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The early development of the 1300 block of Linden Avenue occured in two distinct phases. Seven of the eight designated structures were build in the first phase between 1905 and 1912, and the eighth structure, an apartment built in 1921 along with two others built on the same lot in 1922, comprised the second phase. This unique grouping of large homes and apartments is representative of the distinct development of the city during its crucial growth period in the first quarter of the twentieth century.
The early settlement of this particular neighborhood reflects the 300% population growth in Long Beach indicated by the Sanborn Maps for those years. In 1905, the year the first house on Linden Avenue was built, the population of Long Beach was 12,000. By 1914, when all of the structures except the fourplex had been built, the population was at 40,000. This yearly increase, plus the discovery of oil in 1921 and the contemporaneous popularity of the automobile contributed to the rise in the number of industrial jobs in Long Beach. This was shown by the variety of vocations such as autoworkers and other laborers who moved to Linden Avenue, especially into the new apartments.
Early residents of Long Beach who built their homes on Linden Avenue were mostly professionals who had their businesses downtwon at prominent locations such as Pine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. They built their homes with pride, as evidenced by their individual tastes and the resultant eclectic grouping of styles and combinations of styles: Classical and Mediterranean Revival, Craftsman shingle and bungalow, Victorian and American Box. The large scale and elaborate architecture reflects their wealth and position in the community.
Jonah Jones, a city pioneer, banker and oil man, lived from 1916 to 1930 at 1327 Linden Avenue in the great white Doric columned mansion, kitty-corner from Dr. Alice Lazenby, the osteopath who resided in the early 1920's at 1356 in the two story American box style house with other members of his family who were in the shipworking and real estate business. Galen Welch, an IRS Presidential appointee, resided at 1338 Linden from 1915 to about 1923 in the Craftsman house two doors down from Lazenby's.
The different professions of the residents of this one block within a 35 year period represent the various areas of great growth in Long Beach: commerce, land development, oil, banking, medicine, religion, educcation, and industry. The automotive industry developed along Anaheim Boulevard, the large artery which linked Long Beach with the harbor in Wilmington as well as the outlying ranchos, at about the same time that oil was discovered in Long Beach in 1921.
The second phase of the 1300 block of Linden Avenue occurred during this period. An apartment was built at 1324 Linden Avenue in 1921, followed by two others on the same lot a year later. Workers in the automotive industry and other types of laborers rented the apartments across the street from Jonah Jones. Among them were a sign maker, a moulder, auto painter, auto machinist, caterer and nurse.
It appears that as Long Beach grew and prospered, some of the residents whose income increased eventually moved on to other areas of the town, transforming this particular block into the middle class family neighborhood that is remains to this day. This transformation has occurred for the past sixty years, some of the residents staying longer than other have. A widow moved into the Lazenby's home after their departure, followed by a plumber in 1930. Jonah Jones lived in his mansion for fifteen years, raising a son, Jonah Jones, Jr., who was a city pioneer in his own right. After Jonah Senior left in 1930, a used car salesman moved into the big white house. The descendents of Robert Sawyer, who moved into the large shingled Craftsman bungalow in 1919, just sold the house in 1990.
Occupants of the other homes on the block included an inspector who lived at 1344 in 1925, followed by a blacksmith in 1930. A Mr. Saatjian (occupation unknown), who lived at 1345 Linden in 1925, must have done fairly well for himself because in 1930 he moved across the street to 1357, the large mansion on the corner. A civial engineer moved in to Mr. Saatjian's former house. In the past decades, the influx of immigrants from Asia, Mexico and Central America as well as other parts of the United States has added other types of diversity to this block. All of the structures on this block have remained in good repair, revealing the pride that the residents still take in their homes and neighborhood.
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