This third and final part of Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board Member Rudy Martinez’ post on Samuel (Sam) Haskins, the first black member of the Los Angeles Fire Department, takes us to the long-overdue recognition of Haskins, who died in line of duty in an 1895 accident, being the first department member to do…
All posts by Rudy Martinez
Sam Haskins (1846-1895): He Answered His Last Alarm, Part Two
The first part of this post by Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez introduced us to Samuel (Sam) Haskins, a native of Virginia who came to Los Angeles in the early 1880s and became involved in the political world of the city’s small but active black community. In June 1892, Haskins became…
Sam Haskins (1846-1895): He Answered His Last Alarm, Part One
Editor’s note: Rudy Martinez, a Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member and frequent contributor to this blog, provides another fascinating story of the community’s history with this post about Sam Haskins, the first black member of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The three-part post begins with some background on Haskins up to and including…
Santa Teresa de Cabora: The Hummingbird’s Daughter in Boyle Heights, 1902-1903, Postcript
Editor’s Note: The end to this remarkable tale brought to us by Rudy Martinez, Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member, about Teresa Urrea, known as Santa Teresa de Cabora, is in the form of this brief postcript. In it, Rudy notes what happened to Santa Teresa in the few years after her leaving Boyle…
Santa Teresa de Cabora: The Hummingbird’s Daughter in Boyle Heights, 1902-1903, Part Two
Editor’s Note: This second part of Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez’s excellent post on Santa Teresa de Cabora goes into detail about her brief residence in Boyle Heights during 1902 and 1903. It reflects a little-known aspect of a remarkable life that has otherwise been well-chronicled. The post begins with Teresa…
Santa Teresa de Cabora: The Hummingbird’s Daughter in Boyle Heights, 1902-1903, Part One
Editor’s note: Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez has again provided another remarkable aspect of Boyle Heights history with this two-part post, including a postscript, on the amazing life of Teresa Urrea (1873-1906), known as Santa Teresa de Cabora. Famed for her involvement in events with Indians in the Mexican state of…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Five
Introduction: This is the short, but sweet, fifth and final part of the post on the interesting history of Russian Molokans from the Flats of Boyle Heights and their intersection with the Hollywood film industry. Author Rudy Martinez, a member of the Advisory Board for the Boyle Heights Historical Society, did a great job pulling…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Four
Introduction: We continue with part four of the series by Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez on Russian Molokans from the Flats and their use as extras in the Hollywood film industry. – Paul R Spitzzeri On March 21, 1928, the day of a melee outside its gates, Paramount Studios arranged to…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Three
Introduction: This third part of the series by Rudy Martinez on Russians in Boyle Heights and their role in early Hollywood looks at some of the films in which so-called Molokans and fictional representations of the community appeared. – Paul R. Spitzzeri. In the summer of 1915, Majestic Studios released the first film to acknowledge…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Two
Introduction: This the second in a series of posts about the Russian (known commonly as Molokans) immigrant community that settled in the Flats area of Boyle Heights and often served as extras in the Hollywood film industry. Author Rudy Martinez, Advisory Board member of the Boyle Heights Historical Societies, gives an excellent overview of the…