Biography- George Pillsbury

GEORGE E. PILLSBURY. Los Angeles Born Tewksbury. Mass.. 1857. Educated public schools and Lawrence Academy. Began civil engineering in Lowell, Mass., and until 1880 was in the employ of various railroads; then removed to Mexico where, for about three years, he was a division engineer during the building of the Mexican Central Railway. In 1884 … Read more

Biography- George Pillsbury

GEORGE E. PILLSBURY. Los Angeles Born Tewksbury. Mass.. 1857. Educated public schools and Lawrence Academy. Began civil engineering in Lowell, Mass., and until 1880 was in the employ of various railroads; then removed to Mexico where, for about three years, he was a division engineer during the building of the Mexican Central Railway. In 1884 … Read more

Early Los Alamitos residents

1902 Sugar Factory Beet Sugar Gazette, Oct. 1902, p.240 Additional Appointments for the Campaign of 1902-03 Los Alamitos Sugar Company, Los Alamitos, Cal. H. C. Lawrence, Superintendent. I. Evans Miller, Assistant Superintendent. F. Logan Norton, Assistant Superintendent. F. K. Edwards, Chief Engineer. D. W. Goodwin, Night Engineer. J. O. Reed. Sugar Boiler. Sidney Smith. Sugar … Read more

1901 – Early work of the Congregational Church among the Mexican laborers

One of the best things about Google’s effort to digitize library book collections is that much information on the early days of Los Alamitos has popped up in a number of very unexpected sources. Extensive information which we have been already sharing on this site has been spelunked from the three major beet sugar industry … Read more

Feb. 12, 1901 – Los Alamitos man battered in Labourdette’s Saloon

12 FEB 1901,  Los Alamitos Man battered (LA Times) R.E. Powell of Los Alamitos came before a Long Beach judge and lodged a “John Doe” complaint, charging a Belgian laborer with assault. Powell gives an account of mistreatment and shows some ugly wounds in support of his statement. Powell says that on the 3rd inst. … Read more

Nov. 24, 1900 – Beet Sugar Gazette

24 NOV 1900 – Beet Sugar Gazette , Vol 1, No. 10 (December 1900) Chicago Illinois, p18 LOS ALAMITOS, CAL. Editor Beet Sugar Gazette:—The unusually long drouth of this coast was terminated last Thursday, the 22d inst., by a genuine “sou’easter,” rain falling to the amount of 2.40 inches in less than ten hours, and … Read more

May-Sep 1900 – late rains salvage Alamitos sugar hopes

What is significant here is that the article indicates the strong presence of Mexican workers, who had apparently already replaced all the Japanese,  and non-Hispanic whites in the fields.  “In every field there may be seen bands of thinners, mostly Mexicans, and the farmer himself, with horse ahd cultivator, followed by bands of helpers with … Read more

Sep 30, 1900 – Clarks sue Bixbys over right of way for drainage of factory waste

Susan Hathaway Bixby loved her Rancho Los Alamitos adobe, but positively hated the stench caused by the effluent from the new sugar factory. What this article would most significantly seem to indicate that Lewellyn Bixby was the main Bixby contact for the sugar factory, when it says, “In June 1896, J.Ross and W.A. Clark entered … Read more

Sep 30, 1900 – Clarks sue Bixbys over right of way for drainage of factory waste

Susan Hathaway Bixby loved her Rancho Los Alamitos adobe, but positively hated the stench caused by the effluent from the new sugar factory. What this article would most significantly seem to indicate that Lewellyn Bixby was the main Bixby contact for the sugar factory, when it says, “In June 1896, J.Ross and W.A. Clark entered … Read more

April 4, 1900 – Bixby Land Company struggles to raise money

April 4, 1900 — Bixby Land Company minutes book- , the minutes note that the company borrowed money from Farmers and Merchants Bank of Los Angeles. By February 1901 the debt had grown to $15,000, and the land company also owed the Palos Verdes Company $2,551.98 for “Sundry notes” given by tenants to that company … Read more