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STREET
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NAMED AFTER
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ORIGIN
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NORTH BROADWAY
Was DOWNEY AVE.
From the LA river to Mission
Rd.
Renamed in 1910
Also the current
DOWNEY AVE.
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John Gately Downey
1827-1894
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An Irish Catholic pharmacist
who had served as the 7th governor of California from 1860 to 1862; CA
state assembly 1856-67, Lieutenant Governor 1860. In 1868 establishes
the first bank in Los Angeles. He helped build the economic foundation
of Southern California, effecting a transition from open cattle range to
an agricultural district of small farms. In 1874 Downey Ave. was a 100
foot long street bisecting Lincoln Heights and had interests in many suburban
tracts in East Los Angeles. Since almost all horse car and cable lines
were conceived to promote land development his partner John Griffin began
running a used omnibus along Downey Ave. to promote local home sites. Original
interment at Old Calvary Cemetery which no longer exists. (Cathedral High
School now sits atop the cemetery). Re-interment: Holy Cross Cemetery,
Colma, San Mateo County, CA.
Dr. Griffin's sister married
Albert Sidney Johnston. (See Hancock and Johnston Streets). |
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GRIFFIN AVE.
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Dr. John S. Griffin
(1816-1898)
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John S. Griffin
"Father of East Los Angeles"....."Pasadena
once his pasture"
**
Dr.
John S. (Strother) Griffin was a native of Virginia -- he went to school
at University of PA , then joined US Army as surgeon (and came to California
in 1846 with General Kearney). In addition to his brother-in-law being
Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston, the #2 ranking general in 1862
(ahead of even Robert E. Lee at that time), Griffin's uncle was William
Clark (of Lewis and Clark). On the Strother side Griffin was also
related to General (later Pres.) Zachary Taylor, and thus to Jefferson
Davis (whose first wife was Taylor's daughter, Sarah). Through Strothers
he was also related to Pres. John Tyler.
Created the first East Los
Angeles "suburb", now known as Lincoln Heights. In 1863, he purchased 2,000
acres of ranch land for $1,000 and in 1870, Griffin and his nephew, Hancock
Johnston, built homes there. In late 1874, they offered an additional 35
acres for sale, subdivided into 65 by 165 foot lots for $150 each. County
Coroner (1862-1865).
Griffin was also a surgeon
for Brigadier General S. W. Kearny's command on its march to California
in 1846, a veteran of the Mexican War. Griffin became one of California's
outstanding medical men. He was one of the three pioneer physicians
in the pueblo of Los Angeles.
In 1852, two years after
California was admitted as a state to the Union, Garfias built an adobe
hacienda on the east bank of the Arroyo, where he and his family proceeded
to live in grand style, until he could not meet the interest payment due
on a loan. Title to the land was then transferred in 1859 to his lenders,
Dr. John S. Griffin and Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson. Portions of the Rancho
San Pasqual were thereafter sold, leaving Griffin and Wilson with 5,328
acres in 1873. In 1873 Wilson sold his portion to a real estate development
association, which subdivided the land and named the community "Pasadena".
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HANCOCK ST.
AND
JOHNSTON ST.
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Hancock McClung Johnston
1847 - 1904
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Was a member of a prominent
Southern family and long resident of East Los Angeles. Where streets bear
both his family and given names.
Hancock Johnston was born
in December, 1847 at China Grove Plantation, Brazoria county Texas, and
was a member of one of the prominent southern families. He had resided
in Los Angeles for many years, and leaves a widow and three sons.
He had extensive interests
on the East Side, and two of the principal streets of that part of the
city, Hancock St. and Johnston St., were named in his honor. (LA Times,
Sep. 13, 1904)
Johnston Funeral:
The funeral of Hancock Johnston
who was a pioneer of East Los Angeles, was conducted yesterday (9/14/1904)
afternoon, services being held at the family residence, No. 2913 Downey
Ave., (North Broadway) there was a large attendance, many of the early
families of the city being represented. The interment was at Evergreen
Cemetery.
He was the second son of
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, the Confederate leader, and was born at China
Grove Plantation. When he was 16 the family moved to San Francisco. He
served a position on a newspaper, and later held responsible places in
various mining concerns in CA and Nev. While at the New Almaden quicksilver
mines he was terribly salivated, which was the primary cause of his final
illness.
Mr. Johnston came to Los
angeles in 1870 and was married to Miss Mary Eaton, daughter of Hon. B.S.
Eaton. There were five children.
Large tracts of land were
platted into lots by Mr. Johnston from his holdings east of the Los Angeles
River, and on these sprang up what is now East Side. He built the second
street railway in LA to give access to his properties. He was also extensively
engaged in the raising of fine horses.
In 1902 Mr. Johnston was
stricken with articular rheumatism, and was an invalid from that time until
death released him from intense sufferings last Monday. (LA Times, Sep.
15, 1904) |
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LACY ST.
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William Lacy
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His home was located at
the corner of N. Broadway & Sichel St.
He owned Pacific Clay Products
Company. The company's early products were focused on supporting California's
building boom of the 1920s, including brick, roofing tile, and terra cotta.
During the Depression, Lacy entered the new market for colored table and
kitchen wares. Alas, the Second World War brought end to the Pacific Clay
Products Company's promising pottery production as the company contracted
with the government and turned its production toward military production.
Now today Pacific Pottery are valuable collector items.
OR
(Most likely this would
be the Lacy Street St. origin)
William Lacy founder and
CEO of Lacy Pipe & Manufacturing and Puente Oil Company.
LACY MANUFACTURING CO.
ON AVE. 23
At 60 years old he was considered
to be in good health. He had sailed, only three weeks earlier, to Baja
California aboard his 73 ft. yacht, the Penolope. P.L. Larson was
captain of the Penolope. The year was 1897. William Lacy was born in London
England in 1837. He was the 5th son of a prosperous businessman. Educated
as an architect, he immigrated to the USA in 1860 with his brothers. The
brothers first settled in central Illinois where William married. By 1863
he'd had enough of Illinois and the Civil War so he took his wife and infant
daughter and headed to California via Panama. He first settled in the San
Francisco area where he was successful in business and Real Estate development.
He was living in San Diego when he received his American citizenship in
1873. By 1875 William was both designing and organizing banks in Los Angeles.
One of which went on to become the First National Bank of Los Angeles.
He was very active in the community serving on school boards and fire boards.
By 1886 he was one of the most successful businessmen in L.A. having helped
establish the second oil field in southern California. By all standards
he was the epitome of the successful capitalist businessman.
So what was he doing
in Baja? He was doing what every successful American business man of his
time was doing, exploiting the labor and land of less fortunate persons.
It is not known when William acquired his holdings in Baja. There he had
at least one gold mine and an ore mill. His son Ed also had a mine there.
He started serious development on this property only two years before his
death. What caused his death remains a mystery. His death was officially
attributed to complications from appendicitis but some family members suspected
foul play. After his son Ed returned home another son was to have gone
to retrieve the body but it never happened. His body remains in a restored
grave at the mill site near Punta Final.
Source: Robert Kinson:
Searching for Lost Relatives, 5/31/02 |
LINCOLN PARK AVE.
Renamed to reflect the changed
from
Eastlake Park to Lincoln
Park. 1917?
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Formally Pritchard
James A. Pritchard
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This grand street was the
"red
carpet" leading to the main entrance to Lincoln Park in its day. Over
a hundred years ago Lincoln Heights was the city limit and people crossed
bridges by foot, horse, trolley, etc. over the LA river down N. Broadway
and turned S. on Lincoln Park Ave. Noticed the old light fixtures on the
sidewalks?
James A. Pritchard was one
of the directors of the Los Angeles Independence Railroad Company which
was responsible for the first train between Los Angeles and Santa Monica
in 1875. |
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SICHEL ST.
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Philip Sichel
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One of the original Jewish
settlers, served on the City Council and as a Los Angeles County Supervisor
in 1864-1865. In 1866 the Anaheim Cemetery, the oldest public cemetery
in Orange County was founded by purchasing a plot of land from Philip Sichel. |
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SELIG PL.
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William N. Selig
(1864-1948)
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In 1913, he purchased 32
acres of land next to Eastlake Park (now known as Lincoln Park) at a reported
cost of $1 million. The property was turned into a zoo for the animals
that he used in his films. By 1915, 700 animal species were residing at
the Selig Zoo. |
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VALLEY BLVD.
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?
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Formally Alhambra Ave. from
Downtown to the San Gabriel Valley? ca. 1894 |
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WORKMAN ST.
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William Henry Workman
(1839-1918)
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Mayor of Los Angeles, 1886-88.
City council (1872-1874; 1875-1880).
He made his great mark in
two areas of LA politics and the development of its infrastructure, had
Fort (Broadway), Spring, Hill, and Main streets paved. During his term
on the Park Commission, he donated two thirds of his land for Hollenbeck
Park. When he took the hand of Maria Elizabeth Boyle (1847-1933) in 1867,
two distinguished Los Angeles families were joined. Maria, of course, came
from the family which had bought property now known as Boyle Heights before
William Workman's acquisitions there. Interment at Evergreen Cemetery. |
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CLOVER ST.
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Native Irish Plant
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Possibly from the large
clover field there. Clover fields and wild mustard grew rampantly at that
time. |
EASTLAKE AVE.
Eastlake Park
before 1917
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Charles Locke Eastlake
(1836-1906)
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Eastlake style period from
1870 to 1890.
English museologist and
writer on art who gave his name to a 19th-century furniture style.
Eastlake was a popular decorative
style of ornamentation found on houses of various other styles, e.g. Victorian
Gothic, Stick Style, and Queen Anne.
If you have a chance to
visit one of these early houses, carefully look at the door knobs, hinges,
latches, or the hardware. This style would be called Eastlake. They are
beautiful and expensive collectibles by themselves. |
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BARBEE ST.
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Theodore F. Barbee
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On July 28, 1876 formed
a stock company "Absentine Artificial Stone Manufacturing Company" located
in East Los Angeles with other partners. Also a large real estate holder. |
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MOULTON AVE.
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Elijah Moulton
1820-?
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An East Los Angeles dairyman
and born in Canada in 1820. He arrived in Los Angeles in 1845 and met John
C. Fremont and was offered $25 a month to accompany him on an expedition
up the coast. Was the first deputy sheriff of Los Angeles and was marshal
of the city and a member of the city council in 1860-61. Responsible for
the construction of the 1861 footbridge joining central and east Los Angeles.
He resided on the eastside of the LA river, below the Downey Avenue viaduct.
Involved in a real estate transaction at N. Main St. and Moulton Ave. |
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MESNAGER ST.
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George Le Mesnager
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An early French immigrant
to Los Angeles in the 1870s. He established vineyards in the Crescenta
Valley (above Glendale) soon thereafter, and built his winery near downtown
LA, between "the cornfield" and the river, just off N. Spring St. He was
a leader of the large French population in Los Angeles, and was considered
a French patriot, interrupting his stay in the U.S. to return to France
to fight in the Franco-Prussian War and WW1. The winery was named "Old
Hermitage", and operated from the 1880s until Prohibition. |
MAIN ST. NORTH
Formally Kuhrts
From the L.A. River
to Mission Rd.
|
Jacob Kuhrts
"Uncle Jake"
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Born in Germany and was
a sailor. Came to Los Angeles and became a Grocer, County Coroner (1870-1873),
Fire Chief (1880-1883), City's first Fire Commissioner (1886-1900), and
Councilman (1876-77,80). Also a member of the "Thirty-Eights", the first
group of volunteer firefighters in 1869. In 1886 the Jacob Kuhrts Engine
Company 3 is established. |
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GATES ST.
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Byrant Gates
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Was a major sheep owner
in Los Angeles with about 5,400 heads of sheep. ~ 1879 |
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THOMAS ST.
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Milton Thomas
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Was a member of the Southern
California Horticultural Society. ~ 1877. Also a large real estate holder. |
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LAMBIE ST.
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William Thomas Lambie
1837-1900
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Member of the city council
1883-84,1886-87, City Surveyor/Engineer 1887-88.
Born in Williamsport Maryland
and self educated. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served
throughout the war under the command of Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson.
Came to CA in 1869 and worked as an engineer for the Central/Southern Pacific
Railroads, in charge of the construction of the Newhall Tunnel in 1876.
After retiring from public office Mr. Lambie in a private business died
in 1900 as a result of injuries sustained in an earth slide during the
construction of the Third St. Tunnel.
"Close enough to Lincoln
Heights to mention" j.a.
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HOLGATE SQUARE
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Mr. & Mrs. Holgate
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Mr. William Holgate (d.
1939) and Mrs. Mary Holgate (1859-1954) came to Los Angeles in 1887. They
purchased land in 1893 and built their home at 2330 Holgate Square. Mr.
Holgate was a real estate agent and insurance broker. (LA Times Nov. 11,
1954) |
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AVENUE 18
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Was
WATER ST.
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 19
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Was
HAYES ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 20
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Was
WALNUT ST.
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 21
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Was
CHESTNUT ST.
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 22
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Was
TRUMAN ST.
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 23
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Was
LECOUVREUR ST.
Frank Lecouvreur
(1829-1901)
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897)
-----
Frank Lecouvreur was born
Franz Lecouvreur in Ortlesburg, Prussia. Educated as an engineer, he left
home for California in 1851. In 1855, Lecouvreur moves to Southern California,
and scattered diary entries cover his service as Los Angeles county clerk
and deputy county surveyor and businessman, 1855-1868. |
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AVENUE 24
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Was
HELLMAN ST.
Isaias William Hellman
(1842-1920)
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Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street .(LA Times 2/21/1897)
-----
Isaias W. Hellman was a German-Jewish
banker and philanthropist, and a founding father of The University of Southern
California.
Came to the US in 1859; He
arrived in L.A. in 1859 and began work as dry goods clerk; manager and
president, Hellman, Temple and Co., bankers, 1868-71; He began in banking
at Los Angeles in 1868 and founded the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1871
and was its president from 1876-1920,: In 1890, he moved to San Francisco
and he incorporated the Union Trust Company, the first trust company in
California.
|
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AVENUE 25
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Was
HAMILTON PL.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 26
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Was
WELL ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 27
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Was
HOFF ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 28
|
Was
PRIMROSE ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 29
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Was
KOSTER ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 30
|
Was
JACKSON ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 31
|
Was
SIGLER ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 32
|
Was
GRANDIN ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 33
|
Was
LACY ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
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AVENUE 34
|
Was
HOLBORN ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
AVENUE 35
|
Was
SWAIN ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
MANITOU ST.
|
Was
HAWKINS ST.
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |
|
MANUELA ST.
|
Was
POMONA ST
|
Renamed in 1897 to remove
duplicate or to constitute the same name throughout the entire length of
the street. (LA Times 2/21/1897) |