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

Historical Notes

Spring Street north of 1st in the early 1880s still had the look of a frontier town, even as Los Angeles was beginning to push toward a more modern identity. Dirt roads, open lots, and small wooden shops lined the block. One of the most striking features is the tall electric light tower rising above the street. Installed in 1882, it was part of the city’s first attempt at electric streetlighting, long before the neighborhood had paved roads or structured sidewalks. The cupola of the Baker Block can be seen in the distance, marking the direction of Main Street and serving as one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

This early view captures Los Angeles at a turning point, with old and new elements blending together. Horse-drawn wagons still dominated the street, but the electric light tower signaled the direction the city was heading.

Historical Notes

The colorized version brings out details that are easy to miss in the original image. The warm tones of brick and wood, the dusty street surface, and the bright signage all help show how active the block was in 1883. On the right stands Hans Jevne’s grocery, one of the most successful food businesses in early Los Angeles. Jevne first operated out of a single storefront here, eventually expanding into both floors of the building as his wholesale and home-delivery operations grew.

The color also highlights how close together the businesses were packed along Spring Street, creating a lively commercial corridor despite the rugged surroundings. Even in this early stage, you can see the beginnings of the busy district Spring Street would become.

Historical Notes

This view captures everyday life on North Spring Street at a time when the street was lined with small shops serving a growing town. The Woodhead and Gay store sold fruit, produce, seeds, and plants, supplying both local families and farmers coming in from the countryside. Signs on the building advertised fresh and dried fruit, nuts, honey, and seeds of every kind. The photo also shows part of the tall wall of the H. Jevne grocery building next door, evidence that this block was becoming a cluster of food and produce businesses.

The men standing near the wagon represent the small staff typical of these early stores. According to notes kept with the photograph, Mr. Bell was the bookkeeper and L. E. Myers was the head clerk. Their work would have involved long hours, direct contact with customers, and handling goods brought in by horse drawn wagons from the surrounding ranches and orchards at a time when Los Angeles was still closely tied to agriculture.

Historical Notes

The colorized version brings out details in the storefronts and signage that are easy to miss in the original image. Trees, shrubs, flowers, and garden seeds were major parts of the business, showing how important home gardening and small scale agriculture were to residents. To the right, the H. J. Woollacott liquor store advertised fine wines and spirits. Stores like Woollacott’s catered to hotels, restaurants, and saloons throughout early Los Angeles.

Together, these buildings show how varied commerce was along this block of Spring Street. Produce merchants, grocers, and liquor dealers operated side by side, and many shops had both wholesale and retail customers. This mixture of businesses helped Spring Street grow from a dusty road into one of the earliest commercial centers of the young city.

Historical Notes

By 1885 Spring Street was busier but still unpaved, with horse drawn wagons parked along the curbs and moving in every direction. The businesses seen here served a growing downtown population that depended on fresh bread, prepared food, and daily supplies. A prominent sign for a bakery and restaurant reflects the simple eating places that travelers, workers, and residents relied on before the city had more formal dining establishments.

Although it has a frontier appearance, Los Angeles was already expanding quickly. Buildings were becoming larger, streetcar lines were being extended, and new banks and offices were opening. This view captures the moment just before major development reshaped the area.

Historical Notes

A. Hamburger and Sons was one of the first department stores to operate in Los Angeles.  Originally known as A. Hamburger & Son's People's Store, the name later changed to Hamburger's Store.   In 1908 the company relocated their store from Spring Street to a newer building located at Broadway and Eighth Street.  May Department Stores acquired Hamburger's in 1923 and renamed it the May Company.

Historical Notes

People's Store (later Hamburger's Department Store) was located in the Phillips Block until 1903. It then relocated to a new, larger building located on the SW corner of Broadway and 8th Street.. At the time it was the largest department store building west of Chicago.

The store was acquired from A. Hamburger & Sons Co. by David May in 1923 and renamed the May Company.

Historical Notes

This view shows the Schumacher Block in the left foreground. John Schumacher was an early Los Angeles resident who bought the land for this block with a gold nugget he found during the gold rush. His building became one of the early landmarks of Spring Street, marking the area as a developing business district. Horse drawn streetcars and wagons fill the street, showing how transportation in the city was still dependent on animal power.

The cupola of the Baker Block can be seen in the distance, rising above the older and more modest structures. Within just a few years, taller and more elaborate buildings would replace much of this early streetscape as Los Angeles entered a period of rapid growth.

Historical Notes

This stereoscopic image captures Spring Street when it was still unpaved and lined with small shops. The view shows an active mix of wagons, riders, and pedestrians. Despite its rough appearance, this stretch of Spring Street was already becoming one of the main routes through downtown Los Angeles.

The mix of frame buildings and newer brick structures shows a city in transition. Residents depended on horses for transportation, and streets were often dusty in summer and muddy in winter. Scenes like this changed quickly as street grading, paving, and electric lighting began to spread through the district.

Historical Notes

This view looks north on Spring Street and east on First Street. A horse drawn streetcar is seen turning the corner, serving riders who needed a dependable way to travel between the growing residential neighborhoods and the business district. The building on the right bears a simple Wines and Liquors sign. Such establishments were common on the edges of commercial centers and catered to both travelers and workers.

The empty corner at the northeast would soon become the site of the Los Angeles National Bank Building in 1887. That bank building, later replaced by the Equitable Savings Bank, marked the beginning of a more formal financial district along Spring Street, which would eventually become known as the Wall Street of the West.

Historical Notes

The 1887-built, 4-story Phillips Building replaced another large building at the same location (seen in previous photos) that housed Hamburger & Son's People's Store, at the time, LA's largest Department Store. The People's Store would remain in the new ornate Phillips Block building until 1908, when the store moved into its newly constructed building on the SW corner Broadway and 8th Street. May Department Stores would acquire Hamburger's in 1923 and rename it the May Company.

Historical Notes

Completed in 1887, the Los Angeles National Bank Building was designed by Kysor & Morgan in the "Modern Gothic" style, included a basement and cost $65,000 to build. The building materials were granite, iron and pressed brick. The bank was organized in 1883 and later merged, along with Southwestern National Bank, with First National in 1905. The Equitable Savings Bank then occupied the premises and replaced the building with a seven-story structure (Equitable Building).

The Masonic Temple was located upstairs and the Shriners had their first meeting hall here in 1888.

Historical Notes

The 1885 view of Spring Street shows a young Los Angeles that still felt close to its frontier beginnings. The street was unpaved and filled with wagons, horses, and early streetcars. Small shops, produce dealers, and simple brick buildings lined both sides of the block. In the distance the tall cupola of the Baker Block rose above the older structures, serving as a landmark for people traveling through the city. Spring Street at this time was only beginning to develop into a commercial corridor, but the growing presence of banks, grocery houses, and department stores showed that change was on the way.

The modern view tells a very different story. Spring Street has long since been paved, widened, and rebuilt with taller buildings that reflect the growth of Los Angeles from a town of a few thousand residents into a major metropolitan center. Little remains of the early streetscape. The skyline is filled with office buildings, and City Hall now stands just beyond the point where the early bank buildings once sat. What was once a dusty road lined with wagons has become a fully developed urban street, yet the angle of the view still follows the same alignment that early residents knew well.

Historical Notes

The photograph's dominant structure is the Hotel Nadeau, while the Natick House can be seen further east on First and Main Streets. The photograph features the following buildings: De Turk's Livery, Feed & Sale Stable (built before 1880), it's a larger building at lower left, on the north-west corner of First Street and Broadway; Hotel Nadeau (1882-1931), a large building in right center, located at the southwest corner of First & Spring Streets; Larronde Block (built in 1883), located across First Street from Nadeau Hotel, on the north-west corner with Spring Street. Schumacher Block (1880 - ca.1931), to the left of the Larronde Block, on Spring Street. Natick House (built in 1883), to the left of Nadeau, on the southwest corner of First and Main Streets; Pithian Castle Block (built in 1877) can be seen directly above Schumacher Block, with tall, narrow windows, located on Spring Street just north of First Street.^^

Historical Notes

Remi Nadeau was a French Canadian pioneer who arrived in Los Angeles in 1861 driving a team of oxen. During the silver-mining excitement in the Cerro Gordo region of Inyo County his teamster operation brought tons of silver to Southern California and hauled back food and supplies to the miners. By 1873 he operated 80 such teams.

In 1882, Remi Nadeau built the Nadeau Hotel, Los Angeles's first four-story structure and the first building with an elevator. The hotel was designed by Morgan & Walls.

Historical Notes

B. F. Coulter was one of the earliest merchants in Los Angeles. The Coulter's Dry Goods business dates from 1878 and later was called Coulter's. Coulter was an ordained minister and founded the Broadway Christian Church. The business was continued by B.F. Coulter's son-in-law, R. P. McReynolds, and his son, James McReynolds.

Historical Notes

The tall pole seen between the two men sitting on the wagon is not a flagpole. It is a 150-foot electric street light mast that was one of the first to be installed in the City of Los Angeles.

Click HERE to read more about it in Early Los Angeles Street Lights.

Historical Notes

Each of the 150-foot-high masts carried three electric lights of three thousand candle-power. All seven lamps and a small power plant to provide the electricity were installed by C. L. Howland who later formed the Los Angeles Electric Company. By 1883, Los Angeles became the first city in the USA to entirely abandon gas for street lighting and replace it with electricity.

The Los Angeles Electric Company later became the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation and survived until it was bought out by the DWP in 1936.

Historical Notes

Main Street was dedicated in 1849. The community's first Calle Principal connected the San Gabriel Mission with the San Fernando Valley and many established ranchos. One section near the Plaza was known as Bath Street after, legend has it, the facilities featuring "scarlet women."

Spring Street was dedicated in 1849. As legend has it, it was named Calle Primavera by Lt. Ord to honor his sweetheart in Santa Barbara, Trinidad Ortega, whom he called "Primavera," Spanish for "Springtime." He never married Ortega, the granddaughter of Jose Francisco Ortega, the Spanish explorer who "discovered" San Francisco Bay.

Temple Street was named after John Temple in 1859, who opened the first store in Los Angeles. He built a block of shops, lawyers' offices and a saloon at Main and Temple streets, where Los Angeles City Hall stands today.

Historical Notes

Spring Street was realigned when construction of the new City Hall began in early 1927. Spring now runs parallel to Main, and intersects with Temple where the current 28-story City Hall building is now located.

Historical Notes

The Italianate Temple block was built in 1871 by Francis Pliny Fisk Temple on the site of the old Temple Block, inherited from his older brother John in 1866. It was commonly known as the Lawyer's Block as so many attorneys had offices there. The old Clocktower Couthouse, at that time, was situated immediately to the south. As there was very little waiting room at the courthouse, attorneys went back to their offices until their cases came up. They were summoned by a court clerk hollering their names out the second-story windows of the court.

Historical Notes

Main at Requena in the 1870s was a center of activity—hosting hotels, saloons, shops, and services that catered to residents, travelers, and laborers. The area was beginning to see more substantial construction, moving away from adobe to brick, signaling Los Angeles’ ambitions as a growing city.

Historical Notes

In the 1870s, the intersection of Main Street and Requena Street (later renamed Market Street) in downtown Los Angeles was a bustling hub reflecting the city’s early urban development. The U.S. Hotel, built in the early 1860s on the southeast corner, was a prominent landmark serving mainly working-class patrons and was known for its Italianate architecture and affordable meals. Requena Street, named after an early local mayor, was an important east-west thoroughfare near the original Plaza, surrounded by a mix of adobe and brick buildings with dirt roads and horse-drawn vehicles typical of the era. This area captured the city’s transition from a frontier settlement to a growing commercial center.

Historical Notes

North is to the right in this view. Today, this spot would place you between Los Angeles City Hall (to the left) and City Hall East (to the right).

Historical Notes

The intersection of Market (originally Requena) Street and Main Street was once a vibrant part of old Los Angeles, anchored by the U.S. Hotel and Amestoy Building. Today, the site is part of the Los Angeles Civic Center, with City Hall East occupying the former locations of these historic structures. Market Street itself has disappeared from the map at this location, a casualty of mid-20th-century urban renewal.

Historical Notes

Main Street was one of the primary thoroughfares in early Los Angeles, running through the heart of the city and connecting various important locations, including the Plaza.

It was a central axis for commerce and transportation, playing a crucial role in the city's expansion.

Historical Notes

Temple Block would become the site today's Los Angeles City Hall, built in 1928.

Historical Notes

The Jacoby family came from Loebau, Poland, a territory at the time controlled by Prussia. They arrived in the United States at different times during the 1870s.

The five Jacoby brothers started business in Los Angeles in the 1870's by joining with Leopold Harris and buying out Herman W. Hellman’s store. Hellman left after 5 years and the firm became The Jacoby Brothers and flourished well into the first third of the 20th Century.

Jacoby Bros. kept growing until it was one of the largest retail and wholesale companies in Los Angeles. In the mid-1920's it sold out to David May of the May Company of St. Louis. This occurred about the same time as when the Hamburgers Department Store was also sold to the May Co.

Historical Notes

Francis Temple formed a bank with his English-born father-in-law, William Workman, The Temple & Workman Bank. The bank was in the space occupied by the Los Angeles County Bank in the photo above. The bank closed during the panic of 1875, brought on by the failure of the Bank of California in San Francisco. Temple managed to secure a loan to reopen the bank from the ruthless "Lucky" Baldwin, a San Francisco financier who had become interested in investing in Southern California. The terms of the loan were extremely harsh, Temple and Workman pledged everything they had, including their homes, ranches, downtown commercial property and Temple Block itself. However, the bank failed for a second time in 1876. Baldwin, refusing to renegotiate the loan, quickly closed in. Temple and Workman were ruined. Workman, then 76 and a former Mayor of Los Angeles, killed himself. Temple, under extreme stress following his losses, had a stroke, finally dying in 1880. He left his wife and seven children.

The Temple & Workman family fortunes were restored in 1914 when Temple's nine-year-old grandson (Workman's great-grandson), Thomas Workman Temple II, discovered a natural gas deposit while playing on land his father owned. The families developed Montebello Oil Field there in 1917. With their renewed funds the families were able to recover their ranch, La Puente (City of Industry) including their private family cemetery, El Campo Santo. Temple and Workman are buried there along with their families and their friend, Pio Pico and his wife.

Historical Notes

The old County Courthouse was originally built by John Temple in 1858 as a marketplace and theater. Its first floor was used for that purpose for a number of years, and the second floor was the first theater in Los Angeles.

Between 1860s-1884, Los Angeles City Hall shared space with the County Courthouse in the Temple Block.

Historical Notes

In 1882, the fountain in front of Temple Block was donated by Harris Newmark of Newmark & Co. and the water was provided free by the LA Water Company.  The Newmark Fountain was a minor landmark in downtown Los Angeles between  1882 and 1892. The female figure atop it was nude, which made it an object of some interest at the time. Unfortunately, the fountain met a premature end when a team of runaway horses hit it in 1892.

Harris Newmark was a successful businessman in early Los Angeles.  He made many contributions to the economy and culture of Los Angeles, and gave his time and his money to causes he felt were worthy. He was one of the founders of the Los Angeles Public Library, was a charter member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and was one of the organizers of the Board of Trade, which helped bring railroad service to California. He was the president of Congregation Congregation B'nai B'rith in 1887 and a founder of the Jewish Orphans Home. Newmark was also instrumental in the establishment of the Southwest Museum, which is now part of the Autry National Center. He and other Newmarks were leaders of the local Odd Fellows and were Masons.

Historical Notes

Construction on the Downey Block began in 1869. It was named for John Gately Downey, a pharmacist who served as the governor of California for two years (1860-1862) before becoming a real estate developer. Downey was also one of the founders and first president of Farmers and Merchants National Bank. The city of Downey was named in his honor after he subdivided his land holdings there and converted them into farms.

Historical Notes

The Phillips Block, located at 25-37 N. Spring Street, was constructed in 1887 in the French Renaissance style popular at that time for secular buildings. It was the second four-story building erected in Los Angeles and was one of the most ornately decorated.

A. Hamburger and Sons was one of the first department stores to operate in Los Angeles.  Originally known as A. Hamburger & Son's People's Store, the name later changed to Hamburger's Store.   In 1908 the company relocated their store from Spring Street to a newer building located at Broadway and Eighth Street.  May Department Stores acquired Hamburger's in 1923 and renamed it the May Company. Much later in the century, the May Company and Robinsons chains of department stores would affiliate under the name Robinsons-May; and this entity would be bought out by Macy's in 2005.

Historical Notes

Realignment and Demolition (1920s)

1925-1927: The Temple Block and surrounding areas were demolished to make way for the new Los Angeles City Hall. This marked a significant transformation in the urban landscape, shifting from a vibrant commercial hub to a more government-centered area.

Spring Street Realignment (1927)

1927: During the construction of the new City Hall, Spring Street was realigned to run parallel to Main Street, altering the historic junction’s layout and further integrating it into the city's evolving infrastructure.

Click HERE to see more of Construction of Today's City Hall

Historical Notes

The 1882 photo captures daily life in early Los Angeles, with dirt roads, horse-drawn carriages, and the ornate Temple Block on the right—home to the Adolph Portugal store and a key commercial hub.

Today, the view shows Los Angeles City Hall standing on the former site of the Temple Block. City Hall East appears on the left, connected by a pedestrian bridge across Main Street.

Historical Notes

Originally housing Fort Moore, one of two historic U.S. Military forts in Los Angeles during the Mexican-American War, the site was constructed in 1847, abandoned in 1849, and decommissioned in 1853. In 1882, Jacob Philippi purchased land on Fort Moore Hill, establishing a beer garden which became a popular local attraction. He later sold the property to Mary Banning, who converted it into the impressive 21-room Banning Mansion, a focal point of high society. The mansion, offering sweeping views of Los Angeles, eventually fell out of prominence as the city expanded. It was later converted into a rooming house before being demolished. Reflecting the city's rapid growth and changing social landscape, the site also became home to Los Angeles High School in 1891 and later the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters.

Historical Notes

Los Angeles High School moved to Fort Moore Hill in 1891, occupying a site on North Hill Street between San Street and Bellevue Avenue. The high school remained there until 1917, after which the location became the headquarters for the Los Angeles Unified School District until 2001. In the early 20th century, much of Fort Moore Hill was removed for urban development, including the construction of the 101 Freeway.

Historical Notes

The first Hill Street Tunnel, built by the Los Angeles-Pacific Railway and completed in 1909, served interurban rail cars and reduced travel times by 15 minutes. The second tunnel, built by the city for pedestrians and vehicles, opened in 1913. These 550-foot-long tunnels provided direct access to Sunset Boulevard, bypassing the steep grades of Bunker Hill and Fort Moore Hill. The northern portal of the Hill Street Tunnels was near Temple Street, while the southern portal was at First Street.

Historical Notes

Work on removing Fort Moore Hill began in 1949 to make way for the Hollywood Freeway, a major excavation project that reshaped the downtown landscape. As part of a larger freeway construction effort from 1947 to 1954, this project effectively obliterated most of the historic hill between Sunset Boulevard and Temple Street. The freeway was built in a trench through downtown Los Angeles, allowing it to pass under existing streets like Hill Street, thus preserving the street grid above.

Historical Notes

Justicia Street, an early north-south dirt road and thoroughfare in Los Angeles, underwent significant changes as the city developed. Originally running parallel to New High Street and ending near Temple Street, it served a modest residential area in the late 19th century.

Historical Notes

Built in 1864, St. Athanasius was the first Episcopal church in the City of Los Angeles. It was situated on the northeast corner of Poundcake Hill at Temple and New High Streets (later Spring Street).

Pouncake Hill will later be home to the Los Angeles Country Courthouse, completed in 1891.

Historical Notes

The suburban-looking residence in the foreground is at the northwest corner of Temple and Justicia Streets. It served as the longtime family home of the Bilderrain family, whose presence in Los Angeles was established by Jose Ygnacio Bilderrain. He likely settled in L.A. between 1847—when he married in San Juan Capistrano—and 1850, as he appears in the 1850 L.A. census. His grandson, also named Jose Ygnacio Bilderrain, was wounded during the conflict that immediately preceded and sparked the Chinese Massacre of 1871. Several of the unfortunate Chinese victims were lynched on the gatepost of the lumber yard across Justicia Street from the Bilderrain home (the site is out of frame to the right and later hosted the Los Angeles County Jail).

Historical Notes

As late as 1928, Justicia Street was still a dirt road north of the section adjacent to the County Jail.

Historical Notes

Note how full the Los Angeles River is—it’s rare to see it like this unless right after a storm.

Historical Notes

Justicia Street played a significant role in early Los Angeles history, hosting prominent families like the Bilderrains who settled there around 1850. The street was also the site of tragic events, including part of the Chinese Massacre of 1871. Despite its importance, parts of Justicia Street remained unpaved as late as 1928, particularly north of the County Jail. The street's eventual fate was likely sealed by the extensive redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles in the early to mid-20th century. During this period of urban transformation, many older streets and buildings were demolished or altered to accommodate newer developments, especially government buildings in the emerging Civic Center area. This redevelopment led to the disappearance of Justicia Street.

New High Street was significantly altered during the 1920s redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles. The construction of City Hall in 1928 and the realignment of Spring Street led to the removal of New High Street's southern portion, particularly around Temple Street. This resulted in a much shorter New High Street, with its southern end effectively pruned back. These changes were part of the broader transformation of downtown Los Angeles, which included the development of the Civic Center district and alterations to the existing street grid.

Historical Notes

The area bordered by Main St., Broadway, Temple St., and First St. has a complex street layout due to the original, somewhat disorganized design and the renaming and removal of some streets in the late 1920s. As a result, even longtime residents may not recognize older names like “Jail St.” or “Pound Cake Hill” when looking at maps from 1900 to 1920.

Historical Notes

Justicia Street was eliminated during the extensive redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles in the early to mid-20th century, which coincided with the construction of the current City Hall completed in 1928. This period also saw the realignment and extension of Spring Street, along with the demolition and alteration of many older streets and buildings to accommodate new government structures in the Civic Center district.

Historical Notes

In 1884, Eternity Street was renamed Buena Vista Street.

In 1909, Buena Vista Street became North Broadway.

Bellevue Avenue became Sunset Boulevard in the ealy 1900s (before 1924).

Sunset Boulevard was officially renamed Cesar Chavez Avenue in 1994.

Historical Notes

Buena Vista Street, south of Bellevue Avenue (later Sunset Boulevard), was renamed Justicia Street. After the Broadway Tunnel was built in 1901, Broadway extended under Fort Hill and merged with Justicia Street near Sunset Boulevard, continuing north as North Broadway. Justicia Street ran from Temple Street—located one block east of Broadway—over Fort Hill and merged with Broadway as it exited the tunnel at Sunset.

Historical Notes

Buena Vista, south of Bellevue Avenue (later Sunset Boulevard), was renamed Justicia Street. When the Broadway Tunnel was built in 1901, the road split: one branch continued east over Fort Hill as Justicia Street, while the tunnel route was renamed North Broadway.

Historical Notes

The road running up the hill on the left is Justicia Street, which extended south to Temple Street, ending in front of the Los Angeles County Courthouse between Broadway and Spring Streets. It was one of the last dirt roads in downtown Los Angeles.

Click HERE to see more of the intersection of Justica Street and Sunset Boulevard.

Historical Notes

Jonathan Temple, a merchant from Massachusetts, played a crucial role in shaping Los Angeles by establishing the Temple Block in 1828. He started with a general store at Main and Spring Streets, turning the area, known as Temple Square, into the city's commercial hub. In 1848, Temple built a two-story adobe building on the block, and over the following decade, he expanded it with additional structures, including a two-story brick building in 1857, marking a shift from adobe to brick construction. As a pioneer in urban development, Temple introduced paved sidewalks and street trees to improve the area's attractiveness. In 1871, he replaced the adobe building with a three-story Italianate structure called the New Temple Block, which accommodated retailers and offices. Although the Temple Block faced economic difficulties due to the end of the Gold Rush and a national depression in the late 1850s, it remained a significant business center until the early 20th century. By the mid-1920s, the area was redeveloped for a new Civic Center, leading to the demolition of the Temple Block and the completion of the Los Angeles City Hall on the site in 1928.

Historical Notes

Los Angeles County Courthouse was originally located at the Plaza in the old pueblo, but later it moved to the Temple Building, part of the Temple Block complex constructed by Jonathan Temple. This building, one of the earliest significant structures in the growing city, served as the courthouse around 1880. This period was crucial for Los Angeles as it transitioned from a small pueblo to a burgeoning American city. The Temple Building thus played an important role in the city's legal and civic development during this transformative era.

Historical Notes

On the north side of Market was the south portion of the Temple Block; on the south side was the original market building erected in 1859 by John Temple, which later became a County Courthouse (LA's 5th).

The Bullard Block (Building) would replace the old Clocktower County Courthouse (NE corner of Spring and Court streets) in the late 1890s. Today, City Hall stands at this location.

Historical Notes

John Schumacher was a German immigrant who became a wealthy landowner in Los Angeles and was a member of the city's governing council. He settled in Los Angeles in 1847, but in 1849 Schumacher went to Sutter's Creek, where he found a nugget of gold worth eight hundred dollars.  He then bought nearly the whole block bounded by Spring and First streets and Franklin Alley for the value of his famous gold nugget.

Historical Notes

Fort Street in Los Angeles, laid out by surveyor Edward O. C. Ord in 1849, was named after Fort Moore, a strategic military site from the Mexican-American War that overlooked the city. By the late 1880s, the city's increasing population of German immigrants found it difficult to distinguish between "Fort Street" and "Fourth Street," causing confusion, particularly with the primitive telephone systems of the time. As Fort Street transitioned from a residential area to a retail district, this confusion became a significant issue. To address this, a group of residents and merchants, led by printer Fred Lind Alles, petitioned for a name change. They chose "Broadway" to project a sense of future growth and emulate the prestige of New York City's famous thoroughfare. The Los Angeles City Council approved the name change on February 17, 1890, and it was signed into ordinance by Mayor Henry Hazard two days later​.

Historical Notes

Following the renaming, Broadway swiftly emerged as the epicenter of Los Angeles' commercial and entertainment scenes. The segment between 3rd and 9th Streets became particularly renowned for its dense array of theaters and commercial establishments. This area, recognized as the Broadway Theater and Commercial District, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts the largest collection of historic movie palaces in the United States.

Historical Notes

The tracks running down second streets belong to the Second Street Cable Railway, first cable car system to open in Los Angeles (1885).

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the intersection of Broadway and 2nd Street.

Historical Notes

A block of commercial buildings, designed in the Second Empire style of architecture, is depicted in detail, with the row of buildings crossing the center of the image. Each building is four stories tall and its front contains many windows; the building at the right edge of the picture is more ornate, with gabled windows and a turret at its outer edge. The bulidings are fronted by a paved sidewalk, which is occupied by pedestrian traffic. The edge of another block can be seen at the rightmost edge of the image, while horse-drawn carriages line Broadway.

Legible signs, from left to right, include: "Los Angeles Furniture Co", "Dr. Fuller Eye, Ear, Throat & Lungs", "Ville de Paris", "Jno.S Chapman. Atty. At Law", "T. Frank McGrath Wallpaper", "C.E. Decamp Builders Indemnity Co", "Lynn Helm Atty. At Law", "Pacific Coast Home Supply Association", "City of London Lace Curtains, Draperies", "Green & Willis Embroideries Laces Etc. Infant Goods. Modes", "Young Mens Christian Assn", "W.M.Gar & Co. Real Estate", "George S. Hupp Atty At Law", "Otto C. Sens Merchant Tailor", "Cal-Bank Building", "Gordon & Conrey Atty At Law", "Union Central Life Ins. Co", "Mutual Reserve Fund Life Assn of New York", and "Bank".

Historical Notes

In 1867, a wealthy developer, Prudent Beaudry, purchased a majority of the hill's land. Because of the hill's excellent views of the Los Angeles Basin and the Los Angeles River, he knew that it would make for an opulent subdivision. He developed the peak of Bunker Hill with lavish two-story Victorian houses that became famous as homes for the upper-class residents of Los Angeles. Angels Flight (built in 1901), now dubbed "The World's Shortest Railway", took residents homeward from the bottom of the 33% grade and down again.

Prudent Beaudry served as the 13th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1874 to 1876. Beaudry Avenue was named after him.

Historical Notes

The steep slope with the stairs next to it is the future site of Court Flight (1905), Angels Flight's sister funicular railway. Court St. dead ends at the top of the slope.

Historical Notes

After Lewis Bradbury's widow moved out of the Bradbury Mansion, it was used as a club for judges, then as the Rollin Film Studio and finally, as a rooming house before being demolished in 1928.

Historical Notes

In 1888, the intersection of Hill and 3rd Street in downtown Los Angeles was part of the prestigious Bunker Hill neighborhood. This area, developed in the 1870s by Prudent Beaudry, had become an upscale residential district featuring grand Victorian mansions and luxury hotels. The south side of 3rd Street and the west side of Hill Street were lined with impressive Queen Anne-style houses, offering panoramic views of the rapidly expanding city below. At this time, 3rd Street steeply ascended Bunker Hill, as the 3rd Street Tunnel had not yet been constructed.

Historical Notes

The Third Street Tunnel and Angels Flight were two pivotal transportation features that would transform downtown Los Angeles.  The Third Street Tunnel, constructed between 1899 and 1901, stretched 1,240 feet through Bunker Hill, connecting downtown to the developing western areas of the city. Despite facing numerous challenges during construction, including cave-ins and water seepage, the tunnel opened to the public in March 1901. That same year, Angels Flight, a funicular railway, began operation nearby, linking the downtown commercial district with the upscale residential area atop Bunker Hill.

Historical Notes

At the turn of the 20th Century, no building dominated Bunker Hill like the Crocker Mansion. Perched high at the corner of Third and Olive, the imposing 3-story Victorian structure overlooked the emerging metropolis for more than 22 years.

Historical Notes

By 1901, city and private engineers would come up with two different ways to traverse the steep hill...they built an 1080-foot long tunnel and a 33-percent grade funicular at the intersection seen above.

Historical Notes

The Crocker Mansion, located at 300 South Olive Street, was one of the most notable residences in Bunker Hill. Built in 1886 by Margaret E. Crocker, the widow of California Supreme Court Justice Edwin Bryant Crocker, the mansion was an imposing three-story Victorian structure designed by architect John Hall. Margaret Crocker was a prominent social and civic leader, known for her philanthropy, including the donation of the family's art collection to the city of Sacramento.

The mansion's history is marked by both grandeur and scandal. In 1887, it became the center of a high-profile kidnapping case when Margaret Crocker's granddaughter, Alma Ashe, was taken by her father, Robert Porter Ashe, amidst a contentious divorce. Despite such dramatic events, the mansion remained a symbol of elite society in Los Angeles.

In 1891, the Crocker Mansion was converted into a boarding house, which was still considered more luxurious than the typical rooming houses on Bunker Hill at the time. However, the construction of the Third Street Tunnel in 1900 compromised the mansion's structural integrity, leading to its eventual demolition in 1908 to make way for new development.

Historical Notes

Built in 1901 with financing from Colonel J.W. Eddy, as the Los Angeles Incline Railway, Angels Flight began at the west corner of Hill Street at Third and ran for two blocks uphill (northwestward) to its Olive Street terminus.^*

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Angels Flight.

On July 3, 1893, residents and taxpayers presented a petition to the Los Angeles City Council asking that a tunnel be created to connect those who lived in the Crown Hill neighborhood with the business district located on this side of Bunker Hill. Their plans called for a tunnel 1080 feet long, with a twenty-six foot roadway and eight foot sidewalks. Nothing happened for five years. But work finally started and by March of 1901 the tunnel was opened to the public. It was unpaved and unlit. Gutters weren’t installed until 1902.

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Third Street Tunnel.

Historical Notes

Canadian brothers Prudent and Victor Beaudry first increased their fortunes (having been born wealthy) in Northern California with a variety of business pursuits before moving to Los Angeles where Prudent entered politics (from 1874 to 1876 he served as Los Angeles’s thirteenth mayor). Victor mined, developed water works, and worked in real estate before moving to Los Angeles in 1855. He and his mining partner (and fellow Quebecois) Damien Marchessault built an ice house in Los Angeles in 1859 — the year Marchessault became mayor — and sold ice to saloon keepers and others.

In the 1860s, the Beaudrys bought land in and around the French Town section — an historic neighborhood centered around Alameda and Aliso streets whose existence today is mainly seen in street names like Bauchet, Ducommun, and Vignes. Beaudry went on to increase his fortunes in silver mines and simultaneously earned the nickname the “water king” as he developed water transportation systems for both mines and in town. After the mines began to prove less profitable, Victor moved to Montreal in 1876 where he married Angelica Le Blanc. The couple and their family moved back to Los Angeles in 1881 where he remained until 1886.

In Los Angeles, the Beaudry brothers built a water reservoir in the Elysian Hills and used it to hydrate their properties there including Bunker Hill (subdivided in 1876), and what would become Angeleno Heights and Victor Heights. To make their properties more appealing to potential homebuyers, the Beaudrys created two parks, Bellevue Terrace and Beaudry Park. Beaudry Park was a 7.4 acre oval property designed by landscape architect/gardener Francis Tamiet and included many Mexican limes, gums, cypresses, oranges, and Monterey pines.*

Ultimately, the Beaudrys placed their two gardens on the market soon after they liquidated the surrounding real estate tracts. In 1881 the state purchased Bellevue Terrace for the site of the California Branch State Normal School, a teaching college that eventually became UCLA. When the Los Angeles Central Library replaced the college in 1926, construction crews graded the hill out of existence. Beaudry's Park, meanwhile, was purchased in 1883 by the Sisters of Charity. On that site (now occupied by The Elysian apartment building and Holy Hill Community Church) the sisters placed their new infirmary, repurposing Beaudry's fruit trees and cypresses into a soothing backdrop for their patients.

Historical Notes

In 1883 the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul purchased six and a half acres of land at Beaudry Park at a cost of $10,000, and a new hospital building was erected a year later near Beaudry and Sunset, on a hillside overlooking Sonora Town. By 1898, Los Angeles Infirmary had come to be known as Sisters Hospital, but both names were used interchangeably in reference to the same hospital.

Historical Notes

The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul established the first hospital in Los Angeles - the Los Angeles Infirmary, in 1856. It was located in the Sonora Town adobe owned by then-Mayor of Los Angeles, Don Cristo´bal Aguilar. Four years later, in 1860, the hospital relocated to 1416 Naud Street, between Ann (named for Sister Ann) and Sotillo Street (though other data indicates the location was 1414 Naud Street, between N. Main and San Fernando Road). In 1869, Daughters incorporated the Los Angeles Infirmary under their own ownership, the first women in the region to do so.

In 1883 they purchased six and a half acres of land at Beaudry Park at a cost of $10,000, and a new hospital building was erected a year later at Beaudry and Sunset, on a hillside overlooking Sonora Town.

By 1898, Los Angeles Infirmary had come to be known as Sisters Hospital, but both names were used interchangeably in reference to the same hospital; in 1918, the name was officially changed to St. Vincent's Hospital. In 1924 a new building was erected on 3rd and Alvarado, which was built by John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley. For 47 years, the hospital had such a steady growth that they were forced to expand yet again, and groundbreaking for a newer, larger building took place in 1971 - this time, located at 2131 W. 3rd Street. With a "new" hospital came a new name, and in 1974, it changed again, this time becoming St. Vincent Medical Center.

Historical Notes

Beaudry Park was located near the intersection of Beaudry Ave. and Sunset Blvd. When acquired for a hospital by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the park was an oval-shaped parcel of open land.

Sisters Hospital (originally St. Vincent's Infirmary) was built in 1884 on six and half acres of what was then known as Beuadry Park (developed by brothers Prudent and Victor Beaudry in 1876).

Historical Notes

In Victor Heights the most visible reminder of the neighborhood’s once strongly-Italian character is Eastside Market and Deli. It was opened in the 1920s by Puglia-born Domenic Pontrelli across the river in the Eastside (Lincoln Heights) before moving to its current location (1013 Alpine Street) in 1929. Back then Alpine Street was home to three other Italian Markets.  It was from within Eastside Deli that Pontrelli’s son-in-law launched Pontrelli & Laricchia Sausage Company which moved out of the neighborhood in 1973. Shortly after, a former clean-up boy for the sausage company, Johnny Angiuli, took over the market with his brother, a former delivery driver, and they reorganized the establishment around a new deli counter, which is its focus today

Also located within the Victor Heights is the Art Deco-style Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center Building, designed to be the largest enclosed structure without walls in the world by architects Robert Clements and Associates. It was constructed by the WPA between 1938 and 1941 as one of the country’s largest naval armories, its secluded location chosen to shield it in the event of an air attack. During World War II, more than 20,000 sailors passed through the training center. In 1980, an electrical fire heavily damaged the interior, which reopened in 1986 after a renovation. It was designated California State Historic Landmark #972 in 1989. The military left in 1995 and it’s now home to the LAFD’s Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, named after the firefighter who died fighting the 1980 conflagration.

Historical Notes

The 1888 Sanborn Map shows: The tracks in front of the property on San Pedro Street as Southern Pacific R.R. (Wilmington Branch); the large bulding in the rear as the 'Dancing Pavilion'; and the garden on the right as the 'Beer Garden'.

Historical Notes

The garden covered about six acres and was notable for being the first stop the Santa Monica Railroad made out of the city.

Historical Notes

Although the building seen here sells garments, this intersection is part of the Los Angeles Flower District, an area known for its concentration of flower markets and floral businesses. It is a hub for both wholesale and retail flower purchases.

Key points about the Los Angeles Flower District:

Location: The main area is centered around Wall Street, between 7th and 8th streets in downtown Los Angeles.

Size and significance: It is considered the largest wholesale flower market in the United States.

Composition: The district spans approximately six blocks and includes several notable flower markets:

The Original Los Angeles Flower Market (754 & 755 Wall St)

Southern California Flower Market (742 Maple Ave)

California Flower Mall (825 S. San Pedro St)

Historical Notes

Charles A. Longstreet arrived in Los Angeles in late 1873, likely for his health. Soon after he reached the city he bought a 35 acre tract bordered by Figueroa Street, Grand Avenue, Adams Street and 23rd Street. He built a large Italianate mansion on a graded rise at the north end of a straight drive. Young fan palms were planted along both sides of the driveway. These palms grew into the line of trees seen in this early view, and many of them still survive today.

Historical Notes

By the 1880s the Longstreet Place was known as one of the most attractive estates in Southern California. Newspapers described the graded slope, the palms, the trimmed hedges, and the flower beds as a garden of delight. At this time it was the closest thing Los Angeles had to a southern style avenue leading to a country house. The house belonged to Charles A. Longstreet, a distant relative of Confederate General James Longstreet, but the two men should not be confused with one another.

Historical Notes

One of the hottest areas of the city for development was to the south and west of downtown, an area that first became known when Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park) was established there by 1870.  A decade later, the Methodist-affiliated University of Southern California opened its doors.  However, with the completion of the Santa Fe Transcontinental Railroad Line directly to Los Angeles, the floodgates were opened for the great Boom of the Eighties that rose up in 1886 and peaked the following two years.  Large estates and mansions lined Figueroa Avenue, Adams Boulevard and other nearby streets and some of these had very impressive landscaping.^

Charles Longstreet had died in 1877 and his widow and 3 sons lived in the mansion until 1884, when the land was subdivided.

Historical Notes

By the mid-1890s the Longstreet mansion was about 20 years old. Parts of the original 35 acre tract had already been sold, and new houses stood along Adams Street and the palm lined drive. The property later passed through several owners. Juana Neal, a well known businesswoman, lived in the old mansion for a time and helped sell lots from what had become known as the Longstreet Tract. The house sat on land that would later be called Singleton Court and eventually became the site of the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.

Historical Notes

Around 1899 the old Longstreet house and the remaining grounds were purchased by mining man John Singleton. He added a clock tower, made improvements to the buildings, and renamed the property Singleton Court. The main entrance was on Adams Street, marked by iron gates. This view looks south from within Singleton Court toward Adams Street. The estate then covered about 3.5 acres. Sometime before 1918 the main house was destroyed by fire, leaving only the brick stable building and the clock tower. The clock tower was later moved to the Brockman estate in Glendale.

Historical Notes

This photo shows Palm Drive more than 30 years after Charles Longstreet planted the young fan palms along his driveway. By 1909 many of the original palms had grown into tall, mature trees. New houses and sidewalks lined the street, showing how the earlier private drive had become a public city street. A child stands in the foreground and a carriage drawn by a pair of horses waits farther up the drive. At the end of the palms stands the mansion first built for Charles A. Longstreet. By this date it was better known as John Singleton’s residence at Singleton Court.

Historical Notes

This right panel forms the second half of the 1909 stereoscopic pair. Together, the two images show how Palm Drive looked more than 30 years after Charles Longstreet planted the young fan palms along his private driveway. By this time Palm Drive had become a public street lined with new homes and sidewalks, but the tall palms still gave it the appearance of a long formal approach to the old estate. At the far north end stood the mansion first built for Charles A. Longstreet and later owned by John Singleton as part of his property called Singleton Court.

Historical Notes

By the early 1920s the palms were already known as the tallest in the city, and many believed they were also the oldest. The palm lined streets of Beverly Hills were only then being planted, while the Longstreet palms were already about 40 to 50 years old. This view looks north from Adams Street. Even as the surrounding blocks filled with houses and the old estate buildings changed hands, the palms remained the most visible reminder of the original Longstreet Place.

Historical Notes

By 1930 the mansion was gone, and the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital now stood at the north end of Palm Drive on the former Longstreet property. The hospital was founded in 1911 by Dr Charles LeRoy Lowman and expanded steadily after the first building opened in 1922. Many of the original palms still stood and became part of the hospital grounds. Together with the old Arcade Depot Palm downtown, they are often considered the oldest trees in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Only about 23 of the original Longstreet palms remain today. They stand on the campus at Flower Street and Adams Boulevard. The trees are Washingtonia robusta, often called Mexican Fan Palms. They were planted in the early 1870s and are among the oldest living trees in the city. A children’s park now stands beside them, and the curved sign at the park entrance recalls the curve of the old iron gates that once marked the entrance to Singleton Court.

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