L.A. Meekly: A Los Angeles History Podcast

The long and winding road has led us to this moment: our final episode. 13 long years will be discussed, dissected and deliberated on this our double stuffed goodbye. Come for the musical numbers, stay for the tears.

In this, our final research based episode, we're covering the last few topics we've always wanted to cover before it's too late and we're sealed up in our retirement pyramid. We'll be discussing pie maker Monroe Boston Strause (22:42), the court case of Perez v Sharp (35:27), Joan Didion (53:29) and things that were planned but never built around LA (1:27:04).

For the next couple months: Everything. Must. Go. Leading up to our emotional final episoe we'll be covering all the topics we've always wanted to while we still can. This month we'll be talking about the Man From Mars Bandit (24:39), Van de Kamp's Bakery (31:25), Drive-In movie theaters (1:03:08) and Hollywood Bloody Friday (1:38:23).

It's that time of year when the junk in your drawer ends up the junk on the curb. Spring is here so we're cleaning out the L.A. Meekly Junk Drawer and covering some stories that didn't quite fit into other episodes. We'll be doing the Rattlesnake Killer (20:30), Pedro Gonzalez (50:20) and Lawn Chair Larry (1:09:18).

Viva la Revoluti...pod?! This month we're going to be covering some big names in activisim and revolution from the annals of Los Angeles history. We'll be covering the anarchist Ricardo Flores Magon (19:00), the Brown Beret Gloria Arellanes (44:43) and the socialist Upton Sinclair (1:18:48).

This month make sure to NEVER go against the family because we are covering a few of Los Angeles' most notable family run businesses. We'll be stepping into an Andy Gump (20:22), stepping through some stained glass at Judson Studios (34:39) and stepping into line at Porto's (1:06:31).

It's the most wonderful time of the year or, should we say, the most punderful crime of the scare...ear. No, I suppose we shouldn't. Welcome in to our 13th annual telling of creepy and chaunted tales from Los Angeles. This year we're covering Igor's Alley in Long Beach (19:15), the Buried Man of Burbank (27:03), the haunted Cobb Estate (38:17) and the alien encounters in Big Tujunga Canyon (57:29)...

This month we're giving thanks and taking names. For the time of Thanksgiving and returning to hometowns, we are delving into the histories of our hometown neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Greg with his precious Elysian Heights (15:39) and Daniel with his beloved Granada Hills (53:11).

The Halloween season is here so that means we're getting eerie and disturbing but NOT creepy and haunted (TM). We'll be covering the cases of a celebrity who was murdered (allegedly) in Thelma Todda (16:48) and a celebrity who was a murderer (allegedly) in Robert Blake (1:03:50).

In this, our longest episode ever, we are diving, if not deep then at least long into two major LA music scenes: punk (16:26) and rap (1:47:53). And, yes, our new friend Aux Cable is sitting in so you can listen to the music along with us.

Room for two? Shared bed? An extra cot? You got it because this month we're checking into some of the most iconic hotels in Los Angeles. We get the bed, you get the cot. We'll be going over the history of the Sportsmen's Lodge (21:48), the Hollywood Roosevelt (41:22) and the Chateau Marmont (1:12:15).

Look! What's that up in the sky? It's a bird? It's a plane? It's a plane. This month we're diving into one of the foundational industries in Los Angeles history: aerospace. We'll be covering the companies and the men behind them of Douglas (27:32) and Hughes (1:00:22).

Surfs up, glasses down. To kick of summer we're diving into two pillars of the hot months of the year: Tiki culture (17:00) and surfing (58:27).

Hey Mr. DJ (Daniel and Jreg) put a record on. This month we're going to be talking about AND listening to a smattering of some of the most iconic songs about Los Angeles. We'll discuss some of their backstory and what they say about the city. Come for the ones you expect; be angry at the ones we missed.

Spring is here and our drawers are loaded. That means it's time to empty them out in another junk drawer episode of topics that never found a home in other episodes. We'll be covering the Los Angeles Pigeon Farm (20:24), the geographic center of Los Angeles (34:09) and the Bella Union Hotel shootout (46:55).

For Women's History Month we're covering some notable women who made an impact on Los Angeles. We've got the first woman there was: the La Brea Woman (14:24), mental health pioneer Agnes Richards (23:20) and suffragette Caroline Severance (43:33).

This ValenTINE's Day we're doing the most romantic thing we can think of and going to a couple houses of ill repute. This month we'll be covering the history of Jumbo's Clown Room (29:52) and Chippendale's (45:59).

In light of bad people trying to destroy the very fabric of our country, this month we're highlighting that which they want to destroy. We'll be covering some of our favorite ethnic enclaves of Los Angeles including Little Ethiopia (16:22), Historic Filipinotown (32:55) and Koreatown (51:25).

At long last it's here: our annual Creepy Christmas/Chaunted Channukah. Hide the children. Hide the elf on the shelf. Hide the afikoman (wrong Jewish holiday but still). This year we'll be covering the haunted Wolf's Lair (15:17), the Dog Woman of Watts (30:13), the Hollymont Hauntings (39:24) and the dreaded Lamb Mortuary (47:07). This episode best enjoyed after dark.

This holiday season we're putting the yu back in yultide as we asked YU, dear listener, your favorite LA holiday time traditions. We'll be going over all of those as well as our own and a some historic old holiday traditions from Los Angeles of yesteryear.

What's the secret word? That's ok, we don't remember either so just come in. This month, to throw you into spooky season, we'll be covering the history of some of Los Angeles' secret societies. We'll be covering the Amalgamated Flying Saucer Clubs of America (17:06), the Philosophical Research Society (26:25) and the Magic Castle (52:37).

This month we're juicing Hollywood and getting into the two matrons of juicy Hollywood gossip. We'll be covering Louella Parsons (17:26) and Hedda Hopper (45:07) and their legendary feud.

Make sure you're hungry for this one, or not so that you don't faint from hunger. That's because we're talking about a few sitdown food chains that started in Los Angeles. We'll be covering The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (16:19), Bob's Big Boy (35:02) and IHOP (58:54).

This month we're fighting the law and the outcome of who won? Yet to be determined. We're going over the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department including their early history (18:00) and the recent scandals surrounding former sheriff Alex Villanueva (53:23).

This month we're celebrating those of us not from here. Those of us...not of this world. We're covering two famous transplants whose main stories don't happen in Los Angeles but come to a conclusion here. We'll be covering notorious cereal killer Belle Gunness (15:55) and daughter of someone else notorious Maria Rasputin (45:17).