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The Long Beach Skyline in 1922. With an Early Image of Oil Derricks Signal Hill ("Porcupine Hill") Behind the City!

Fantastic antique panoramic photograph showing Long Beach as it stood in 1922.

The view shows Long Beach looking south from the north end of Ocean Boulevard. The region immediately to the right of the photographer has been extensively redeveloped following the expansion of the Port of Long Beach. It is now occupied by the Convention Center and the Pike Outlets. The downtown area, inland of Ocean Boulevard, has the same street structure, although it remains significantly less developed. The extensive park, surrounded by Model T's, appears to be Lincoln Park.

Landmarks shown include:

• Pine Avenue Pier #2, a modernized replacement for Pine Avenue Pier #1, which was destroyed by shipworms less than ten years after it was built.
• the Shanghai Hotel, a popular hotel resort on the beach between the pier and the Roller Coaster.
• The Jack Rabbit Racer at The Pike amusement zone
• Signal Hill, covered in oil derricks
• Hoyt's Theater, advertising Vaudeville acts
• The De-Nae Cafeteria and the Pekin Cafe
• The Hotel Del Mar in the distance
• The State Theater

The photographers are city as Fagerberg - Bailey. Bailey almost certainly refers to Charles Z. Bailey, a noted photographer who had produced panoramas of Los Angeles since at least the 1910s. There are several Fagerbergs listed in Los Angeles at the time, and it is unclear which one took this photograph.

Porcupine Hill and the Beginning of the Long Beach Oil Boom

The many oil derricks on nearby Signal Hill belie the recent nature of the development. The first producing well in the reservoir erupted as a gusher on June 23rd, 1921. Less than two years later, it would produce tens of millions of barrels of oil per year and propel California into the role of the world's largest oil exporter. The many oil derricks gave the hill the name "Porcupine Hill."

This discovery only further enflamed the growth that had overtaken Long Beach since the establishment of its port in 1911. Soon after the oil boom started, the downtown region would see over a million dollars a month of investment in infrastructure, forever changing the skyline.