Don't Know Beach About History: Short Histories of Long Beach
In this new local history podcast, Long Beach Public Library explores the fascinating--and sometimes unbelievable--stories that have helped make Long Beach the great and unique city it is. Buckle up! This is not your grandmother's local history podcast!
Episodes
15 episodes
Roy Beebe and His Incredible "Cosmic Ray" Machine!: The 1940s Health Scam Guru Who Shook Up Long Beach
Each day in the late 1940s, thousands of sick people visited the residential Long Beach home of Roy Beebe, a self-styled "scientist" whose homemade "cosmic ray" machine was said to cure all of mankind's ills.Beebe's "cosmic ray" laboratory ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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47:04
The Spruce Goose! Howard Hughes in Long Beach 1947
With a wingspan as wide as a football field, the Spruce Goose was the largest plane ever built. The craft—designed by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes and made out of wood—was intended for use in WWII, but the plane wasn't finished un...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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41:51
Minerva's Mailbag! 1920s Letters from Young Women in Long Beach
In 1923, the Long Beach Press began an advice column—Minerva's Mailbag, later changed to Tell It to Mary—geared toward the young women of Long Beach.What problems were vexing the teen girls and emerging adult women of Long Beach?&n...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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47:09
The Babbitt Murders of 1924! Part Two
It's money, murder, and madness in old timey Long Beach as our case goes to trial! Join us for the final installment of this tale of greed, guns, drugs, ice cream, oil scams, Charlie Chaplin, and Ponzi schemes among the upper class in Lon...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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53:39
The Babbitt Murders of 1924! Part One
Did a prominent Long Beach businessman get away with killing his wife and his business partner? Probably! Join us for a tale of greed, guns, drugs, ice cream, and con games as we deep-dive into a case of murder most foul among the e...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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47:25
Elvis in Long Beach 1956!
In June 1956, just days after his infamous hip-thrusting performance on the Milton Berle Show, young rocker Elvis Presley came to Long Beach to play the Municipal Auditorium and a near-riot broke out. What did Long Beach teens and grown-u...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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39:16
Tiger Girl Murder! Part Two
On July 12, 1922, two young women spent the day in a Long Beach speakeasy, drinking and commiserating about their unfaithful husbands. That evening, on a remote road in Los Angeles, one of those women would beat a romantic rival to death ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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30:13
Tiger Girl Murder! Part One
On July 12, 1922, two young women spent the day in a Long Beach speakeasy, drinking and commiserating about their unfaithful husbands. That evening, on a remote road in Los Angeles, one of those women would beat a romantic ri...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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27:39
The Pike Mummy!: The Unbelievable Tale of the Dead Body in the Fun House
In 1976, a film crew for The Six Million Dollar Man was prepping for a shoot in the Laff-in-the-Dark fun house at the Pike in Long Beach when they discovered that a wax dummy hanging from a noose was actually the real human body of an ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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21:21
The Wrigley Ocean Marathon!: 1927's Brutal Swimming Race From Catalina to the California Mainland
1927’s Wrigley Ocean Marathon was an epic and brutal swimming race from the island of Catalina to the mainland of California, a feat never before recorded. Many of the world’s most famous swimmers came to Long Beach to train and compete f...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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21:36
Babe Ruth Gets Arrested in Long Beach!, Part Two
In 1927, legendary baseballer Babe Ruth was arrested before his scheduled appearance at the State Theater, a vaudeville house in Long Beach, California.In this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the Sultan of Swat's epic visit to Lo...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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15:48
Babe Ruth Gets Arrested in Long Beach!, Part One
In 1927, legendary baseballer Babe Ruth was arrested before his scheduled appearance at the State Theater, a vaudeville house in Long Beach, California.In this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the Sultan of Swat's epic visit to Lo...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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14:56
Flagpole Sitter!: The Daredevil Clown Who Tried to Put Long Beach in the Record Books
In the summer of 1948, a tightrope-walking clown named Ozzie Osborne climbed up the center pole of the Sky Ride attraction at the Pike in Long Beach, California. Sitting 200 feet in the air, Ozzie faced all manner of danger—from night bat...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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17:31
Minnie the Whale, Part Two: The Absolutely True Tale of the Whale Skeleton Who Came to Town
In May 1897, two teenage boys saw a 63-foot fin whale foundering off the shore near Long Beach, California. With the help of some local donkeys, the boys were able to pull the massive whale on shore. This is the story of that whale ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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15:03
Minnie the Whale, Part One: The Absolutely True Tale of the Whale Skeleton Who Came to Town
In May 1897, two teenage boys saw a 63-foot fin whale foundering off the shore near Long Beach, California. With the help of some local donkeys, the boys were able to pull the massive whale on shore. This is the story of that whale ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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16:01
