Long Beach lookback

What can you learn about a community by examining its 1912 city directory? Long Beach Press-Telegram columnist Tim Grobaty discovers some bits and pieces about the area's business life. For instance, there were more barbers than attorneys (23 vs. 20) and you could buy hay and feed at more than a dozen feed yards near downtown. With those feed yards were also liveries, stables, blacksmiths and horseshoers. As for other stuff:

There were no giant chains cornering the market on groceries 94 years ago. Then, residents bought their food from stores usually named for their proprietors, though not always by their birth name, as was the case with Blind Man's Grocery, way out on Orange Avenue at 11th Street. It was the Era of Unambitious Slogans: The Palace Cafe on Pine felt that "Our Steak and Fish Will Please You," and the Gas Appliance Exchange on First Street brayed, "We Sell Stoves That Give You Heat When Needed."

Some perspective: Long Beach was a fast-growing town in those days. Its population increased from 2,252 in 1900 to 17,809 in 1910. Grobaty was loaned the city directory from antique hunter and owner of the Pike Bar & Grill, Chris Reece.