Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Notes

The highest peak in the background is Mt. Hollywood with an elevation of 1,657 feet.

Historical Notes

Eagle Rock derives its name from a massive boulder at the district's northern edge (visible in the upper right). The boulder contains an indentation that creates an eagle-shaped shadow everyday around noon. In the 1880s Eagle Rock existed as a farming community with grand Victorian farmhouses and many exquisite Craftsman homes in charming neighborhoods.^

Historical Notes

In 1906 Eagle Rock became an independent city and was incorporated in 1911 with a population of approximately 600; in 1914 it also became home to Occidental College, designed by famed architect Myron Hunt. In 1920, population had grown to 2,250. Just one year later, in 1921, this figure had leaped to 3,800. In the 1950s, newer streets were extended into the hillsides and larger homes boasting views of the city were built. Since then, the city has been experiencing gentrification as young urban professionals discover this gem between Glendale and Pasadena, minutes away from downtown Los Angeles. By 2005 Eagle Rock's population was approximately 27,875.^

Historical Notes

The Gates Ranch ran from Yosemite Drive and Eagle Rock Blvd. to about Chickasaw, and east to the hills past Maywood, and beyond Maywood along Yosemite Drive. The ranch raised mostly strawberries.

Historical Notes

A "Dinky" ran from Glendale to the center of Eagle Rock for nearly twenty years on double tracks, later "Toonerville Trolleys" ran on single tracks.^

Historical Notes

This photo shows the earlier double track type; later cars ran single track, "toonerville trolleys." The Bessolo residence is in the background.^

Historical Notes

The new Eagle Rock campus was designed by noted California architect Myron Hunt, also known as the planner of the Caltech campus and as designer of the Huntington Library and Art Gallery and the Rose Bowl.

This was Occidental College's 3rd campus location. 1st location was Boyle Heights (1888). 2nd locatiion was (1898-1914). Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

In 1921 a circular pavilion nicknamed "The Merry-Go-Round" was built in the center of the city at the intersection of Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvd (seen toward the right, where the street bends). This structure was to shelter and protect streetcar travelers; it was razed in the 1930s as automobile traffic became heavier.^

Historical Notes

The arrival of Owens Valley water via the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the concurrent depletion of the young city's wells ultimately led the city fathers to agree to annexation by Los Angeles in 1923. Eagle Rock is one of the few cities incorporated by Los Angeles to still have its original pre-annexation City Hall (2035 Colorado Blvd.) and Library (2225 Colorado Blvd.) still standing.

Click HERE to see Contemporary View.

Historical Notes

In the mid to late 1770s, Native Americans inhabited the caves at the base of The Rock, formerly known as La Piedra Gorda (which translates to "Fat Rock"). 100 years later, in 1874, desperadoes used these same caves, including the infamous bandit Tiburcio Vasquez, who was said to have used The Rock as a hideout and to store his loot.

Historical Notes

The PE tracks entered Glendora from the west and generally paralleled those of the Santa Fe until reaching Grand Avenue, at which point they veered north and followed Electric Ave. (now Mountain View) to the Station. Glendora residents purchased the land for the right-of-way for $35,000; the PE served the city until service was discontinued in 1951.

Glendora was founded on April 1, 1887 by George D. Whitcomb and was officially incorporated as a City in 1911. In the mid-1930s, nearly all of the city's 4,500 acres of land were cultivated for citrus fruit; by the late 1950s agriculture had given way to large-scale residential development.^

Historical Notes

Water was the major problem in early-day Glendora. The above photo shows the city's first well, brought in in 1915. It was located at the intersection of Lorraine Ave. and Sierra Madre Ave. and was 450 feet deep.^

Historical Notes

Whitley Heights was named after Hobart Johnstone Whitley.  H.J. Whitley was a real estate developer who helped create the Hollywood subdivision in Los Angeles and is known as the "Father of Hollywood".  He and his wife, Margaret Virginia (Gigi) Whitley named the town while on their honeymoon in 1886.*^

Today, the Hollywood and Highland Center, current home of the Academy Awards, sits where the Hollywood Hotel once stood (left side of photo).

Historical Notes

This is one of the earliest views of Highland Avenue entering Cahuenga Pass.

Historical Notes

In September 1903, a two-room school was opened on the second floor of an empty storeroom at the Masonic Temple on Highland Avenue, north of Hollywood Boulevard (then Prospect Avenue). Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in November 1903.*^

The original school building (above) opened in 1905 and consisted of the consolidated school districts of Hollywood City, Laurel, Coldwater, Lankershim, Los Feliz, Cahuenga, and The Pass.

In 1910, Los Angeles and Hollywood consolidated and the high school was turned over to the L.A. Board of Education.*

Click HERE to see the complete list of Notable alumni.*^

Historical Notes

Built in 1904, Engine House No. 18 was designed in the Mission Revival style by noted architect John Parkinson, whose later works included Los Angeles City Hall, Union Station and Bullocks Wilshire.

Fire Station No. 18 was dedicated LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 349 in 1988 (Click HERE to see complete listing).  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Exceptional Children’s Foundation purchased Engine House No. 18 in 2011 with the goal of converting the cultural landmark into a fine arts training center for adults with special needs and a community creative space for the residents of South Los Angeles. The new facility was scheduled to be opened in late 2013.*^

Historical Notes

In 1915, Engine House No. 18 was one of a dozen stations closed because of budget cutbacks resulting from the "two-platoon ordinance" passed by the Los Angeles City Council in 1915. The station re-opened in 1920 and remained an operating fire station until 1968.^##*

Fire Station No. 18 was dedicated LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 349 in 1988 (Click HERE to see complete listing).  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Exceptional Children’s Foundation purchased Engine House No. 18 in 2011 with the goal of converting the cultural landmark into a fine arts training center for adults with special needs and a community creative space for the residents of South Los Angeles. The new facility was scheduled to be opened in late 2013.^*

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Main and 4th Streets (1887 - 1906).

Historical Notes

The Beaumont Café was formerly the site of the home of John H. Jones, who lived there until 1900 in a house that was built in 1869.

Historical Notes

In the early 1900s, some American cars were manufactured with right-hand drive (RHD), including the Ford Model T. This was largely due to the influence of European models, many of which also had right-hand drive and were driven on the left-hand side of the road.

However, as the US road system became more standardized and traffic patterns evolved, left-hand drive (LHD) became more popular and eventually became the standard configuration for US-manufactured cars. By the 1920s, left-hand drive had become the norm in the US.

Historical Notes

Broadway was the major corridor for shopping and entertainment in the Downtown Los Angeles from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. George E. Feagans was a jeweler from Illinois, and he established Brock & Feagans in the 1880s with a partner. After the partnership broke up, Feagans opened a new store in the Alexandria Hotel located at 5th and Spring streets.

Historical Notes

Recognizable Buildings:

1. Mercantile Place - now site of Arcade Building. Probably no part of original building is the same as Boyle Workman in his book states that it was torn down to make room for the Arcade Building.

2. Forve Pettebone Co. - Building still there. Although painted over, the sign can still be distinguished. Now called '512 So. Broadway Building.'

3. I feel fairly certain this is the same building. It is now occupied by Dr. E.D. Hubert, Dentist, above, and by Tom McAn Shoe Store on the ground level.

4. Building changed. Until recently, Silverwood's occupied this site.

5. No longer there - now site of Chester Williams Building built in 1927.

6. Could not positively identify but think it is the '430 So. Broadway Building.'

7. Old Los Angeles City Hall between 2nd and 3rd on Broadway. Built in 1888-9 and used until present City Hall built in 1928.

8. I am quite certain this is the Nelson Building. All the ornamentation has been removed, but the shape of the building, number of windows, etc. is exactly the same.

9. The west side of Broadway from Fifth to Fourth Street. Could not definately recognise any building in this block although some may just have newer fronts. I believe the building where Ted's Discount is now located might be the same. The Broadway Dept. Store was located in the same location at the time of this picture, but the building they recently vacated was rebuilt in 1926. Another building in this block at the time of the picture was the E. Wilson Block with the Broadway Hotel.

10. Fifth Street Store - now the '312 West Fifth Street Building' - Thrifty Drug Store occupies the ground level.

11. Los Angeles Examiner - looks like both (10) and (11) have been torn down to make room for the present building built in the early 1920's [Bldg. built 1924].

12. I could not identify any of these buildings. However, it is quite possible new fronts have completely disguised them as they all looked very old.

13. Fairly certain this building is still there and now houses a Linen Store and a Karl's Shoe Store.

14. Again could not identify these buildings but could be same remodeled.

--California Historical Society

Historical Notes

In 1894 Nelson Story bought the property at 610 S. Broadway from J.B. Lankershim for $48,000.  He built the Walter P. Story Building on this sight in 1909 as a gift to his son Walter.  It was one of the first skyscrapers in Los Angeles and still stands today as The New Story Building.*^

Historical Notes

The 9-story Hotel Lankershim was completed in 1905 as an imitation of the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco--far superior to any other hotels in L.A. at the time. It had 200 servants, 250 rooms, and 160 baths.

Before the hotel was begun in 1902, there was a vineyard. The 7th and Broadway site was the home and vineyard of Judge Wilson Hugh Gray.*#*^

Historical Notes

James Boon Lankershim was the son of Isaac Lankershim, a German-born Californian landowner who owned 60,000 acres in the San Fernando Valley.  James joined his father's company, the San Fernando Farm Homestead Association, together with his brother in law, Isaac Newton Van Nuys, focusing on real estate while Van Nuys focused on wheat.  In 1905, he built the Lankershim Hotel on the southeast corner of Broadway and 7th Street.  He also built the San Fernando Building on the corner of 4th Avenue and Main Street, where his name is embedded in the tiles at the entrance.*^

The building architect, Robert B. Young, also designed several other hotels including the Hollenbeck, the Lexington, and the Westminster.^^*

Historical Notes

The Vogel Block would be demolished in 1921 to make room for Loew's State Theatre (currently United Building).

Historical Notes

Women favored electric automobiles because they did not require cranking and had no exhaust fumes. Electrics could travel up to 20 MPH and had a range of 20 to 50 miles on one charging of the batteries. Several manufacturers produced electric vehicles including Riker, Woods, Detroit Electric, Columbia and of course, Baker.

(2011)#^#^ - View of Jay Leno waving toward the camera as he drives his 100 year old Baker electric vehicle.

Historical Notes

Baker Moter Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of Brass Era electric automobiles in Cleveland, Ohio from 1899 to 1914.  The first Baker vehicle was a two seater with a selling price of $850. One was sold to Thomas Edison as his first car.

In 1906 Baker made 800 cars, making them the largest electric vehicle maker in the world at the time. By 1907, Baker had seventeen models, the smallest being the Stanhope and the largest the Inside Drive Coupe. There was also the $4,000 Extension Front Brougham with the driving seat high up behind the passengers mimicking a Hansom cab. Baker also introduces a range of trucks with capacity of up to 5 tons.

In 1913 Baker was overtaken in sales by Detroit Electric and in 1914 merged with fellow Cleveland automaker Rauch and Lang to become Baker, Rauch & Lang. The last Baker cars were made in 1916, but electric industrial trucks continued for a few more years. #^#^

Historical Notes

By 1910, Los Angeles' population was 319,200, three times what it was in 1900 (102,500).*^

Historical Notes

More of LA's 'Busiest Intersection' in the 1st half of the 20th Century:

Broadway and 7th Street (1920s - Downtown's 'Busiest Intersection')

Broadway and 7th Street (1928+ - Downtown's 'Busiest Intersection')

Broadway and 7th Street (1937 - 1939; Then and Now; Downtown's 'Busiest Intersection')

Broadway and 7th Street (1940s - Downtown's 'Busiest Intersection')

Broadway and 7th Street (1950+ - Downtown's 'Busiest Intersection')

Historical Notes

After Pantages Theatre moved to its new location at 7th and Hill streets in 1920, this theater was renamed Dalton's. Eight years later, it was renamed Arcade in honor of the popular Arcade Building.

Historical Notes

Quinn’s Superba Theatre was located on the site where the Roxie Theatre is today on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. It was next to Clune's Broadway (later Cameo) and the Pantages.

The Pantages Theatre (1910), Clune's Broadway (1910), and Quinn's Superba (1914), along with the 1911 Orpheum Theatre (now the Palace) and Tally's New Broadway (1910), put Broadway on the map as the new entertainment street in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

The Superba Theater was later sold and converted to a coffee house before being razed in 1931 to make way for the Roxie, which was the last theater built on Broadway.

Historical Notes

The Rangeley Apartments was located on the northwest corner of 3rd and Cinnabar Streets (Cinnabar runs across the bottom just out-of-frame).  The far side of the Rangeley is Flower Street and the next corner is Figueroa. The St. Regis, at 237 S. Flower, is seen right center with the flatish corner turret.  Next door to the left is just a glimpse of the top of the hipp-roofed Bozwell, at 245 S. Flower, with the single cupola and next to it (still going to the left) is the Rollin Apartments with the outsized rooftop solarium at 247 S. Flower (NW corner of Flower and 3rd). #^

Historical Notes

The most common of the incandescent multiple globe electroliers of the early 1900s were those manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles.  The firm became so identified with this style of street light that any multiple globe electrolier became commonly known as a Llewellyn.  The Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889‐1890, was one of the largest metal working facilities in Los Angeles (Click HERE to see more Early LA Streetlights).

Historical Notes

The Hotel Rosslyn seen here was previously the Lexington Hotel. The original Rossylin was a smaller building just to the north of where the Lexington stood. In 1906, the Rosslyn expanded to include the six-story Lexington building. The result was a 280-room hotel. The Rosslyn would eventually build two larger structures just to the south (left) of the Lexington building (on the N/W and S/W corners of 5th and Main).

Historical Notes

The Rosslyn would later build two modern 12-story hotel buildings on the N/W and S/W corners of Main and 5th streets. The first building was built in 1913, the second in 1923. Click HERE to see the new Rosslyn Hotel and the Rossyln Annex.

Historical Notes

The Douglas Building is the only structure in the original view that has survived into the 21st century. The Hotel Ramona was torn down in 1912 to make way for the 13-story Washington Building which still stands today. The Stimson Building, considered by some to be the city’s first skyscraper, was damaged by fire in 1962 and demolished the following year, replaced by a parking lot. The Lankershim Building, later renamed the Title Insurance Building, seems to have been demolished around the same time. Its former footprint is now part of the Ronald Reagan State Office Building complex. #^*#

Historical Notes

In May 1905, the first streetight ornamental post system in the city was introduced on Broadway between First and Main Streets. This installation consisted of 135 posts each equipped with six small glass globes, enclosing 16 candle-power amp, and one large glass globe, enclosing a 32 candle-power lamp. This system operated until 1919 when it was demolished to make way for a more modern system.**

Click HERE to see more in Early L.A. Streetlights.

Historical Notes

In 1907, Los Angeles voters unanimously approved a $23 million bond issue for the construction of an aqueduct to bring Owens River water 233 miles south to Los Angeles.

Click HERE to see more in Water in Early Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

“It crawls like a caterpillar.” And caterpillar is its name to the present day. The descriptive remark is attributed to William Mulholland while watching the first formal demonstration of the new type of tractor just purchased for hauling materials across the desert during the building of the aqueduct. It was hoped that this would be  a mechanical substitute for the mule – a departure from traditional construction methods that could lower costs and speed the progress of the great water way to Los Angeles. However, things didn’t turn out that way as the mule showed more durability.**

Historical Notes

Mule teams were initially deemed too expensive to use for short-distance hauling, so the aqueduct builders invested in a recent technological development, the caterpillar tractor. After an initial trial period with one tractor, the city government bought 28 more. Eventually maintenance and repair proved too costly, so the city crews reverted back to using mules.**

Historical Notes

The park, originally named Westlake Park, was built in the 1880s, along with a similar Eastlake Park, whose lake is artificial. Westlake Park was renamed MacArthur Park on May 7, 1942; Eastlake Park was renamed Lincoln Park in 1917.*^

Historical Notes

Both Westlake and Eastlake (as well as Echo Park) were built as drinking water reservoirs connected to the city's systems of zanjas (small conveyance channels/trenches). When the city abandoned the non-pressurized zanja system for a pressurized pipe system, these smaller, shallow reservoirs located at low points no longer provided much benefit. They were then converted into parks.*^

Historical Notes

Westlake Park was renamed MacArthur Park on May 7, 1942. Click HERE to see more Views of Westlake Park (MacArthur Park) in the 1920s +

Historical Notes

To create the dam, William Mulholland first encased a wall of riveted steel plates in three feet of concrete. He then turned hydraulic jets upon the floor of Ivanhoe Canyon, sluicing away a deep trough and flinging the detritus uphill upon the concrete to create a reinforced earthen dam. Once completed, the new reservoir ensured a constant supply of water for Los Angeles. Its 767 million gallons—pumped from the ground beneath the Los Angeles River near Griffith Park—could quench the city’s thirst for three weeks uninterrupted if all other sources suddenly turned dry.

Silver Lake also doubled as a scenic and recreational asset. A stock of black bass attracted fishing, and the then-unfenced lakeshore invited Angelenos to stroll around their drinking water supply. By 1912 the city’s parks department had planted more than 2,000 eucalyptus trees on the slopes of Ivanhoe Canyon, and a utilitarian water storage facility had become a prized public space.**#^

Historical Notes

Lincoln Park was originally created by the City of Los Angeles in 1881, from land donated by John Strother Griffin. It was one of Los Angeles' first parks. It was originally called East Los Angeles Park. By 1901 it had become a major amusement center for the people of Los Angeles, and it was at this time that the name was changed to Eastlake Park. On May 19, 1917, the park was renamed Lincoln Park after Lincoln High School.^

Historical Notes

Originaly Eastlake Park, Westlake Park, and Echo Park, were built as drinking water reservoirs connected to the city's systems of zanjas (small conveyance channels/trenches). When the city abandoned the non-pressurized zanja system for a pressurized pipe system, these smaller, shallow reservoirs located at low points no longer provided much benefit. They were then converted into parks.*^

Click HERE to see more in Early LA Water Reservoirs.

Historical Notes

Lincoln Park (previously Eastlake Park) is located at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Mission Road.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles Alligator Farm was a major city tourist attraction from 1907 until 1953. Originally situated across from Lincoln Park, at 3627 Mission Road, it moved to Buena Park, California in 1953, where it was renamed the California Alligator Farm.*^

Historical Notes

Griffith Park was born on December 16, 1896, when Griffith J. Griffith donated 3,015 acres of Rancho Los Feliz to the City of Los Angeles. During a time when luxury resorts dotted the slopes of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains, Griffith -- who grew up poor in Wales -- insisted that his park was meant for those of more modest means. "It must be made a place of recreation and rest for the masses," Griffith told the council when announcing his donation, "a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people."

Some chroniclers later characterized the donation as a Christmas gift to the city. Harris Newmark later wrote that Griffith "so generously filled the stocking of Los Angeles with his immensely important gift of Griffith Park, said to be, with its three thousand and more diversified acres, magnificent heights, and picturesque roadways...the second largest pleasure ground in the world."

The gift may have been evidence of Griffith's charitable spirit, but Griffith Park almost certainly owes its existence to the fact that the mountainous land would not be developable for many decades. As Eberts argues in his history of the park, Griffith was paying taxes on land that had little market value. Griffith, in fact, carved out a small, flat portion of the park that did have development potential -- today, the location of the Harding Memorial Golf Course -- to keep for himself.

Whatever his motives, Griffith's gift instantly gave Los Angeles one of the largest city parks in the world -- on paper. But it would be many years before the Griffith Park known to Angelenos today began to take shape. At first, the city, which owned the parkland but would not annex it until 1910, seemed mainly interested in securing the water rights associated with the land; Rancho Los Feliz was one of the few other legal entities that could legitimately lay claim to the water of the Los Angeles River.**#

Historical Notes

Those 3,015 acres were donated to the city by Griffith J. Griffith along with adjacent water rights. Originally, those acres were part of a larger land grant that was awarded to José Vicente Feliz, one of the Spanish soldiers who watched over the 46 people who came from México to establish Los Ángeles.

Historical Notes

The first zoo in Los Angeles was the Eastlake Zoo in East Los Angeles, which opened in 1885. The Griffith Park Zoo opened in 1912 with a grand total of 15 animals. The new zoo was built on the site of Griffith J. Griffith's defunct ostrich farm. In the mid 1920s, film producer William Nicholas Selig donated many of the animals from his studios, which he had attempted to convert into an animal theme park, to the new zoo.*^

Historical Notes

North Figueroa was originally named Pasadena Avenue (the main road to Pasadena) and South Figueroa was called Pearl Street. Before that it was called Calle de las Chapules--the Street of Grasshoppers--because pedestrians used to leap about while sour-faced policemen whistled and chased the crowds from one corner to the other.^*^

Historical Notes

Occidental College was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen, including James George Bell. The college’s first term began a year later with 27 men and 13 women students, and tuition of $50 a year. Initially located in Boyle Heights, the college moved to a new campus in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood in 1898.

Despite a strong Presbyterian presence on its campus, Occidental cut ties to the church in 1910. In 1912, the school began construction of a new campus located in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood.*^

Historical Notes

Mount Washington was founded in 1909 as a subdivision laid out by real estate developer Robert Marsh. Marsh built the Mount Washington Hotel at the summit of Mount Washington, and the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company was soon established as a funicular railway up the hill as an alternative to constructing roads up the area's steep hillsides. The railway operated until January 1919.*^

Historical Notes

The railway, which opened to the public on May 24, 1909, scaled the western slope of Mount Washington. For a nickel, passengers could disembark from a Yellow Car at the intersection of Marmion and Avenue 43 and ride the funicular to the top of Mount Washington. There, they could stay at a grand hotel or explore the vacant housing lots awaiting a home.**#

Historical Notes

Although it had transformed Mount Washington, the railway did not operate for long. In 1918 city inspectors declared the railway unsafe, citing a worn cable. Instead of replacing the cable, Marsh closed the railway and challenged the inspectors' authority, arguing in state court that his proper regulator was the state railroad commission. Marsh lost his challenge, and despite the protests of local residents the funicular never reopened.**#

Historical Notes

The Mount Washington Hotel building remains standing today, having been purchased by the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1925. It was declared Historic Monument No. 845 by the City of Los Angeles on August 16, 2006 (Click HERE to see complete listing).*^

Historical Notes

The Court House was built from 1887-1891. It was damaged in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, and declared unsafe for occupancy. Demolition started in 1935 (roof and two upper floors removed), and concluded 1936. Among the others, the photograph features the following buildings and structures: (John Anson) Bullard Block (1896-1926) can be seen between Main and Spring, Market and Court Streets; U.S. Hotel (1862-1939) is visible at left of upper Bullard on south-east corner of Main and Market Streets; Amestoy Building (1887-1958) is visible left of the U.S. Hotel, at north-east corner of Main and Market Streets.^^

Historical Notes

The Pacific Mutual Building, located at 523 W. 6th Street, was built between 1908 and 1912. From 1916 to 1926 the building was modified and expanded to include: a north side addition, another 12-story structure, a garage building, and a west side addition. In essence, it became three interconnected buildings by 1926.^

Historical Notes

The Pacific Mutual Building still exists today but would be difficult to recognize when compared to the way it looks above. Over the years it would see a series of modifications and additions.

In 1974, the building underwent an extensive restoration by Wendell Mounce and Associates, with Bond and Steward, which brought it back to its Beaux Arts revival. And in 1985, the entire building was renovated again by the Westgroup, Inc.^

The Pacific Mutual Building is listed as Historic-Cultural Monument No. 398. Click HERE to see complete listing.

Historical Notes

Also seen here are storefronts along South Los Angeles Street, including stables and a harness shop at the center. In front of the stables, a carriage bears the inscription 'Washington Dye Works, Cleaning & Dyeing, 613 W. Washington St.' Visible storefront signs include: 'Painting, Signs,' '206 Harness 206,' 'Club Stables,' '208 Williams & Co.,' 'J.A. Edmonds Veterinary Surgeon' (referring to veterinarian John A. Edmonds), and 'S.J. Smith Machinery Co.' at 212-214 S. Los Angeles St.

Historical Notes

Little Tokyo, a historic district in downtown Los Angeles, began in 1885 with the opening of the first Japanese restaurant on First Street. By the 1920s and 1930s, it was a thriving community of 30,000 Japanese Americans. World War II led to the forced relocation of residents to internment camps, leaving the area nearly vacant. Post-war, only a third of the population returned, and urban renewal projects posed new challenges. A revival in the 1970s culminated in Little Tokyo’s designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1995. Despite gentrification pressures, it remains one of only three Japantowns in the U.S. and was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024.

Historical Notes

The Standard Woodenware Company, once located at 230-234 South Los Angeles St., made and sold brooms and wooden furniture, wholesale. It was also a company that suffered a history of fires. Their Los Angeles Street plant caught fire in 1904, suffering heavy damages. The plant was rebuilt, but caught fire again in 1906, this time set by arsonists. By 1911, the Standard Woodenware Company made plans for a new plant. USC claims that at least one of Woodenware's plant buildings was located at 1126 S. Santa Fe Ave. (the circa-1911 building is still standing); however, in 1916, the newspapers claim that their plant at 1828 Traction Avenue caught fire. The company remained in business at least until 1922.

Historical Notes

Memorial Day originated after the American Civil War to honor and mourn the military personnel who died in the conflict. It was initially known as Decoration Day. The holiday gradually expanded to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars. Memorial Day was traditionally observed on May 30. In 1971, it was moved to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

The New Baltimore Hotel was constructed in 1910 by T. Ashton Fry on the corner of 5th and Los Angeles streets.

Tragically, one of the first guests at the New Baltimore in 1910 was a union member from the east coast who planted a dynamite bomb at the nearby Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 people in an act of terrorism related to the newspaper's opposition to unions.

After this notorious incident, the New Baltimore Hotel seemed to keep a low profile, perhaps to avoid negative publicity.  In 1911, Fry sued the initial operators, the Hatch brothers, for unpaid rent of $8,587.

The New Baltimore Hotel building still stands today at 5th and Los Angeles Streets in downtown LA's historic core, though it has been renovated and converted to affordable housing units.  Its tragic connection to the 1910 LA Times bombing has become part of the city's dark history.

Historical Notes

The Hill Street Tunnel was bored through a part of Bunker Hill in 1909 by Los Angeles Pacific (a predecessor of Pacific Electric). It connects Hill Street from First to Temple. In 1913, a second tunnel was bored for streetcar traffic.

Historical Notes

This subterranean shortcut shaved tens of minutes off travel time between Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. On September 15, 1909, local citizens celebrated its opening with a Tunnel Day joyride down Sunset Boulevard, motorcars and horse-drawn carriages racing alongside the Los Angeles Pacific’s streetcars.*

Historical Notes

Picture file card reads: "Before the tunnels, the electric line operated to Hollywood via Spring Street, Main Street and the Plaza, but with the arrival of the tunnels this changed. Also, the gauge was broadened. The view is looking east of Vendome. Sunset swings to the left behind the hill where the new Silver Lake crossing bridge is now being built."

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more of the Hill Street Tunnel

Historical Notes

For more than 50 years, Broadway from First Street to Olympic Boulevard was the main commercial street of Los Angeles, and one of its premier theater districts as well. It contains a vast number of historic buildings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Before World War II, Broadway was considered by many to be the center of the city, where residents went to ornate movie palaces and shopped at department stores. Some historically significant buildings include the Bradbury Building and the Julia Morgan-designed Los Angeles Examiner Building.*^

Historical Notes

According to old rail maps, Bliss was a station located north of Glendale.

Historical Notes

When it was built in 1905, the Ocean Park Bath House was one of the most elaborate structures on Santa Monica's beach. It was Moorish in style, 3 stories high with 5 domes. An ad from 1906 claimed it had the largest swimming pool in the US. #*^*

Historical Notes

Looking more like a movie set, the Ocean Park Bath House was one of the most talked about buildings of its day-and a great draw for the beach area. The lavish indoor plunge (heated for those who didn’t take to cooler ocean swimming) was built by A.R. Fraser. #^^*

In 1903 Alexander Rosborough Fraser built the Ocean Park Casino, and in 1905 erected the Ocean Park Bath House. In 1906 he built the Ocean Park Auditorium, the Masonic Temple and the Decatur Hotel. In 1911 “Fraser’s Million Dollar Pier,” was completed, extending 1000 feet over the ocean and housing a multitude of amusements, including a beautiful dancing pavilion. Destroyed by fire in 1912. Fraser built numerous improvements in Ocean Park, and is responsible for the construction of the concrete promenade which joins Ocean Park with Venice. #^**

Historical Notes

Auto racing became popular in Santa Monica. Drivers would race an 8.4-mile loop made up of city streets. The Free-For-All Race was conducted between 1910-1912. The United States Grand Prix was held in Santa Monica in 1914 and 1916, awarding the American Grand Prize and the Vanderbilt Cup trophies. By 1919, the events were attracting 100,000 people, at which point the city halted them.*^

Historical Notes

Coldwater Canyon is a canyon running perpendicular to the Santa Monica Mountains. The canyon is traversed by Coldwater Canyon Drive and Coldwater Canyon Avenue (linked by a short section of Mulholland Drive), which connect the city of Beverly Hills with the community of Studio City in the San Fernando Valley.*

Historical Notes

The Rodeo Land and Water Company later developed the canyon as one of the prime residential areas in Beverly Hills north of Sunset Boulevard.

The legacy of the Rodeo Land and Water Company is intertwined with the history of Beverly Hills. The successful development and promotion of the area helped establish Beverly Hills as a premier residential destination, known for its affluence and celebrity residents.

Historical Notes

In the early 20th century, the area underwent significant development, and Coldwater Canyon became a prominent route. The expansion of Los Angeles and the development of Beverly Hills as an upscale residential area contributed to the importance of Coldwater Canyon as a transportation artery.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles International Air Meet (January 10 to January 20, 1910) was among the earliest airshows in the world and the first major airshow in the United States. It was held in Los Angeles County, California at Dominguez Field in present day Carson, California. Spectator turnout numbered approximately 254,000 over 11 days of ticket sales. The Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest public events in the history of the West”.*^

The Dominguez Hills airshow site has been designated as California Historical Landmark No. 718.

Historical Notes

The International Bank Building stood at 226 North Spring Street, the intersection of Temple and Spring, (sometimes referred to as Temple Square) across from the Main Post Office and was featured in several postcards from the 1920s.*^

Historical Notes

On October 1, 1910 at 1:07 am, a bomb exploded in an alley adjacent to the LA Times building known as "Ink Alley". The south wall facing Broadway Street collapsed, the blast weakened the second floor, which also collapsed under the weight of its machines, onto the first floor, in turn, falling into the basement. A fire resulted due to the natural gas lines that were located beneath the bombing site, and barrels of ink ignited. The explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the building, trapping and killing 20 employees who were working the night shift printing that day's edition, and many more were seriously injured. Charged in the crime were two brothers, James B. ("J.B.") and John J. ("J.J.") McNamara, members of the Iron Workers Union; they were arrested in April 1911. A third man, Ortie McManigal, was also implicated and would later agree to testify against the McNamara brothers.^

Historical Notes

Noted attorney Clarence Darrow was hired by the American Federation of Labor to defend the two brothers charged in the Times Building bombing; their trial was set to begin October 11, 1911. Darrow initially believed the McNamaras to be innocent, but upon learning of their guilt arranged a plea bargain to spare them the death penalty. James McNamara got a life sentence, and John received a sentence of 15 years. Following their trial, they were sent to San Quentin State Prison. James B. was transferred to Folsom State Prison for a time, and then sent back to San Quentin for medical reasons, where he soon died of cancer on March 9, 1941. His brother John J. died in Butte, Montana two months later, on May 8, 1941.^

Historical Notes

The 3rd Los Angeles Times Building opened on Oct. 1, 1912 — on the second anniversary of the bombing of the 2nd LA Times Building.

Historical Notes

Click HERE for more on the history of the LA Times and its 4 different buildings since 1881.

Historical Notes

Anheuser-Bush, Inc. originated in St. Louis, Missouri; the first brewery opened in 1852 and was incorporated in 1875. Today, Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewing company in the United States.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Intersection of Main, Spring, and 9th Street (1873 - Present).

Historical Notes

Until the 1870’s, there were no graded streets in Los Angeles.  Every citizen was his own sweeper. On Saturdays, residents swept and cleaned up the street in front of their property.

On April 15, 1872 the position of superintendent of streets and highways was created and Jasper Babcock was appointed at a salary of $50 a month.*^^^*

Historical Notes

In 1910 the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Maintenance and Inspection was created.*^^^* 

Historical Notes

In 1998, the Bureau of Street Maintenance changed its name to the Bureau of Street Services.*^^^*

Historical Notes

The theater was built in 1910 by Los Angeles theatrical promoter Arthr S. Hyman. Within just one year, 1911, the theater became the Garrick, a motion picture theater. The original facade was designed by the Los Angeles architect firm, Train & Williams. In 1921 it was remodeled to a design by architect George Edwin Bergstrom. The building was replaced by the Tower Theater in 1927.^                  

Historical Notes

The following May 4, 1910 Los Angeles Herald article explains the event depicted in the photo above:  AFTER almost forty hours of continuous siege, the "run" on the All Night and Day bank, corner Sixth and Spring streets, was broken last night, and long before midnight the last of the depositors In the original "line-up" had been paid in full, and the bank has settled down to its regular routine of business. The run, which began before 8 o'clock Monday morning, and which lasted until about 9 o'clock last night, was as remarkable yesterday as it was on the first day, inasmuch as many interesting features characterized the financial "bombardment," and the day's procession through the crowded bank was replete with sidelights…. Click HERE to see entire article.

Historical Notes

From 1910 to 1915 the popularity of the electric car peaked and shortly thereafter gasoline powered vehicles took their place. Electric cars were expensive costing between $2,550 and $3,000 in 1914. #^#^

Historical Notes

The current 11-story building on the S/W corner of 4th and Broadway was built in 1913. Click HERE to see more in "The Broadway".

Historical Notes

In 1914, the relatively humble building was dwarfed by the 11-story Hotel Clark, which rose on the adjacent plot on its north side. The Occidental Hotel was eventually acquired and demolished by its neighbor and replaced by a two-story annex in 1937. #^*#

Historical Notes

Back of postcard reads: "Occidental Hotel. Rates, $1.00 to $2.50. Through the "Block" from Hill Street, to Broadway. Main Entrance, 428 So. Hill Street Los Angeles." ##^^

Historical Notes

Not seen here, however, Dalmatians were often used as a coach dog. These 60 lb dogs were used to guard the ladder wagon from theft and to keep the horses calm during the excitement of the fire. The fire-ladder wagon was loaded with attractive brass items that were easy pickings for boys looking for a souvenir.^#^

Historical Notes

On a cool day 50 MPH was easy for these horses when pulling the 6000 lb steamer pump. They would always use the best horses for the pump engine. Horses of the Morgan breed were most typically used.

Often when the old fire engine horses were retired out to pasture, from blocks away they would hear the fire bell and run to the station house, ready to pull the wagon. The bell meant "get ready to be in harness". This was how loyal they were.^#^

Historical Notes

In 1906-07, Hose Co. No. 4 closed and moved to its new location (pictured) at 137 S. Loma Drive (previously Belmont), which had formerly been occupied by Chemical Engine Co. No. 2, known as "The Hill". In 1924, Hose Co. No. 4 closed, and Engine Co. No. 58 opened in this same building.^

Historical Notes

The La Brea Tar Pits are a group of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed, in urban Los Angeles. Natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, pitch or tar—brea in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. Over many centuries, the bones of animals that were trapped in the tar were preserved.

La Brea Avenue was named in 1869 with the Spanish word for tar, which was found in nearby pits and used for waterproofing the sod roofs of the adobe houses in the Plaza. The street was part of the 4,439-acre Rancho La Brea, which in 1860 was purchased by Maj. Henry Hancock for $2.50 an acre.

Historical Notes

In the 1890s, dairy farmer Arthur F. Gilmore found oil on his land in the vicinity of the La Brea Tar Pits. The field was named after the Salt Lake Oil Company, the first firm to arrive to drill in the area. The discovery well was spudded (started) in 1902.

Development of the field was fast, as oil wells spread across the landscape, with drillers hoping to match the production boom taking place a few miles to the east at the Los Angeles City field. Peak production was in 1908. In 1912, there were 326 wells, 47 of which had already been abandoned, and by 1917 more than 450, which had by then produced more than 50 million barrels of oil.

Historical Notes

As a lawyer, Henry Hancock worked for the Rocha family to aid them with their efforts to prove their claim to Rancho La Brea. The Rochas finally won their claim, but like so many other rancheros, their legal expenses left them broke. In 1860 Jose Jorge Rocha, the son of Don Antonio Jose Rocha, deeded Rancho La Brea to Henry Hancock.

Hancock began to sell asphalt produced from the famous tar pits that gave the rancho its name. This was the beginning of the Hancock Oil Company. In 1885 Hancock’s widow leased part of the rancho to eastern oil men who went bust by 1888. But in 1902, Mrs. Hancock leased part of the rancho to the Salt Lake Oil Company, which proved a great success. Henry Hancock’s son, George A. Hancock, who had learned the oil business working for Salt Lake, established his own company in 1906. By February 1907, he had over 70 wells producing nearly 300 barrels a day, making the Hancocks one of California’s wealthiest families. The Hancock family built Hancock Park, a large upscale apartment community. The Hancock Oil Company was sold to Signal Oil in 1958. The 1965 Signal was sold to Humble, and both the Hancock and Signal brands vanished.

Historical Notes

In the 1870s, Henry Hancock found the skeletal remains of a dinosaur as well as one Indian woman within the tar pits. The area that contains the skeletal collection and the Tar Pits is what is now called Hancock Park.

Historical Notes

After Henry Hancock's death (1873), his widow, Ida Hancock, opened the La Brea tar pits to scientific excavation, closing it to poachers and granting university researchers exclusive rights to uncover the treasure trove of ancient skeletons smothered in the thick "brea."

Historical Notes

The La Brea Tar Pits was not only a place to find the remains of very old animals, but its tar was also used, in the 1800s, for roofing and housing material.

Historical Notes

Union Oil geologist W. W. Orcutt is credited with first recognizing fossilized prehistoric animal bones preserved in pools of asphalt on the Hancock Ranch in 1901. These would be the first of many fossils excavated from the La Brea Tar Pits. In commemoration of Orcutt's initial discovery, paleontologists named the La Brea coyote (Canis orcutti) in W. W. Orcutt's honor.*^

W.W. Orcutt would go on to retire at his ranch in the northwest San Fernando Valley. In 1965, the Orcutt Ranch estate and gardens was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 31.

Historical Notes

After its peak (1908-1917), oil production declined rapidly. Land values rose, corresponding to the fast growth of the adjacent city of Los Angeles, and the field was mostly idled in favor of housing and commercial development. The early wells were abandoned; many of their exact locations are not known, and are now covered with buildings and roads.

Historical Notes

In 1903, William Harley and his childhood friend, Arthur Davidson founded Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D), or Harley, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Production in 1905 and 1906 were all single-cylinder models with 26.84 cubic inches engines. In February 1907 a prototype model with a 45-degree V-Twin engine was displayed at the Chicago Automobile Show. These first V-Twins displaced 53.68 cubic inches and produced about 7 horsepower. This gave about double the power of the first singles. Top speed was about 60 mph. Production jumped from 450 motorcycles in 1908 to 1,149 machines in 1909.

Harley is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression (along with Indian)

Historical Notes

In the late 1800s the San Fernando Valley was divided into thirteen ranches, seven of which were located in the southern half of the valley and six in the northern half.  The Granger Ranch, owned by Benjamin F. Porter, became Chatsworth Park.

Chatsworth is located to the southeast of the Santa Susana Pass, an extremely steep mountain pass that stagecoaches had to traverse when travelling the Overland Stage Road from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  Santa Susana became a relay station for the stagecoach lines where the drivers would trade in their tired horse before attempting to cross the Overland Stage Road.  Being located near a relay station made Chatsworth an important town in term of transportation history in California.  As late as 1891, Chatsworth remained an active relay station for the stagecoach lines.

Historical Notes

As the City of Los Angeles authorized building 'William Mulholland's' Los Angeles Aqueduct from the Owens Valley to the city and valley, land speculation plans for the Los Angeles Farming and Milling Company property in the San Fernando Valley were developed. Construction began in 1905. Dryland farming could now be turned into crops, orchards and residential towns. In the "biggest land transaction ever recorded in Los Angeles County", a syndicate led by Harry Chandler, business manager of the Los Angeles Times, with Isaac Van Nuys, Hobart Johnstone Whitley, and James B. Lankershim acquired "Tract 1000", the remaining 47,500 acres of the southern half of the former Mission lands—everything west of the Lankershim town limits and south of the old furrow (present day Roscoe Boulevard) excluding Rancho Los Encinos and Rancho El Escorpión.*^

Historical Notes

In anticipation of the Owens River Aqueduct and cheap water, Moses Hazeltine Sherman, H.J. Whitley, Harry Chandler and others began the great San Fernando Valley developmnet by buying out the Van Nuys-Lankershim land in 1910. The land was sub-divided and soon there would be a great land sale.*^

Historical Notes

On February 22, 1911, lot sales began. This sparked a population boom and marked the founding of Van Nuys.*^

Historical Notes

In 1911, General Sherman (as he was called) added an extraordinary streetcar line. Built over Cahuenga Pass, through North Hollywood to the 1911 town site of Van Nuys, and on to the 1912 town site Owensmouth, now Canoga Park.*^

Historical Notes

The Hollywood-Van Nuys Extension was completed in December, 1911, and the first car entered Van Nuys on December 16, 1911.*^

Historical Notes

Built over Cahuenga Pass, through North Hollywood to the 1911 town site of Van Nuys, and on to the 1912 town site Owensmouth, now Canoga Park, the streetcar line and the "$500,000 boulevard" named Sherman Way next to the tracks were the key to the development. By 1912, 45 minute streetcar service from Van Nuys to downtown and the "no speed limit" paved road (if you could get your "Model A" to do 30 mph) were key selling points.

This entire grand highway was called "Sherman Way" in his honor and while the "naming" of parts of this grand highway was changed, the road and electric railway right of way survives in what is now called Chandler Boulevard, turning into Van Nuys Boulevard through Van Nuys, turning on Sherman Circle, and then on to Canoga Park (right of way lost to progress) in the middle of what remains a street still called Sherman Way.*^

Historical Notes

Whitsett Avenue was named after William P. Whitsett who is remembered by some as the "Father of Van Nuys." He was a major land developer and water official in Los Angeles. The street was first known as Encino Avenue.^*

Historical Notes

The new Los Angeles Aqueduct changed the dynamics of growth in the San Fernando Valley.  Land become more valuable and as a result towns began to grow and so did the number of farms. Valley farmers offered to buy the surplus aqueduct water, but the federal legislation that enabled the construction of the aqueduct prohibited Los Angeles from selling the water outside of the city limits. For the Valley communities, the choice was consent to annexation or do without. On March 29, 1915, by a vote of 681 to 25, residents of 108,732 acres of the San Fernando Valley (excluding Rancho El Escorpión and the communities of Owensmouth, Lankershim, Burbank and San Fernando) voted to be annexed by the City of Los Angeles. Owensmouth was annexed in 1917, West Lankershim in 1919, Chatsworth in 1920, and Lankershim in 1923. Small remote portions of the north and west Valley were annexed piecemeal even later: most of Rancho El Escorpión in 1958 and the remainder of Ben Porter's ranch as late as 1965. Burbank and San Fernando remain independent cities to this day.*^

Click HERE to see more in Construction of the LA Aqueduct.

Historical Notes

For decades, 7th Street was a thriving and busy shopping street, traversing all of the major named streets in Downtown. By the looks of this photograph, the same was true when this image was captured. Some of the businesses pictured here are, on the left: the Los Angeles Athletic Club, located at 431 West 7th Street, built by Parkinson & Bergstrom in 1911. This building was notable at the time for being the first in Southern California to have a swimming pool on an upper floor; Owl Drug Co., which became Owl Rexall Drugs in the 1940s; and the R.D. Bronson Desk Co., self-proclaimed as "The only exclusive dealers in Office Furniture in Los Angeles". And pictured on the right side: Southern California Wine Co.; and I.N. Van Nuys Building, designed in the Beaux Arts style by architects Morgan, Walls and Clements, and built by Scofield-Twaits Company in 1910-1911, the building is located on the southwest corner of Spring and 7th Street.^

Historical Notes

For decades, 7th Street was a thriving and busy shopping street, traversing all of the major named streets in Downtown. Some of the historical buildings pictured in this photograph are, on the left: Union Oil Building, built in 1922 by Curlett & Beelman; Bullock's, founded in 1907 by John G. Bullock; the R.D. Bronson Desk Co., self-proclaimed as "The only exclusive dealers in Office Furniture in Los Angeles". And pictured on the right side: the Hotel Lankershim, a large tripartite building erected in 1905 by one of Los Angeles' wealthiest and largest landholders in the state of California, Col. James B. Lankershim and designed by architect, Robert B. Young. The Hotel Lankershim, one of the last additions to the Los Angeles' hotel list and filled with everything that could in any way render it a perfect dwelling place, was yet another early 20th century landmark which is now gone, having been demolished after one of the earthquakes in the 1980s; and seen in the far distance on the right is Cooper, Coate & Casey Dry Goods Co., owned and operated for 38 years by Harry B. Coate.^

The above 300-foot tall gas holder or silo was located east of the Civic Center. It was built in 1912 by the LA Gas and Electric Co. and it's not clear when it was torn down. Shots of Downtown up through 1960 seem to show these structures in the background.

In 1936 Los Angeles city voters approved a charter amendment authorizing the Bureau of Power and Light to issue revenue bonds in the amount of $46 million and purchase the electric system of Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation, the last remaining privately-owned system in LA. Click HERE to see more in Los Angeles Gas and Electric Co.

Historical Notes

In 1868, the City of Los Angeles approved a franchise water agreement on a 30 year lease basis with the private Los Angeles City Water Company.

In 1899, after the end of the lease, a $2.09 million bond measure for the purchase of LA City Water Co.’s system was approved by city voters by a margin of nearly eight to one.  After over two years of litigation the City of Los Angeles finally regained control of its water system on February 3, 1902. A new department was created called the Los Angeles Water Department.

Click HERE to see a more detailed timeline in Water in Early Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

The man behind the wheel in the middle car of the second row is non other than William Mulholland.

Historical Notes

In 1911, there were three electric utilities serving the City of Los Angeles: Southern California Edison, Pacific Light and Power, and LA Gas and Electric Corporation. In 1916, the City formed its own municipal electric utility and called it Bureau of Power and Light.  In 1937 the name changed to LA Department of Water and Power (DWP).  By 1939 DWP became the sole electrical service provider for the City of Los Angeles.

Click HERE to see more in First Electricity in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Because of its proximity to one of the main tributaries feeding into the Los Angeles River (Compton Creek), Compton and its surrounding area would periodically experience flooding especially during severe storms.

Compton Creek drains a watershed of 42.1 square miles and is the last major tributary to enter the Los Angeles River before it reaches the Pacific Ocean.*^

Historical Notes

Flooding in Compton was an all too often event until after the major storm of 1938 when cement-lined flood control channels were installed throughout Los Angeles County.

Historical Notes

In 1867, Griffith Dickenson Compton led a group of thirty pioneers to the area. These families had traveled by wagon train south from Stockton, California in search of ways to earn a living other than in the rapid exhaustion of gold fields. Originally named Gibsonville, after one of the tract owners, it was later called Comptonville. However, to avoid confusion with the Comptonville located in Yuba County, the name was shortened to Compton.

On May 11, 1888 the city of Compton was incorporated, it had a total population of 500 people. The first City Council meeting was held on May 14, 1888.*^

Historical Notes

Seven years after this photograph was taken, on March 10, 1933, a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake took lives, toppled schools, and caused major damage to the main business district - including the City Hall which was shaken into twisted ruin, and was eventually razed and re-built.^

Historical Notes

Flooding in Compton would continue until after the great floods of 1938. Between February 27th and March 3rd, 1938 Los Angeles was inundated with two storm systems delivering record breaking rainfalls. By March 3rd, the San Gabriel Mountains received 32 inches of rain, more than their average yearly total, and Los Angeles received over 10 inches of rainfall over the 5-day storm. 115 people lost their lives, thousands more were evacuated, over 6000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 108,000 acres - one third of Los Angeles - was flooded. The San Fernando Valley, Venice, Compton, and Long Beach were the worst hit. The Los Angeles River was completely warped - new inlets were carved by the rushing water and the channels in areas shifted, nearly as much as a mile.**#

Historical Notes

Total channelization of the Los Angeles River began a few months after the 1938 floods. Since then, 278 miles of river and tributaries were retrofitted and more than 300 bridges were built. With the river encased in cement, the natural sharp turns were now straightened. Any evidence of vegetation was completely removed, allowing runoff from the San Gabriel Mountains to escape through the river and out of Long Beach at up to 45 miles-per-hour. Streets and sewers were connected to drains along the river, designed to quickly capture and move rainfall away from the surrounding streets.**#

Historical Notes

1920s:  Voters approved adoption of a new municipal charter, which provided for the city manager form of government; Citizens celebrated opening of the Compton Airport; Compton Junior College was established; City administration moved to a new City Hall located at 600 N. Alameda Street.

1930s:  On March 10, 1933, a devastating earthquake took lives, toppled schools and caused major damage to the main business district; The city began to shed the effects of the Great Depression of 1929, and the population increased.+^^

Historical Notes

1940s:  Like Americans everywhere, the Compton residents participated in civilian and military efforts during World War II.

1950s:  The first African American families moved to the area; Centennial High School was built to accommodate a growing student population.

1960s:  Voters elected Douglas Dollarhide, the City’s first African American mayor; Two African Americans and one Mexican American were elected to the school board.+^^

Historical Notes

In 1900, Burton E. Green, Charles A. Canfield, Max Whittier, Frank H. Buck, Henry E. Huntington, William G. Kerckhoff, William F. Herrin, W.S. Porter, and Frank H. Balch, formed the Amalgamated Oil Company, bought the Hammel and Denker ranch, and began looking for oil.  They did not find enough to exploit commercially by the standards of the time, though.  In 1906, therefore, they reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company, renamed the property "Beverly Hills," subdivided it, and began selling lots.  The development was named "Beverly Hills" after Beverly Farms in Beverly, Massachusetts and because of the hills in the area.  The first house in the subdivision was built in 1907, although sales remained slow.*^

Historical Notes

The area was created as a real estate attraction, hoping to entice people traveling from Los Angeles to buy parcels of land for development, and could be seen from passer byers on the train that came through town on Santa Monica Boulevard, or as it was once known, as Railway Avenue. ##++

Historical Notes

In September, 1911, Burton Green began construction on The Beverly Hills Hotel. It was opened on May 12, 1912 by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel.  The visitors drawn by the hotel were inclined to purchase land in Beverly Hills, and by 1914 the subdivision had a high enough population to incorporate as an independent city.

That same year, the Rodeo Land and Water Company decided to separate its water business from its real estate business. The Beverly Hills Utility Commission was split off from the land company and incorporated in September, 1914, buying all of the utilities-related assets from the Rodeo Land and Water Company.*^

Historical Notes

Green hired the landscape architect Wilbur D. Cook who, influenced by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmstead, created wide curving streets that hugged the hills. The City's first streets: Rodeo, Canon, Crescent, Carmelita, Elevado and Lomitas were constructed in 1907. Cook also created an emerald necklace for his garden city, with a three-block greensward called Santa Monica Park.+++

Historical Notes

In 1919, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford bought land on Summit Drive and built a mansion, finished in 1921 and nicknamed "Pickfair" by the press. The glamor associated with Fairbanks and Pickford as well as other movie stars who built mansions in the city contributed to its growing appeal.*^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills was one of many all-white planned communities started in the Los Angeles area around this time.  Restrictive covenants prohibited non-whites from owning or renting property unless they were employed as servants by white residents. It was also forbidden to sell or rent property to Jews in Beverly Hills.*^

Historical Notes

Will Rogers Park opened in 1915 as the first municipal park in the Beverly Hills, at that time called Sunset Park. In 1926, entertainer Will Rogers was appointed first "Honorary Mayor" of Beverly Hills and, in 1952, the City renamed the Park, Will Rogers Memorial Park.***^^

Historical Notes

By the early 1920s the population of Beverly Hills had grown enough to make the water supply a political issue. In 1923 the usual solution, annexation to the city of Los Angeles, was proposed. There was considerable opposition to annexation among such famous residents as Mary Pickford, Will Rogers, Douglas Fairbanks, and Rudolph Valentino. The Beverly Hills Utility Commission, opposed to annexation as well, managed to force the city into a special election and the plan was defeated 507 to 337.*^

Historical Notes

Life during the Roaring 20s accelerated with the construction of a huge, banked wooden racetrack, dominating most of the southern section of the City. The Speedway drove Beverly Hills further toward the center of America's popular imagination via radio broadcasts of races that were on the same scale as today's Indy 500. The speedway also was sometimes used as a base for another national craze: aviation.+++

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Beverly Hills Speedway.

Historical Notes

In 1912 Charles Mann, a realtor, and Richard Shoemaker, an engineer, introduced these trackless trolleys to stimulate land sales in Laurel Canyon. The trolleys operated from Sunset Blvd. to the Tavern at the junction of Laurel Canyon and Lookout Mt. Road.^^

Mann and his partners bought property along Laurel Canyon Boulevard and up in the hills. Some of the first tracts to be developed in the Lookout Mountain bowl were Bungalow Land and Wonderland Park, both of which were moderately priced with narrow lots and a network of interconnecting lanes and foot paths. #^*^#

Historical Notes

The trolley ran along Laurel Canyon's dirt road and connected Sunset Boulevard to the base of the current Lookout Mountain Avenue where there was a small inn. The Laurel Tavern served lunch to tourists and prospective customers of Mann's Bungalow Land properties. The ride cost 10¢. More adventurous travelers could continue up Lookout Mountain Avenue for a breathtaking view of Hollywood from the area around the current Appian Way.#**^#

Historical Notes

Travel to the newly subdivided lots and cabins further up the canyon was at first made on foot or by mule. As the roads were improved access was possible by automobile.*^

Historical Notes

The trolley was actually a large automobile (1912 Oldsmobiles) converted to run on an electric engine connected to overhead wires, which frequently dislodged. It had an approximate 10-passenger capacity. After about 5 years of traveling up and down the treacherous narrow road, the poor old trolley buses fell apart.

The overhead wires came down and the service was replaced by Stanley Steamers about 1915. **^*^

Historical Notes

Lookout Mountain Inn lasted only four years, burning down in 1920.

Charles Mann, the original developer of Laurel Canyon, is not the same Charles Mann who founded the real estate office at Kirkwood and Laurel Canyon Blvd, and there is no relation. Just a coincidence of history.#**

Historical Notes

The junction of Main, Spring, and 9th streets became one of the most photographed intersections because of its configuration. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

For many years, the armory building had a mix of military and civilian uses that would seem unthinkable today. The lot was privately owned and developed by John S. Copeland, and the National Guard shared the building with three storefronts along Spring Street. Nonetheless, the armory was one of the most well-appointed military buildings in California, equipped with a drill hall, saddle room, officers’ quarters, reception rooms, and a gymnasium. It was also one of the few Romanesque Revival buildings whose turret was built with a functional purpose: the easy mounting of a Gatling gun (that convenience never became a necessity, thankfully).

Historical Notes

Legible signs include, from left to right, "Hennelly Hat Manufacturer", "Rooms", "The Meyberg Co.", and "H. Jevne Co.". The photograph features the following buildings: Lindley Building (built in 1887) can be seen at immediate left, while John H. Norton Block (built in 1906) is visible at immediate right ("H Jevne Co"). Walter P. Story Building (built in 1909) can be seen located at south-east corner of 6th Street and Broadway; Hotel Hayward (built in 1906) is visible at south-west corner of 6th Street and Spring Street; Grosse Building (1906-1957) at south-east corner of 6th Street and Spring Street; Pacific Electric Building (built in 1904) at south-east corner of 6th and Main; Kerckhoff Building (built in 1908) on the north-east corner of 6th Street and Main Street.

Historical Notes

Note the license plate on the automobile at the near right. It is what was called a "dogbone" -- porcelain on metal plate, -- issued by the Automobile Club of Southern California from 1909-1913, before the State began issuing license plates.

Historical Notes

The following is a chronology of name changes the park has seen before becoming Pershing Square:

◆ 1866 – La Plaza Abaja or "The Lower Plaza"

◆ 1867 – St. Vincent Park

◆ 1870 – Los Angeles Park

◆ 1886 – 6th Street Park

◆ 1890s- Central Park

◆ 1918 – Pershing Square

Historical Notes

In 1867, St. Vincent's College, present day Loyola Marymount University, was located across the street, and the park informally became called St. Vincent's Park.

In 1870, it was officially renamed Los Angeles Park (Click HERE to see Early Views Los Angeles City Park).

In 1886 it was renamed 6th Street Park, and redesigned with an "official park plan" by Frederick Eaton, later the mayor.

In the early 1890s the park was renamed Central Park, which it was called for decades.

In November 1918, a week after Armistice Day ended World War I, the park was renamed Pershing Square, in honor of Gen. John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing.*^

Historical Notes

In 1914, the theatre was leased to pioneer showman Billy Clune and became the grandest movie palace west of New York. There was (still) church on Sundays, lots of concerts, and feature films with elaborate prologues.**^*

Historical Notes

Clune's Auditorium was much influenced by the design of Sullivan's Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. The eight story building had retail on the 5th Street side, a basement banquet hall, two 950 seat halls on the second floor, 118 office/studio spaces plus the main auditorium. The theatre was used on Sundays by the Temple Baptist Church.**^*

Historical Notes

The building was known until 1920 as Clune's Auditorium and (sometimes) Clune's Theatre Beautiful. Even though its movie career was brief, given the size of the theatre, the impressive architecture and Clune's dazzling productions, this building ranks as the first true Los Angeles movie palace. Clune used a 20 piece orchestra and reserved the biggest pictures he could get for this venue.**^*

Historical Notes

This is where the LA Philharmonic played until the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened in the mid-1960s. This building replaced an older building called Hazard's Pavilion and was dedicated in 1906. For a while, silent films were shown there, and it was known as Clune's Auditorium. It became the Philharmonic Auditorium in around 1920.

In 1920, the Los Angeles Philharmonic moved into this building in its second year of existence.*^

Historical Notes

The following is a chronology of name changes the park has seen before becoming Pershing Square:

◆ 1866 – La Plaza Abaja or "The Lower Plaza"

◆ 1867 – St. Vincent Park

◆ 1870 – Los Angeles Park

◆ 1886 – 6th Street Park

◆ 1890s- Central Park

◆ 1918 – Pershing Square ^*

Historical Notes

The ornate roof with open turret in the immediate right foreground is the private residence of businessman, horse-breeder and noted vintner Leonard J. Rose on the SE corner of Grand and 4th (400 S. Grand), beyond it is the distinctive multi-turreted (only two are visible here but there are three and they are distinct from each other) roof of the Fremont on the SW corner of 4th and Olive. Just peeking over the top of the Fremont we have the top floor of the Wright & Callender Building at SW 4th and Hill Street and to the left of that we have the Black Building (ironically the big white building) NW 4th and Hill. Behind the Black Building (nearer the camera) is the red brick Antlers Hotel and then, at the corner of 4th and Olive, a vacant lot which will soon be occupied by the Hotel Clark parking garage (The Hotel Clark, still under construction, appears above and to the right of the Fremont roof line and seems to be three or four floors short of topping out). #^

Historical Notes

The Fremont Hotel, located in the Bunker Hill suburb, was built and designed by the architect John C. Austin and developed by Thomas Pascoe. The plans for building the hotel were developed in November 1901 and initially faced resistance from the next door Olive Street School establishment. It was designed by the architect in the Mission style, and had some 100 rooms. It opened on September 9, 1902 and was named after John C. Frémont. When newly built it was billed as "the newest and most elegantly appointed family hotel in Los Angeles.” The hotel also held dinners in tribute to Frémont. Frémont's widow, Jessie, was the first registered guest. She also designed and executed the hotel's crest. Frémont's motto, "Eternal vigilance is the price of safety" was adopted as the hotel's motto, paraphrased into "Eternal vigilance is the price of success in the hotel business".

The hotel was demolished in 1955 by the Community Redevelopment Agency, and what remained was only the retaining wall next to the Olive Public School.*^

Historical Notes

Clara R. Shatto donated 35 acres of land that now makes up Lafayette Park to the City of Los Angeles in 1899. The land consisted of tar seeps and oil wells and Shatto requested that it be developed into a park. Shatto was the wife of George Shatto, then-owner of Santa Catalina Island. Canary Island palm trees and jacaranda were planted in the area of what became known as Sunset Park.*^

Historical Notes

Local groups requested that the park's name be changed to commemorate Marquis de Lafayette, a military officer of the American Revolutionary War. The name was officially changed in 1918. A statue of him was erected in 1937, close to the Wilshire Boulevard entrance.*^

Historical Notes

The l0-story Bryson Apartment Hotel (at Wilshire and Rampart) was built in 1913 and dominated the landscape at the time.  It was the first of the area's distinguished high-rise apartment buildings and hotels.  Later it would be owned by film actor Fred MacMurray.

Historical Notes

El Segundo was founded in 1911. Later it became the fastest growing town in California. El Segundo's greatest growth took place in the 1940-1950 decade." The city of El Segundo was actually incorporated in 1917. The area was originally part of Rancho Sausal Redondo (Ranch of the Round Clump of Willows). It was named El Segundo because it was to be Standard Oil's second oil refinery in California.^

Historical Notes

Los Angeles Motor Bus (later renamed the Los Angeles Motor Coach Company) was a joint venture of Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway that existed from 1923 until 1949.

It began in 1923 as Wilshire Boulevard's transit service from the MacArthur Park area to La Brea Avenue and was extended further down Wilshire as the service gained in popularity.

Wilshire has an interesting distinction, it was the only street that was banned by the City of Los Angeles from having street rail on it. The elites of early 20th century Los Angeles who built their mansions in the area were the region's first "NIMFYs" (Not in My Front Yard). The clanging bells and masses who rode streetcars were not welcomed on Wilshire, but buses were.^##

Historical Notes

Both houses in the above photo, dated November 7, 1914, amazingly resemble in design some of the newer large homes being built today.  The house on the left was built in 1911 and the house on the right in 1914.^#^

Historical Notes

All of these trolleys, and much of downtown Los Angeles, was receiving electricity from the new Big Creek power plants which were built and owned by Pacific Light and Power Corporation.  In 1917, the Edison Company (SCE) bought out the Pacific Light and Power Corp.

1922, the Bureau of Power and Light purchased SCE’s  distribution system within the Los Angeles city limits. SCE’s distribution lines were limited to the territories annexed to the city since 1922, but still furnished a proportion of the power distributed by the LA Bureau of Power and Light. After the construction of Hoover Dam (1935), the Bureau of Power and Light (later DWP) had more than enough electricity to furnish the entire city of L.A.

Click HERE to see more in First Electricity in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Note the elevated kiosk/booth on the northwest corner of 7th and Spring streets. These were used by the Los Angeles Railway and the Yellow Cars as a switchman’s tower to control the flow and path of streetcars through the intersection. 

Historical Notes

By the 1910's Spring Street had become the city’s financial and banking center.

Historical Notes

The tall tower in the distance is the Old City Hall, located at 226 Broadway. It stood from 1888 until 1928. This was Los Angeles' third City Hall.

Historical Notes

In 1894, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce moved into its new quarters at the southeast corner of Broadway and 4th, in a building designed especially for its use, the then-new three-story Mason Building - which would serve as its home for twelve years. The building would later be enlarged and used as a Broadway Dept. store but eventually it would be abandoned.^

Historical Notes

The Pacific Mutual Building, located at 523 W. 6th Street, was built between 1908 and 1912. From 1916 to 1926 the building was modified and expanded to include: a north side addition, another 12-story structure, a garage building, and a west side addition. In essence, it became three interconnected buildings by 1926.^

The Pacific Mutual Building is listed as Historic-Cultural Monument No. 398. Click HERE to see complete listing.

Historical Notes

The Church of the Open Door was conceived by R. A. Torrey who had come to Los Angeles to start a Bible institute (now known as Biola University) similar to Moody Bible Institute. For 70 years the church was located in downtown Los Angeles on Hope Street. It relocated to Glendora, California in 1985.

Originaly financed by Union Oil magnate Lyman Stewart, the Bible Institute Church was to be strictly non-denominational, though Evangelical.

Stewart also founded the Pacific Gospel Mission (now the Union Rescue Mission) in 1891.*^

Historical Notes

The Bible Institute building was designed by Walker & Vawter in Renaissance Revival style and had an auditorium that seated 3,500. It was flanked by two thirteen-story dormitories. A large 1935 neon sign which says, "Jesus Saves," sits at the top of the building. The building was constructed in 1915 and demolished in the late 1980s after the church moved to Glendora.*

The historic "Jesus Saves" sign from the original building can now be seen atop the Los Angeles University Cathedral. It was relocated there by the late William Eugene Scott, the owner of the building at the time of earthquake, who took it with him when his church relocated following the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake.*^

Historical Notes

In 1910, the City of Los Angeles issued a municipal power bond for preliminary work in connection with electrical power development. City voters approved the project and authorized the $3.5 million bond to finance it. The Bureau of Power and Light (Now DWP) was thus created in 1911 to provide electrical power to the City of Los Angeles.

The pole line installed above was used to bring power to LA from the neighboring City of Pasadena. Things would change dramatically after the completion of the LA Aqueduct in 1913. A new hydro power plant (completed in 1917) would now harness the water flowing on the aqueduct and generate more than enough power to meet the demand of a growing city for years to come (Click HERE to see more in First Electricity in Los Angeles).

Historical Notes

In 1907, Los Angeles voters unanimously approved a $23 million bond issue for the construction of the LA aqueduct.  The plan to construct the aqueduct originated with ex LA City Mayor,  Frederick Eaton, and LA Water Department Chief, William Mulholland (Click HERE to read more).

In 1908, The Bureau of Los Angeles Aqueduct (Click HERE to see DWP Name Change Chronology) began construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct to bring Owens River water 233-miles south to Los Angeles.  The LA Aqueduct was completed in 1913.

Historical Notes

The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 provided surplus water to the city and accelerated the development and growth of the San Fernando Valley.

Click HERE to see more in Construction of the L.A. Aqueduct.

Historical Notes

Over 30,000 Los Angeles residents came to the San Fernando Valley to see the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, where the first water from the Owens Valley completed its journey to Los Angeles. William Mulholland presided over the ceremony and called out for the water gate to be opened with five of the most famous words in Los Angeles history: ''There it is, take it"

Historical Notes

The remarkable photo above was taken from the grandstand a minute and a half after the LA Aqueduct water gates were opened.  The view is exactly as the camera caught it, without so much as the touch of a pencil added.  The front of the water wall was black from the dust and sediment that had accumulated at the head of the cascade.

Click HERE and see more in the Los Angeles Aqueduct Opening Ceremony.

Historical Notes

With the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct the City had a new source of water. Los Angeles then proceeded to annex the outlying communities attracted by the promise of an abundant water supply. The flurry of annexations began even before the aqueduct was complete.

Between 1910 and 1930, the area of Los Angeles increased from 115 sq. miles to  442 sq. miles through annexations of surrounding areas (i.e. Hollywood was annexed in 1910, the San Fernando Valley in 1915). The City's population increased from 533,535 (1915) to 1,300,000 (1930).

Historical Notes

In 1911, the Bureau of Los Angeles Aqueduct Power began construction of the San Francisquito Power Plant No. 1 to generate power from the anticipated water flow of the yet to be completed LA Aqueduct (The LA Aqueduct was completed in 1913). This new source of electric energy coupled with new water via the LA Aqueduct helped spur the growth of Los Angeles and of Southern California.

Historical Notes

The above view shows the internal mechanism of the turbine-generators at San Francisquito Power Plant No. 1. When completed, the new hydro power plant would generate enough electricity to meet the needs of Los Angeles for years to come.

Historical Notes

The water, being tapped from the newly constructed LA Aqueduct, will flow through the two penstocks down 940 feet of head into Power Plant No. 1.

Historical Notes

On March 18, 1917 the San Francisquito Power Plant No. 1, Unit 1 was placed in service and energy was delivered to Los Angeles over a newly constructed 115 kV transmission line. The 200 kilowatts generated by Unit 1 were the first commercial kilowatts generated by the Los Angeles Bureau of Power and Light.

The LA Bureau of Power and Light now had a source of low cost electricity and more than enough power to meet the City's needs.  It would sell its excess San Francisquito generated power to Pasadena over two newly constructed 34 kV lines between the two cities. By 1917, World War I had forced the price of fuel oil to rise making the new lower cost hydroelectric power extremely desirable.

Historical Notes

California's eighteenth century Franciscan missionaries were the first to plant palms ornamentally, perhaps in reference to the tree's biblical associations. But it was not until Southern California's turn-of-the-twentieth-century gardening craze that the region's leisure class introduced the palm as the region's preeminent decorative plant. Providing neither shade nor marketable fruit, the palm was entirely ornamental.

Palm trees soon appeared throughout Los Angeles, from the front yards of the mansions along Figueroa Street to public spaces like Pershing Square, Eastlake and Westlake Park, and the historic central plaza near Olvera Street.**#

Historical Notes

Despite the diversity of palms in the Los Angeles area, only one species—Washingtonia filifera, the California fan palm—is native to California. All of L.A.'s other palm species, from the slender Mexican fan palms that line so many L.A. boulevards to the feather-topped Canary Island date palm, have been imported.**#

Historical Notes

At the turn of the century (1893 - 1938) one of the most famous excursion in Southern California was the Mt. Lowe trip. Sightseers from all around the Los Angeles area took a Pasadena car to Altadena and Rubio Canyon. They then transferred to a cable car on the Incline Railway that went up a 62% grade to Echo Mountain. From there they would take a narrow-gauge trolley car winding its way up the rugged San Gabriel Mtns. and finally would arrive at Alpine Tavern on Mt. Lowe, a nearly 7 mile railway ride from the base of the mountain. The views of the valley floor and beyond were spectacular.^

Historical Notes

Opened to the public on June 20, 1915, the Selig Zoo, also served as a film production studio for the Selig Polyscope Company, and briefly the Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation. Dramatic entrance gates featuring statues of elephants and lions were designed by Italian sculptor Carlo Romanelli, with interior structures by Arthur Burnett Benton.^

Historical Notes

As well as being open to the general public, Selig Zoo provided a habitat for exotic animals used in motion pictures produced by Selig Polyscope Productions. It was headquartered in the old Indian Exposition Building in Lincoln Park, off Mission Road in East Los Angeles. "Selig Place" still intersects Mission Road today. This area later became "Luna Park," a popular amusement area and zoo.^*#

Selig Polyscope became insolvent in 1918, and over the years the zoo changed names and ownership. It was known as the Selig Zoo (1915-1925), Luna Park Zoo (1925-1931), L.A. Wild Animal Farms (1931-1932), the California Zoological Gardens (1932-1936), and Zoopark (1936-1940). The zoo officially closed in 1940 and many of the animals were relocated to the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park.^

Historical Notes

The first Tarzan movie was filmed at the zoo. It was the only zoo south of San Francisco. In time, it became the largest collection of wild animals in the world.^^##^

Historical Notes

The Mission Road grounds of the Selig Zoo would subsequently serve as the Lincoln Speedway and the Lincoln Amusement Park, before being redeveloped in the 1950s. The entrance gates would remain standing into the 1960s, before being dismantled and moved to an Inland Empire junkyard.^

Historical Notes

When the structure was demolished, some of the concrete sculptures disappeared into storage until they resurfaced sometime in 2000. Seven lion sculptures (including these two beauties) were restored and now live in the Los Angeles Zoo. #^

Historical Notes

The town of Lankershim (first called Toluca, now North Hollywood) was named after its founding family. Isaac B. Lankershim grew wheat on a wide swath of the Valley floor on his Lankershim Ranch. North Hollywood was established by the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company in 1887. It was first named Toluca before being renamed Lankershim in 1896 and finally North Hollywood in 1927.*^

Historical Notes

In 1913, the same year the LA Aqueduct was completed, the Universal Company purchased 12,000 acres of land in the San Fernando Valley near the railroad station of Lankershim and about eight miles from Los Angeles.^*#^

A year earlier, on April 30, 1912, Carl Laemmle merged the Independent Motion Picture Company with five smaller companies to form the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. After visiting his newly acquired west coast operations of Nestor Studios and Nestor Ranch, he renamed the studio "Universal Studios" and the leased Oak Crest Ranch became the first "Universal City" in the San Fernando Valley.

The first Universal/Nestor Ranch (Providencia Land and Water Development Company property Oak Crest Ranch) is presently the site of Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).

In 1915, Universal moved its operations at the Hollywood/Nestor studio and Universal/Nestor Ranch to its new Lankershim Blvd. location before the official opening of Universal City (Lankershim Blvd).*^

Historical Notes

After the gala opening, Carl Laemmle continued to let the general public visit his Movie City - "The City of Wonders."

Historical Notes

Carl Laemmle invited members of the public to watch films being made (in exchange for a 25 cents admission fee). A chicken lunch box was also available for a nickel; the first step towards the Universal Studios theme park we know today.^*#^

Historical Notes

Guests sat in outdoor bleachers and were encouraged to cheer for the heroes and boo the villains! The advent of sound meant the end of the early Universal Studio tour (as the noise the visitors made now disrupted filming) and Universal closed its gates to the general public. Three decades would pass before the studio gates would open again.^*#^

Historical Notes

The City of San Fernando was named for the nearby Mission San Fernando Rey de España, and was part of the Mexican land grant of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. In 1874 Charles Maclay, San Fernando founder, bought 56,000 acres of the Rancho. In 1882, cousins George K. Porter and Benjamin F. Porter of future Porter Ranch each received one-third of the total land.*^

Historical Notes

One store is on the ground floor of a two-story, brick building. The other store, a one-story, wooden structure, is next door. The storefront advertises California wines as well as imported and domestic groceries. The store's telephone number is prominently displayed. Early automobiles, one a Peluffo delivery car, and a truck are parked in front and pedestrians, customers and drivers are all posing for the camera. Two children, one on a tricycle and the other in a toy car, are playing while a watchful adult shops. Sacks and cartons of merchandise lie at the curb.^

Historical Notes

Some of the historical buildings pictured in this photograph are, on the left: Smith's Hotel, which was replaced in 1921 by the Loew's State Theatre; Platt Music Co., built in 1927; Ville de Paris Department Store, founded in 1850 in San Francisco by the Verdier brothers, immigrants from France. This store branch was built in 1916 by architects William J. Dodd & William Richards; and at the far left is the John Brockman Building, built in 1911 by Barnett, Haynes & Barnett, it was one of the first reinforced concrete and steel buildings, and with 12 stories, it was also one of the tallest in Los Angeles. And pictured on the right side: B.H. Dyas Co. Department Store with an American flag hanging from the building. This sporting and dry goods store took over the original Ville de Paris Department Store. Looking down at street-level, numerous cars, trolleys, and pedestrians can be seen bustling along.*

Historical Notes

Designed in the Classical Revival style, the Farmers and Merchants Bank remains one of Southern California's finest examples of the early "temples of finance" which were popular at the turn of the century. Its two-story facade, reminiscent of a Roman temple, is punctuated by an entrance framed with Corinthian columns topped by a large triangular pediment. Built in 1905, the bank was designed by the firm of Morgan and Walls.

The Farmers and Merchants Bank was the first incorporated bank in Los Angeles, founded in 1871 by John G Downey, the seventh governor of California and Isaias W. Hellman, a successful merchant, real estate speculator and banker, and brother of Hermann W. Hellman. Downey was named the first president. Isaias later served as president of the bank till his death in 1920.*^

Historical Notes

In 1913 the Rosslyn Hotel constructed its new building at the northwest corner of 5th and Main Streets, a major expansion of the hotel from its earlier home on Main Street between 4th and 5th Streets.

The Hotel Rosslyn has a history unique in all of the city of Los Angeles.  Once the tallest building in LA, the 12-story Rosslyn boasted in it's large rooftop sign as being the "Fireproof Million Dollar Hotel."

At that time, the area around Main Street was truly the center of Los Angeles. Through the teens and twenties, the financial, commercial, and entertainment center of Southern California was based in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Rosslyn Hotel was one of its premier destinations.**^^

Historical Notes

In 1923, as a result of the prosperity enjoyed by the Rosslyn and the surrounding district, the Rosslyn Annex was built across 5th Street, and today is still called the Rosslyn Hotel. The two buildings were connected by an underground marble tunnel, portions of which survive to this day.

Both buildings were designed by architect John Parkinson, who was one of the most prolific architects in Downtown Los Angeles, responsible for much of the area's finest architecture, including Union Station, Bullock's Wilshire, the Title Guarantee Building, the Continental Building, the Alexandria Hotel, the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Security Bank (now the Los Angeles Theatre Center), the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Los Angeles City Hall.**^^

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