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Changing Face of Southern California

Ocean Front at beginning of fire, Sept. 3, 1912, Ocean Park, Cal.

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Ocean Front at beginning of fire, Sept. 3, 1912, Ocean Park, Cal.

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Identifier	clloy_021
Title	Ocean Front at beginning of fire, Sept. 3, 1912, Ocean Park, Cal.
Creator	Unknown
Date Published	circa 1912
Subject (Topic)	Fires--California--Santa Monica; Pedestrian areas--California--Santa Monica;
Subject (Place)	Ocean Park (Santa Monica, Calif.);
Type	image
Form/Genre	Postcards
Physical Description	1 postcard : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm.
Institution	Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
Country of Creation	US
Copyright Status	public domain
Copyright Statement	https://library.lmu.edu/policies&procedures/librarycopyrightpolicy/
Publisher	Van Ornum Colorprint Co.
Place of Publication	Los Angeles
Language	eng
Description	View of Ocean Front Walk during the fire of September 3, 1912; some pedestrians watch the fire while others leave the area.
Historical Background	Ocean Park's early landscape was influenced by fires, the largest of which occurred in 1912 and 1924. On September 13, 1912, a fire broke out in Ocean Park, starting at the Casino and quickly spreading to other buildings in the business district. It was suspected that the fire began with a lit cigarette in the basement of the Casino. Although there was only one confirmed death in the fire, an article that appeared in the September 4, 1912 Los Angeles Times estimated that there were 223 structures destroyed or partly destroyed. 20 businesses were completely destroyed. The fire covered 6 blocks and took 12 fire companies nearly 4 hours to contain. Some of the structures consumed by the flames include the Frasier Pier, the Casino Cafe, the Grand Canyon Aerial Way, the Decatur Hotel, the Dance Hall, the Nile Hotel, the Merchants' Bank, and the Ocean Park Journal. The damage to the area was estimated at two and a half to three million dollars.
Additional Notes	Approximate date from postmark.
Source	Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection