Historical Society of Southern California Volume 29, Issue 1 Spring 2017 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN HSSC Board of Directors Officers Kenneth Marcus MESSAGE FROM THE President Linda Mollno HSSC PRESIDENT First Vice President Donna Schuele Second Vice President Three subjects the board is current- climate change. As with the 2018 Jeremiah Axelrod ly thinking about are conference conference, there will be at least Secretary themes, fundraising for the Quarter- two tours associated with the Lara Godbille ly, and tours. A major event we theme. Treasurer plan each year is a conference. Finally, the conference theme for Directors Building on the success of our last 2020 will be “Gender, Race and William Cowan conference on “World War II and Place,” and we will commemorate Paul Bryan Gray the Home Front in Southern Cali- the centennial anniversary of the David Hayes-Bautista fornia,” which took place in Janu- 19th Amendment, or women’s suf- Kristen Hayashi Andrew Krastins ary 2017 at the University of La frage. This was a huge event in Los Marguerite “Peggy” Renner Verne, the board has decided on Angeles as elsewhere in the coun- James Tranquada three themes for the next three try, and there are plenty of sites to Eileen Wallis years. Events and tours are being visit, and so we will organize tours planned for each theme. We wel- and events related to this theme as come you to join us! well. The conference theme for 2018 will In terms of fundraising, we are very Executive Director be on “The Cold War to the Space excited in launching our capital Amy Essington Race: Science, Technology, and campaign for the Southern Califor- Email: executivedirector Society in Southern California,” a nia Quarterly, and a big “thank @thehssc.org topic in which southern California you” to all those members who institutions played a very important have given generously thus far. national role. The Events and Mem- (See page 3.) I think we all agree The Southern Californian is that this marvelous journal is worth published quarterly by the bership Committees are coming up HSSC, a California non-profit with ideas for tours related to the not only saving but should continue 501(c)3 organization. theme, so if there are special sites to flourish in the future. After all, you would be interested in visiting, it’s one of the only journals still please contact our Executive Direc- around that is specifically devoted tor, Amy Essington, to pass on your to the history of California. ideas. The capital campaign is three-fold: The conference theme for 2019 is first, that all board members con- envisioned to be on “The Environ- tribute (which they have); second, ment in Southern California,” and that membership will be asked to to consider such topics as the physi- contribute (and many of you al- cal vs. the built environment, pollu- (Continued on page 11) tion, parks and public space, and Page 2 Volume 29, Issue 1 Treasures of the HSSC Artifact Collection: City of Los Angeles Annexation Map, 1928 It’s often heard these Artifact Collection” is ate of associated, days. Will the San Fer- so interesting. and “true to myself” nando Valley secede • “to be patient with from the City of Los In 1928, the Engineer- the caller who is Angeles? Is Los Ange- ing Department of the provoked; prompt les too big and un- city’s Board of Public with person who is wieldy? What will the Works issued an hurried; sympathet- future of the sprawling “Annexation Map of ic with the caller metropolis be? A centu- the City of Los Ange- who is puzzled con- ry or so ago, the ques- les” to trumpet the dra- siderate of those tions were entirely dif- matic growth of the city who are difficult to ferent. It was more in preceding years. The satisfy; and hospita- like: how much bigger inside front cover pro- ble to those are can Los Angeles get? vided some notable fac- strangers in the City Will it catch Chicago tual information, such or to the Engineer- soon in population? as that the city’s area On the back cover was ing Department”; Isn’t it the preeminent was a whopping 441 the department’s “100% and sign of progress for cit- square miles and that Creed of Public Rela- • “to be friendly, but ies to grow in size and the length and breadth tions,” which included not familiar; cheer- population. of its limits was up to ten core components, ful but not boister- 44 miles north to south based on a belief “in the ous; to give infor- In fact, it was a matter and 20 miles east to value, importance and mation, not advice.” of pride for many resi- west. Moreover, the dignity of my occupa- As to the map, which dents and city leaders estimated population, tion as assistant to the folds out in three large that the aggressive an- according to the Regis- public.” Among these sections and twelve nexation of land to ex- trar of Voters, was just elements was: panels, it is a striking pand Los Angeles under 1.4 million. • treating the public visual reminder of the yielded such fantastic “with the courtesy growth of Los Angeles. results at the end of the Naturally, the booklet From the upper reaches th that springs from 19 century and in the pointed out that “the genuine friendliness of the San Fernando first few decades of the Engineering Depart- Valley to the Los Ange- th and respect” 20 . That’s why this ment is one of the • to be more con- les Harbor area at Wil- installment of City’s largest and most cerned with custom- mington and San Pedro “Treasures of the HSSC important departments” er satisfaction than and from the coast at and added that the de- the transaction Venice and nearby are- partment’s motto was • “to be as attentive as to Eagle Rock and a “Efficiency and Ser- to a person request- huge area in between, vice.” In 1927, the cost ing unimportant in- the city’s transfor- of public works con- formation as to one mation in the preceding struction topped $24 whose needs are thirty years was truly million, an increase of more elaborate” remarkable. 16% from the prior • to keep service to year. This was testa- professional stand- Over 70 annexations ment “to the rapid and ards and consolidations took permanent growth of • to have the motto place from 1895 to the City in terms of foremost in mind 1928 and fully 60% of public improvements.” • to be loyal to the those in the preceding employer, consider- (Continued on page 4) thehssc.org Southern Californian Page 3 A SPECIAL THANK YOU The Fall 2016 Southern Californian included a letter from President Ken Marcus asking HSSC members to donate to an endowment for the Southern California Quarterly to ensure the future of the flagship journal of the organization. I am pleased to report that in the months since that initial request, you, the members, joined with the HSSC Board and staff to donate to the SCQ Endowment. We all recognize the importance of this journal. A special thank you to the donors listed below. If you have not yet made your donation, you may still do so by going to at http://thehssc.org/donate/ or by sending a check. We welcome donations of any size. Thank you. Amy Essington Executive Director Anonymous Jack Estridge Paul Rippens Eric Abner Jim Gilbert Peter Reich David Appel Helen Grubbs Alicia Rodriquez Jere Baker Frank Gruber Jasper Schad Barry Blodgett Richard Haybed Martin Schiels James Bonar Suzanne Huddleson Doris and Jerry Selmer Elizabeth Brill Robert Ihsen Michael Several Michael Buckley Andrew McCue Maria Siciliano Marvin Carlberg Michael Maiuri Errol Stevens Debbie Caudill Robert McEachen David Surtees Richard De Blois Bruce Merritt Ellen Sweet Lawrence De Graaf Anne Miller Warren Thomas Richard De Luce Char Miller Lee and Mary Ann Tipton C. Terry Dooley Bill Orborne John Van de Kamp Carole and Michael Dougherty Robert Pehl Ann Walnum Richard and Paula Dyke Stephen Preston and Msgr. Francis Weber Michael Engh Janet Whaley thehssc.org Page 4 Volume 29, Issue 1 Treasures of the HSSC Artifact Collection: City of Los Angeles Annexation Map, 1928 Continued cluded much of the Santa Monica Moun- tains from the coast near Santa Monica Can- yon and inland, includ- ing Westwood, and which embraced well over 30,000 acres. The third largest and most unusual was the notorious Shoestring Addition, which was concocted to take in the San Pedro and Wil- (Continued from page 2) On the other end of the mington areas at Los scale were massive ad- Angeles Harbor and eight years. Some were ditions, including the join them to the original very small, including giant San Fernando Ad- city limits through the the Ostend Addition dition of 22 May 1915, Southern Addition of Santa Monica Moun- from 11 July 1918, which encompassed 1859 and the Southern tains, totaling 8,700 which involved just un- nearly the entirety of Addition of 1896. To- acres and annexed in der an acre in the har- the San Fernando Val- taling just under 12,000 May 1923; West Coast, bor area. The second ley, totaling nearly acres, the Shoestring which became the area smallest annexation was 110,000 acres. In fact, was added to the city at where Los Angeles In- the Holabird, totaling 8 when looking at that the end of 1906. ternational Airport is acres south of Olympic portion of the map, it is located, totaling just Boulevard, just off the striking to see that the Other large parcels add- under 8,000 acres and southeast portion of the City of San Fernando ed to the city included added in June 1917; original pueblo limits of was, and remains, an the combined 9,300 East Hollywood, span- about 18,000 acres.