Misplaced Pages

#305694

70-612: Alameda Street runs on the east side of the Old Plaza, Los Angeles , and once also ran along the westside of Old Chinatown. In the late 19th century, Alameda Street and Commercial Street were Los Angeles' original red-light district. South of Union Station, Alameda Street enters Little Tokyo and the former Warehouse District, now the Arts District. At one time, a lot on Alameda and 8th was a haven for free-speech demonstrations. At 27th Street, Alameda Street splits into two roadways divided by

140-628: A back entrance on 616-620 North Spring St. (previously called Upper Main St., then San Fernando St.). Designed in 1886 by Burgess J. Reeve . Louis Sentous was a French pioneer in the early days of Los Angeles. The San Fernando Theatre was located here. The site is now part of the El Pueblo parking lot. The Coronel Adobe was demolished in 1888 and 1896 Sanborn maps show that the Del Valle adobe had been removed, and Los Angeles Street had been extended to form

210-604: A grocery and dry goods store (Corbett & Barker), then a storage house for iron and hard lumber for Harris Newmark Co. It was then leased to a Chinese immigrant. In 1871, it was the site of the Chinese massacre of 1871 . The Adobe was torn down in 1888 in order to extend Los Angeles Street north past the Plaza. Metro Local Los Angeles Metro Bus is the transit bus service in Los Angeles County, California operated by

280-593: A narrow, one-block north–south street likely named after darker-skinned Mexican afromestizo and/or mulatto residents during the Spanish colonial era. . At the north end of Calle de los Negros stood the Del Valle adobe (also known as the Matthias or Matteo Sabichi house ), at the southern edge of which one could turn left and enter the plaza at its southeast corner. Calle de los Negros was famous for its saloons and violence in

350-591: A pawn shop and boarding house. It is the oldest building in Los Angeles south of the Plaza. The Merced Theater , completed in 1870, was built in an Italianate style and operated as a live theatre from 1871 to 1876. When the Woods Opera House opened nearby in 1876, the Merced ceased being the city's leading theatre. Eventually, it gained an "unenviable reputation" because of "the disreputable dances staged there, and

420-481: A representation of the "blending of Mexican and Anglo culture". Eloisa Martínez de Sepúlveda was born in the state of Sonora in Mexico. She lived there until 1844 when her parents, Francisca Gallardo and Estaquio Martinez, moved to Alta California at the urging of Francisca’s brother, bringing the 11-year-old Eloisa and her older brother Luis, with them to Los Angeles.   In 1847, Señora Francisca Gallardo received from

490-456: A saloon, a theater and a connected restaurant. Historian James Miller Guinn wrote in 1896, "in the flush days of gold mining, from 1850 to 1856, it was the wickedest street on earth...In length it did not exceed 500 feet, but in wickedness, it was unlimited. On either side it was lined with saloons, gambling hells, dance houses and disreputable dives. It was a cosmopolitan street. Representatives of different races and many nations frequented it. Here

560-729: A tenant in the Sepulveda Block. In 1888, the same year that he and Eloisa were married, Edward was elected to the City Council. Four of their five children were born in the second floor facing Main Street on the south side. In 1905, along with many other residents of the area, the Gibbs moved to a more fashionable neighborhood in Los Angeles. Succeeding generations of the Gibbs family operated the Gibbs Electrical Company and retained ownership of

630-516: A total of nearly eighty rooms. The Pico House is listed as a California Historical Landmark (No. 159). Masonic Hall at 416 N. Main St., was built in 1858 as Lodge 42 of the Free and Accepted Masons . The building was a painted brick structure with a symbolic "Masonic eye" below the parapet. In 1868, the Masons moved to larger quarters further south. Afterward, the building was used for many purposes, including

700-530: A tunnel between California State 91 and Del Amo Boulevard, at which point the Alameda Corridor crosses from the east to the west of Alameda. South of Henry Ford Avenue, Alameda Street continues for another 1.4 miles (2.3 km) in Wilmington before ending at Harry Bridges Boulevard (formerly B Street). Alameda Street has a long history of Southern Pacific Railroad tracks running on or parallel to it. Before

770-440: Is a historic district taking in the oldest section of Los Angeles , known for many years as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula . The district, centered on the old plaza , was the city's center under Spanish (1781–1821), Mexican (1821–1847), and United States (after 1847) rule through most of the 19th century. The 44-acre park area was designated a state historic monument in 1953 and listed on

SECTION 10

#1732851640306

840-591: Is designated California State Route 47 between the California State Route 91 and Henry Ford Avenue. There are few at-grade crossings with other streets in this portion of Alameda, with Artesia Boulevard , Del Amo Boulevard, Carson Street, 223rd Street (at the San Diego Freeway / I-405 interchange) Sepulveda Boulevard , and Pacific Coast Highway ( SR 1 ), all flying over Alameda while being connected to it with connector ramps. Alameda Street descends into

910-472: Is probably unique in Los Angeles today, it was a “pattern book” building of a style that was common all over the country at the time. An exception in this building is the typically Mexican breezeway which separates the Main Street stores from the dwelling rooms in the rear. Thus, the Sepulveda Block represents the transition in Los Angeles from Mexican to a combination of Anglo and Mexican styles. The work “block”

980-484: Is the Victorian term for a large commercial building. By this time the city had changed from a Mexican pueblo with a cattle-based economy to an American town with an agricultural economy. The population had grown from less than 2,000, most of whom were Mexican, to over 50,000, only 19% of whom were Mexican. When the building was constructed it appears that Señora Sepulveda herself occupied the three residential rooms located in

1050-524: The California region with a number of African and mulatto Catholics, including at least ten (and up to 26) of the recently re-discovered Los Pobladores , the 44 founders of Los Angeles in 1781. This colonization ordered by King Carlos III was carried out under the direction of Governor Felipe de Neve ." The small town received the name El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles sobre El Río Porciúncula , Spanish for The Town of Our Lady Queen of

1120-693: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). In 2023, the system had a ridership of 222,919,700, or about 754,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. As of June 2023 , there are 117 routes in the system (excluding Metro Busway routes). The Los Angeles Metro bus has the third largest fleet in North America, with 2,320 buses as of 2019 . The majority of Metro Bus lines are operated by Metro directly, with select services operated by private contractors. The Metro Bus brand dates back to

1190-626: The National Register of Historic Places in 1972. A plaque across from the Old Plaza commemorates the founding of the city. It states: "On September 4, 1781, eleven families of pobladores (44 persons including children) arrived at this place from the Gulf of California to establish a pueblo which was to become the City of Los Angeles. At least ten (and up to 26) of the 44 were Black. Spain also settled

1260-480: The brothels . Those on North Alameda Street, adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, were the most active and became "the first view of Los Angeles for arriving train passengers." In the late 19th century, the corner of Alameda Street and Macy Street (now Cesar Chavez Avenue) was home to residences shared by Mexican and Chinese families. Along Alameda and Los Angeles Streets to Second Street

1330-468: The "La Esperanza" bakery. This five-story brick building facing the Plaza at 501 N. Main St. houses LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes , which also occupies the Plaza House next door. It was built in 1888 and combines Italianate and Victorian architecture ; the architect was Robert Brown Young . The Sentous Block or Sentous Building (19th c., demolished late 1950s) was located at 615-9 N Main St., with

1400-520: The 10-mile (16 km) Mid-Corridor Trench : a local roadway on the east and the main Alameda Street to the west. Here, Alameda Street intersects with Slauson Avenue , Florence Avenue , Firestone Boulevard (former SR 42 ) and Imperial Highway . Each of these streets is grade-separated from the rail line. Though Alameda Street has interchanges with I-10 , SR 91 and I-405 , it does not have an interchange with I-105 near Watts. Alameda Street

1470-493: The 1930s, was put back. The iron cresting is restored as are the red tin tiles over the bay windows. The west façade is “penciled” in the style of the period, meaning that the bricks are painted and mortar lines are traced in white on top. The east façade on Olvera Street, although not originally painted, had previously been sandblasted, a process which destroys the outer surface of the brick, making it porous. As paint provides bricks with protective coating, they have been painted with

SECTION 20

#1732851640306

1540-655: The 1993 founding of Metro, but many of the routes in the system are little changed from the bus routes of the prior Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD) or the streetcar routes operated by the Pacific Electric Red Cars or the Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars. Starting in 2003, Metro operated its bus network under three different brands: orange Metro Local buses for traditional routes, red Metro Rapid buses for limited stop routes, and blue Metro Express buses for minimal stop services along

1610-512: The Alameda Corridor in a trench adjacent to Alameda, the trackage is now shared by the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (Southern Pacific's company). Los Angeles Union Station fronts onto Alameda Street. The street is located on Tongva land. In the 1820s, historian William David Estrada records that immigrants from France came to Los Angeles in small numbers and settled around

1680-624: The Angels on the Porciúncula River. The original pueblo was built to the southeast of the current plaza along the Los Angeles River and near the Tongva village of Yaanga . Excavations at the church site "recovered beads and other artifacts used during the period of mission recruitment." In 1815, a flood washed away the original pueblo, and it was rebuilt farther from the river at the location of

1750-491: The City grew, the commercial and cultural center began to move south away from the Plaza, along Spring Street and Main Street. In 1891, the Los Angeles Times reported on the shifting city center: The geographical center of Los Angeles is the old plaza, but that has long since ceased to be the center of population. ... While at one time most of the population was north of the plaza, during the past ten years 90 per cent of

1820-482: The Commercial and Alameda streets, close to the original village site of Yaanga . The street became a center of prostitution activity in Los Angeles by the late 19th century, after the city council passed an ordinance prohibiting prostitution from the new central business district . Prostitution reportedly peaked in the 1890s, "with the support of local police and elected officials, many of whom were regular visitors" to

1890-672: The Mexican Consulate until 1991 and then the Mexican Cultural Institute. Pico House was a luxury hotel built in 1870 by Pío Pico , a successful businessman who was the last Mexican Governor of Alta California . With indoor plumbing, gas-lit chandeliers, a grand double staircase, lace curtains, and a French restaurant, the Italianate three-story, 33-room hotel was the most elegant hotel in Southern California. It had

1960-544: The Plaza Methodist Church was built on the site of the adobe once owned by Agustín Olvera, the man for whom Olvera Street was named. It is at the southeast corner of Olvera Street and Paseo de la Plaza (i.e. the Plaza). The former United Methodist Church headquarters, also built in 1926, was renamed in 1965 for Sheriff Eugene W. Biscailuz , who had helped Christine Sterling to preserve and transform Olvera Street. It housed

2030-478: The Plaza and constituting the old pueblo have been preserved as a historic park roughly bounded by Spring, Macy, Alameda and Arcadia streets, and Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly Sunset Boulevard). There is a visitors center in the Sepúlveda House. A volunteer organization known as Las Angelitas del Pueblo provides tours of the district. The district includes the city's oldest historic structures clustered around

2100-468: The Plaza at Alameda Street. Now, Los Angeles Street turns east at the north side of the Plaza to terminate at Alameda Street at a right angle, directly across from the Union Station complex. What was the short block of Los Angeles Street north of the Plaza is now part of Placita Dolores , a small open plaza which surrounds a statue of Mexican charro entertainer Antonio Aguilar on horseback. Until

2170-496: The Plaza, with the buildings on the east side of Olvera Street forming its western edge, until terminating at Alameda Street. Since the early 1950s, Los Angeles Street has formed the eastern edge of the Plaza, but the buildings lining its eastern edge, including the Lugo Adobe , were removed. The site is now Father Serra Park . When it was extended past the Plaza in 1888, Los Angeles Street terminated one short block north of

Alameda Street - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-528: The Sepulveda Block until it was acquired by the State of California for $ 135,000 in 1958 as part of the Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Monument. Between 1982 and 1984 major restoration took place in the Sepulveda Block. The building was structurally stabilized and plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical systems were installed. A new roof replaced the old one and the front staircase, which had been removed in

2310-446: The absence of workers in the gold rush migration to California." The Chinese population increased from 14 in 1860 to almost 200 by 1870. Guinn stated that the alley stayed "wicked" through and after its transition to the city's Old Chinatown. Calle de los Negros was reconfigured in 1888 when Los Angeles Street was extended north, with a small, shallow row of houses remaining between the new section of Los Angeles street's eastern edge and

2380-560: The ayuntamiento (Common Council) a plot of land between Bath and Wine street (renamed Olvera Street in 1877) on which she constructed an adobe residence. Señora Gallardo’s adobe home at number 12 Bath Street was later enlarged to include by 1870 a second story and hipped roof. When Eloisa married Joaquin Sepulveda at the age of 23, she brought with her a dowry of land and cattle. Joaquin was an undistinguished member of an illustrious Southern California family. The marriage suffered from misfortune as

2450-571: The building of Union Station, Southern Pacific trains would travel along Alameda between Naud Junction and the Southern Pacific Arcade Station on 5th Street. Though Southern Pacific eventually rerouted its downtown tracks to the LA River, Alameda still carries SP tracks between 27th Street and the Port of Los Angeles. This area is known as the Alameda Corridor . With the 2002 completion of

2520-655: The building. The building continued to be used by Olvera Street merchants until 1981 when they were relocated for the building’s restoration. Today, El Pueblo Park’s Visitor’s Center is located in the south store on the ground floor. This room represents the Victorian Eastlake style of 1890. Restoration plans call for the creation of an 1890s grocery store on the north side of the first floor. The mural América Tropical (full name: América Tropical: Oprimida y Destrozada por los Imperialismos , or Tropical America: Oppressed and Destroyed by Imperialism , ) by David Siqueiros ,

2590-579: The city's history, including one of Charles III of Spain , the monarch who ordered the founding of the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in 1780, and another of Felipe de Neve , the Spanish Governor of the Californias who selected the site of the Pueblo and laid out the town. In addition to this, the plaza is dedicated to commemorating the original forty-four settlers (Los Pobladores) , and the four soldiers who accompanied them. A large plaque listing their names

2660-448: The color which was first used in 1919. A 1983 archeological excavation beneath the wooden floor unearthed artifacts relating to the building’s history. Peter Snell, partner with Long Hoeft Architects and Gus Duffy Architect, were the firms responsible for the Sepulveda Block restoration plans and construction supervision. During World War II the Sepulveda Block became a canteen for servicemen and three Olvera Street merchants were located in

2730-420: The couple’s only child died in infancy and Joaquin himself died in 1880 leaving no property. Señora Gallardo gave her property to her widowed daughter, Eloisa Martinez de Sepulveda, in 1881. On lands owned by her mother, Eloisa was able to finance the construction of a commercial building which provided her with a steady income. This was the Sepulveda Block, built in 1887. Señora Eloisa Martinez de Sepulveda built

2800-610: The current plaza. During its first 70 years, the Pueblo grew slowly from 44 in 1781 to 1,615 in 1850—an average of about 25 persons per year. During this period, the Plaza Historic District was the Pueblo's commercial and social center. In 1850, shortly after California became part of the United States, Los Angeles was incorporated as a city. It experienced a major boom in the 1880s and 1890s, as its population grew from 11,200 (1880) to 50,400 (1890) and 102,500 in 1900. As

2870-410: The early days of the town, and by the 1880s was considered part of Chinatown, lined with Chinese and Chinese American residences, businesses and gambling dens. The neglected dirt alley was already associated with vice by the early 1850s, when a bordello and its owner both known as La Prietita (the dark-skinned lady) were active here. Its other businesses included malodorous livery stables, a pawn shop,

Alameda Street - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-439: The eastern edge of the Plaza, thus passing in front of the Lugo Adobe . Calle de los Negros remained for a few more decades, behind a row of houses lining the east side of Los Angeles Street between Arcadia and Aliso streets. This was also the western edge of Old Chinatown from around the 1880s through 1930s. It reached eastward across Alameda St. to cover most of the area that is now Union Station. It proceeded one more block past

3010-583: The eastern edge of the Plaza. At the center of the Historic District is the plaza . It was described in 1982 as "the focal point" of the state historic park, symbolizing the city's birthplace and "separating Olvera Street's touristy bustle from the Pico-Garnier block's empty buildings." Built in the 1820s, the plaza was the city's commercial and social center. It remains the site of many festivals and celebrations. The plaza has large statues of two figures in

3080-513: The former-most also served by the Metro E Line . Union Station is also served by the B and D lines, as well as Metrolink and Amtrak . 34°2′50″N 118°14′17″W  /  34.04722°N 118.23806°W  / 34.04722; -118.23806 Old Plaza, Los Angeles El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument , also known as Los Angeles Plaza Historic District and formerly known as El Pueblo de Los Ángeles State Historic Park ,

3150-413: The front of the adobe. Señora Sepulveda received $ 1,190 in compensation. When the Sepulveda Block was built in 1887 Señora Eloisa Sepulveda kept a suite of three rooms for her own use. Her bedroom reveals much about her Mexican heritage and the popular tastes and styles of the time. It would also reflect some of the places in Los Angeles in the decades following her arrival from Sonora in 1844. The décor of

3220-462: The house to a "sporting fraternity", which operated a popular 24-hour gambling establishment with games including monte, faro, and poker ; up to $ 200,000 in gold could be seen on the tables at a time. Arguments ensued and murders were frequent. The building later became a dance hall where "lewd women" were employed, aimed at the Mexican-American population. After that, still in the 1850s, it became

3290-406: The ignoble red man, crazed with aguardiente, fought his battles, the swarthy Sonorian plied his stealthy dagger, and the click of the revolver mingled with the clink of gold at the gaming table when some chivalric American felt that his word of “honah” had been impugned." By 1871, the alley was notorious as a "racially, spatially, and morally disorderly place", according to historian César López. It

3360-450: The improvements have gone up in the southern half of the city. ... These are solid facts which it is useless to attempt to ignore by playing the ostrich acts and level-headed property holders in the northern part of the city are beginning to ask themselves seriously what is to be done to arrest or at least delay the steady march of the business section from the old to the new plaza on Sixth Street ... The 44 acres (180,000 m ) surrounding

3430-466: The late 19th century, Los Angeles Street did not form the east side of the Plaza; it ran south only from Broad Place at the intersection of Arcadia Street. Here, the Coronel Adobe blocked the path north one block to the Plaza, but just slightly to the right (east) of the path of Los Angeles Street was Calle de los Negros (Spanish-language name; marked on post-1847 maps as Negro Alley or Nigger Alley),

3500-432: The long indigenous period before European contact and colonization. These include animal bones, household goods, tools, bottles, and ceramics. The district was designated as a state monument in 1953, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. These steps, however, did not prevent the demolition, in the decades to come, of numerous historic and very old buildings, particularly those that once formed

3570-548: The old plaza. The buildings of historical significance include Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles Church (1822), Avila Adobe (1818) (the city's oldest surviving residence), the Olvera Street market, Pico House (1870), and the Old Plaza Fire Station (1884). Four of the buildings have been restored and are operated as museums. In addition, archaeological excavations in the Pueblo have uncovered artifacts from

SECTION 50

#1732851640306

3640-412: The rear, facing Olvera Street, then an unpaved alley. Later, she may have occupied other quarters. Commercial tenants were located in the stores fronting on Main Street while the second floor was used as a boarding house. Señora Sepulveda bequeathed the building on her death in 1903 to her favorite niece and goddaughter, Eloisa Martinez de Gibbs. Edward Gibbs, an engineer and lumber company owner, had been

3710-455: The region's extensive freeway network. The separate brands were retired in 2020 as part of Metro's NextGen Bus Plan, a major restructuring of the agencies routes, with most of the Metro Rapid routes retired in favor of more frequent service on the former Metro Local routes, which will now make fewer stops. Metro buses are given line numbers that indicate the type of service offered. This method

3780-459: The room shows a practical acceptance of modern technology and contemporary fashion, with its mass-produced walnut furniture and gaslight chandelier. The bedroom has three different wallpapers and a typical flowered carpet. The somewhat-cluttered appearance is characteristic of the period and a sign of modest prosperity. By contrast, the brass bed with its draperies and fancy spread, the Chinese shawl, and

3850-557: The substation provided electricity to power the yellow streetcars. When the streetcar system closed in the 1940s, the building was converted to other uses. The substation is one of the two buildings in the district that is separately listed in the National Register of Historic Places (the Avila Adobe is the other). Pelanconi House at 17 Olvera Street, built in the 1850s, is the oldest surviving brick house in Los Angeles. In 1924, it

3920-453: The two-story Sepulveda Block in 1887 in response to the city’s real estate and population boom of the 1800s. The twenty-two room building cost $ 8,000 to erect. As her husband, Joaquin Sepulveda, had died seven years earlier leaving no estate, Señora Sepulveda probably financed the construction of the building on her own. By 1888 Bath Street had been renamed Main Street and the city had realigned and widened it, cutting off 18 feet (5.5 m) from

3990-601: The well-tended shrine are representative of Señora Sepulveda’s Mexican upbringing and her strong religious beliefs. The large crucifix is on loan from Señora Sepulveda’s descendants while the bed belonged to the Avila family, who were related to her by marriage. The pastel portrait is of her favorite niece, Eloisa Martinez de Gibbs. Señora Sepulveda chose American architects George F. Costerisan and William O. Merithew to design her two-story business block for residential and commercial rental in 1887. Although this particular type of building

4060-548: The western edge of the new, shortened alley. The site of Calle de los Negros is now the Pueblo parking lot and a cloverleaf-style entrance to the US 101 freeway. The Coronel Adobe was built in 1840 by Ygnacio Coronel as a family home. It stood at the northwest corner of Arcadia Street and Calle de los Negros; Los Angeles Street terminated at its southern end. The area gradually became an area for gambling and saloons, and upper-class families left to live elsewhere. Around 1849, they sold

4130-448: Was built in 1818 and is the oldest surviving residence in Los Angeles. It was built by Francisco Ávila , a wealthy cattle rancher. Its adobe walls are 2½ to 3 feet (0.91 m) thick. U. S. Navy Commodore Robert Stockton took it over as his temporary headquarters when the United States first occupied the city in 1846. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places , the adobe is also designated as California State Landmark No. 145. It

4200-467: Was built in 1861. The church was one of the first three sites designated as Historic Cultural Monuments by the City of Los Angeles, and has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark. The Old Plaza Firehouse is the oldest firehouse in Los Angeles. Built in 1884, it operated as a firehouse until 1897. The building was thereafter used as a saloon, cigar store, poolroom, "seedy hotel", Chinese market, "flop house", and drugstore. The building

4270-515: Was converted into a restaurant called La Golondrina , which was the oldest restaurant on Olvera Street until its closure in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic . The Pelanconi House was a winery producing wine from the grapes that grew in the area, possibly even inside the Avila Adobe where they grow currently. The DNA matches that of grapes at Mission San Gabriel , established in 1771. Built in 1926,

SECTION 60

#1732851640306

4340-824: Was devised originally by the Southern California Rapid Transit District, Metro's predecessor. Local bus service to/from Downtown Los Angeles and other areas . The line numbering begins at line 2 ( Sunset Bl , a line leading west from USC) and proceeds counterclockwise around Downtown Los Angeles, ending at line 96 ( Riverside Dr .) East/west service, not necessarily serving Downtown Los Angeles. North/south service, not serving in Downtown Los Angeles. Expo/Sepulveda station (late night) Shuttles, special routes and local service within one or two adjacent neighborhoods. As of September 2019 , Metro operates 2,320 buses in revenue service,

4410-535: Was erected in the plaza, and later plaques dedicated to the individual eleven families were placed in the ground encircling the gazebo in the center of the plaza. The parish church in the Plaza Historic District, known as La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles (The Church of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels), was founded in 1814. The structure was completed and dedicated in 1822. The present church, which replaced it,

4480-593: Was finally closed by the authorities." This two-story building at 507–511 N. Main St. houses part of the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes , which includes the Vickrey -Brunswig Building next door. It is inscribed on its upper floor, and on 1890s maps it is marked, "Garnier Block" (not to be confused with the Garnier Block/Building on Los Angeles Street, one block away). Commissioned in 1883 by Philippe Garnier, once housed

4550-474: Was here that a growing number of Chinese immigrant railroad laborers settled after the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. There, William Estrada notes, the "Chinese of Los Angeles came to fill an important sector of the economy as entrepreneurs. Some became proprietors and employees of small hand laundries and restaurants; some were farmers and wholesale produce peddlers; others ran gambling establishments; and some occupied other areas left vacant by

4620-492: Was originally known as Wine Street. In 1877, it was extended and renamed in honor of Judge Augustín Olvera , the first ever elected county judge in Los Angeles. Many of the Plaza District's contributing historic buildings, including the Avila Adobe and Sepulveda House, are located on Olvera Street. In 1930, it was adapted by local merchants into the colorful marketplace that operates today. The Avila Adobe at 10 Olvera Street

4690-511: Was primarily a Japanese community, shared with Mexicans, and the last remnants of the French community. Metro Local Line 202 runs along Alameda Street between Del Amo Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. Metro Local Line 58 formerly served Alameda Street between Union Station and Washington , but was discontinued in 2005. Three Metro A Line Stations are located on Alameda Street: Little Tokyo/Arts District , Union Station , and Chinatown , with

4760-400: Was restored in the 1950s and opened as a firefighting museum in 1960. Los Angeles Plaza Park (formerly known as Father Serra Park) is an open area within the plaza. It is the site of the demolished Lugo Adobe . In June 2020 protestors toppled a statue of Father Junípero Serra , due to Serra's role during the colonization of California. Olvera Street, known for its Mexican marketplace,

4830-461: Was restored starting 1926 through efforts by Christine Sterling , and now stands as a museum. The Sepulveda House at 12 Olvera Street is a historic residence built in 1887 by Señora Eloisa Martinez de Sepulveda in the Eastlake architectural style . The original structure included two commercial businesses and three residences. It has since then become a preserved museum, and is cited by its website as

4900-565: Was unveiled above the street in 1932. It was soon covered up to mask its political content. The Getty Conservation Institute has performed detailed conservation work on the mural to restore it and the America Tropical Interpretive Center opened to provide public access. The Plaza Substation, also at 10 Olvera Street, was part of the electric streetcar system operated by the Los Angeles Railway . Completed in 1904,

#305694