This obituary below appeared in the North County Times (San Diego County), February 23, 2006. Garland Stephens was a very involved personality in the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor area. He apparently became more involved with the Race Track affairs after the death of Frank Vessels, Sr. in 1963. He was very involved with the track during the … Read more
When it came to incorporating Los Alamitos had bad luck, but it may have been inevitable. The members of the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce wanted to incorporate for the traditional reasons — local control of finances and services, and to prevent prime industrial tax-producing properties from being picked away piecemeal. The Dairy farmers just … Read more
Horsewoman Millie Vessels Is Dead at 72 : Racing: She took over management of Los Alamitos after her husband’s death in 1974. January 22, 1992|BILL CHRISTINE | TIMES STAFF WRITER Millie Vessels, 72, who sustained Los Alamitos Race Course’s reputation as the leading quarter horse track in the country after her husband’s death in 1974, … Read more
Note: this article is a work in progress. I have come across a number of articles and bios on Los Al Race Track founder Frank Vessels, but much of the information is regurgitated and unverified legend, not to mention often conflicting. So this is an ongoing attempt to sift the fact from the legend — … Read more
This was first publisheed in the May 18, 1954 issue of the Long Beach Independent-Press-Telegram. Sports Page 3 Alamitos Gets New Structure By JERRY WYNN The rags to riches story of Los Alamitos Race Course will get a new chapter soon with the construction of a million dollar grandstand. Track President Frank Vessels Sr. ann0unced … Read more