“Iowa by the Sea” — Past, Present & Future

Give Thanks to Our Mid-Western Roots

I have a love-hate relationship with historical assumptions. On the one hand, I love them because they are succinct and often smugly clever: Napoleon had a complex because of his height; Marie Antoinette was an elitist; Attila the Hun was pure evil. There are nuggets of truth in these statements, but stopping at the one-liner creates a one-dimensional historical figure.

The same can be said of Long Beach’s moniker, “Iowa-by-the-Sea.”

An early use of this label can be found in the Los Angeles Times in 1927. So many mid-westerners had settled here by 1930 that our state picnics had become famous throughout the Southland. Long Beach was (and still is) often denigrated, dismissed as a boring backwater. “Iowan” is equated with being ultra-conservative, small-minded, and unadventurous.

But, let’s peel back the layers and take another look.

As a house historian and librarian, it is my job to delve a little deeper, so I investigated census records, city directories, and family histories. I analyzed these sources, along with newspaper reports and history books, leading me to question the status quo.

Upton Sinclair

Assumption 1: Long Beach was politically conservative

Although this city had its share of churches, don’t make the assumption that being “churched” was synonymous with being conservative. It was through the First Congregational Church and the influence of the Bixby family that California women gained the right to vote in 1911, eight years ahead of the 18th Amendment. Renowned socialist, Upton Sinclair, launched his bids for Governor along with his EPIC movement (End Poverty in California), while living on the Peninsula on 58th Place.

Assumption 2: Long Beach was socially conservative

Long Beach Day Nursery

Early social welfare programs were robust and often led by strong independent women. Jennie Reeve and Adelaide Tichenor rallied their various clubs to further civic projects: The city’s first free public library was established in 1898 in Alamitos Beach. The Ebell Club funded a water machine to tamp our dusty roadways. In 1912, the Long Beach Day Nursery provided quality care for children while their mothers worked. All were enacted for the public’s benefit, rather than for a few fortunate souls.

Assumption 3: Long Beach reflected the traditional family

Their were a lot of ‘single’ women in early Long Beach. Some stated they were widows, but a genealogy search often revealed they still had husbands back in their home states. I’ve come to the conclusion that Long Beach offered a haven for women, in particular, to re-create themselves. Some of these adventurous ladies became land speculators, building homes for themselves and for income. They were shop owners, realtors, apartment owners, teachers, and doctors. Long Beach women attained equality at a time when such rights were in their infancy.

Nellie M. Webster reinvented herself in Long Beach. She also owned a lot of property.

Long Beach today: Rooted in yesterday

Even today, Long Beach residents pride themselves on being one of California’s best kept secrets. We celebrate our reputation as “Iowa-by-the-Sea” with a dose of Navy and Snoop Dog, because we know it ensures that we attract those quirky types who are open-minded and active in the community, regardless of their political, fiscal or social predilections.

When and why did you or your family come to Long Beach? Share your story with me and others by contacting us.