Los Angeles street names: history and stories.
- Early Los Angeles Street Names: Many current street names originated from the 1849 Or survey, incorporating Spanish names reflecting the city’s early Mexican period. Examples include Spring Street (Calle Prima, Calle de la Caridad, Calle del Cura), Los Angeles Street (originally Calle Principal), and others derived from calle (street) and descriptive names. The Or survey mistakenly designated Los Angeles Street as Calle Principal, leaving Main Street as a less significant thoroughfare.
- Influence of Landmarks and Origins: Street names often reflected natural landmarks (e.g., Aliso Street for a sycamore tree) or the origins of settlers (e.g., Kenoga Park, Chatsworth).
- Impact of Land Development and Events: Street names were shaped by land developments, ranchos (e.g., Rancho Las Virgenes), housing tracts, and historical events. Names also reflect early farming, the oil industry, and the movie industry’s growth.
- Mexican and American Legacies: Street names reflect both Mexican (e.g., Pico Street, Figueroa Street) and American influences (e.g., streets named for U.S. presidents). The naming of streets often sparked community debate, with successful examples like the renaming of Santa Barbara Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
- Notable Individuals: Several streets honor significant figures, including Jose Figueroa (governor), Pío Pico (governor), the Sova family (landholders), John Temple (early landowner), Cesar Chavez (civil rights leader), and astronaut Ellison Onizuka.
- Transformation of South Park: The South Park district, initially on the fringes of the Pueblo, underwent significant changes with the construction and expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center, displacing residents and businesses but also bringing new activity. Street names in this area (e.g., Cherry Street, Georgia Street) preserve the history of the area.
- Freeway Construction and its Impact: The construction of the Hollywood and Harbor Freeways and the four-level interchange in the 1940s and 1950s resulted in the removal of numerous streets and neighborhoods, including parts of the Bunker Hill area and surrounding tracts developed by the Bodry brothers. This significantly altered the city’s landscape and erased parts of its history.
- Bodry Brothers and Bunker Hill: Prudent and Victor Bodry, French Canadian brothers, played a key role in Los Angeles’ development, building housing tracts including Bunker Hill. Prudent Bodry served as mayor, and their land holdings were later affected by freeway construction.
What Was Los Angeles and Chavez Ravine Like Before the Dodgers?
Before the Los Angeles Dodgers became synonymous with Chavez Ravine, this iconic site had a rich and complex history. The land where Dodger Stadium now sits was once home to vibrant communities, rolling hills, and a politically charged story that helped shape modern Los Angeles.
The History of Chavez Ravine Before Dodger Stadium
Chavez Ravine is a hilly area just north of downtown Los Angeles, named after Julian Chavez, a 19th-century Mexican-American city councilman and landowner. In the early 20th century, the ravine became home to several working-class Mexican-American communities—La Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop—which thrived despite limited resources.
These neighborhoods were tight-knit, with modest homes, local schools, and churches. Families grew gardens, raised chickens, and lived with sweeping views of the LA basin. While not affluent, the residents had built a sense of belonging and cultural identity.
The Promise of Public Housing and the Uprooting of Communities
In the late 1940s, the city of Los Angeles, under the influence of federal urban renewal policies, proposed building a large public housing project in Chavez Ravine called Elysian Park Heights. The project was led by progressive city planner Frank Wilkinson, and residents were encouraged—some say pressured—to sell their properties with promises of new homes in the future.
However, Cold War fears and the rise of anti-communist sentiment led to the project’s downfall. The land had already been cleared when the housing plan was scrapped, leaving many families displaced with no homes or compensation.
How the Dodgers Came to Chavez Ravine
In 1957, after a failed attempt to build a new stadium in Brooklyn, the Dodgers were lured to Los Angeles. City officials offered Chavez Ravine as the site for a new stadium, essentially turning over the land acquired for public housing to a private sports franchise. This deal sparked controversy, protests, and a highly publicized standoff known as the “Battle of Chavez Ravine,” culminating in the forced eviction of the last remaining families in 1959.
Dodger Stadium officially opened in 1962, built atop land that once held generations of family memories.
FAQs About Chavez Ravine Before the Dodgers
What communities lived in Chavez Ravine before Dodger Stadium?
Chavez Ravine was home to three primary Mexican-American neighborhoods: La Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop. These were close-knit communities where families built homes, schools, and cultural institutions despite the area’s geographic isolation.
Was Chavez Ravine part of Los Angeles city limits before the Dodgers?
Yes, Chavez Ravine was within the city limits of Los Angeles, near Elysian Park and just a short distance from downtown. The area was considered rural but urban-adjacent.
Why did residents leave Chavez Ravine?
Residents were displaced due to a failed public housing project called Elysian Park Heights. The city used eminent domain to purchase properties, promising public housing that never materialized. Eventually, the land was sold to the Dodgers.
Was there opposition to building Dodger Stadium?
Absolutely. The stadium’s construction sparked significant public outcry. The final evictions involved dramatic protests, including the removal of the Arechiga family in front of news cameras. The event became a symbol of broken promises and political betrayal for many Angelenos.
What happened to the original families of Chavez Ravine?
Most were scattered across Los Angeles and beyond. Some received compensation, while others felt cheated by the city’s abrupt policy shift. The legacy of displacement is still felt today, with descendants working to preserve the history of the lost neighborhoods.
The Forgotten Legacy Beneath Dodger Stadium
While millions of fans now fill the seats of Dodger Stadium each year, few know the layered and emotional history buried beneath the ballpark. Chavez Ravine stands as a reminder of a time when urban development, displacement, and political decisions transformed the lives of countless Angelenos.
Today, efforts continue to honor and remember the families who once called Chavez Ravine home, ensuring their stories are never lost to history.
Split Screen Tour of Seventy Years of Los Angeles, Then and Now
Lost LA: Fast food, cars.
- Southern California’s Fast Food Origins: The episode reveals that many globally recognized fast-food chains, including McDonald’s, In-N-Out, Taco Bell, and Del Taco, have their roots in Southern California, specifically Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
- Car Culture’s Influence: The rise of fast food is intrinsically linked to the burgeoning car culture of Southern California. Drive-in restaurants, like Bob’s Big Boy, were pioneers, creating a dining experience centered around the automobile. The design of these establishments, often featuring Googie architecture, was intended to attract the attention of passing motorists.
- McDonald’s Early Innovations: The McDonald brothers revolutionized the industry by abandoning carhops and drive-in service, opting for a streamlined system emphasizing speed, low prices, and walk-up windows. Their Speedee Service system, featuring innovations like specialized ketchup/mustard dispensers and spatulas, became a model for future fast-food operations. The Downey, CA McDonald’s, the oldest surviving example, showcases this early design.
- Bob’s Big Boy and the Double-Double: Bob’s Big Boy is highlighted as a significant contributor to fast-food history, potentially originating the double-patty burger, a design later replicated by McDonald’s with the Big Mac.
- Taco Bell and Del Taco’s Shared History: Glen Bell’s Taco Bell and Ed Hackbarth’s Del Taco both trace their origins back to the Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, where Bell reverse-engineered the hard-shell tacos before creating his empire. Mitla Cafe’s significance extends beyond culinary history, having served as a meeting place for diverse communities and a site of civil rights activism.
- In-N-Out’s Two-Way Drive-Thru: In-N-Out Burger’s innovative two-way drive-thru speaker system, invented by Harry Snyder, is presented as a landmark moment in fast-food history, eliminating the need for carhops and walk-up windows and paving the way for the modern drive-thru experience.
- Googie Architecture’s Legacy: The episode emphasizes the unique Googie architectural style prevalent in Southern California during the mid-20th century, highlighting its role in attracting customers to fast-food establishments and the efforts to preserve remaining examples.
- Nostalgia and Brand Loyalty: The enduring popularity of In-N-Out is attributed to its family-owned nature, consistent menu, and nostalgic connection to a simpler time. The episode suggests that maintaining this connection to its origins is a key factor in its continued success.
