Seal Beach ain’t old. It’s classic.
Locals are ready to celebrate the city’s 97th anniversary Sunday during the Seal Beach Founder’s Day Celebration at – where else – Seal Beach Pier.
The city was founded Oct. 27, 1915, but officials decided to celebrate early because the weather can get pretty cold by the end of October, said Libby Appelgate, publicity chair for the event.
“I love the history of Seal Beach,” said Appelgate. “On (Founder’s day) everybody gets together all the historic information, and every year we celebrate it."
The Seal Beach Battalion of the U. S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps will present the colors.
Appelgate said this year’s theme is a salute to the “hometown heroes” who serve or were stationed at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.
A group of enlisted sailors will be on hand to celebrate, as well as Naval Weapons Station Commander Paul Werring, and his wife, Linda.
The event runs Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The Seal Beach Lions Club will provide food.
Entertainment will include patriotic songs by the Hank Barto Quartet from Leisure World, the Oak Middle School choir, and the Los Alamitos High School jazz and marching bands.
For more information, visit the Seal Beach Founders Day blog.
History of the Naval Base (courtesy Libby Appelgate)
The Naval Weapons Station has been a part of the city since 1944 and its detachments provide shore-based infrastructure support to the Navy’s ordnance mission and other fleet and fleet support activities.
Initial construction costs were approximately $30 million, including over $4 million to buy out property from numerous local landowners who were living in an area of Seal Beach called Anaheim Landing.
This area had a bowling alley, grocery store and according to locals was the best place to swim while going in and out with the tide in the 1920‘s and ‘30’s.
The station is also home to several historical sites. From 1963 through 1974, North American Aviation (now the Boeing Company) used base property to build the second stage for the powerful Saturn V rocket, which propelled man to the moon during the Apollo program. These huge vehicles were built in special multi-story structures, which are today used by base personnel for a variety of purposes.
