While not officially incorporated as a city until 1960, Los Alamitos has had a very definite presence since it was first laid out as a sugar factory town in 1896. An early 1897 LA Times article listed the new community as one of the top three towns in Orange County — along with Anaheim and Fullerton.
Early Los Alamitos was a company town, for the most part controlled by the sugar company owners, the Clarks, with the blessing of the two Bixby operations which controlled the rest of the surrounding acreage.[ref] The Los Alamitos Sugar Company — 100% owned by the Clarks — officially joined the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce in 1909[ref] Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Members Annual, 1914, p126, 140, 161[/ref], but J. Ross Clark had been an active member prior to that.
The Bixby Land Company was an offshoot of the J. Bixby Co which owned the Rancho Los Cerritos. This entity was co-owned by Jotham Bixby(50%) and Lewellyn Bixby and their cousin Thomas Flint (the other 50%). They had invested in John W. Bixby’s purchase of the 26,000 acre Rancho Los Alamitos, but when he died in 1887, they received the northern third of that property — which is roughly the land north of Stearns and Orangewood. The land of the heirs of John W. Bixby kept the middle third of the Rancho — roughly the land south of Stearns/Orangewood and north of PCH in Long Beach and north of the 405-22 in Orange County. This would be the land of the Bixby Ranch Company.[/ref]
The Clarks and Bixbys were both involved with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. We’ve found no evidence these entities were involved with any Orange County associations– at least, in the first 15 or so years of the factory and town’s history. As long as farmers leased the land and grew enough beets to keep the factory profitable, there was no need to bring in outside business beyond what was necessary to service the local farmers who worked the land and the factory workers, the latter of which were mostly seasonal.
Although state of the art when it first opened in 1897, by the advent of World War I, the Los Alamitos factory had been eclipsed by four other larger factories in Orange County. It was one of the only factories not under control of the powerful Sugar Trust, but the Clarks’ great wealth and involvement in other large industries allowed them to forge an easy truce with the trust. They soon realized that while the sugar industry was somewhat profitable, their energies could earn more money in other areas. So they went along with whatever pricing structure was dictated to them by the trust, now headed by the Oxnards.
But in 1915 a new Sugar Factory manager, E. C. Hamilton — a veteran of the plants in Chino and Oxnard (both built by the Oxnard Brothers) and one in Hamilton City (near Chico) — assumed control of the Los Alamitos factory. He got involved with the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, often hosting meetings in the new factory club room which also hosted the Women’s Improvement Club. Hamilton also undertook many improvements to the factory. Perhaps some of this was motivated by the many improvements Phil Stanton was doing to Seal Beach at this time, including bringing the Joy Zone down from the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition. Los Alamitos was a gateway to Seal Beach for people from the San Gabriel Valley. But the Clarks owned 8,000 acres, about 800 acres on the east side of town. much of it prime for development if the right person found it attractive.
By 1917, Los Alamitos had an unofficial Chamber of Commerce. Ten years later, the Los Alamitos Sugar Factory had closed down and shifted its beet sugar processing operations to Santa Ana, and the remaining businessmen formed the Los Alamitos Improvement Association. They held their first meeting on January 8 and then another on January 16 and their first orders of business were to rename the group the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce and elect S.F. Henson as President and J.C. Canfield as Vice-President. A week later a nominating committee presented a slate of directors which was approved. The directors were S.F. Henson. J.C. Canfield, E.L. Johns, H.L. Willey, Rush P. Green, Hugh T. O’Connor and James Dempsey. The nominating committee was composed of Messrs. G.H. Tinkham, I.W. Green, V.C. Kaiser, L.C. Barney and Mrs. J.W. Bloomquist. After a pot-luck supper, Santa Ana businessmen George Regan and Paul Regan discussed the finances of home building, and Rush Green gave “an interesting talk on the paving situation” south of Katella. A piano soliciting committee was also chosen, with Mrs. H.L. Willey, Mrs. J.C. Canfield, and Mrs Fred Johnson being the lucky souls. [ref] Long Beach Press-Telegram, Sunday, Jan., 9, 1927, Sec. VII, p2; Sunday, Jan. 23, 1927, Sec. VII, p.2;[/ref]
O’Connor operated a general store on Los Alamitos Blvd and was also the town’s long-time postmaster. (A more complete biography of him is here.) Within a couple years he would assume the Chamber Presidency and get involved with many projects, mainly flood control, but also a a 1931 campaign for water rectification[ref]LA Times, May 22, 1931, O’Connor is listed as the chairman of the Orange County Coast Association’s water committee, and a 1933 project to 1933 project to bring a horse race track to what is now Leisure World. [ref] LA Times, May 30 1933. “Berger Going Ahead With Race Track.” [/ref]
In both the 1930 and 1932 North Orange County Directory, F.R. Gillis is listed as the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. O’Connor is listed as Postmaster.
Soon after this, we stop seeing O’Connor’s name and we begin to see the name of W.C. Crofoot as head of the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce and their representative on the Orange County Coast Association. in 1938 Crofoot was involved with the Orange County 50th anniversary celebration, and more flood control committees (1938 had been one of the worst years on record for flooding), as well as being named to a county-wide committee promoting tax relief.[ref] LA Times, June 29, 1939 “Threat of Tax Strike Hurled,” and LA Times, May 17, 1940, “Relief Costs Drive Widens.” In the former Crofoot was named as the “President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Orange County,” and voiced threats of a tax strike “if the county acted as “official spokesman for the [/ref], and a very sincere effort by the county chambers to get the school year changed to begin in October and go through June. [ref] Dec. 20, 1938, LA Times, “Leaders Named in Campaign for Later School Vacations.” The logic behind this was the old school calendar was based on farming and harvesting schedules, which didn’t apply anymore, and that June was usually a gloomy month while September and October were great weather months and that if people were not yet in school, they’d be more likely to visit the beaches and spend money with local merchants.[/ref]
Obviously, not much came of this idea, but the flood issue would lead to improvements with Prado Dam by the Santa Ana Canyon and further channelization of the the San Gabiel River. The problem with the latter was as the upper river was channeled, more water was sent downstream when it rained, and the area around Los Alamitos, where channels had not yet been built, would be flooded even worse than before. [This was an issue that would not be resolved until the mid 1950’s.]
Even though the Navy began construction of the new air station in 1941, chamber of commerce activity seemed to have slowed down in Los Alamitos. In 1941, the Press-Telegram tells us that Loren Cloud took over as Postmaster and as President of the Chamber of Commerce. But sometime after, Cloud moved to Garden Grove and many of the town’s businessmen were called up to serve in the military. That pretty much left the Chamber in the hands of long-time secretary Grace Johnson.
Most of the county’s business groups apparently went on hiatus during World War II, but immediately afterwards, the Orange County Chambers resumed some activity like the Orange County Coast Association’s “40 Miles of Smiles” Christmas Lights program. The Nativity Scene at Laurel School won a prize. But otherwise, life in Los Alamitos seemed to continue much as it had during the war.
In 1947, enough normalcy and enough men had returned to the community that the Chamber tried to re-activate itself, with Roy Wright as President. In early 1948, a seprate business association formed itself.
One of the big social events was still the Saturday night dances at the Volunteer Fire Department. “Because it was a county building, you couldn’t have drinks inside,” remembered Marilynn Poe, “but all the dads would have their cars lined up behind the building with their trunks up, each acting as a bar.”
But there were some signs of progress in Los Alamitos. The first phase of a new tract of homes (now Carrier Row) was built outside the base. Engineers from Douglas Aircraft and other aviation-related companies began moving into the area. Civilians began taking the place of some of the workers at the Navy base. Returning veterans established the Marin-Davis American Legion, named for the first two locals to enlist in the service during World War II. The veterans at the new unit began holding regular dances as well, using the hall at St. Isidore’s Church.
Up through World War II, the only paved roads in town were “the boulevard” (Los Alamitos Boulevard), and Katella, with the paved part ending at Los Alamitos Boulevad. This would change in 1946, thanks in large part to Jim Bell, who would be a longtime President of the Chamber and then become Los Alamitos’ first mayor.
Bell was an electrician at the Navy base. According to his son, Jim, Jr. who still lives in Rossmoor and has been a longtime boardmember of the Los Al Water District, the older Bell got involved with the chamber because of dusty roads.
“We lived on Fahrqhuar, near the boulevard. Fahrquhar was still a dirt road and come 4:30 every afternoon, all the cars would start rolling out of the base and head down Farquhar to the boulevard. All that dust would kick up and the winds always blew it towards our house. If my mom didn’t have the laundry dry before then, she’d yell and we’d have to rush to get the laundry in or it’d get so dirty she’d have to clean it again. My mom naturally got tired of this and asked my dad to do something about it. So my dad went to the Chamber of Commerce to see what could be done.”
Unfortunately for Bell, the chamber had been inactive for some years and didn’t even have a president at the time as Grace Johnson had recently died. Bell was told that to get something done, he’d have to go to Santa Ana. “But they also told him, if you go there you’ll need a title,” said the younger Bell. “Since they didn’t have a President they gave him the title.”
After devouring every library book on civics and making laws, Bell first got the local Chamber to legally incorporate itself as a non-profit entity,[ref]Calif. Secretary of State, July 21, 1947[/ref] and then convinced the Orange County supervisors to pave a number of the roads around Los Alamitos.
That event marked the re-emergence of the Los Alamitos Chamber and for the next 13 years, it basically handled ALL of the community problems, for both residents and businesses, acting as a quasi-government to deal with such issues as traffic signals and street lighting. It even won passage of a school bond and led the campaign to establish a water and sewer district in 1953, and pass the bonds to finance it. Before that most of the sewage was handled by septic tanks which spilled their contents during the knee-deep floods of 1952, causing the raw sewage, and the raw manure from the many dairies, to spread over community and forcing the military to help out by providing typhoid shots. The Chamber also organized campaigns to bombard the county and state officials with complaints about the flood and highway conditions as well as unfair utility rates, and initiate actions on street signs, building ordinances, curbs and gutters, and more fire hydrants. They also sponsored a successful carnival.
Interestingly, in 1953 the Chamber also did much “towards the elimination of jet noise which was annoying residences.”
In late 1955 the Chamber got very involved with the widening of Katella Ave, especially now that traffic had increased with the opening of Disneyland.
4 OCT 1955 — (Enterprise, p.2) LOS ALAMITOS—Groundwork was laid at a meeting of the highway committee of the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce Thursday night when they met at the Turf Club.
Two men, Van A. Frante and Don J. Daley, who is connected with the Disneyland Hotel, were invited to attend.
Discussions were heard concerning the plans for widening Katella Avenue.
Probably the three leading players in the Chamber group were Bell, Dale Kroesen (the town printer and editor of the Enterprise), and Lura Labourdette, who would be the longtime secretary.
Strangely, the leadership and accomplishments of the Chamber wasn’t enough, so they formed an offshoot, the Los Alamitos Business Association which operated in the mid-50’s, with many of the Chamber members also in the other group. Both groups even held carnivals. The group met as early as Jan. 27, 1954 at the Glider Inn. Jack Baird[ref] Jim Bell Jr. remembers that Baird, who had an office on Los Alamitos Blvd., was one of the first locals to have a television. Baird placed his TV in the front window of his office and pushed right up against the front, and in the afternoons, all the kids would come and stand in front of his office and watch cartoon shows.[/ref], a local realtor, was the secretary. But the Enterprise also referred to the Chamber as the Business Association’s “parent group.”
On february 26, 1954 the Enterprise reported that Charles Burroughs, Los Alamitos dairyman, was unanimously elected as President of the Los Alamitos Business Association at the annual election of officeres Wednesday night in Seal Beach.
Chosen to assist him in the administrative duties was Bill Poe, Jr. who was re-elected Vice-President. Jack Baird was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer.
Plan Carnival
Hoping to stage a fund-raising project which would not require too muchoutisde time of members, the group decided to investigate the possibility of staging a carnival April 30, May 1 and 2.
It is planned to hire a professional carnival group and work on a percentage basis.
A committee headed by A.J. Labourdette, and assisted by Bill Poe, Jr. and Dale Kroesen, will investigate possible sites for the affair and make arrangements with a carnival. Next meeting of the associaton will be the installation banquet March 31. Frank Watte was appointed to make arrangements for the banquet and program. It will be a free dinner for all members in good standing.
Later that year the two groups agreed to split the carnivals with the Chamber hosting a Fall Festival and the Business Association hosting the May festival. In the press release, the Chamber was referred to as the “parent organization.”
The January 13, 1956 Enterprise had two articles on the Chamber: The first was headlined:
Knotts Berry Farm Is Scene Of Los Alamitos Chamber Installation
LOS ALAMITOS—New officers and board members of the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce will be installed at a dinner at Knott’s Berry Farm on January 19, according to Mrs. A.J. Labourdette, secretary.
Dr. Russell Brougher, pastor of the First Baptist Church n Los Alamitos, will be the masterof ceremonies.
Mrs. Labourdette pointed out that admission is by ticket only and those interested can get tickets at any of the Los Alamitos business houseses.
All of the officers were re-elected from last year. James Bell is President. C.J. Curtis, vice-president; Mrs. A.J. Labourdette, secretary-treasurer; and M.L. Robinson, sgt-at-arms.
In 1956 the group’s
The December 13, 1956 Enterprise noted on p. 1 ”
Bell Elected for Sixth term as Los Alamitos Chamber President
LOS ALAMITOS — Los Alamitons have become pretty used to having Jim Bell and Lura Labourdette as officers of their Chamber of Commerce, and decided not to “change horses” again this year.
Bell was elected for his sixth term as president and Labourdette will start her tenth year as secretary-treasurer.
Chosen as Vice-President was W.F. Brown, Sgt-at-arms will be Jack Baird, and new directors are D.E. Dominick, Evelyn Bell, and B.B. Jones.
Enterprise, January 17, 1957, p. 8
Frank Watte Returns to Emcee Dinner
LOS ALAMITOS — Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce members were pleasantly surprised Thursday night when they arrived at the installation dinner and found a former resident, Frank Watte, had returned to emcee the affair, a job he had fulfilled for many years.
It was the tenth anniversary of the reforming of the Chamber, and saw Jim Bell being installed for his sixth consecutive term as resident , and Lura Labourdette installed for her ninth year as secretary-treasurer.
New Vice-President is Bill Brown while Jack Baird took office as sgt-at-arms.
Willis Warner, Chairman of the Orange County Boasred of Supervisors handled theinstallation duties.
Board members for 1957 are Dick Fulford, D.E. Dominic, B.B. Jones, Evelkyn Bell and Ed Nixon.
Special guests were Warner, Watte and his wife, Rosemarie, Mr and Mrs. Joe Croopke of the Southern Counties Gas Company and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Stang and Phil Walsh of the Southern California Water Company.
Special entertainment was furnished by Nonnie Curtis who performed some toe dance numbers and Gale Adair, accordionist.
The door prize, a five-pound box of candy, was won by Dale Kroesen.
Chamber Boards of Directors
1927
S.F. Henson (President), J.C. Canfield (VP) , E.L. Johns, H.L. Willey, Rush P. Green, Hugh T. O’Connor and James Dempsey
1941
Loren Cloud (Postmaster), President; Grace Johnson (Secretary-Treasurer)
1947-48
Roy Wright, President; Cleo DeWitt (owner, DeWitt’s Market Vice-President); Grace Johnson (Secretary-Treasurer); August Labourdette, Sergeant-at-arms; Directors: Raymond Fults, Bill Poe, Jr.; Jimmy Lynch, Publicity.
Business Association:
Spring: Cleo DeWitt, President;
Fall: October – Edgar Carter (owner, Variety store), President; Maurice Pierot (VP); Grace Johnson, Sec-Treas; Directors: Harlan Hubert, Frank Watte.
1949
James D. Lynch, President; Cleo DeWitt, Vice-President; Grace Johnson (Secretary-Treasurer); August Labourdette, Sergeant-at-arms; Directors: Raymond Fults, Bill Poe, Jr.
1950
______ , Lura Labourdette (Sec.),
1951
1952
1953
Jim Bell (Pres), Harkey White (VP), Lura Labourdette (Sec.)
1954
Jim Bell (President); Planning and Development: Ray Young (Chairman), Jack Baird, Cleo DeWitt; Taxation: Harley peck (Chairman), Bud Williams , Bernie Brooks; Street and Highways: C.J. Curtis (Chairman), Roy Wright, A.J. Laboudette; Advertising and Entertainment: Lura Labourdette (Chairman), Frank Watte, Mrs. Jack Baird; Industrial: Ray True (Chairman), Bob Robinson, W.C. Kuppens, Ed Allen; Refreshments: Mrs . James Bell (Chairman) and Mrs. Bud Williams; Membership: Mrs. M.W. Robinson (Chairman), Elmer Morris and Frank Reynolds; Youth center Building Committee: Tom Harris (Chairman). Other members: Dale Kroesen
1955
James Bell (Pres.), C.J. Curtis (VP), Lura Labourdette (sec.) (“Mrs. Labourdette has served several terms and been praised by county and state officials for her throughness.” Two new directors join the board, C.J. Cook and Bernie Brooks.; Business Assn: Charles Burrows, dairyman, Pres.
1956
James Bell is President. C.J. Curtis, vice-president; Mrs. A.J. Labourdette, secretary-treasurer; and M.L. Robinson, sgt-at-arms. Board: C.J. Cook, Bernie Brooks, E.L. Nixon, Dick Fulford; Committees: Planning & Development: C.J. Cook (Chairman); Industry: E.L. Nixon; Highway and Transportation: M.W. Robinson; Legislatyive and Taxation: C.J. Curtis; Public Utilities: Richard F. Fulford; Membership: Evelyn Bell; Refreshments: Mary Nixon; By-Laws: Fulford, Wm. Poe Jr., Mrs. A.J. Labourdette, James Bell. Business Association: DicComments 6k Fulford, Pres.; Wm,. Poe, atty., VP; Jack Baird sec-treas.;
1957
James Bell, President; W.F. Brown, Vice-President; Lura Labourdette, Sec-Treas.; Directors: D.E. Dominick, Evelyn Bell, B.B. Jones. Sgt-at-arms: Jack Baird; Directors: Dick Fulford, D.E. Dominic, B.B. Jones, Evelyn Bell and Ed Nixon.
1958
Bill Brown, President
JR CofC
1959
Bill Brown, President; Chuck Long, Vice-President; Lura Labourdette, Secretary; Marge Travers, asst. secretary; Directors: Jim Bell, Tim Pool, Charles Burrows, Mrs. Ed Burke, Frank Allen. [ref]The Enterprise, Jan. 15, 1959, p1. “Incorporation Advantages Told at Annual Dinner.”{/ref]
1967-68
Berend Broersma Veterinarian
2009-10 Judy Klabough
The 1967-68 Business and Information guide had the following:
The Chamber actually started many years before 1947, but lack of activity saw it lie dormant for several years and it wasn’t until the 1947 date that it took hold and operated with a consistently progressive and continuous program.
Fulford, who also operated the Los Ala,itos beverage Store, was also, in 1956, the commander of the Los Alamitos Marin-Davis chapter of the American legion.