Food For Thought #3: Los Al restaurants – On the Boulevard

After two posts on the restaurants of Rossmoor,  (Rossmoor Center food here, Rossmoor Village here) we now move “outside the walls” to take a look at the many restaurants of Los Alamitos proper over the years.   Again, we didn’t grow up here and know we are missing some eateries (especially the older ones).  Let us know … Read more

Food for Thought, Part I: Rossmoor Center

This is the first in a series of posts about all the places to eat around here over the years.     The development of the Rossmoor Shopping center is an interesting story, but too long to deal with here, so look here instead.        The original, very ambitious plans for the Rossmoor Center were … Read more

Theaters in Rossmoor

Technically, the first documented dedicated movie theater in the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor area was the Fox Theater which opened up in the Rossmoor Business Center in July 1964. I did, however, find that in 1919 the “Commercial Club” contracted to rent movies to show in the Los Alamitos Sugar Factory clubhouse — which was located where Green Street Interiors and … Read more

McDonald’s: Reopening eagerly anticipated now, but in 1971 it was unwelcome in Los Al

After a short time down for some remodeling, the Los Alamitos McDonald’s restaurant will be reopening next week, according to an article at Shelley Henderson’s OC Breeze website. What is interesting is that in another bit of wisdom that only they will ever understand, the Los Alamitos City Council turned down in 1971 the construction … Read more

Business in early Los Alamitos – 1896 to 1956

Most of the first merchants in Los Alamitos were saloon keepers. And many not of the best reputation.  These men catered to the hard-working railroad track layers and the teamsters who helped haul equipment around.   Immediately after the construction of the sugar factory and a railroad to the site were first announced, the citizens … Read more

1973 – Los Al: City Finding a New Economic Identity

reprinted from the February 2, 1973 Anaheim Bulletin (Editor’s Note:  The following article is one of a series reviewing the accomplishments of cities in North Orange County during 1972, and what they hope to achieve this year.  Today’s report is from Los Alamitos) By JOHN YENCH Bulletin Staff Writer LOS ALAMITOS—This city has moved well … Read more

Businesses in 1950s Los Alamitos

This can be kind of misleading, because newspapers at the time considered Los Alamitos to extend east to Miller(Valley View) and South to at least Garden Grove Boulevard.  remember this was all part of the Rancho Los Alamitos. Airport Cafe, 11142 Los Alamitos Blvd.  Lil and Jay Westlake, proprietors.  Cafe reopened in May 1956 after … Read more

March 1967 – Seal Beach annexes the Rossmoor Center

You’d have to be a hermit or living jn the Bin Laden compound to be oblivious to the recent John Moorlach inspired local conversation about Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach and “Super-city”, annexation, sphere of influence. shared powers The issue has motivated a number of people to speak up.  Some of them actually knew … 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