A forest of oil derricks crowds the Huntington Beach coastline, Los Angeles, January 1940

A forest of oil derricks crowds the Huntington Beach coastline, Los Angeles, January 1940After oil was discovered in Huntington Beach and Long Beach south of Los Angeles, oil wells popped up in their hundreds and pumped out oil for decades. This is a 1940 shot of Huntington Beach—not exactly the sun-dappled, picture-postcard vista of Californian beaches we usually think of.

A forest of oil derricks crowds the Huntington Beach coastline, Los Angeles A forest of oil derricks crowds the Huntington Beach coastline, Los Angeles

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2 responses to “A forest of oil derricks crowds the Huntington Beach coastline, Los Angeles, January 1940”

  1. Gordon Pattison says:

    I remember drives south to San Diego in the late 1940’s-50’s passing these oil derricks which seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Another site along the way was the so-called “Tin Can Beach” nearby. It is now Bolsa Chica State Beach, but there are no longer any tin cans.

  2. Alistair Quick says:

    Astonishing.

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