L.A. Stories: Community SpotlightMain MenuIntroductionThe greater Los Angeles area is on the traditional lands of the Gabrielino/Tongva, Chumash, Fernandeño Tataviam and Yuhaaviatam/Maarenga’yam (Serrano) peoples. We acknowledge their presence here since time immemorial and recognize their continuing connection to the land, to the water and to their ancestors.PeoplePlacesContributorsChronology of ArtifactsMapping the CollectionVisualize the ExhibitIn this visualization, artifacts are green, themes are blue, and contributors to the exhibit are red.Acknowledgements
Landmark Sites
12021-10-14T10:03:55-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e395905Although Los Angeles is ever-evolving and shifting the world around it, sites, landmarks, photos and postcards remind us of what the city used to be. Sometimes they are all that remain. Whether a site was once a bee ranch, a homestead, sanitorium, or the Port of Los Angeles, the places shared here set the stage for the eventual growth, change, and expansion documenting the passage of time. Before the Santa Monica Pier was developed, Angelenos enjoyed the seaside at Pacific Ocean Park, built to rival Disneyland. After falling into disrepair, it was demolished. Generations of Angelenos traversed the iconic Sixth Street Bridge linking separate parts of the city. Once a major engineering feat but now demolished due to structural weaknesses, we can still see it on screen in movies and TV shows. The LA region was a military outpost long before it was a metropolis, as seen in the remains of Fort Drum from the Civil War era and Fort Moore from the Mexican-American War. And the old Pueblo de Los Angeles reminds us of the many people who have called this city home - Native American communities, Mexican peoples and Spanish colonial settlers. Despite the renewal and change inherent in the region, there is also room for remembering and honoring the past.structured_gallery2021-10-22T11:24:17-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eAlthough Los Angeles is ever-evolving and shifting the world around it, sites, landmarks, photos and postcards remind us of what the city used to be. Sometimes they are all that remain. Whether a site was once a bee ranch, a homestead, sanitorium, or the Port of Los Angeles, the places shared here set the stage for the eventual growth, change, and expansion documenting the passage of time. Before the Santa Monica Pier was developed, Angelenos enjoyed the seaside at Pacific Ocean Park, built to rival Disneyland. After falling into disrepair, it was demolished. Generations of Angelenos traversed the iconic Sixth Street Bridge linking separate parts of the city. Once a major engineering feat but now demolished due to structural weaknesses, we can still see it on screen in movies and TV shows. The LA region was a military outpost long before it was a metropolis, as seen in the remains of Fort Drum from the Civil War era and Fort Moore from the Mexican-American War. And the old Pueblo de Los Angeles reminds us of the many people who have called this city home - Native American communities, Mexican peoples and Spanish colonial settlers. Despite the renewal and change inherent in the region, there is also room for remembering and honoring the past.
1media/Nicholsons_Canyon_Lincolns_Bee_Ranch.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:49-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eNicholsons Canyon, Lincolns Bee ranch4Stereograph by Henry T. Payne depicting elevated view of farmhouse and buildings at Lincoln's Bee Ranch in Nicholson Canyon, Los Angeles County. In today’s Los Angeles, backyard beekeeping is all the rage, spurred by an increasing interest in local food and by the City itself, which overturned a late-19th-century ban to legalize urban beekeeping in 2015. But while many associate Los Angeles with agriculture and even viniculture, fewer likely think of the early California industry of “bee ranching” or of the region’s beekeeping past. First imported to California in 1853 by Christopher A. Shelton, introduced to the Southland in 1854 by O. W. Childs, and popularized by John Stewart Harbison, the European Honeybee thrived in Los Angeles’ mild climate, feeding on nectar from bountiful white sage. Hives became common in the Los Angeles Basin, often at sites such as Lincoln’s Bee Ranch in Nicholsons Canyon, as depicted in this photo.media/Nicholsons_Canyon_Lincolns_Bee_Ranch.jpgplain2021-10-19T21:00:16-07:001875California State LibraryNo Copyright- in public domain34.4890363 , -118.6256552Henry T. PaynePayne, Henry T. Nicholsons Canyon, Lincolns Bee Ranch. Los Angeles: H.T. Payne, 1875. Print.Alejandra Gaeta955f992babcc9b7f4b13534f3e5511b89a8bc725
1media/Apiary_at_Sierra_Madre_Villa.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:49-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eApiary at Sierra Madre Villa, San Gabriel5Stereograph depicting an apiary at Sierra Madre Villa hotel, San Gabriel, ca. 1887. Though an 1871 surveyor general’s report deemed LA County the Southland’s greatest honey producer, the industry only truly took off after an 1876 drought killed many cattle herds. Many saw honeybees as a get-rich-quick scheme, and beekeeping became so popular that by 1880, in his pamphlet, “Homes in Los Angeles County,” W. McPherson would claim that there were “fully one hundred thousand colonies in Los Angeles County today.” Though the City of Los Angeles banned beekeeping within city limits in 1879, arguing that bees attacked fruit and destroyed crops (an argument soon to be debunked), in the 1870s and 1880s, beekeeping thrived especially in the Sierra Madre foothills, as seen in this stereograph. And, indeed, as late as 1911, beekeeping was still going strong in Los Angeles (though by that point bees were more typically deployed to gather nectar from orange blossoms than from white sage).media/Apiary_at_Sierra_Madre_Villa.jpgplain2021-10-19T21:06:08-07:001887California State LibraryNo Copyright- in public domain34.0798006 , -118.1020363Watkins, Carleton E.Watkins, Carleton E. Apiary at Sierra Madre Villa, San Gabriel. # 4395. S[an] F[rancisco: Watkins, 1887. Print.Alejandra Gaeta955f992babcc9b7f4b13534f3e5511b89a8bc725
1media/Port_of_Los_Angeles_Panorama_3_thumbnail.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:42-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673ePort of Los Angeles 1913-19173The panoramic photograph, Port of Los Angeles 1913-1917, highlights historic features of Los Angeles Harbor, some that still exist, some that were transformed, and some lost to progress. Deadman's Island in the center of the photo denotes the entrance to Los Angeles Harbor. Looking left, the Wilmington breakwater connects to the Pacific Wharf and Storage Co. warehouse. The bow of the S.S. William Chatham is somewhat obscured by flatcars receiving a shipment of lumber. To the right of Deadman's Island, two dredgers work away. To the right, the rolling slopes of Point Fermin and San Pedro sprout new homes and streets.media/Port_of_Los_Angeles_Panorama_3.jpgplain2021-10-19T21:08:42-07:0001/01/1913-12/31/1917Santa Barbara Historical MuseumNo Copyright- in public domain33.7365401 , -118.264982For additional information about this image see: https://t08a9146c20e4db40.starter1ua.preservica.com/uncategorized/io_c633b904-2184-454b-b647-99a4f8d9b59a/unknownPort of Los Angeles 1913-1917, 2020-104, Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical MuseumAlejandra Gaeta955f992babcc9b7f4b13534f3e5511b89a8bc725
This hand colored glass plate negative from 1912 shows George Allan Hancock’s ranch house at La Brea. The Santa Monica mountains are visible in the background and oil derricks are beginning to dot the landscape. Hancock purchased the property believing that it would eventually be immensely valuable. Instead, the discovery of fossil deposits contributed to learning about Los Angeles during the Pleistocene which continues today at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum.
For over a century, the world-famous La Brea Tar Pits have captured popular imagination and excited both scientists and the public. This unique view of the last ice age is preserved in asphalt and studied to this day the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, located near the center of Los Angeles.
media/NHMLAC_HancockRanchHouse_1914.jpgplain2021-10-20T21:59:13-07:001913Natural History Museum of Los AngelesNo Copyright- in public domain34.0637375 , -118.3554603George Allan HancockCourtesy of The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, RLB-30-3, NHAI1002471Alejandra Gaeta955f992babcc9b7f4b13534f3e5511b89a8bc725
1media/G_1_BlissAlbum5.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:52-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eBliss Ranch4Bliss Ranch was located in Glendale near the base of the Verdugo Mountains on what is now the Rossmoyne and Verdugo Woodlands area. The property was once part of the Rancho Santa Rafael Spanish land grant owned by Jose Maria Verdugo. Brothers John and Robert Bliss, originally from Philadelphia, purchased the land in 1894 from Reverend George Baugh. John and his family lived there for a short time, selling the property to J.S. McMillan, general manager of the Pacific Electric Railway Co. Bliss Ranch is one of the missing links between the first acquisition of this area as a Spanish land grant and the subsequent development of it by the Pacific Electric Co. and developer Leslie C. Brand.media/G_1_BlissAlbum5.jpgplain2021-10-19T21:18:07-07:001900Glendale Library, Arts & CultureIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.1425078 , -118.255075unknownGlendale History Room, Glendale Library, Arts & CultureAlejandra Gaeta955f992babcc9b7f4b13534f3e5511b89a8bc725
1media/G_2_BlissAlbum3.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:52-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eBliss family farmhouse3John Bliss built this Victorian farmhouse on Bliss Ranch. He and his family bred horses and cultivated citrus trees. They lived here for a short time before selling the property to the Pacific Electric Railway Company who would make Bliss Ranch the northern terminus of the rail line that ran along Brand Boulevard. The Bliss family moved to Santa Monica where they established a grocery store. John Bliss dies in 1934 at the age of 68.media/G_2_BlissAlbum3.jpgplain2021-10-14T14:24:04-07:001900Glendale Library, Arts & CultureIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.1667649 , -118.2551858unknownGlendale History Room, Glendale Library, Arts & CultureCurtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
1media/G_3_CSA01-014.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:53-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eCasa Verdugo3To make the northern terminus of their streetcar system a destination, Pacific Electric turned the Sepulveda Adobe and the surrounding property into “Casa Verdugo,” which opened in 1905 and included a popular restaurant and garden. The Adobe was the residence of Rafaela Verdugo de Sepulveda, granddaughter of Jose Maria Verdugo, owner of the original Rancho Santa. The restaurant was owned by Mrs. Piedad Yorba de Sowl who, according to advertisements, served genuine Spanish meals.media/G_3_CSA01-014.jpgplain2021-10-14T14:25:31-07:001910Glendale Library, Arts & CultureIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.1667649 , -118.2551858M. Rieder, Publ., Los Angeles, CAGlendale History Room, Glendale Library, Arts & CultureCurtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
1media/Olive_View_site_circa_1920-30_thumbnail.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:56-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673ePhotograph of Olive View Sanatorium shortly after its opening3Occupying the site of what is today the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, the Olive View Sanatorium opened in 1920 as a residential treatment facility for tuberculosis at a time when the disease was widespread and many came to Southern California seeking healing in the warm, dry climate. Olive View grew rapidly into the largest tuberculosis sanatorium in the western United States, and the sanatorium’s records at USC include many fascinating items about life, treatments, and research at Olive View.media/Olive_View_site_circa_1920-30.jpgplain2021-10-18T17:16:04-07:001920University of Southern California Libraries Special CollectionsIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.3257593 , -118.4510376For additional information about the Olive View Sanatorium and Hospital records see: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/2974unknownOlive View Sanatorium and Hospital records, Collection no. 7095, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern CaliforniaSuzanne Noruschatd5b4fb9efb1f1d6e4833d051ebc06907bb9dba64
1media/Womens_Wards.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:56-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673ePostcard of the Women’s Wards at Olive View Sanatorium3Occupying the site of what is today the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, the Olive View Sanatorium opened in 1920 as a residential treatment facility for tuberculosis at a time when the disease was widespread and many came to Southern California seeking healing in the warm, dry climate. Olive View grew rapidly into the largest tuberculosis sanatorium in the western United States, and the sanatorium’s records at USC include many fascinating items about life, treatments, and research at Olive View.media/Womens_Wards.jpgplain2021-10-18T17:16:48-07:0001/01/1920-12/31/1929University of Southern California Libraries Special CollectionsIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.3257593 , -118.4510376For additional information about the Olive View Sanatorium and Hospital records see: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/2974unknownOlive View Sanatorium and Hospital records, Collection no. 7095, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern CaliforniaSuzanne Noruschatd5b4fb9efb1f1d6e4833d051ebc06907bb9dba64
1media/Olive_View_Point_January_1940_thumbnail.jpg2021-10-11T10:17:56-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eJanuary 1940 issue of the Olive View patient newsletter Olive View Points3Occupying the site of what is today the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, the Olive View Sanatorium opened in 1920 as a residential treatment facility for tuberculosis at a time when the disease was widespread and many came to Southern California seeking healing in the warm, dry climate. Olive View grew rapidly into the largest tuberculosis sanatorium in the western United States, and the sanatorium’s records at USC include many fascinating items about life, treatments, and research at Olive View.media/Olive_View_Point_January_1940.jpgplain2021-10-18T17:15:19-07:0001/08/1940University of Southern California Libraries Special CollectionsIn Copyright - Educational Use Permitted (This Rights Statement can be used only for copyrighted Items for which the organization making the Item available is the rights-holder or has been explicitly authorized by the rights-holder(s) to allow third parties to use their Work(s) for educational purposes without first obtaining permission.)34.3257593 , -118.4510376For additional information about the Olive View Sanatorium and Hospital records see: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/2974Olive View Sanatorium patientsOlive View Sanatorium and Hospital records, Collection no. 7095, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern CaliforniaSuzanne Noruschatd5b4fb9efb1f1d6e4833d051ebc06907bb9dba64