Next Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017
Location: Larry's House
Time: 5:30 pm Bring your favorite dish for the potluck.

8th Annual Pancake Breakfast

Signal Hill - Current Facts:

Before Signal Hill Became a City:

• The Tongva indians lived in the area.
• 1541 - Juan Cabrillo sailed up the California coast and named the bay "Bahi a Los Furrios" from the layer of smoke that hung over the area created by Native American fires.
• 1769 - The Spanish began occupation of the Los Angeles basin and the Signal Hill area.
• 1784 - Manuel Nieto acquired the land between the Los Angeles and Santa Ana rivers and from the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains to the ocean.
• 1804 - Don Juan Jose and Dona Miguela inherited Rancho Los Cerritos. The property was divided by what is now Alamitos Ave.
• 1838 - The first Spanish map shows Manuel Nieto's land grant including Signal Hill as a reference point.
• 1840 - Abel Stearns and Jonathon Temple bought Rancho Los Alamitos from Jose Figueros (note the last names are remembered in street names)
• 1859 - The first oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania.
• 1866 - 1869 The ranchos were sold to Thomas & Benjamin Flint and Lewellyn Bixby. John Bixby joined in and J. Bixby & Company was formed.
• 1880 - The Bixby Co sold 4000 acres to William Wilmore who wanted to create a residential community to enjoy the majestic views to the sea (later known as Long Beach)
• 1881 - John Bixby and I.W. Hellman purchased Rancho Los Alamitos.
• 1887 - The first map reference to Signal Hill designated Los Cerritos as “The Hills.”
• 1900 - George Hughes lays out a 118 acre housing tract atop Signal Hill. A few mansions were built by the Hughes, Denni, Reeves, Pease and Pala families.
• 1905 - A new power plant lights up Tower light that sits atop of a new 25,000 gallon water tank to supply water to the homes being built.