Hermosa's Night Before Christmas

Hermosa's Christmas gift in 1906 was growing from a town to an incorporated city, and the move was swift.

On the day before Christmas, all through the streets, the first election occurred for city officers to hold seats.

Residents elected John Q. Tufts as Hermosa's first mayor. The first City Clerk was Herman Vetter.

Next came the city's trustees. John Bunz, Otto Meyer, Benn Hiss, and Arthur Jones took the seats.

The officials held their first meeting in January 1907 on a Thursday (meetings continued monthly this way). And at the same time, Hermosa became a city of the sixth class (the population was still low, but it grew fast).

Ocean View was the city's first school building and Pioneer Hotel was the first stop for visitors coming and going (in which the Santa Fe railway was the transportation used to get away).

Hermosans took full control of their 2-mile stretch of land along the seaside sand. But as for the ocean waves, Hermosa did not own the Pier until later days.

The Pier was built before the city was incorporated, and high tides destroyed it. The city rebuilt the structure in 1914. It then became municipally owned and kept clean.

Now on the Pier, a Christmas tree is shown each year, and Hermosa .

Even as part of an early flight before he wishes us all a Merry Christmas and all a goodnight.

Editor's Note: Information for this account of history was gathered from city archives and the Hermosa Beach Historical Society.