New book on History of Los Alamitos & Rossmoor to be released this month

In mid November the History Press will publish my new (and first) book, A Brief History of Los Alamitos & Rossmoor.  I’m very proud of this work – and not just because some of it is accurate.  Anyway, I’ve shamelessly listed 10 reasons why you should think about buying this book when it goes on sale ( “around Nov. 16” at local book and gift stores and at www.losalhistory.com).

You get your money’s worth.  Despite the title, it’s really not that brief at 160 pages, and that only takes us up to the events of the year 1960.  I suggested the opus be subtitled: “From the Beginning of the Universe thru 1960” but the publisher ignored me.  He’s taking lessons from my wife and kids.

There is probably far more information in the book about both communities than anyone really wants to know.  It took 116 years to get the first comprehensive history of our community into print, and who knows how long before the next one finds its way?  So I figured I’d better cram this as full of as much information as possible while I had the chance.

It performs a needed public service.  First, it lets the rest of Orange County know we exist.  Late last month, the OC Register congratulated Coto de Caza and Villa Park for being the top Orange County towns on Coldwell Banker’s recent rankings of the top suburbs in the state and nation.  The only problem was on that same study Rossmoor was #1 in California and #9 in the nation — and hello! I think we are also in Orange County.  Do we really want the Registerembarrassing itself like that?  I think not.  This book will also help remind those in Long Beach that the 605 Freeway and Coyote Creek are not a portal to a parallel universe.  We are one of Long Beach’s most important suburbs.  Our community is home to many of its workers and business owners, and are spenders at many of its businesses and restaurants.  Our schools even educate thousands of their students.  It would be nice for the parents of these students to know where their kids are during the day.

Self-discovery.  It’s hard to blame outsiders for not knowing about us when a lot of Rossmoor residents think they actually live in Los Alamitos.  This book will let confused Rossmoor residents know why they’re not in Los Alamitos and why they never have been.

It’s the first comprehensive history of our community.  Previous histories are a little thin.  The first history was written by Samuel Armor, a former Orange County supervisor and City of Orange mayor and businessman.  He was considered quite long-winded, although that wasn’t the case when he wrote his 1911 History of Orange County (revised in 1920) which encapsulated Los Alamitos’ history into a single paragraph.  Fortunately, in 1963’s Orange County Historical Volume II and references, the Los Alamitos section, written by Mildred Yorba MacArthur, was four pages long and included information on recently built Rossmoor.

We actually played an important role in Orange County – and Southern California – history.  No, really, honest, we did.  I’m not kidding.  The Bixbys were at one point the largest landowner in the state.  The Los Alamitos Sugar Beet Factory ushered in a major OC industry for OC that was bigger than oranges.  Rancho Los Al co-owner I.W. Hellman played a major role (equal to Henry Huntington) in bringing the Pacific Electric to Southern California.  Local Mexican immigrant field workers played a role in organizing immigrant labor during depression era union battles.  The Navy Air Base was the first WWII airbase in Orange County and one of the busiest in the nation through the 1950s.  Rossmoor was the first truly large scale post-World War II suburban tract in Orange County and established marketing techniques that are still in use today.  All these (and more) were significant factors in the growth and development of Southern California.

It will make more people aware of our museum.  We actually have a lot of history stored away there and if more people became aware of it, they could raise more money and put more items on display.  The museum members and volunteers have all been very helpful – especially my friend and neighbor Margrit Kendrick (who has written a number of short histories on our area) and Leon Sjostrom and Marilynn Poe.

It will tell you about Los Alamitos’ forgotten tracts – City Garden Acres and Los Alamitos Terraces — and how three different tracts — Alamos Ranchos (1947-48), Plainview Homes (1950) and Los Alamitos Park (1955) — came to be known as Carrier Row (and not Battleship Row).

Make the publisher more interested in other local books.  We are already talking with them about a Volume II, and a histories of Los Alamitos High School and Sports in our area.

It makes a great unexpected holiday gift.  I really doubt that anyone wrote to Santa asking to get a History of Los Alamitos and Rossmoor.  So imagine their surprise – and what might pass for an expression of joy – when they unwrap the giftwrap and see the book.  Priceless moments like that give me chills.

A Bonus reason — It will make me tons of money. OK, maybe not, but I can dream, can’t I?  My wife just wants book sales to put a dent in all the photocopying and parking fees I’ve incurred over the years.   Anyway, if you want to help me pay off year and years of parking and photocopying fees, write me to reserve a copy or check out www.losalhistory.com in a few weeks.

When he is not shamelessly plugging his new book, Larry Strawther publishes the LocalSports newsletter and online paper (www.localsports.biz), organizes The Taste for Los Al, and produces telecasts of local events for CSMP and Los Al TV (www.youtube.com/csmptv), in addition to publishing the local history site – www.losalhistory.com .  If you want to place an advance order of the book or blame him for something, Larry can be reached at localsports@earthlink.net.