The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 occurred at 5:55 p.m. on March 10, 1933, with an estimated magnitude of 6.4. Although ground shaking lasted about 10 seconds, the earthquake caused widespread damage to Long Beach and other surrounding cities, resulting in 120 deaths - largely from collapsed houses, small buildings or falling debris. Property losses were estimated at $50 million (1933) dollars. This earthquake was the first significant earthquake to be recorded and analyzed in detail by the (then) newly developed "accelerographs" at the Seismological Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. The city of Lynwood is located in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin, in Los Angeles County. The families who first came to the Lynwood territory arrived in the late 1870s and early 1880s. In 1902, C.H. Sessions acquired the title to approximately 400 acres of land that had once belonged to Don Antonio Lugo; he established "the Lynwood Diary and Creamery", named after his wife's maiden, Miss Lynne Wood. In 1913, 800 acres were opened up for 'suburban' home sites, and just 8 short years later, on July 16, 1921, voters approved incorporation of the city. Through the years, Lynwood has transformed itself from a colonial settlement, to a small farming town, to finally becoming a mostly working-class suburb in Los Angeles County, with the population growing by leaps and bounds. By its incorporation in 1921, the city had 786 residents; today, the current population stands at approximately 73,212. View of partially collapsed buildings being guarded by naval personnel, as they appeared following the Long Beach earthquake. These buildings, located along Long Beach Boulevard, as well as numerous other structures throughout the city, were turned to rubble on March 10, 1933 following the 6.4 quake. Although the earthquake was centered in Long Beach, surrounding areas - including Lynwood, were greatly affected in part by brick buildings collapsing due to un-reinforced masonry walls. Photograph dated: March 1933.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;15 x 25 cm. on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
United States.--Dept. of the Navy Central business districts--California--Lynwood Commercial buildings--California--Lynwood Ruins--California--Lynwood Earthquakes--California, Southern Buildings--California--Lynwood Lynwood (Calif.)
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