The Historical Society of Long Beach holds its 26th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour on Saturday, October 29th from 9 am to 3 pm at Sunnyside and Municipal cemeteries on Willow Street. The self-guided tour is fun for all ages.
The event features eight new stories about people who shaped the city’s history performed by Long Beach Playhouse community theater actors in period costumes. The performances last 10 minutes and are repeated every 20 minutes from 9 am until 2:40 pm.
One timely story on the tour is that of Long Beach Council Member Emmett Sullivan from the 6th district. He served from 1960 to 1970. Before that, he served on the Parks, Recreation and Marine, Civil Service, and Harbor commissions. He lobbied for state ownership of the Tidelands, opposed the “cross-town freeway,” and in 1970, he was appointed to the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission. Watch our story, POLITICIANS FOR SALE OR RENT!, the press conference to find out why he resigns.
Be entertained by a story about the first woman to conduct a women’s symphony in the nation, Long Beach’s Eva Anderson, and the Long Beach WOMEN’S SYMPHONY.
WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID? CSULB grad, Daniel Cariaga was known for his musicianship and his music reviews. When he offended Tom Jones, the Greek Theater pulled his press tickets. What did he say?
The Historical Cemetery Tour also includes returning and new attractions. Six local authors sign books adjacent to the Historical Society of Long Beach’s merchandise tent where vintage images, postcards, and books can be purchased. The Black Student Union Elders Association display an installation about the legacy of African American scholars and community members who worked for diversity and inclusion at CSULB. The Puente Latino Association host a Dia de los Muertos ofrenda. Councilman Supernaw talks about his grandfather who is buried at Sunnyside. Historian Dr. Craig Hendricks recounts Gov. Pat Brown’s vision for water development in the 1950s, and how this relates to Long Beach. Experience arts and crafts created by Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII including Takahashi carved bird pins, Ondo (The Coal Miner’s Dance), and paper flowers curated by community oral historian, Karen S. Harper, and community member, Linda Nishida Gager.
A first-time historical costume contest will be held with prizes going to Best Historical Figure, Best Overall Historical Period, and Best Ensemble or Couple hosted by LB Living.
Support for the 2022 event comes from the Arts Council for Long Beach, the City of Long Beach, Percent for Art, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, Councilwoman Stacy Mungo Flanigan, Long Beach Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, lbpost.com, the Port of Long Beach, and 35 other businesses and individuals.
Tour-goers may purchase light refreshments or pack a lunch and make a day of it. There are tables and chairs available where attendees may enjoy the scene in the historical cemeteries. The first recorded burials at this site were at Municipal Cemetery in the 1870s. It contains 2,500 graves. The city did not want to expand Municipal and the plots were nearly sold out, so a group established Sunnyside Cemetery as a private cemetery next to the city’s cemetery. The first burial there was in 1907. It is much larger with 3,500 lots and 17,500 graves. In 2020, the City of Long Beach accepted responsibility for Sunnyside Cemetery. Today the city owns most of the block bounded by Spring, Orange, Willow, and California containing the cemeteries and Willow Springs Park.
The Historical Cemetery Tour is the signature event of the Historical Society of Long Beach, a non-profit museum and archive. Purchase tickets in advance to save $5 at www.hslb.org or at the gate on October 29th. Parking is available at Sunnyside or at Willow Springs Park, large vehicles are asked to park in the lot on California and Willow.