Signal Tribune Newspaper

(from left) Nancy White, F. Elizabeth Herr, Linda Finley, Lula Payne, Anne Strong Graves, Deborah Johnson, Beth Wendling, Joyce McKelvey-Osborn, Nellie Young, Louise Reed, Rev. Hathaway, Margaret Finley, and Chris Gentry. Sitting is Steve Iverson with the restored copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The Friends of Rancho Los Cerritos recently honored the members of the Los Cerritos Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for assisting the Rancho in the preservation of historical artifacts. In the last several years, the chapter liaison, Barbara Aerni, working with Rancho curator Steve Iverson, arranged for the chapter to contribute to the restoration of a historic saddle, ceramic bathroom fixtures, and a doll tea set, among other things.
Their project for 2007-2008 was the preservation of two first-edition volumes of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which belonged to the Rev. Hathaway, father of four of the Bixby women whose families owned significant portions of what is now Long Beach.
At the meeting, retired history professor Gene Dermody portrayed the Rev. Hathaway and discussed his life as an abolitionist in Maine before coming to California to live with one of his daughters at the Rancho. DAR members who attended the meeting were able to view the restored volumes and display, as well as four dolls, the restoration of which is the next chapter project.