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

Historical Notes

By 1900 Los Angeles had 70 police officers, one for every 1,500 people. In 1903, with the start of the Civil Service, this force was increased to 200, although training was not introduced until 1916.^

Historical Notes

In the early 1900s, the office of Chief of Police became increasingly politicized. From 1900 to 1923 there were sixteen different chiefs. The longest-lasting was Charles E. Sebastian, who served from 1911 to 1915 before going on to become mayor.

In 1910 the department promoted the first sworn female police officer with full powers in the United States, Alice Stebbins Wells. Georgia Ann Robinson became the first African-American female police officer in the country in 1916.^

Historical Notes

Los Angeles' first patrol wagon was also used as an ambulance. It was bought in 1904, was driven by electricity and boasted 20 miles per hour.^

Historical Notes

In the early 1900s, the office of Chief of Police became increasingly politicized. From 1900 to 1923 there were sixteen different chiefs. The longest-lasting was Charles E. Sebastian, who served from 1911 to 1915 before going on to become mayor.

In 1910 the department promoted the first sworn female police officer with full powers in the United States, Alice Stebbins Wells. Georgia Ann Robinson became the first African-American female police officer in the country in 1916.^

Historical Notes

Pasadena, twelve miles northeast of Los Angeles, early became the second largest city in the county and retained that distinction for many years; in more recent times, staid Pasadena has been surpassed by other cities, but during most of PE's time, Pasadena ranked second only to Los Angeles in passenger traffic importance.

Historical Notes

The Glendale-Burbank Line was for many years PE's finest example of suburban rail service. It presented multiple unit PCC cars, considerable private way and the subway entry into downtown Los Angeles. PE brought such crowds to Glendale that in 1906 the incorporation of the city was effected.*

Historical Notes

The Edendale Cut was an unpaved road (some of which is now known as Silver Lake Ct.) and was the former route of the Glendale and Burbank interurban railway lines operated by Pacific Electric. The line crossed Fletcher Drive over a viaduct before continuing along a hillside ledge to the Monte Sano stop at Glendale Blvd. and Riverside Drive.^

Historical Notes

The Pacific Electric Glendale and Burbank interurban railway lines, including the Fletcher Viaduct, was constructed in 1904 and abandoned in 1955.*

All viaducts are a type of bridge, but not all bridges are viaducts. The key difference between a viaduct and a bridge is that a viaduct is a long, elevated structure that carries a road or railway across a valley, gorge, or other low-lying area, while a bridge is typically used to cross a body of water. What makes the Fletcher overcrossing a viaduct and not a bridge is that it is an elevated, arched structure used to carry transportation infrastructure across a gap in the terrain, rather than over a river, lake, or other body of water.

Historical Notes

In 1904, a nearly 454 foot long bridge, the Fletcher Viaduct, was built over Fletcher Drive, which ran forty feet below. The viaduct stood until 1928 when it was replaced by a steel structure bridge.*

Historical Notes

In 1928, when Fletcher was paved, the original timber bridge was replaced with a steel structure mounted on concrete footings. The newer structure soared more than 60 feet above the street.*

Historical Notes

People still fondly remember the Currie’s chain and its “mile-high cone” whose replica was often displayed billboard-style on roofs. The chain was started in 1927 by three brothers named Kuhns. After WWII they sold it to the Good Humor Company who later sold it to Lipton in the 1960s. In 1964 the chain opened its 87th store, in North Hollywood. Although Currie’s anticipated launching units in every community in Southern California, only three outlets were listed in the 1967 Los Angeles phone book and the chain had disappeared by the 1980s.*

Historical Notes

The 1928-built steel trestle remained in place until 1959, when it and the nearby Riverside Drive Viaduct at Glendale Boulevard were demolished.

Historical Notes

The viaduct, originally constructed in wood in 1904, was rebuilt as a steel trestle in 1928. It stood until 1959 when it, along with the nearby Riverside Drive Viaduct at Glendale Boulevard, was demolished

Historical Notes

Today the Fletcher Viaduct's concrete footings and pylons are still there and have been designated as LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 770 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

Edendale was the valley along Glendale Boulevard that traverses from Echo Park to the beginning of the 2 Freeway. Today the area is considered Silverlake on the west side and Elysian Park to the east. The grass median that runs along Glendale Boulevard used to be the Red Line Train that ran from downtown and would eventually be extended to Glendale along the hills behind the Red Lion Tavern.

Edendale was widely known as the home of most major movie studios on the West Coast. Among its many claims, it was home to the Keystone Kops, and the site of many movie firsts, including Charlie Chaplin's first movie, the first feature-length comedy, and the first pie-in-the-face. The Edendale movie studios were mostly concentrated in a four-block stretch of Allesandro Street, between Berkeley Avenue and Duane Street. Allesandro Street was later renamed Glendale Boulevard (and a smaller nearby street took on the name Allesandro).

The name Edendale is no longer used as a place name, and is little known today. A few remnants of the name are the local post office (officially called Edendale Station), a public library branch, an urban farm called Edendale Farm and a restaurant called Edendale. Although many of the structures from the 1910s remain and can be identified by careful comparison with old photos, this district today is located in an unremarkable commercial zone called the "Glendale Boulevard Corridor," which is known mostly for its function as a commuter thoroughfare between the southern end of the Glendale Freeway and downtown Los Angeles.*^

Click HERE to see a 1916 map showing the location of Edendale.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles district of Edendale was one of the biggest producers of motion pictures in the entire world.  It was here that the first screen pie fight broke out.  It was also here that Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Mabel Normand became household names.  Ant it was also in Edendale that an unknown English music-hall performer named Charles Chaplin first picked up a cane and derby, pasted on a stage mustache, slid into some baggy pants and an unusually large pair of mismatched boots, and waddled into the hearts of movie watchers worldwide.^

The Edendale movie studios were mostly concentrated in a four-block stretch of Allesandro Street, between Berkeley Avenue and Duane Street. Allesandro Street was later renamed Glendale Boulevard (and a smaller nearby street took on the name Allesandro).

The former Mack Sennett Studio where Keystone Kops films were shot still stands behind a Jack in the Box -- although it's been repurposed as a Public Storage facility. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Attracted by Southern California's mild, dry climate and varied geography for location shooting, William Selig set up his studio in Edendale in 1909 with director Francis Boggs, who began the facility in a rented bungalow and quickly expanded, designing the studio's front entrance after Mission San Gabriel.*^

Historical Notes

Selig Plyscope Company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring Tom Mix, Harold Lloyd, Colleen Moore, and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.

In 1917 Selig sold the Edendale facility to producer William Fox and moved his movie studio to his zoo located in east Los Angeles. Meanwhile, World War I cut severely into the substantial revenues Selig Polyscope had been garnering in Europe and the company shunned profitable movie industry trends, which had shifted towards dramatic (and more costly) full length feature films. Selig Polyscope became insolvent and ceased operations in 1918.*^

Click HERE to see more on the Selig Zoo.

Historical Notes

Long before there was Twentieth Century-Fox, there was the William Fox Studios at 1845 Allesandro St. in what was then called Edendale.

Historical Notes

William Fox (born as Wilhelm Fuchs) was a Hungarian-American motion picture executive, who founded the Fox Film Corporation in 1915 and the Fox West Coast Theatres chain in the 1920s.

Although he lost control of his movie empire in 1930, his name lives on in the names of various media ventures, which are currently either owned by Rupert Murdoch, such as the Fox Broadcasting Company and the Fox News Channel, or by The Walt Disney Company, such as 20th Century Fox and 21st Century Fox.*^

Historical Notes

Keystone Studios was an early movie studio founded in Edendale (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel and Charles O. Baumann, owners of the New York Motion Picture Company.  The company filmed in and around Glendale and Silver Lake for several years, and its films were distributed by the Mutual Film Corporation between 1912 and 1915.*^

The original main building, the first totally enclosed film stage and studio in history, is still standing at Glendale Blvd. between Aaron and Effie Streets in Echo Park, although it's been repurposed as a Public Storage facility.

Historical Notes

The studio is perhaps best remembered for the era under Mack Sennett when he created the slapstick antics of the Keystone Cops, from 1912, and for the Sennett Bathing Beauties, beginning in 1915. Charles Chaplin got his start at Keystone when Sennett hired him fresh from his vaudeville career to make silent films.

Other important actors worked at Keystone toward the beginning of their film careers, including Marie Dressler, Harold Lloyd, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, Gloria Swanson, Louise Fazenda, Raymond Griffith, Ford Sterling, Ben Turpin, Harry Langdon, Al St. John and Chester Conklin.*^

Historical Notes

Mack Sennett's slapstick comedies were noted for their wild car chases and custard pie warfare, especially in the Keystone Cops series. Additionally, Sennett's first female comedian was Mabel Normand, who became a major star under his direction and with whom he embarked on a tumultuous romantic relationship. Sennett also developed the Kid Comedies, a forerunner of the Our Gang films, and in a short time, his name became synonymous with screen comedy which were called "flickers" at the time.

Sennett departed the studio in 1917 to produce his own independent films (eventually distributed through Paramount). Keystone's business decreased after his departure, and finally closed after bankruptcy in 1935.*^

Historical Notes

The above Edendale lot, now gone, was owned by Norbig Studios. It served as a rental lot housing many early companies, including:

◆ Norbig Studios (1914-1919)
◆ Bronx Studio (1919-1924)
◆ Reaguer Productions (1922-1924)
◆ Albuquerque (1913-1918)
◆ Consolidated Film Co. (1918)
◆ Rolin Film Co. (Hal Roach) (1916)
◆ Doubleday Productions (1920)
◆ Charles A. Taylor Studios (1920)
◆ Lone Star Film Productions (not to be confused with Lone Star Corp. and Lone Star Studios)
◆ H&O Film Co. (1922)
◆ Western Arts Studios (1923-1924)
◆ Westwood Productions (1925)
◆ Monarch Pictures (1928)

Studio is long since gone.*

Edendale would eventually run out of moviemaking space and within a decade studios were moving over the hill to the dry Methodist community of Hollywood. Edendale’s final claim to fame would be the community of artists and communists that lived there right before World War II. With the construction of the Glendale Freeway cutting up the neighborhood, Edendale became Silverlake, Los Feliz, and Elysian Fields.

Historical Notes

Silver Lake is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles.  Originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe in honor of Sir Walter Scott. In 1907, the Los Angeles Water Department built the Silver Lake Reservoir, named for LA Water Commissioner Herman Silver, giving the neighborhood its name. The area is now known for its architecturally significant homes, independently owned businesses, diverse restaurants, painted staircases, and a creative environment. The neighborhood is also home to several highly rated public and private schools.

Click HERE to see more on the Silver Lake Reservoir.

Historical Notes

On the reverse of the card it states: "A 67 unit Auto Court with Trailer Sites. Resort Atmosphere in the heart of the City, well known for its Hospitality and Service. Rates Most Reasonable."

Historical Notes

Glassell Park is bordered on the north by Glendale, on the northeast and east by Eagle Rock, on the southeast by Mount Washington, on the south and southwest by Elysian Valley and on the west by Atwater Village.

Historical Notes

Cypress Park is situated near the confluence of the Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco, less than 2.5 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles. It lies within a historic alluvial floodplain shared with the Elysian Valley neighborhood, which is bounded by Elysian Park and Mt. Washington.

Historical Notes

Figueroa Street in Highland Park was once part of Route 66 during its Transitional (1932-1934) and Alternate (1936-1940) alignments. It served as the main street of Highland Park until the Arroyo Seco Parkway opened on December 30, 1940, which bypassed the area. Before being named Figueroa, the road was known as Pasadena Avenue and had sections called Dayton Avenue.

Historical Notes

Over the past decade, Figueroa Street in Highland Park has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a predominantly working-class Latino area to one of northeast Los Angeles' most vibrant commercial corridors. The street has seen an influx of upscale businesses, including trendy restaurants, coffee shops, and creative enterprises, alongside rising property values and rents. Despite this rapid change, efforts have been made to preserve the area's historic character, with many older buildings being rehabilitated rather than demolished. New mixed-use developments are also emerging, aiming to increase housing and commercial space. This evolution has attracted media and tech companies, establishing Figueroa Street as a mini-design district. However, the rapid gentrification has raised concerns about displacement and affordability among long-time residents. Overall, Figueroa Street now represents a dynamic blend of old and new, balancing its historic charm with modern urban development, making it an increasingly desirable location for businesses and residents alike in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Figueroa Street in Highland Park is currently grappling with a complex set of challenges stemming from rapid gentrification. The area is experiencing a significant displacement of long-time residents and local businesses due to rising property values and rents, leading to an affordable housing crisis and the erosion of the neighborhood's cultural identity. This has created tension between newer, often more affluent residents and established community members, resulting in protests and increased community activism. The street faces the difficult task of balancing new development with the preservation of its historic character and architectural heritage. Additionally, the influx of new businesses and residents has exacerbated traffic and parking issues, straining local infrastructure. Economic disparities are widening, and there's growing concern about maintaining the area's racial, ethnic, and economic diversity. The overarching challenge lies in finding ways to improve the neighborhood that benefit all residents, not just newcomers, while preserving the community ties and cultural richness that have long defined Highland Park.

Historical Notes

On March 18th, 1917, the Bureau of Power and Light opened its first major hydro-electric power plant, San Francisquito Power Plant No. 1. The plant used water from the recently completed Los Angeles Aqueduct to generate electricity. The LA Bureau of Power and Light would now be able to 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.

The Los Angeles Bureau of Power and Light became part of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in 1937. 

Click HERE to see more on Los Angeles' 1st Municipal Power Pole.

Historical Notes

The Arroyo Seco Branch Library was completed in 1914. It was the second of six branches built between 1913 and 1916 with a $210,000 Carnegie grant obtained by Los Angeles in 1911. All but one of these branches included a basement assembly room and an outdoor reading area.

In 1932, Pasadena Avenue in Highland Park was renamed to Figueroa Street as part of a larger urban planning initiative in Los Angeles. This change coincided with the completion of the Figueroa Street Tunnels, which created a more direct route between downtown Los Angeles and Highland Park. The renaming was designed to establish Figueroa Street as a continuous thoroughfare from downtown through Highland Park and up to Eagle Rock. Prior to this change, the section of what is now Figueroa Street in Highland Park above Avenue 39 was known as "Pasadena Avenue." 

Historical Notes

In the 1940s, Highland Park's streetcar service along North Figueroa Street, particularly at the intersection with Piedmont Street, was primarily provided by Line 5, operated by the Los Angeles Railway (LARy). This line connected Eagle Rock to downtown Los Angeles and was known for its frequent service, contributing to the vibrant commercial atmosphere of the neighborhood. 

Historical Notes

The decline of streetcar service along North Figueroa Street and Piedmont Street in Highland Park was part of a larger trend affecting the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) system in the mid-20th century. Operating from 1895 to 1963, LARy faced financial challenges as early as the 1920s and 1930s, leading to service cuts and the introduction of more efficient streetcars. The rise of bus services and increasing private automobile ownership further pressured the system. Despite a brief period of improved service in the 1920s, the Great Depression and subsequent decades saw a gradual shift away from streetcars. By the 1940s and 1950s, many lines were being replaced by buses. The specific line serving Highland Park, Line 5, continued operating until May 22, 1955, when it was discontinued due to Arroyo Seco Parkway construction. This marked the end of the streetcar era in Highland Park.

Historical Notes

The original Arroyo Seco Library, built in 1914 in the Classical Revival style, was replaced by a new building in 1960, and then again in 2003. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

In 1884, residents gathered to form a townsite and chose the name "Glendale" (it was bounded by First Street (now Lexington Drive) on the north, Fifth Street (now Harvard Street) on the south, Central Avenue on the west, and the Childs Tract on the east). Residents to the southwest formed "Tropico" in 1887. The Pacific Electric Railway brought streetcar service in 1904.

Glendale incorporated in 1906, and annexed Tropico 12 years later.

Historical Notes

The Pacific Electric Railway brought streetcar service to Glendale in 1904.

An important civic booster of the era was Leslie Coombs Brand, who built an estate in 1904 called El Miradero featuring an eye-catching mansion whose architecture combined characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles (today’s Brand Library and Art Center). Brand partnered with Henry E. Huntington to bring the Pacific Electric Railway, or the "Red Cars," to the area. Today, he is memorialized by one of the city's main thoroughfares, Brand Boulevard.

Historical Notes

When incorporated in 1906, Glendale consisted of only 1,486 acres.  By 1920, the City had grown through nine annexations to over 7,000 acres. From 1920 to 1930, ten annexations brought the total area to 12,294 acres.
The period 1930 to 1950 established many small annexations culminating in the 2,160 acre Whiting Woods and Verdugo Mountains annexations. This brought the area of the City to 15,140 acres or 23.6 square miles. Two major annexations, New York Avenue (in the La Crescenta area) and Upper Chevy Chase Canyon, and several smaller annexations enlarged the City to 29.2 square miles by 1952. Since 1952, twenty-seven annexations have occurred. The largest of these was the 662.8 acre Inter-Valley Ranch, now known as the George Dukemejian Wilderness Park. Currently the City consists of 30.5 square miles with a population of over 200,000.

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Glendale

Historical Notes

Tropico was put on the map as a fertile agricultural spot in the late 1800s. Shortly thereafter, the town began distancing itself from the rest of Glendale. In 1918, the neighborhood formally succeeded in becoming an independent entity for a short time.

Historical Notes

Rancho San Rafael was granted to José María Verdugo on October 20, 1784. Don José died April 12, 1831, leaving his estate to his son Julio and his blind daughter Catalina. This adobe was built for Dona Catalina in the 1830s; she lived here until her death in 1861. Still in excellent condition, the Catalina, or Original Mud Block, Adobe is now in private ownership. Location: 2211 Bonita Dr, Glendale

The Catalina Verdugo Adobe is registered as California Historical Landmark No. 637 and the California Parlor No. 247. Click HERE to see more California HIstorical Landmarks in LA.

Historical Notes

Tropico was the name of the southern portion of Glendale, south of Windsor Road, between the late 1800s and 1918. The name "Glendale"  had originated in the 1880s and was utilized north of Windsor Road. Political factions had divided the town in two.   By the turn of the century, the commercial center of Tropico was at Central and San Fernando Road and its population was 700. ^##^

Historical Notes

Tropico was just a sleepy little village in the early 1900s. The business district included a few wooden buildings containing a general store, a blacksmith shop, meat store, livery stable, real estate offices and a few other small concerns. The buildings were all clustered near the intersection of San Fernando Road and Central Avenue. But within a few short years, the wood-frame buildings were replaced with brick, business boomed and the community became vibrant. The Tropico Art Tile Works stood just west of the railroad tracks, employing many people, and Tropico also became the shipping center for the strawberries raised in the area.

Because of its proximity to Los Angeles, the area became a popular residential spot. The Tropico Chamber of Commerce organized in 1910, along with the Bank of Tropico, and soon the community realized it needed a city government.

With so many of its residents commuting into Los Angeles, many favored annexing to Los Angeles. Others, seeing Glendale's successful example of home rule, wanted to be part of Glendale, which had incorporated in 1906. #+#+

Historical Notes

With so many of its residents commuting into Los Angeles, many favored annexing to Los Angeles. Others, seeing Glendale's successful example of home rule, wanted to be part of Glendale, which had incorporated in 1906.  They felt that since the two communities were adjacent and in the same valley, they should be affiliated. Those favoring annexation with Glendale (mainly in the northeast part of Tropico) approached Glendale officials in 1911 and asked that an election be called.

The publishers of the Tropico Sentinel vehemently opposed annexation, and the issue failed. Instead, Tropico incorporated as its own city, with Elkanah W. Richardson, son of Tropico's founder, W.C.B. Richardson, serving as a member of the board of trustees.

The new city government immediately embarked on a badly needed improvement of the roads, but the annexation issue didn't go away.  Petition after petition was filed, each one eventually failing, until finally, in 1918, the annexation proposal passed.  The upper half of Tropico voted to go with Glendale, and the lower half voted to merge with Los Angeles. Today, that portion makes up the area known as Atwater. #+#+

Historical Notes

The Tropico Post Office building was owned by WCB Richardson and was located near the corner of Central Avenue and San Fernando Road.

Historical Notes

Born in Missouri in 1859, Leslie Coombs Brand became the sole provider for his family at age 11. In 1886, Brand came to California to take advantage of its first boom period. #*#^

Brand was a major figure in the settlement and economic growth of the Glendale area. He had purchased land on the lower slopes of Mount Verdugo overlooking the city, and in 1904 built an imposing residence that became known as Brand Castle, also El Miradero (which today houses the Brand Library).*^

Historical Notes

Designed by Leslie C. Brand's brother-in-law Nathaniel Dryden, the mansion was completed in 1904 and is similar in style to that of the East Indian Pavilion built for the 1893 Columbian World Exposition held in Chicago. The architecture is considered Saracenic, with crenellated arches, bulbous domes and minars combining characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles.^

Historical Notes

Leslie C. Brand helped develop the city of Glendale.  Together with Henry E. Huntington, he brought Pacific Electric to the town to develop it. The 'Brand Library' section of the Glendale Public Library is named in his honor. Brand Boulevard in Glendale is also named in his honor.*^

Historical Notes

Just across the mostly dry Los Angeles River, Brand could see the Griffith Park Aerodrome's grass field, built in 1912. Just three years later he decided to build his own grass airstrip below his mansion.*^

Historical Notes

Brand established a grassy, well-manicured airfield in front of the mansion. The airfield consisted of a 1,200' rolled dirt runway, with a white hangar at one end and a putting green on the other. The hangar matched the architectural style of the mansion - with turrets atop each of the 4 corners.*#*#

Historical Notes

Only 3 aircraft are known to have been actually based at Brand Field.  However, Brand apparently bought many war surplus Jennies, some to tinker with and fly as a sport, although most languished in storage buildings.*#*#

Historical Notes

Brand built his first hangar in 1916 and put together a fleet of planes, and held fly-in parties. The only requirement was that guests had to arrive in their own planes and bring passengers.*^

Historical Notes

Brand Field was no longer depicted on a 1931 street map, but “Brand Park” was depicted, so the airfield may have ceased operation by that point.*#*#

Historical Notes

It was stated in Brand's will that El Miradero would be bequeathed to the city upon his wife's death, on the condition that the property be used exclusively for a public park and library. Mrs. Mary Louise Brand retained rights of the residence from 1925, when Mr. Brand died, until her death in 1945.^

Historical Notes

In 1956 the mansion became the Brand Library, the art and music branch of the Glendale Public Library. The address is 1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale.^

Historical Notes

The Melrose Hotel was located at 138 S. Grand Ave. on Bunker Hill.  It started as a Victorian mansion in 1881 and eventually became a hotel apartment. Click HERE to see more on the Melrose Hotel.

If still standing today, the view from the front porch of the Melrose Hotel (looking west) would be that of Disney Hall, located directly across the street, on the other side of Grand Ave.

Historical Notes

In March 1881, after heavy lobbying by Los Angeles residents, the California State Legislature authorized the creation of a southern branch of the California State Normal School (which later became San Jose State University) in downtown Los Angeles to train teachers for the growing population of Southern California. The State Normal School at Los Angeles opened on August 29, 1882, on what is now the site of the Central Library of the Los Angeles Public Library system.*^

Historical Notes

Through the years, the State Normal School was expanded and several new wings were added. In 1887, the school officially became known as the Los Angeles State Normal School.*^

Historical Notes

The California State Normal School included an elementary school where teachers-in-training could practice their teaching technique on children. That elementary school is related to the present day version, UCLA Lab School.*^

Historical Notes

By 1914 the little pueblo of Los Angeles had grown to a city of 350,000 and the school, whose enrollment far exceeded its capacity, moved to new quarters -- a Hollywood ranch off a dirt road which would later become Vermont Avenue. With a view toward expansion, Director Ernest Carroll Moore proposed in 1917 that the school become the first branch of the Berkeley-based University of California. Two years later on May 23, 1919, California Governor William D. Stephens signed the legislation that created the "Southern Branch" of the University of California -- no longer merely a teacher's college but an institution that offered two years of instruction in Letters and Science. Third- and fourth-year courses were soon added, the first class of 300 students was graduated in 1925, and by 1927 the Southern Branch had earned its new name: University of California at Los Angeles (the "at" became a comma in 1958). As the student population of the University continued to increase, the need for a new site became obvious and the search was soon under way for a permanent home for UCLA.^

Historical Notes

The Downey Block was demolished in 1904. Since then the corner has been the site of two Federal Buildings: the Federal Building and Post Office (1910 - 1937) and the Federal Courthouse and U.S. Post Office Building (1940 - Present).

The Hazard and Harpham Patent Office moved to a building on the southeast corner of Fifth and Spring streets (see next photo).

Historical Notes

In 1882, Remi Nadeau built the Nadeau Hotel on the SW corner of 1st and Spring streets. It was Los Angeles's first four-story structure and the first building with an elevator. The hotel was designed by Morgan & Walls.

The Nadeau Hotel stood on the southwest corner until 1932, when it was demolished to make room for the current Los Angeles Times Building.

Historical Notes

The original Baltimore Hotel seen above, the two-toned building with the conical tower located on the NE corner of Olive and 7th streets, would become the future site of the Los Angeles Athletic Club (built in 1911, occupied in 1912).

The new Hotel Baltimore was built at 5th and Los Angeles Streets in 1910.

Historical Notes

In 1912, the LAAC moved into its current 12-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse (seen above), designed by architects John Parkinson and George Bergstrom. This building was the first in Southern California to have an interior swimming pool on an upper floor.

Click HERE to see more early views of the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation (LAGC) was one of the first utilities in Los Angeles. It competed with Los Angeles Bureau of Power and Light (BP&L) and SCE in the early 1900s. In 1936, BP&L (later LADWP) would buy out the electrical side of LAGC to become the sole provider of electricity in Los Angeles. The gas side of LAGC would then become Southern Californa Gas Company.

Click HERE to see more on the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation.

Historical Notes

Between 1897 and 1906 the power house was in use as Edison Electric Company Steam Plant No. 1. This was Edison's first power plant located in the City of Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

At the time of this photo the brick building at the corner of 2nd and Boylston streets, once part of Edison Electric Steam Plant No. 1, was no longer being used as a power plant. It now was serving as an Edison Electrical Sub-Station.

In 1909, Los Angeles Edsion Electric changed its name to Southern California Edison (SCE).

Historical Notes

Over the years the Boylston facility has been used by the West Side Lighting Company, Los Angeles Edison Electric, Southern California Edison, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which has occupied the site since 1940.

Click HERE to see more in Early Boylston Street Yard.

Historical Notes

The Central Oil Field above is situated just south of the largest producing oil field in the history of the Southland called the Los Angeles Oil Field.

The Los Angeles City Oil Field is a large oil field north of Downtown. Long and narrow, it extends from immediately south of Dodger Stadium west to Vermont Avenue, encompassing an area of about four miles long by a quarter mile across. Its former productive area amounts to 780 acres.

Historical Notes

Discovered in 1890, and made famous by Edward Doheny's successful well in 1892, the Los Angeles Oil Field was once the top producing oil field in California, accounting for more than half of the state's oil in 1895. In its peak year of 1901, approximately 200 separate oil companies were active on the field, which is now entirely overbuilt by dense residential and commercial development.

Historical Notes

The fortunes made during development of the Los Angeles Oil field led directly to the discovery and exploitation of other fields in the Los Angeles Basin. Of the 1,250 wells once drilled on the field, and the forest of derricks that once covered the low hills north of Los Angeles from Elysian Park west, little above-ground trace remains today.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more on the Los Angeles Oil Boom of the 1890s

Historical Notes

The tall tower in the distance is the Old City Hall, located at 226 Broadway. It was LA’s 3rd City Hall.  Built in 1888, it stood until the current City Hall was completed in 1928.^

Historical Notes

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 by George Albert Ralphs with the original store being located at Sixth and Spring Streets. The company employed notable architects in designing its stores.*^

Click HERE to see an 1886 photo of George Ralphs standing in front of his original store in the Early LA Buildings (1800s) Section.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more on the early 5-Globe streetlights seen above.

Historical Notes

The State Normal School later evolved into UCLA. Click HERE to see more in Early Views of the Normal School and UCLA.

Historical Notes

Note the beautiful ornate streetlight seen on the NW corner. These types of five-globe streetlights were originally installed on most streets in Downtown Los Angeles in the early 1900s, (except for Broadway which had the seven-globe lights). 

This particularly ornate model (called "Winslow") seemed to be limited to Hill Street and the streets adjacent to Pershing Square: the one block segments of 5th, Olive, and 6th.

Today, the last of these poles are still being used as architectural features in the gardens and malls adjacent to City Hall. Click HERE to see more.

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 theater, initially named Temple Auditorium, opened on November 7, 1906, with a performance of "Aida." Designed by Charles E. Whittlesey, it was the world's largest reinforced concrete structure at the time, featuring an Art Nouveau interior, a Spanish Gothic exterior, 2,700 seats, and the largest stage in the western U.S. In 1914, impresario William "Billy" Clune leased and transformed it into Clune's Auditorium, a pioneering movie palace known for elaborate prologues with music and dancers. Notably, it hosted the premiere of D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation," with a full orchestra.

Note: The Spanish-American War Soldier's Monument is still located in Pershing Square today. The monument, also known as the 7th Regiment Monument, remains the oldest piece of public art in the city and has been designated as Cultural-Heritage Monument No. 480 by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles Railway operated an extensive network of streetcars in the downtown area, including along 5th Street near what would become Pershing Square, during the period around 1914.

Historical Notes

Note the details on the ornate streetlight on the corner, also known as the 'Winslow' electrolier. It was manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889, which was one of the largest metalworking facilities in Los Angeles at the time. Click HERE to see more early views of 5-globe Llewellyn 'Winslow' Electroliers.

Historical Notes

The California Club is a private social club established in 1888 in downtown Los Angeles, the oldest such club in Southern California.

The club's first location was in the second-floor rooms over the Tally-Ho Stables on the northwest corner of First and Fort (Broadway) streets, where the Los Angeles County Law Library now stands. It moved to the Wilcox Building on the southeast corner of Second and Spring streets in 1895, occupying the two top floors, the fourth and fifth. The building was distinguished as the first in Los Angeles to have two elevators — one for the public and the other for members. The men's dining room, reading room, bar and lounge were on the top floor. On the floor below was the ladies' dining room.

The club remained at the Wilcox Building for ten years, Increased membership impelled the club to seek a new location in the southward and westward direction of the expansion of the city. In 1904 the club's headquarters were moved to a new five-story building with a basement and a roof garden on the northwest corner of Fifth and Hill streets.

Beginning in the 1920s, blacks, Jews and women were barred from membership. Finally in 1987 the city of Los Angeles made discriminatory clubs illegal. Some members of the California Club then sought to maintain discriminatory membership policies, but their efforts were defeated by a majority of the members. Indeed, in the vote taken in June 1987, 90 percent of the voting members favored admitting women.*

Historical Notes

The city is thriving with multi-storied commercial and residential buildings. Both, the large two-story mansion-style Spring Street School next to the H. Arnold Furniture Store building and the California State Normal School can be seen. Prominent buildings or landmarks include: Pershing Square (center right), Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, State Normal School (upper center) and the Metropolitan Building (still under construction -- behind the Los Angeles Examiner building).  Mountains are visible in the distance: the Santa Monica Mountains to the left; the Hollywood Hills, center right; and a mix of the Verdugo and San Gabriel Mountains to the right.

Historical Notes

Sixth Street stands to the left, stretching towards the horizon from the bottom of the photo, populated with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Tall two- to four-story victorian-style business buildings line it to the left and right. To the extreme right, the large, two-story mansion-style Spring Street School can be seen next to the H. Arnold Furniture House that advertises "Mattings, Linoleum & Rugs". Mountains (Hollywood HIlls) are visible in the background. The California State Normal School is the largest structure in the background.^^

Historical Notes

The historic Pacific Electric Building (also known as the Huntington Building, after the Pacific Electric founder and developer, Henry Huntington) opened in 1905 as the terminal for the Pacific Electric Red Car Lines running east and south of downtown Los Angeles, as well as the company's main headquarters building. It was designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh. Though not the first modern building in Los Angeles, nor the tallest, its large footprint and ten-floor height made it the largest building in floor area west of Chicago for several decades. Above the main floor terminal were five floors of offices and, on the top three floors, the Jonathan Club, one of the city's leading businessmen's clubs. The club moved to its own building on Figueroa Street in 1925.*^

Historical Notes

Named after the Ivy Park housing development, the Ivy station stop along the Santa Monica Air Line served present-day Culver City. Located near the corner of Venice and Robertson Boulevards, the Ivy Station was later renamed Culver Junction.  It eventually closed in 1953.^##

Historical Notes

In 1891 Abbot Kinney built the resort of Ocean Park, which became the center of his coastal amusement paradise, Venice of America. Easily accessible by streetcar from both Santa Monica and Los Angeles, Venice, which opened in 1905, included canals, gondolas and gondoliers, Venetian-style buildings, an amusement pier, a dancehall and an auditorium.

Kinney inherited his father's tobacco business and made a substantial fortune manufacturing Sweet Caporal cigarettes.*

Historical Notes

Among the South Bay piers, the most notable in this period was Abbot Kinney's Venice of America pier, started in 1904 and built to rival his former partner's Ocean Park Pier. Located at the end of Windward Avenue in Venice, Kinney's pier was 900 feet long, 30 feet wide and included an Auditorium, large replica Ship Cafe, Dance Hall, Dentzel carousel, a Japanese Tea House and an Ocean Inn Restaurant. Venice soon became considered its own neighborhood.*^

Historical Notes

Venice of America was founded by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a beach resort town. He and his partner Francis Ryan had bought two miles of oceanfront property south of Santa Monica in 1891. They built a resort town on the north end of the property called Ocean Park, which was soon annexed to Santa Monica. After Ryan died, Kinney and his new partners continued building south of Navy Street in the unincorporated territory. After the partnership dissolved in 1904, Kinney built on the marshy land on the south end of the property, intending to create a seaside resort like its namesake in Italy.*^

Historical Notes

When Venice of America opened on July 4, 1905, Kinney had dug several miles of canals to drain the marshes for his residential area, built a 1,200-foot long pleasure pier with an auditorium, ship restaurant, and dance hall, constructed a hot salt-water plunge, and built a block-long arcaded business street with Venetian architecture. Tourists, mostly arriving on the "Red Cars" of the Pacific Electric Railway from Los Angeles and Santa Monica, then rode Venice's miniature railroad and gondolas to tour the town.*^

Historical Notes

In 1903, A.M. Parson and his son began plotting a path to build Naples into a resort village reminiscent of an Italian village. However, the area was considered a swampland known for flooding and was, therefore, difficult to build on.

In an effort to showcase the beauty of the islands,  Naples was one of the stops on the Triangle Trolley Trip excursion that began in Los Angeles. Passengers were transported by the Pacific Electric Red Trolley Cars to this small community of canals.

Historical Notes

Located between Belmont Shore and the Long Beach Marina are the islands that make Naples. The neighborhood consists of three islands along Alamitos Bay, which are divided by enticing canals that lead to the open bay.

Historical Notes

The Venice Canals were originally conceived by developer Abbot Kinney in 1905 as part of his vision to create a "Venice of America" in what is now the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. Inspired by the famous canals of Venice, Italy, Kinney aimed to recreate a romantic and picturesque waterfront community.

Historical Notes

Kinney dredged several miles of marshland to create the canals, which were accompanied by Italian-inspired bridges and walkways. Construction began in 1904, and by 1905, the first canals were completed. The area quickly became a popular tourist destination and residential area.

Historical Notes

The original Venice of America canals contributed to the success of Kinney's real estate development. Lots fronting the canals became a favorite choice for owners of the local amusement concerns or out-of-town tourists looking for a place to pitch a summer cottage.

Historical Notes

The beautifully lit canals with gondoliers and arched bridges drew widespread publicity and helped sell lots in Kinney’s Venice development.

Historical Notes

The Aldebaran  Canal would later become Market Street after the canals were filled ca. 1929.

Historical Notes

As the automobile gained in popularity, the canals were viewed by many as outdated, and the bulk of the canals were filled in 1929 to create roads.

Historical Notes

When it opened on July 4, 1905, Venice of America boasted seven distinct canals arranged in an irregular grid pattern. Totaling nearly two miles and dredged out of former saltwater marshlands, the canals encircled four islands, including the tiny triangular United States Island. The widest of them, appropriately named Grand Canal, terminated at a large saltwater lagoon. Three of the smaller canals referred to celestial bodies: Aldebaran, Venus, and Altair.

Historical Notes

Lion Canal, was renamed Windward, it stretched from the bathing lake, or lagoon past Saint Marks Island to Cabrillo Canal.

Historical Notes

The "Race Thru the Clouds" was a prominent wooden roller coaster located at Venice Pier in Venice, California, during the 1910s. It was notable for being the first racing roller coaster on the West Coast and opened on July 4, 1911. The coaster was designed by John Miller, a renowned roller coaster designer, and was constructed by the Ingersoll Construction Company, with Thomas Prior and Frederick Church responsible for its operation and maintenance.

The "Race Thru the Clouds" featured a twin-track design, allowing two coaster cars to race each other along parallel tracks. Each track was 4,000 feet long, and the coaster reached a height of 90 feet. This design provided a thrilling experience with numerous twists and turns, making it a popular attraction for visitors to Venice Beach.

Historical Notes

The Antler Hotel was a key landmark in Venice, California's early 20th-century "Venice of America" development, designed to mirror Venice, Italy, with canals and Venetian architecture. Located near the Venice Lagoon, the hotel was part of a vibrant area featuring attractions like the "Race Thru The Clouds" roller coaster. By the late 1920s, the lagoon was filled in, transforming the area into the Windward Circle.

Historical Notes

The canals converged on a large saltwater lagoon that later became a traffic circle. The bulk of the canals were filled in 1929 to create roads.

Historical Notes

The transformation of Venice's canals into roads was primarily driven by economic and maintenance considerations. As the canals began to deteriorate, the cost of upkeep became a significant burden for the city. Filling the canals was seen as a more economically viable solution, especially during the Great Depression, when resources were limited. This financial pressure, combined with the rise of automobile use and urban development priorities after Venice's 1926 annexation by Los Angeles, led to the widespread conversion of canals into roads. Despite resident opposition, most canals were filled, although some were preserved and later recognized as historic landmarks.

Historical Notes

Before 1929, the area covered by canals was approximately three to four times as large as today. The entire area between Abbot Kinney, Pacific, and Venice Blvd. were canals. These canals were: Coral Canal (now Main St.), Cabrillo Canal (now Cabrillo Ave.), Venus Canal (now San Juan Ave.), Lion Canal (now Windward Ave.), Altair Canal (now Altair St.), Aldebaren Canal (now Market St.), and Grand Canal (now Grand Boulevard).

Historical Notes

Today, the traffic circle at Pacific and Windward Avenues is located on top of what once was the Venice Lagoon.

Historical Notes

When Abbot Kinney was building Venice in 1905, he decided that his new resort should have an internal transportation system to shuttle visitors and residents around town. He turned to John J. Coit who operated a successful eighteen inch gauge (1/3rd scale) miniature steam railroad at Eastlake Park (now Lincoln Park) in Los Angeles. He persuaded him to oversee the construction and management of a mile and three quarter long railroad that would take passengers from the Windward Avenue business district on a loop across canal bridges and through the canalled residential district, then return via a loop up Washington Boulevard, past its Lake Avenue maintenance yard and back to the Windward station along Mildred Avenue.

Historical Notes

The cost of a trip around Venice was five cents, although residents could buy a book of tickets for $1.00 which made the run only two cents. At that time, it cost 15 cents to ride from Los Angeles to Venice on the Los Angeles Pacific Railway.

Historical Notes

Kinney installed the Venice Miniature Rail Road (V.M.R.R.) as both a tourist attraction and as a means to escort potential home builders and buyers to look at the subdivided parcels he was promoting. The train was very popular for its time, but it interfered with traffic.

Historical Notes

The Venice Miniature Railroad remained a popular ride and had run on weekends for twenty years. However, the train was opposed by merchants along its route on Washington Boulevard. In 1925, the city of Venice passed  an ordinance that would prohibit miniature railroads from operating on streets, thus leading to the demise of the long running Venice Miniature Railroad.

Click HERE to see more in Early Southern California Amusement Parks.

Historical Notes

Windward Avenue, a key feature of early Venice, California, was envisioned by developer Abbot Kinney as the central artery of his grand Venice of America project, which opened in 1905. Modeled after its namesake in Italy, Kinney sought to bring the charm of European canals and culture to Southern California. The avenue stretched from the Venice Lagoon (now Windward Circle) to the Pacific Ocean, functioning as both a commercial hub and a picturesque promenade.

Historical Notes

In 1905, the founding year of Venice, Windward Avenue was two blocks long, stretching between the canal system and the pier, lined with hotels that featured hot salt water in every room.

Historical Notes

The Venice, Italy-inspired architecture of Windward Avenue was the whole advertising gimmick which brought Angelinos from downtown out to the Venice Beach area in the first place (back in 1905! It was quite a trek back then; a good gimmick was definitely NEEDED to pull folks away from the then-popular Downtown LA district.

Historical Notes

Ground was broken for the St. Mark's Hotel on December 5,1904. It was one of Venice's original buildings and stood until 1964 when it was demolished.

Historical Notes

In 1906, Windward Avenue was built-up on the north side, but not the south side. The south side didn't really come into its own until prohibition came along and fancy basements were constructed.^

Historical Notes

The colonnade, made up of dozens of Corinthian columns supporting Venetian-style arcade buildings on Windward, Pacific, and Market avenues, still serves as the gateway to the city and is one of Venice's most recognizable landmarks.

Historical Notes

When Venice was constructed in 1905, the business district utilities were placed underground in two tunnels running beneath the alleys on either side of Windward Avenue. The two tunnels originated at the heating plant and powerhouse located on Windward near the lagoon (current site of the B of A building near the traffic circle). In addition, some hotels along Ocean Front Walk constructed tunnels beneath the promenade to the beach because an ordinance forbid bathing suits on the boardwalk. The St. Mark's Hotel at the corner of Windward was one. During Prohibition in the 20's, rum runners would unload their booze from boats beneath the pier and sneak them into the St. Mark's tunnel.

Historical Notes

The Venice Theatre opened in 1920 as the California Theatre on the water side of Ocean Front Walk.  The location was between Windward Avenue and Market St. (formerly called Zephyr). In the 1923-24 directory it's listed at 1506 Ocean Front Walk.

Historical Notes

On plat maps for the neighborhood Trolley Way is also referenced as Electric Avenue, which makes sense as the train cars operating on it were electric.

Historical Notes

Ocean Front Walk near Windward Avenue in Venice during the 1920s was a vibrant and bustling entertainment district, serving as the heart of Venice's tourist attractions. This area featured an array of notable establishments, including the California Theatre, which opened in 1920, the Neptune Theatre, and the St. Mark's Hotel. The famous Plunge, advertised as the world's largest indoor saltwater pool, was also a major draw. The boardwalk was lined with two and three-story buildings housing shops, hotels, restaurants, and covered arcades, creating a lively atmosphere for visitors. Abbot Kinney, Venice's founder, had designed the area as an amusement center with attractions built over the ocean.

Historical Notes

Parades were frequent in Venice, showcasing bands, floats, and celebrities from silent films and sports. They were organized for holidays and special events to draw tourists. In the 1920s-30s, Ocean Front Walk was a hub for attractions, including the California Theatre (opened in 1920), beauty pageants, and various festivities.

Historical Notes

The Venice Mardi Gras Festival, which began in 1935, was a vibrant summer celebration held in Venice during the 1930s. Unlike traditional Mardi Gras events, this three-day festival took place in August and was designed to boost the local economy and attract tourists. The festival featured elaborate parades along Ocean Front Walk and Windward Avenue, showcasing floats and participants wearing enormous papier-mâché masks. Highlights included the arrival of King Neptune by outrigger canoe, the coronation of Queen Venetia, and a grand procession along Ocean Front Walk. The event also boasted beauty pageants, street carnivals, aquatic events, and a culminating Mardi Gras Ball. Growing rapidly in popularity, the Venice Mardi Gras Festival became an annual tradition that fostered civic pride and drew increasingly large crowds. By 1941, its final year before being interrupted by World War II, the festival had expanded to four days and attracted an estimated 500,000 attendees, cementing its place as a unique blend of New Orleans-style revelry and California beach culture.

Historical Notes

The California Theatre opened on July 1, 1920 on the water side of Ocean Front Walk. It was constructed on what had been the site of the scenic railway. The location was between Windward Ave. and Market St. (formerly called Zephyr). In the 1923-24 directory the address is listed as 1506 Ocean Front Walk.

Historical Notes

After World War II, Ocean Front Walk near Windward Avenue in Venice experienced a significant downward trend. The once-thriving beach resort and amusement center fell into decline as the City of Los Angeles, which had annexed Venice in 1925, largely neglected the area. By the 1950s, Venice was dubbed the "Slum of the Sea," with deteriorating infrastructure and changing demographics. Tourist attractions were replaced by pawnshops and liquor stores, while cheap rents attracted European immigrants and counterculture artists. The city's code enforcement policies in the early 1960s led to the demolition of many historic buildings, including the St. Marks Hotel and Venice Theatre. This period of decline transformed the area from a popular tourist destination to a more bohemian enclave, setting the stage for later revitalization efforts and the eventual emergence of Venice's unique, eclectic beachfront character.

Historical Notes

The entire row of buildings on the left, including the Vista Theatre, was demolished and later became the location of Windward Plaza Park. The St. Marks Hotel on the right would be demolished one year after the above photo was taken.

Historical Notes

Over the past century, Ocean Front Walk near Windward Avenue in Venice has undergone significant transformations. Initially established in 1905 as part of Abbot Kinney's "Venice of America" project, it flourished as a popular tourist destination with Venetian-inspired architecture and attractions. The area thrived through the 1920s and 1930s, but experienced a decline after World War II, earning the nickname "Slum of the Sea" by the 1950s. The 1960s saw major demolitions and a shift towards a more bohemian character. In the late 1970s, Venice gained fame as the "Roller Skating Capital of the World," and by the 1980s-1990s, it had become a center for arts and culture. Today, Ocean Front Walk, also known as the Venice Beach Boardwalk, attracts millions of visitors annually with its eclectic mix of street vendors, performers, and recreational facilities. Despite facing challenges such as homelessness, it remains a vibrant and diverse urban beach destination, reflecting its evolution from a carefully planned resort to an iconic Southern California landmark.

Historical Notes

The first European to set foot on the island was the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who sailed in the name of the Spanish crown. On October 7, 1542, he claimed the island for Spain and christened it San Salvador after his ship. Over half a century later, another Spanish explorer, Sebastián Vizcaíno, rediscovered the island on the eve of Saint Catherine's day (November 24) in 1602. Vizcaino renamed the island in the saint's honor.

The first owner to try to develop Avalon into a resort destination was George Shatto, a real estate speculator from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shatto purchased the island for $200,000 from the Lick estate at the height of the real estate boom in Southern California in 1887. Shatto created the settlement that would become Avalon, and can be credited with building the town's first hotel, the original Hotel Metropole, and pier. His sister-in-law Etta Whitney came up with the name Avalon, which was taken from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "Idylls of the King," about the legend of King Arthur. Despite Shatto's efforts, he defaulted on his loan after only a few years and the island went back to the Lick estate.*^

Historical Notes

The sons of Phineas Banning bought the island in 1891 from the estate of James Lick and established the Santa Catalina Island Company to develop it as a resort. They had a variety of reasons for doing this. They wanted Catalina's rock to build a breakwater at Wilmington for their shipping company. They had also just built a luxurious new boat, the Hermosa, to bring tourists to the Island. If tourism failed, this investment was at risk. By owning Catalina, they would not only get their rock, but also money from tourists for their passage as well as everything on the Island.*^

Historical Notes

The Banning brothers fulfilled Shatto's dream of making Avalon a resort community with the construction of numerous tourist facilities. Although the Bannings' main focus was in Avalon, they also showed great interest in the rest of the island and wanted to introduce other parts of Catalina to the general public. They did this by paving the first dirt roads into the island's interior, where they built hunting lodges and led stagecoach tours, and by making Avalon's surrounding areas (Lovers Cove, Sugarloaf Point and Descanso Beach) accessible to tourists.*^

Historical Notes

The point upon which the beautiful and historic Casino sits has always been the defining landmark of Santa Catalina Island. Before the Casino was built, sailors arriving from the mainland would use Sugarloaf Point, as it was then called, to gain their bearings on approaching Avalon Bay.**#*

Historical Notes

Sugarloaf Point was actually defined by a pair of solid granite outcroppings. Big Sugarloaf and Little Sugarloaf were connected by a narrow sawtooth ridge.**#*

Historical Notes

The wooden steamship S.S. Hermosa was built in San Francisco in 1888 by the Wilmington Transportation Company, owned by the Banning family, for transportation to the Island during the summer season. Off-season, the ship had been leased to other operators for use in Puget Sound and Alaska. By June of 1892, the Hermosa had returned to service on the Santa Catalina Island run, the Island then being owned by the Banning brothers.#***

Historical Notes

Like its namesake in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sugarloaf Mountain was the site of numerous festivities. Fireworks were exploded from its summit on Fourth of July. Climbing Sugarloaf was no easy task. In 1896, a stairway was built to accommodate the less adventurous.**#*

Historical Notes

The Hotel Metropole, originally built in 1888 as Catalina's grande dame, was a large 3-story wooden structure with views of the bay that boasted of numerous windows, several dormers, half a dozen chimneys, and two covered patios. In 1915 this renowned landmark was completely destroyed by a devastating fire that ravaged much of Avalon. A few years later, the Hotel Metropole was rebuilt on the same site but was significantly downsized, this time consisting of only 48 rooms and a luxurious 2-bedroom Beach house.^

Historical Notes

The S.S. Hermosa carried up to 150 passengers and was elegantly decorated. It carried passengers to the island for fourteen years until it was replaced by the larger Hermosa II. The first Hermosa was stripped of valuables and set afire in Avalon harbor during a July 4th in 1902. #***

Historical Notes

In 1917, “Big” Sugarloaf was leveled for a new hotel to replace the Metropole.  However, plans changed and a new site for the hotel (Hotel St. Catherine) was chosen: Descanso Canyon.**#*

When chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. bought the controlling stake in Catalina Island, he used the cleared spot (originally meant for Hotel St. Catherine) to build a dance hall.  He named the new dance hall Sugarloaf Casino. It served as a ballroom and Avalon's first high school.

The new structure was short lived, however, for it proved too small for Catalina's growing population. In 1928, the Casino was razed to make room for a newer Casino. Sugarloaf Rock was then blasted away to enhance the new Casino's ocean view.*^

Historical Notes

In 1928, when the new, markedly taller casino building was completed, authorities changed their way of looking at Little Sugarloaf. What once had been a popular landmark was suddenly thought of as a view killer. Concern began to grow that climbers would injure themselves on Little Sugarloaf. The stairs were condemned and removed.

Historical Notes

Avalon's oldest remaining structure, the distinctive Holly Hill House, was built on a lot purchased from Shatto and his agent C.A. Summer for $500 in 1888.*^

The S.S. Catalina, known as "The Great White Steamer", took its maiden voyage on June 30, 1924. The 301-foot ship, originally built at a cost of $1 million dollars, was in service from 1924 and carried about 25 million passengers between Los Angeles and Avalon Harbor until she was retired on September 14, 1975.^

Historical Notes

In 1905, funicular travel arrived in Catalina with the opening of the Santa Catalina Island Incline Railway.
Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley would later purchase the island twenty miles off the coast of Los Angeles, but in those days it was owned by the heirs of Los Angeles businessman and Wilmington port booster Phineas Banning. Banning's sons had purchased the island in 1891 and developed Avalon into a destination resort. When it opened in 1905, the incline railway was the latest tourist attraction along the shores of Avalon Bay.**#

Historical Notes

The railway consisted of two separate funiculars. One began at the base of the now-abandoned Avalon Amphitheater and ascended the hill on the southwestern side of Avalon Bay to a point known as Buena Vista Point. The other descended the opposite side of the hill to Pebbly Beach on Lovers Cove. Passengers could disembark at the summit for refreshments in a small tea house or continue on to Lovers Cove for a ride in a glass-bottomed boat.

Variably known as the Santa Catalina Incline Railway, the Island Mountain Railway, and--confusingly--Angels Flight, the railway closed in 1918, several years after a fire devastated Avalon and depressed the tourist business. The railway briefly reopened in the 1920s but closed finally in 1923. Its ruins are still visible along the old right-of-way to this day.**#

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