As “horseless carriages” became more frequent at the turn of the 20th century, even Whittier was part of the growing automotive industry through a handful of pioneering locals. The first automobile manufactured in Whittier was built in 1902 by Harry H. Hooper and Al Rowe of Scott Road in East Whittier. Hooper, a self-proclaimed “pioneer jeweler” and registered optician, was well known in town. He was a member of the Hillside Club, which had a club room in the Truman Berry Block at the corner of Bright Avenue and Philadelphia Street. Hooper partnered with Rowe to purchase the blacksmith shop …
Glenn Allison: Remembering Mr. 900
By Lou Ponsi. This story originally appeared in La Habra Life (Fall 2025) and is reprinted with permission. (These photos did not appear in the original story. Photo above the title is a wall mural at the La Habra 300 Bowl.) In the sport of bowling, a 900 series consists of three consecutive perfect scores of 300 – that’s 36 strikes in a row, or 12 strikes in a row in back-to back-to-back games. At one time, that would have been akin to threading a needle in a tornado. One magical night at La Habra Bowl – which is now …