’s Americanization program HERE.

At the national level there was discussion of actually deporting immigrants who did not speak English.

“Deportation of immigrants after five years residence in the United States unless they learn to speak and read English will be considered by the Senate labor committee, following its investigation of the steel strike, Chairman Kenyon announced on his return from Pittsburg,” the Tribune reported. “Senators on the investigating committee declared Americanization of foreign-born persons must be undertaken at once if grave industrial trouble is to be averted.”

Infrastructure

As the population increased, there were movements locally and across the state to expand and improve infrastructure.

A massive bond was passed by voters to create Newport Harbor.

The national “Good Roads” movement led to the expenditure of much public funds for more and better roads, including a state highway from San Diego to San Francisco.

Transportation

In transportation news, a new Bus Service was established that provided transportation to Fullertonians.

Oil!

In 1919, Fullerton’s two biggest industries were oranges and oil. Nearly every issue of the Tribune included articles about new wells and big gushers coming in the local fields.

The oil industry provided an excellent source of taxes for schools and other public amenities in town. However, Standard Oil protested their tax burden for local schools.

Perhaps a part of the widespread labor unrest, some oil wells were bombed in the Fullerton fields.

“Believing that they have in custody one of the perpetrators of the recent bomb outrages in the Fullerton oil fields the police today detained a man describing himself as Antone-Kratchel, aged 35, an Austrian, who was arrested at First and Gless streets by Patrolmen H.R. Boehm and J.Y. Walton,” the Tribune reported.

The Bastanchury family won a large $1,200,000 judgment against the Murphy Oil company, which had defrauded them out oil profits.

Culture and Society

Local culture and society took a few forms in 1919. For entertainment, folks would go see movies or vaudeville shows at the Rialto Theater.

Another form of culture was the traveling Chautaqua show, which was kind of like a high-brow circus.

Crime

Here are some local crime stories:

The Des Granges daughters (Helen and Getrude) accuse dad (John) of defrauding them of land left to them by their late mother (Harriet).

Prohibition

Prohibition was a popular issue, both locally and nationally, in 1919. The US Senate had passed the 18th Amendment in 1917, but it would not be ratified by a majority of the states until 1919, and national prohibition did not take effect until 1920, with the passage of the Volstead Act. Prior to that the Wartime Prohibition Act took effect in 1919, which banned the sale of beverages having an alcohol content of greater than 1.28%.

Both locally and nationally, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had been an active proponent of Prohibition for many years.

International News

In international news, World War I was over, but the United States was seriously considering war with Mexico due to the destabilizing effects of the Mexican Revolution, president Carranza’s movement to confiscate oil lands owned by U.S. companies in Mexico, and the kidnapping of American industrialist William O. Jenkins by Mexican Revolutionary forces.

President Passes Through Town

Many Fullertonians gathered to watch president Woodrow Wilson’s train pass through town.

Stay tuned for news stories from 1920!

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs of the southeast 100 block of Harbor/Commonwealth–one of the Gem Pharmacy circa 1900, and one of Kentro, a Greek restaurant, in 2023.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs of the northeast corner of Santa Fe and Pomona Avenues–one of the old Fender guitar factory, which has since been torn down, circa 1950, and one of a parking structure, from 2023.

The parking structure features a couple murals recognizing the legacy of Leo Fender and Fender Guitars, which started in Fullerton.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper (which became the Orange County Tribune in 1908) stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading over the microfilm, year by year, to get a sense of what was happening in the town over the years, and creating a mini archive. Below are some news stories from 1918.

Goodbye, Old St. George Hotel

The Shay Hotel, originally called the St. George Hotel, was one of the first buildings in town at the corner of Spadra (Harbor) and Commonwealth. Sadly, in 1918, it was torn down.

“Bright and early this morning a large force of men started in to dismantle this old land mark of Fullerton,” the above article states. “George Amerige, the proprietor, has sold the building to the Whiting Wrecking Company of Los Angeles for wrecking purposes and the work of razing the old structure has started. Big signs with white background and black lettering have been plastered all over the exterior of the building which read “Watch It Go.”

The Bastanchury Lawsuit

The pioneering Bastanchury family sued the Murphy Oil company for defrauding them of millions of oil dollars.

Back in 1903, Simon J. Murphy secured a lease of a couple thousand acres to search for oil. He told Domingo Bastanchury that he found no oil, and yet still convinced the old man to sell him the land for $35 an acre. He paid Bastanchury $79,000 for the land.

About a month after purchasing the land, the newly-formed Murphy Oil Company sunk a well that was a 3,000-barrel a day gusher. Many other oil-producing wells were subsequently sunk on the land.

In 1912, the Murphy Oil Company sold its oil holdings to the Standard Oil Company for around $24,000,000.

Meanwhile, Domingo Bastanchury died, and his lands fell to his widow and sons.

In 1917, former workers of Murphy Oil told Domingo’s son Gaston that they had actually discovered oil prior to the purchase of the land, and Murphy lied to Domingo about this fact.

The Bastanchury heirs sued Murphy for recovery of funds from the millions of barrels of oil that had been extracted over the past fourteen years, alleging that the property was obtained by fraud.

The “Spanish” Flu Epidemic

In 1918, a deadly flu epidemic spread across the world, including the United States. Though it likely did not actually originate in Spain, it became known as the Spanish Flu. Hospitals were filled to capacity, and lots of people died, including here in Fullerton.

Just as during the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing was encouraged.

Also, just like during the COVID-19 pandemic, people feared that enforced vaccinations were “a menace to liberty.”

The above article, which is actually about smallpox vaccination, but presumably also included influenza vaccination, states, “Marshall Stimson, attorney for the Public School Protective League, in a statement commenting on the victory of opponents to enforced vaccination in Judge Wellborn’s court in Los Angeles, asserted that the proceedings showed that the tendency of boards of health to arrogate more and more power was constituting a serious menace to individual liberty.”

World War I

Meanwhile, World War I raged in Europe. Many local boys had been drafted, sent off to training camp, and then to war.

High School principal E.W. Hauck enlisted, or was drafted.

Hunting Draft Dodgers

Draft dodgers were shamed in the pages of the Tribune, and were hunted and arrested by law enforcement.

Germans in America Must Register

Unnaturalized Germans over the age of 14 living in the United States had to register with the postmaster.

“The order coming from President Wilson, affects every unnaturalized German in the United States and a number in this city will be affected by the order,” the above article states. “The order requires every German citizen to make our four affidavits setting forth his age, residence business, friends, habits, and many other important subjects…After once being registered the German may not move from his place of residence without the approval of the postmaster, who will record the new residence. The finger prints of each man will be taken by the police and kept as a part of the identification. In cities more than 5,000 the chief of police will be required to register the Germans.”

Propaganda Posters/Ads

The pages of both Fullerton newspapers, the Tribune and the News included large propaganda advertisements for Liberty loans and bonds. Here are some of them:

Liberty Day

Fullerton celebrated Liberty Day.

Germany Surrenders

Finally, Germany surrendered, essentially ending the war. This event, it seems, deserved a bigger headline.

Transportation

In transportation news, the Pacific Electric passenger rail service began in Fullerton.

In the first half of the 20th century, it was an open question whether southern California would be a rail-based or car-based culture. Ultimately, cars won. The Pacific Electric would be dismantled in the 1950s.

Politics

Voter registration numbers showed that Orange County in 1918 was a predominantly Republican region. It would remain so until around 2018.

In the 1918 city council election, R.R. Davis, Robert Strain, and Perry Woodward won.

Tribune editor Edgar Johnson criticized the low voter turnout.

“Out of a total of over 1,260 electors only 425 managed to saunter to the polls of the three city precincts and cast ballots for the men who will govern the city for the next two years,” Johnson wrote. “This indicates that there was precious little interest in the election by some 825 electors.”

Mayor Carhart was chosen to serve another term as mayor, although he didn’t really want to. The process of mayoral rotation continues to be a problematic one today.

“Mayor Carhart has been selected to again be president of the board of city trustees for a term of two years, notwithstanding the fact that he insisted that the honors should be passed around among the members,” the Tribune stated. “He claims it has been the custom in Fullerton to change every two years; but that had no weight with the new board and there being no other nominations, City Clerk Hezmelhach out the question, and Mayor Carhart was declared the unanimous choice for the highest office in the gift of the city.”

At the state level, voters defeated Proposition 19, which had something to do with property taxes. Don’t fuck with Californians’ property taxes.

William D. Stephens was re-elected as Governor.

Citrus News

With some wartime labor shortages, there were special provisions to bring in Mexican farm labor, but not Chinese Labor, which Californians were not keen on.

“Last year Mexicans were brought here to help in the sugar beet harvest. This was done through a resolution of congress allowing the immigration department to make that kind of an importation, and in the regulations those bringing in the Mexicans were under bond to return them to the border,” the above article states. “This does not apply to Chinese labor. It is my firm opinion that efforts to get the bars lowered so that Chinese can come in will not be successful. Whatever the qualifications of the Chinese as a laborer may be, I don’t believe there is any possibility of getting congress to alow the Chinese to be brought in even temporarily.”

Local orange tycoon Charles C. Chapman urged his fellow citrus men to oppose “free trade” in favor of protectionist tariffs. Milton Friedman would be sad.

Entertainment

For entertainment, Fullertonians went to the Rialto Theater at 219 N. Spadra (now Harbor). This was Fullerton’s premier movie house before the Fox, which would come in 1925.

The Tribune ran ads for features shown at the Rialto. Here are some:

Popular entertainer Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle made a special appearence at The Rialto.

Another form of popular entertainment at this time was the traveling Chautauqua show, which came through town.

Law and Order

In crime news, a local man named W. E. Wright drunkenly drove his car through a patriotic event, injuring four people. He was found guilty and sentenced to from 1 to 5 years.

In hate crime news, someone threw a rock at the Japanese Consul.

Prohibition

The first salvo in what would become national prohibition was fired in 1919.

Death

A man named Charles E. Vogele committed suicide in the back of his home at 214 W. Wilshire Ave. Perhaps this residence could be a new addition to the Fullerton Haunted Walking Tours.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs looking north on Harbor from Santa Fe Avenue, one from the 1890s, and one from 2023.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs of 219 N. Spadra (now called Harbor) Blvd.–one of the Rialto Theater, which ran from 1917 to 1927 and showed silent films and vaudeville shows, and one of an office business today.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs looking north on Harbor Blvd. toward Wilshire Ave.–one from the 1920s and one from 2023.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs looking west on Wishire Ave. toward Harbor Blvd., showing the back of the Chapman Building–one from the 1920s, and one from 2023.

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

For this series, I compare a historic photo of Fullerton with a contemporary one from approximately the same angle. Below are two photographs of what is now called the Fox Theater–one from 1926 (when it was called The Mission Theater), and one from 2023. When the Fox opened in 1925, it was called Chapman’s Alician Court Theatre. The following year, the named changed to the Mission Theater. The venue would change names five times before becoming the Fox Theater. To learn more about the Fox Theater and restoration efforts, visit www.foxfullerton.org.