Jonathan Bixby had 26,000 acres in what is today Long Beach. But as car travel pushed oil exploration, it went from sprawling ranch to oil supplier and, eventually, to the 7 1/2 acres that remain.
After founding Farmers and Merchants National Bank, the brothers Herman and Isaias went their separate ways, but gave the downtown some distinct structures.
The city’s founders created the lane of cedars in the late 19th century. In 1920 city officials jazzed up the trees with holiday lights and Christmas Tree Lane was born.
