Hawthorne
Historical Society Newsletter
Stay informed with our latest news, stories, and updates from the Hawthorne Historical Society and our community.
Latest Newsletters

August 18, 2026
A few nights ago, your writer involuntarily hosted a full-grown pair of chattering-snarling raccoons (Procyon lotor, subsp. Psora), this year’s generation of the familiar mammal. They are not a surviving population of a native, nocturnal species, but feral escapees or irresponsibly-abandoned animals now free to maraud the human habitations of our fair city, leaving destruction in their wake. Who’s to blame? At a pivotal moment in the expansion of his business “Kingdom,” Walt Disney entered into an agreement with the ABC (American Broadcasting Company) Network to manufacture a weekly, hour-long TV program aimed at family audiences with an emphasis on its appeal to children. This commitment enabled the Walt Disney Company to secure much of the needed capital to build the first-of-its-kind amusement park in Anaheim, CA. From the beginning, Walt and his creative team envisioned one of the divisions of the park to be themed on the folktales and
2026

August 18, 2026
A few nights ago, your writer involuntarily hosted a full-grown pair of chattering-snarling raccoons (Procyon lotor, subsp. Psora), this year’s

June Newsletter 2026
June 2026 Stormy Weather – the Great Flood of 1938 The rumblings about an El Niño across climate forecast circles

May Newsletter 2026
May 20, 2026 Marilyn Monroe June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962 Marilyn Monroe lived in Hawthorne for the
2025

December Newsletter 2025
December 25, 2025 The Nightmare After Christmas Lately, I’ve been having this recurring bad dream: after Christmas, everyone starts putting

November 11, 2025
November 11, 2025 The Twilight Zone Who needs a billionaire’s ride in a dinky little space capsule? We’re on a

October Newsletter 2025
“Dark Stories” When all the light had gone from the sky, our ancestors gathered in the caves or beneath

August 16, Newsletter 2025
August 16, 2025 August — the middle of summer — that is, the way summer used to be. Kids

July Newsletter 2025
This month we observed the anniversary of the birth of our nation. The day we have chosen is not the

May Newsletter 2025
“Orange Empire” While Orange, CA got there about about 32 years before Hawthorne had a chance of being associated with

April 15, 2025
April 15, 2025 “Old School” Looking out from the tree-shaded Park onto busy Prairie Avenue, the building named to commemorate

Feb 4, 2025 news article
February 4, 2025 (clucking): “I feel an article coming on” “What’s that got to do with the price of eggs?”
2024

December Newsletter 2024
December “Deep in December, it’s nice to remember Although you know the snow will follow . . .” –

November Newsletter 2024
Please . . . 🎵 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The full moon of

October Newsletter 2024
“It’s The Great Pumpkin!” Why isn’t there any pumpkin in pumpkin spice-everything? Is it lingering European frustration for not

September Newsletter 2024
🎵When Autumn Leaves start to fall . . . As the Earth makes a left turn to get

August Newsletter 2024
Dig In! August is the second serving of Summer, the time to revisit all the enjoyments that make all the

July Newsletter 2024
“Just Play It Cool, Boy . . . Real Cool” The next order of business is how to keep cool.

June Newsletter 2024
Mid- . . . . Year Summer arrives with the fourth week of June and the longest time between sunrise

May Newsletter 2024
May the Force be with you Hidden behind those deceptively overcast skies, May has its way of forcing the

April Newsletter 2024
HAWTHORNE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESERVATION. COLLECTION. RESEARCH. INTERPRETATION. April Change is in the air this month. If you’re an

March Newsletter 2024
“Mad as a March Hare” In past issues of your Newsletter, we have revealed some of the endeavors of
2023

September Newsletter 2023
HAWTHORNE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESERVATION. COLLECTION. RESEARCH. INTERPRETATION. We will have to remember, too, all the things that have to be

June Newsletter 2023
HAWTHORNE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESERVATION. COLLECTION. RESEARCH. INTERPRETATION. Summer changes the whole picture. It alters every human activity to