Industries Old and New
The economic growth of California in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries included industries both old and new. Advances in agricultural technology contributed to a bonanza in wheat on the rich farmlands of the great Central Valley. Horticulturist Luther Burbank, the wizard of Santa Rosa, developed specialty crops that transformed California farming. The growing of citrus fruits, most notably oranges and lemons, spread throughout the southern part of the state. Inspired publicists blanketed the midwest with the slogan, "Oranges for Health--California for Wealth."
The discovery of vast petroleum resources contributed to the oil boom of the twenties, a time of headlong economic expansion. The prosperity decade also witnessed the blossoming of California's love affair with the car. Automobility became an integral part of the much admired (and much imitated) "California life style."
The greatest promoters of things Californian, of course, were all those motion pictures produced locally and distributed globally. The movies discovered California in the early years of the new century and the film industry soon became a mainstay of the state's economy. The story of "A Polish Goldfish" reminds us that many of the pioneers in the early film industry were European immigrants. The glamour of Hollywood stars--including their shenanigans at palaces like Pickfair--became the stuff of enduring legend.