In 1928, Adolph Schleicher spent $8 million to build a tire and rubber plant in Commerce. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by 12,000 people, and it became the largest manufacturing facility west of the Mississippi.
He modelled his plant after a 7th Century B.C. ancient Assyrian palace, and eventually included an ornate 1,750-foot-long wall of concrete. In 1960 it was used as a backdrop for the movie Ben Hur, and it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
It became that mall of factory outlet stores on Highway 5 known as The Citadel.
11:19 PM
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
A man who lived in Downey in the 70s sends this memory about the McDonalds at Florence and Lakewood.
"I ate there many times.
"In fact, I remember when the sign said 'Over 1 million sold.'"
