ABOUT THE BOOK

A must-read for true crime buffs and local history enthusiasts alike. Focusing on the transformative decades from the 1880s to 1920, author Ms. Burnett unearths gripping, long-forgotten accounts of cold-blooded murder, violent feuds, and frontier justice in early Southern California.

INSIDE, YOU WILL DISCOVER:

• • The Trail of Sylvestro Morales: The ruthless outlaw who terrorized the Southland in 1889 before his dramatic capture at Rancho Los Alamitos.

  • Blood on the Ranchos: The dark, overlooked violence that plagued the Basque and Mexican sheepherders and sugar beet laborers shaping the region’s agricultural roots.

  • The Death of a Town: How an aggressive 1896 crusade to shutter a local saloon saw Long Beach City Trustees hanged in effigy—and nearly destroyed the municipality itself.

  • A Tragedy That Changed Forensics: The tragic 1912 slaying of a Long Beach police officer that devastated a community, but ultimately revolutionized modern criminal investigation.

  • The Monster in the Southland: The terrifying 1916 kidnapping and torture of a Long Beach youth by Harry Thaw—the notorious millionaire murderer behind the high-society slaying of architect Stanford White.

LEARN THE ORIGINS OF:

• The Birth of Cities: How the towns of Long Beach and Los Alamitos grew from quiet ranchos into bustling hubs.

• Transit Revolutions: The rise and rivalry of the iconic Pacific Electric “Red Cars” and early jitney transport networks.

• Civic Pillars: The founding histories of the Long Beach Police Department and the world-famous Long Beach Municipal Band.

MEET THE LOCAL LEGENDS & ODDITIES:

• Lew-is the Light: The eccentric visionary who claimed a direct, personal delivery line to God.

• “Whistling” Davis: The grieving father who steadfastly refused to bury his deceased daughter.

• “Old Man” Ranous: A notoriously cantankerous local whose murder ended with a body hidden beneath a manure pile.

• W.L. Jennings: The unfortunate soul whose life was cut short by… a cat.

• Restless Spirits: Chilling accounts of murder victims whose stories refused to remain buried.

• Pete Labourdette: The infamous Los Alamitos saloon keeper who went to desperate, deadly lengths to cover up local crimes.

Packed with unbelievable true stories and colorful figures, this is a captivating historical journey you won’t want to put down until the final page.