A fascination with old photographic images led Jan Loomis to her interest in the development of West Los Angeles. The photographs were part of the records of the Santa Monica Land & Water Company (SML&WCo). Her career has included stints as an editor and publisher of magazines and newsletters. She has also developed numerous electronic information sites for both publishers and dot-com companies. Loomis has published many articles about local Los Angeles history and about electronic content. She is also a frequent speaker at historical associations and library groups in West Los Angeles. On a personal note, she has been married to her husband, Bob Loomis, who is related to most of the people mentioned in this book, for almost fifty years and has five grandchildren whom she hopes will eventually come to know where their ancestors lived and worked through her writing.