Did you know that at one time, Signal Hill was part of Long Beach? In fact, soon after oil was discovered on June 23, 1921, at Temple Avenue and Hill Street, Long Beach city officials decided to levy a barrel tax on all crude oil and petroleum products. That’s when oil companies and residents of Signal Hill got together to incorporate. On April 26, 2019, the City of Signal Hill will mark its 95th Anniversary. Did you also know that Signal Hill, in 1924, was the first city in California to elect a female mayor? Jessie Elwin Nelson served as president of the Signal Hill Board of Trustees, the equivalent of today’s city council. Business Journal Staff Writers Alena Maschke  and Pierce Nahigyan set out to learn more about today’s Signal Hill. They interviewed Signal Hill Mayor Tina Hansen, pictured, City Manager Charlie Honeycutt, and nearly two-dozen business owners.

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(Photograph by the Business Journal’s Brandon Richardson)