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This is a contributing entry for Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

The Rancho’s library dates to the building’s renovation in the 1930s. By combining a storage room, office, and bedroom, Llewellyn Bixby Sr. created this large library where he and his wife Avis spent their time reading, listening to the wireless radio, and doing crossword puzzles. Above the card catalog hangs a portrait of Jotham Bixby, often called the "Father of Long Beach" for his role in civic development. Above the fireplace hang portraits of John & Rafaela Temple, for whom the adobe was built in 1844.

The current exhibition on display at the library, John Temple: Overcoming the Challenges of the California Land Act of 1851, compares how Temple and Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, two landowners from different backgrounds, had very different experiences during their land appeal process. Temple's original land claim appeal is part of the exhibition. This 73-page handwritten document is the transcript of the months-long court trial in 1856 when Temple successfully validated his ownership of RLC. 


Shelf, Shelving, Publication, Interior design

Bookcase, Shelf, Furniture, Building

Wood, Rectangle, Font, Art

Font, Wood, Shelf, Art

Now part of the Long Beach Public Library system, the reference books on display here are part of a specialized collection of California history materials that are available for on-site use. Although some researchers choose to peruse the card catalog system, which is still maintained and continually updated to reflect new acquisitions, Rancho Los Cerritos’ reference collection is also cataloged through the City’s library database, http://longbeach.gov/library/.