USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement, Volume I > Part 10
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We had no paved streets or sidewalks. We had no ele- vators, because, first, we had no use for them, as our houses were of but one story; and, second, because elevators were unknown. Typewriting machines and linotype printing ma- chines and operators of the same were unknown and un- thought of. We had no gas, and electrie lighting had not been invented. We had, I think, but one book store, and, although modest attempt to establish a public library was made, it soon petered out. I know I contributed a few books to it, but I remember that, having made a trip to the Atlantic states in '57, when I came back I learned that the library had been abolished and that the books, ineluding those I had donated, had been sold.
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We had neither mercantile nor savings banks during the entire decade of the '50s, and but few money safes. All mer- chandise not produced here was brought from San Francisco by steamers of sail vessels, lightered at San Pedro, and brought up to town by big mule trains of "prairie schooners."
Until vineyards and orchards were planted and came to bearing in the upper country, after change of government, the people of that part of the state, including the population of the mining regions, depended on the vineyards of Los An- geles for their fruit. I know that for several years large shipments of mission grapes, the only kind grown here then, were made by each steamer during the grape season. The "vignerones" here realized all the way from one to two bits (reales) a pound for their grapes. Other fruits besides the "mission grape" were scarce here also, as well as in the north, and generally of inferior quality, until improved varieties were introduced from the eastern states. Among the enter- prising pioneers who first brought the best standard fruits and vegetables to Los Angeles were Dr. W. B. Osborne, Los Angeles' first postmaster, H. C. Cardwell, O. W. Childs and others.
The Hollisters of Santa Barbara brought a flock of Amer- ican improved sheep all the way from Ohio to Los Angeles, arriving here in the early part of 1854. Los Angeles was long known as one of the "Cow counties," as stock raising was extensively carried on throughout Southern California for some years under American rule, as it had been in mission times; and it was very profitable even in spite of occasional severe drouths, as these countries were natural grass coun- tries, burr-clover, alfileria and wild oats being especially val- uable indigenous grasses. Cattle did not need to be fed and housed in winter in our mild climate, as they are required to be fed in colder countries. Besides, the best known breeds of horse, sheep and neat cattle stock were gradually intro- duced. But eventually, as the admirable adaptation of South- ern California for the perfection in growth of citrus fruits was demonstrated, and the splendid seedless navel orange was discovered, the immense cattle ranges were gradually con- verted into orange and lemon orchards. The English walnut crop has been found to be profitable here also, and thus, as we
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now see, our orchards have taken the place of what were formerly extensive cattle ranges.
In '55 the Star, established in '51 by McElroy and Lewis, and the Southern California, published by Wheeler and Butts, both weekly, were the only local newspapers Los Angeles could boast of. We heard from the outside world by steamer from San Francisco, twice a month.
When "Johnny" Temple built a theater in '58, on the site of the present Bullard Block, our list of entertainments was somewhat enlarged. Instead of high-toned "Horse Shows" like that just held in Pasadena, we sometimes had bear and bull fights, cock fights and frequent horse, mule and donkey races, and occasionally a Spanish circus, or "maroma," and at Christmas times we were regaled with the quaint, beauti- ful characteristically Spanish "Pastorela," which was very effectively and charmingly presented by a thoroughly trained company under the direction of Don Antonio Coronel.
Of the adult people of Los Angeles who were living here when I came here, and with whom I gradually became more or less acquainted, very, very few are now alive, although many of their children have grown up, and have become heads of families.
I cannot suppress a feeling of sadness as I recall the past and review the changes that have occurred, in persons and scenes that now, as I look back, seem but dreams, but which then were indeed so real. And the thought arises, if such great changes have occurred during the past fifty years, who can tell or even imagine what Los Angeles will be fifty years hence, or what is in store for our children and grandchildren? Of the present citizens of Los Angeles except the younger por- tion, very few indeed will then be alive. And although we may strain our eyes to peer into the future,
"And strive to see what things shall be ;"_ * *
"Events and deeds for us exist, As figures moving in a mist ; And what approaches-bliss or woe- We cannot tell, we may not know- Not yet, not yet !"-
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Our friend, Mr. Jackson A. Graves, did not arrive in Los Angeles at anywhere the early date that signalled the arrival of Professor Barrows. But Mr. Graves saw the old town change considerably, and from out the wonderful storehouse of his remarkable memory he gives us the following recollec- tions :
It is impossible for one who has come to Los Angeles in recent years to imagine its appearance or condition in June, 1875. I do not know what its population was then. The total registration of voters that year when Orange County was still a part of Los Angeles County was but 2,900.
At this date things were decidedly primitive in Los An- geles. The railroad was in operation from the city to Wil- mington. All vessels were anchored outside of the present inland harbor at San Pedro, at a point beyond Dead Man's Island. The road to Santa Monica was being graded. It was started by Senator John P. Jones, who intended to run it to Independence, Inyo County. The financial crash of 1875 put an end to this enterprise. He sold his rights of way and road, as far as graded, to the Southern Pacific, which shortly after- wards completed the road to Santa Monica.
From San Francisco the road was completed into Caliente. From Los Angeles north it was built to the south portal of the San Fernando tunnel. This tunnel and the intervening road to Caliente over the Tehachapi was being constructed. Pas- sengers from San Francisco had to stage it from Caliente to San Fernando. The road, afterwards completed by the South- ern Pacific to New Orleans, was only built as far east as Spadra, some miles this side of Pomona.
All the business of the city was transacted within a short distance of Temple Block. That building and the Pico House were the only three-story buildings of any note in the city, if I remember rightly. There was not an elevator in the town.
The Farmers and Merchants Bank was then in its own building on North Main Street, just south of the present Cos- mopolitan Hotel. The Los Angeles County Bank, founded by the late J. S. Slauson, was nearly opposite the Farmers and Merchants Bank, being located in a two-story brick building still standing, just north of the St. Charles Hotel. The only
Vol. I -- 6
A GREAT HIGHWAY LEADING OUT OF LOS ANGELES Colorado Street Bridge one of the Finest Concrete Structures of the Kind in the World
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other bank in the city, that of Temple and Workman, was in the Temple Block at the corner of Spring and Temple streets. The Main Street corner of the building was occu- pied by A. Portugal, as a clothing store. Next to him, on Main Street, Joe Williams, still alive, conducted a saloou, "The Reception."
Sam Hellman, father of Maurice S. Hellman, had a book and stationery store adjoining this saloon. South of him on Main Street Geo. Pridham conducted a cigar stand. At the corner of Main and Market, in the Temple Block, was the office of Wells, Fargo and Company Express. Adjoining it on the west Jake Phillipi, ponderous, jovial and Dutch, kept a large and very popular beer hall.
The Pico House, opposite the Plaza on the east side of Main Street, was the leading hotel. Honors were shared with it by the "Bella Union," afterwards called the St. Charles. It was also on the east side of Main Street, a few doors south of the present Baker Block.
V. Dol conducted the Commercial Restaurant in the Downey Block. It was a well patronized and popular dining place. South of the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building the "City of Paris," the leading dry goods store of the city, was located. South of it was Billy Buffum's drinking saloon. Adjoining it just north of the Downey Block, Dr. T. Woll- webber, a large, portly German, had his drug store. The doctor was a fine old gentleman, possessed, however, of an uncontrollable temper. He afterwards kept a drug store on the corner of Third and Broadway, where the Bradbury Build- ing stands. When telephones came into use he would get so mad at his that in his attempts to kick it off the wall he kicked down patches of plaster. (What would he have done with two telephone systems to contend with ?)
South of Wollwebber was the wholesale liquor store of Levy & Coblentz, afterwards kept by M. Levy and Company. Next to it Upham & Rea had a bookstore, which, for many years afterwards, was kept by Phil Hirschfeld. Charlie Bush had a jewelry store in the same block.
Dillon & Keneally, dry goods merchants, were located on the east side of Main Street opposite the Temple Block. Next
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to them were Dotter & Bradley, furniture dealers. They afterward founded the Los Angeles Furniture Company. It moved to a three-story brick building built for it by O. W. Childs and I. W. Hellman, on the east side of North Main Street opposite the Baker Block. From there the company moved to Judge Bicknell's building on Broadway below Sec- ond Street, later a part of B. F. Coulter's store.
Sam Prager conducted a clothing store in the corner of the Ducommin Block at Main and Commercial. His brother Charles was also in business on Commercial Street near Sam Meyer. Polaski & Goodwin, dealers in dry goods, were at the southeast corner of Main and Commercial, where the United States National Bank now is. The United States Hotel, smaller in size than it is now, was then, as now, on the south- east corner of Main and Requena streets. South of it, in the premises occupied by Harper, Reynolds and Company, Riviera and Sanguinetta had a large retail grocery store. South of them on the same side of Main Street, Eugene Ger- main and Geo. Matfield also had a retail grocery store, under the name of Germain and Matfield. In various portions of the business center the Nortons, Laventhal, and E. Greenbaum were engaged in the retail clothing business.
On the east side of Main Street nearly opposite Temple Street, where the Lanfranco Block now stands, was a two- story adobe building of the same name. Its upstairs was occupied by the family of that name. On the ground floor A. C. Chauvin had a grocery store and south of him Doctor Heinzeman a drug store. Below him Workman Brothers had a saddle and harness shop. One of the partners was the late William H. Workman. He had been mayor of the city, and its treasurer for several terms. Where the Baker Block now stands was a one-story adobe, the former home of Don Abel Stearns and then occupied by Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Baker, Mrs. Baker having been the widow of Don Abel.
The erection of the Baker Block was commenced in 1875 and for years it was the finest building in Los Angeles.
The wholesale business was all done on Los Angeles Street, and was largely confined to Hellman, Haas & Company, who were on the northeast corner of Los Angeles and Commercial
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streets, and the Newmarks, who were on the west side of Los Angeles Street, a block to the south.
Over Hellman, Haas & Company's store were a number of rooms occupied by young unmarried business men. Among them was Mendel Meyer, a brother of Sam Meyer. Mendel
OLD COURT HOUSE Between Main and Spring, Court and Market
was an enthusiastic violinist. Coming in one night after 12 o'clock, he began to play his violin. Doors flew open and shoes, boot-jacks and bric-a-brac were hurled at Mendel's door. He opened it, stuck his head into the hall and greeted his companions with: "Hey, what is the matter with you fellows? Can't a man make music in his own castle?" (A 6x8 room.) At the corner of Los Angeles and Aliso streets,
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where Haas, Baruch & Co. now do business, Kalisher & War- tenberg, dealers in hides, and old timers of long standing, were located.
On Alameda Street north of Aliso was Don Mateo Keller's residence and wine cellars. Juan Bernardy had similar cel- lars on Alameda Street, but further south.
The old courthouse stood where the Bullard Block is sit- uated. It housed all of the county officials on the ground floor. On the second floor were the courtrooms and judges' cham- bers. Hon. Ygnacio Sepulveda was district judge, and Hon. H. K. S. O'Melveny was county judge. Opposite the courthouse, on Market Street, was a large wooden pavilion which was used as a place of amusement, and for dancing parties, church fairs, ete.
Where the Nadeau Hotel stands there was a one-story adobe building on the street line. The rest of the lot was used as a stable and stock-yard by a stage company.
Louis Roeder's wagon shop was on Spring Street south of the stage station. The old jail stood where the Phillips Block now is. On Spring Street, opposite Temple Block, Ben Truman conducted the Daily Star, in a one-story adobe. Yar- nell and Castyle had a job printing office in the Downey Bloek on Temple Street, where they also got out the Mirror, a weekly temperanee publication. Out of this paper evolved the Los Angeles Times. Billings & Smith had a livery stable where the county jail and the adjoining building east of it are now located. Opposite this stable in the corner of the present county courthouse lot, was a small briek Episcopal Church. The high school was on top of the hill where the courthouse now stands.
Ferguson & Rose (L. J.) ran a large and fashionable livery stable on the west side of Main Street opposite Areadia Street. Louis Lichtenberger had a wagon-making shop on Main Street north of First Street, where a building owned by his heirs and bearing his name still stands. He afterwards ran the Philadelphia Brewery on Aliso Street, which later became the Maier Brewing Company.
Judge E. M. Ross lived in a brick house on the east side of Main Street opposite Third Street (Third Street did not
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then extend east of Main Street). Capt. C. E. Thom lived in the large dwelling house still standing in the rear of the Thom Block at the corner of Third and Main streets. Mr. Andrew Glassell lived about where the Hoegee Company's store is situated.
Governor John G. Downey lived in a brick building on the west side of Main Street just north of the Van Nuys Hotel. The hotel site was occupied by the family residence of James G. Howard. Mr. I. W. Hellman was building his residence, one of the best in the city, at Fourth and Main, where the building of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank stands.
Judge O'Melveny had a very attractive home at Second and Broadway, west side. South of his place was the resi- dence of John M. Griffith. Next to him that of Engene Meyer and south of him that of Harris Newmark. The block on Broadway, between First and Second streets, was filled with the residences of pioneer citizens. The hill section of the town was hardly occupied at all.
Between San Pedro Street and portions of Main Street and the river were vineyards and orchards. Orange groves were on Main and Spring and Broadway as far north as Sec- ond Street. The three principal orange groves of the city were the Wolfskill, the first one set out here, located in the neighborhood of the Arcade Depot, and the Breswalter and Childs groves, which were east of Main Street, at Ninth and Tenth streets.
All of the lawyers and doctors and surveyors were housed principally in the Temple and Downey blocks.
Judson and Gillette and W. H. J. Brooks were the only searchers of records. John Carlin, W. J. Brodrick and Fred Drakenfelt shared the insurance business of the community. Butchers and bakers were scattered here and there as they are in all towns. Fred Morsch, a good-natured German who loved a glass of beer, was the sign painter of the town. The lumber yards were all located on Alameda or San Pedro streets.
The Cathedral, on Main Street south of First Street, was in course of erection. The old Plaza Church was just as it is
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now. John Jones and family occupied an adobe residence opposite the Plaza and nearly opposite the Plaza Church.
Below Fourth Street there was only an occasional house on any of the streets between Main and Figueroa. Agricul- tural Park was in existence. Fairs and races were held there. J. S. Slauson was one of the pioneers in the Figueroa Street district. So was Judge Brunson, the Longstreets, Col. J. F. Godfrey and a few others.
None of the streets of the city had been paved. A little gravel from the hills was put onto some of them. In winter the streets were a sea of mud. In summer the dust was to some extent allayed by spasmodic sprinkling.
In 1875 certainly one-half of the community was Spanish.
Everybody knew everybody else, and the people seemed to be one great happy family. I think I can safely say that I knew every man, woman and child in Los Angeles within ninety days after I got here.
Driving was one of the great daily amusements. The well-to-do families all had their own carriages. Those who were not so fortunate patronized the livery stables.
After one got beyond the immediate city limits one found natural roads, good except at times of heavy rains. There was not enough travel on them to make them rough or dusty. The Arroyo Seco Drive was a favorite one, also a road up the river. On Sundays and holidays in the summer time, a drive to Santa Monica was the thing. The drive there in the early morning, a dip in the ocean, a dinner at Eugene's and the drive home in the cool of the afternoon, afforded one a full day's amusement.
If the city was small and thinly populated, what of the county ?
East Los Angeles was almost unborn as yet. All that portion of the city and much more was owned by Dr. J. S. Griffin and his nephew, Hancock Johnson.
Beyond East Los Angeles, in the Arroyo Seco, and to the east and west of it, there were no dwellings or improve- ments except the dancing pavilion at the Sycamore Grove and John Benner's slaughter house, where Garvanza is located.
Raymond
Ave
BUILDING NOW COVERING OLD PASADENA City Hall, Library and Play Grounds-Scenes on Colorado Street and Raymond Avenue
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Lincoln Park was utterly vacant. The settlement of Pasadena had just commenced.
Going out of East Los Angeles, by what is known as the Adobe Road, the country was all open. The present sites of South Pasadena, Alhambra and Dolgeville were sheep pastures.
Oneonta Park was included in 1,200 acres of land known as the "Bacon Tract," owned by H. D. Bacon. It embraced the Raymond Hotel grounds and extended to Alhambra Road on the south, just beyond Sierra Vista on the west and to the center of South Pasadena on that side, and, on its eastern side, the arroyo running south on the east side of the Ray- mond Hotel.
East of the Bacon tract was Gen. G. Stoneman's place of several hundred acres, mostly in vines, formerly the Myles place, and now subdivided. Next came the Solomon Rich- ardson place. Then the home place of Col. E. J. C. Kewen. East of Kewen was the home of B. D. Wilson, now owned by his daughters, Mrs. G. S. Patton and Miss Annie Wilson. Then the Shorb ranch and the Winston home, both the prop- erty of Mr. H. E. Huntington, except a portion of the Winston place, which he sold to W. G. Kerckhoff, who still possesses it. Adjoining Winston on the east was the James Foord prop- erty, now owned by the I. N. Van Nuys estate. Then came the Titus ranch, with its sign on the gate, "Dew Drop," now owned by Judge Bicknell and the Bradbury estate. Titus was an orange grower, a rival of L. J. Rose as a breeder of trot- ting stock, and a man of sterling worth.
Next on the east were the princely possessions of L. J. Rose, known as "Sunny Slope." Here he made a reputation as a winemaker and as a breeder of trotting stock, winning for himself fame throughout the world. East of him was A. B. Chapman, and then came Santa Anita, the first property in the county owned by E. J. Baldwin. From there on to Azusa there was not a house in sight.
At San Gabriel there was a small settlement and another at El Monte and at Puente. Leaving Los Angeles and going southeast there were no habitations until you got to Downey and Rivera.
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The Cienega ranch was mostly a swamp and the best duck and snipe grounds in California. From Los Angeles to Santa Monica was almost all open country. From Santa Monica to Wilmington and from Agricultural Park to the ocean, in the winter months, untold numbers of wild geese "honked" and fed. The San Rafael Rancho, where Glendale is located, was but sparsely settled.
The Providencia Rancho, where Burbank now is, was owned by Doctor Burbank, who grazed it to sheep. Later he sold it for subdivision, and built the theater of his name on Main Street in Los Angeles.
The only street car line in Los Angeles was one that had been built the year before by Judge R. M. Widney and his associates, from the Plaza on Main Street, down Main Street to Spring Street, then out Spring Street to Sixth Street and on Sixth Street to Figueroa Street. Shortly afterward the Main and Agricultural Park line was put into operation and another line built to East Los Angeles.
Oil had been discovered in the Newhall district, and the Pacific Coast Oil Company was doing considerable develop- ment work there.
I have written this article entirely from memory, without consulting an authority, newspaper file or public record.
Such was the foundation for the wonderful development which has taken place in this community in thirty-five years. Surely the population of this city in 1875 did not exceed 7,000 people, one-half of whom were native Californians. In 1900 its population had increased from 13,000 in 1880 to 101,000. The census just taken, I am positive, will show its population in the neighborhood of 320,000.
Predicting for the future from the past, can any human being paint the picture as it will be thirty-five years hence? To my mind we are yet in our infancy and our growth and development will be more rapid in the future than it has ever been up to the present time.
Passing reluctantly from the reminiscences of Mr. Graves, it is recalled that the one great sensation of the old times- that is to say, the times of forty years ago-was the cele- brated failure of the Temple and Workman Bank. You can-
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not talk very long to any man or woman living now who have been residents of Los Angeles for the past fifty years without having them surely tell you about the time "when the Temple and Workman Bank failed."
More recent comers to the city might be curious to know what were the facts in this celebrated case, and in order to satisfy legitimate curiosity of this nature, we give those facts briefly as fellows:
In September, 1875, the Bank of California in San Fran- cisco, supposed then to be the strongest institution on the Pacific Coast, got into difficulty and temporarily closed its doors. Its president, W. C. Ralston, either committed suicide or was accidentally drowned at North Beach.
The failure of the Bank of California was felt all over the state. In Los Angeles, the Temple and Workman Bank, a partnership composed of T. P. F. Temple and his father-in- law, Mr. Workman, a very wealthy landholder living at Puente, closed its doors.
The event created a most profound sensation and threw the community into a high state of excitement ..
In the desperate effort to restore solvency to the bank, quite a sum of money was borrowed from Newmark and Com- pany, and more from E. J. (Lucky) Baldwin on Spring Street property, a half interest in Cienega Rancho and thousands of acres of the land of the Rancho de la Merced at Puente.
After a lapse of some days the bank reopened its doors, but confidence in it had been destroyed and its depositors with- drew their money from it. It was again forced to close and make an assignment to Daniel Freeman and E. F. Spence. Freeman was the largest landholder at Inglewood, and Spence was at that time cashier of the Commercial Bank, afterward the First National Bank of Los Angeles.
Money, however, became tighter here and throughout the country at large. The assets of the Temple and Workman Bank shrunk incredibly, and collections were very difficult to make. In time the mortgages on the property of Temple and Workman were foreclosed. There was no way of raising money to redeem these properties, and all of them passed to the assignees. Creditors became dissatisfied with the man-
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