#0127 Casa de Governor Pio Pico
Site information: 6003 Pioneer Blvd, Whittier Plaque and site are located in Pio Pico State Historic Park, which is gated. Access limited to operating hours. Home can be seen from the road, but plaque faces the wrong direction. 33.994137,-118.07082
Plaque information: State plaque
Plaque text: Casa de Governor Pio Pico Following the Mexican War, Pío Pico, last Mexican governor, acquired the 9,000 acre Rancho Paso de Bartolo and built here an adobe home that was destroyed by the floods of 1883-84. His second adobe casa, now known as the Mansion, represents a compromise between Mexican and American cultures. While living here the ex-Governor was active in the development of American-California. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the California Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee, Governor Pico Mansion Society, Poppy Trail Parlor No. 266, and Whittier Parlor No. 298, N.D.G.W. July 30, 1966.
#0144 Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles
Plaque information: Private plaque
Plaque text: La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles. Dedicated on December 8, 1822. Plaque placed by California Parlor Native Daughters of the Golden West March 20, 1987
OHP description: La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles-the Church of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels-was dedicated on December 8, 1822 during California's Mexican era. Originally known as La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, the church was the only Catholic church for the pueblo. Today it primarily serves the Hispanic population of Los Angeles.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, Olvera St, Los Angeles 34.057148,-118.238159
Plaque information: No plaque, but there is an informational sign
Sign text: Avila Adobe ca. 1818 The oldest building in the city, the adobe was the home of Don Francisco Avila, mayor (alcalde) of Los Angeles in 1810. After his first wife died, Avila married Encarnacion Sepulveda in 1822. He died ten years later. In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, Commodore Robert Stockton commandeered the adobe for two weeks as his military headquarters. The family moved away in 1868 and after that the adobe served as a restaurant and a boarding house. By 1928 it had fallen into disrepair and was saved from demolition by Mrs. Christine Sterling. Now restored, the building depicts the Californio lifestyle of the 1840s prior to the American occupation.
OHP description: This adobe house was built ca. 1818 by Don Francisco Avila, alcalde (mayor) of Los Angeles in 1810. Used as Commodore Robert Stockton's headquarters in 1847, it was repaired by private subscription in 1929-30 when Olvera Street was opened as a Mexican marketplace. It is the oldest existing house in Los Angeles.
Site information: 401 East M St at Banning Blvd, Wilmington Site is privately owned. Tours available, but access is limited. Home can be seen from outside the gates. 33.78985,-118.258867
Plaque information: It seems there was once a private plaque, but I was unable to find it, so it may have been removed.
OHP description: General Phineas Banning, State Senator and pioneer in the development of transportation in Southern California, built this house in the 1850s, soon after founding the town of Wilmington. He and his family lived here until his death in 1885. In 1927 the property was deeded to the city.
#0150 Brand Park (Memory Garden)
Plaque information: No plaque
OHP description: Brand Park, also called Memory Garden, was given to the city for a park November 4, 1920. It is a part of the original land grant of Mission San Fernando de Rey de España, and the colorful and picturesque atmosphere of the early California missions is preserved in Memory Garden.
Plaque information: Multiple private plaques
Plaque text: Campo de Cahuenga On the site of this building was signed the peace treaty agreement between Mexico and the United States by Gen. Andres Pico and Lt. Col. John Fremont January 13, 1847. This building erected 1950 by the Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles. Plaque placed by San Fernando Valley Historical Society. Plaque text: Campo de Cahuenga Site where Andres Pico, representing the California forces, capitulated to John C. Fremont, representing the American ground forces, in the treaty of Cahuenga Pass, January 13, 1847. Los Angeles Parlor No. 45, N.S.G.W. Dedicated by the Native Sons of the Golden West, James M. Smith, Grand President January 11, 1981. Plaque text: Campo de Cahuenga Original Adobe The markings on the sidewalk indicate the actual location of the historic adobe foundation and floor tiles buried beneath the street, sidewalk, and landscaped areas. The articles of capitulation of teh Treaty of Cahuenga between the United States and Mexico were signed here in 1847, ending the hostilities in California between the two countries. Plaque text: Campo de Cahuenga Original Adobe Beneath this park rest the stone foundations and floor tiles of the historic adobe where Mexican General Andres Pico and U.S. Lieutenant Colonel John C. Fremont signed the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847. Signing the Treaty ended the hostilities in California between the United States and Mexico, and led to the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which ceded California to the U.S. and formally ended the Mexican-American War. The adobe, then owned by a Spaniard, Eulogio de Celis, may have been built as early as 1795 when this land on El Camino Real was occupied by a veteran Mexican soldier, Mariano de la Luz Verdugo. Between 1810 and 1834, the San Fernando Mission owned the land. The adobe also served as a stop on the Butterfield Stage from 1858 to 1861. Butterfield carried passengers, mail, and cargo throughout the western United States from Tipton, MO to San Francisco, CA. During construction of the Metro Rail station, the MTA team uncovered, researched, evaluated, and cataloged these foundations. In 1997, the archaeological remains of the adobe were determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The remnants have been protected in place for future generations to discover, observe and interpret.
Site information: 18127 S Alameda, Compton Site and plaque located on private property. Generally accessible during open hours, but gated otherwise. 33.867151,-118.217656
Plaque text: Dominguez Ranch House Central portion of the ranchhouse was built in 1826 by Manuel Domínguez. Rancho San Pedro Ten square leagues granted provisionally by Governor Fages to Juan José Domínguez in 1784. Regranted by Governor Solá to Cristobal Domínguez in 1822. Battle of Domínguez Ranch Fought on this rancho October 8 and 9, 1846, Californians led by José Antonio Carrillo repelled the United States forces under Captain William Mervine, U.S. Navy, in an attempt to recapture the Pueblo of Los Angeles. Plaque placed April 25th, 1945 by Californiana Parlor No. 247, N.D.G.W. in cooperation with Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles. California State Park Commission.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, 500 block of N Main St, Los Angeles 34.056597,-118.238804
Plaque information: Private plaque commemorating the plaza, and many other private plaques in the area commemorating California and LA history
Plaque text: Los Angeles Plaza This site was part of the lands originally granted to El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781 by the King of Spain, Carlos III, under the Spanish Law of the Indies. The first plaza of the pueblo had been located to the southeast, closer to the Rio Porciuncula (Los Angeles River). When the river flooded, the pueblo was moved to higher ground. Shortly after the dedication of the Plaza Church in December 1822, the plaza's location was changed again to the present site. Plaque originally placed by California Parlor No. 247 Native Daughters of the Golden West on August 12, 1950.
OHP description: A part of the original pueblo lands of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula founded in 1781 under the Spanish Laws of the Indies during the reign of King Carlos III, the plaza is located close to the site of the original plaza. It was the center of the settlement founded by Governor Felipe de Neve. When the Plaza Church was completed in 1822, this site was reserved as a public plaza. It was landscaped in 1871 and has served since that date as a public park.
#0157 Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana
Site information: 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd, Mission Hills 34.273872, -118.461898
Interior plaque text: San Fernando Mission Founded in 1797 by Father Fermin Francisco Lasuen. We honor those men of faith, courage and vision who guided the founding of this mission and also those who have preserved it for posterity. Dedicated by the following chapters of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution: San Fernando Valley, Fernanda Maria, General Richard Gridley, Achois Comahavit, Antelope Valley, Potreros Verdes, Santa Susana. Anno Domini MCMLXX Exterior plaque text: Mission San Fernando Rey de España Founded by Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén September 8, 1797 Presented by Los Angeles Parlor No. 124 Native Daughters of the Golden West March 12, 1939
OHP description: Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded by Father Lasuén in September 8, 1797. A house belonging to Francisco Reyes, on Encino Rancho, furnished temporary shelter for the missionary in charge. An adobe chapel, built and blessed in December 1806, was damaged by the destructive earthquake of 1812 - a new church was completed in 1818.
#0158 Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
Plaque information: Private plaques
Plaque text: San Gabriel Arcangel Queen of the Missions which brought Christianity and civilization to California at the time of the American Revolution. U.S.A. Bicentennial 1776-1976. California State Society Daughters of the American Colonists Plaque text: San Gabriel Mission Founded September 8, 1771. This marks the oldest building in Southern California of brick, stone and mortar. Built 1791-1805, completed and dedicated. This tablet was erected by the Alhambra-San Gabriel chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, August 26, 1968
OHP description: The mission was founded September 8, 1771 by Padres Pedro Benito Cambon and Angel Fernández de la Somera. The present church building was begun during the latter part of the 18th century and completed in the year 1800.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, 400 block of Main St, Los Angeles 34.056215,-118.239639
Plaque text: Pico House The Pico House was built by Pio Pico, last Governor of California under Mexican rule, who lived almost the entire length of the nineteenth century from 1801 to 1894. This was the first three story building and the first grand hotel in Los Angeles. Pico chose architect Ezra F. Kysor to design the "finest hotel in Los Angeles." To raise funds for the building and furnishing of the hotel, Pio and his brother Andres sold most of their vast landholdings in the San Fernando Valley. Construction began on September 18, 1869, and the hotel opened for business on June 9, 1870. The hotel was built in the Italianate style, with deep set round-arched windows and doors. The Main Street and Plaza facades were stuccoed to resemble blue granite. The hotel had eighty two bedrooms and twenty one parlors as well as bathrooms and water closets for each sex on each floor. A French chef presided over a large dining room on the first floor. The Pico House was decorated with furniture of the best quality, with walnut pieces on the second floor and lighter woods but still "pleasing to the eye and of good quality" on the third floor. Many of the bedrooms opened into an interior court festooned with vines and birdcages. The prime period of the hotel was in 1876 when the railroad came to Los Angeles and when Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria stayed there. Unfortunately, Pio Pico was not to profit from his hotel as he lost it to foreclosure in 1880 because of non-payment of debts. The hotel management changed frequently in the ensuing years. Many of the proprietors were of French or Italian origin. Around 1882 a balcony was added to the Plaza and Main street facades and its name was changed for several decades to the National Hotel. The hotel gradually declined and was taken over by the state in 1953.
OHP description: Pío Pico constructed the Pico House in 1869-70. The first three-story hotel built in Los Angeles, it had about eighty rooms, large windows, a small interior court, and a grand staircase.
#0160 Plummer Park and Oldest House in Hollywood
Site information: This landmark commemorates a house which used to be in Plummer Park. The house was moved, but the park still exists. Since the title of the landmak includes both sites, I visited both. House location: 23537 Calabasas Rd, Calabasas 34.157573,-118.639763 Park location: 7377 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood 34.092740, -118.351213
Plaque information: Two private plaques at the house, one private plaque at the park
House plaque text: Known as the 'Oldest House in Hollywood,' this house was built in the 1870s by Eugene Raphael Plummer. Marked by Milly Barrett Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. January 29, 1956. California State Park Commission. House plaque text: Plummer House Originally located in Plummer Park, Hollywood. Moved to this site October, 1983 to avoid its destruction. Now serving as visitors center for the Leonis Adobe. Park plaque text: Plummer Park Part of lands occupied by Señora Francisca Perez under preemption law as early as 1869. Surveyed in 1871 as public lands. Deeded by Señora Perez to Eugene R. Plummer in 1877. U.S. patent issued 1880. Purchased by County of Los Angeles in 1937. Marked by Californiana Parlor No. 247 Native Daughters of the Golden West May 18, 1946
Site information: SW corner N San Gabriel Blvd and N Lincoln Ave, Montebello Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.030795,-118.073269
Plaque text: This tablet was erected by Walter P. Temple and blessed by Right Reverend John J. Cantwell, Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles, July 31, 1921 to commemorate the founding of Mission San Gabriel Archangel on this ground at Old Mission by Rev. Fathers Angel Somera and Pedro B. Cambon, Sept 8, 1771.
OHP description: 'Mission Vieja,' Old Mission, was the name given to the first buildings erected, and later abandoned, by the fathers for Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The permanent buildings for the mission were located about five miles distant.
Site information: Exchange Ave at Downey Rd, Vernon Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.002298,-118.204557
Plaque information: There was a state plaque, but it seems to have gone missing since I visited.
Plaque text: La Mesa Battlefield During the United States' occupation of California in the Mexican War, La Mesa served as a campsite for the Californio forces under General Castro in the summer of 1846. The last military encounter on the California front was fought here January 9, 1847. Also known as the Battle of Los Angeles.
Site information: Placerita Canyon State and County Park, Placerita Canyon Rd, 4.6 mi NE of Newhall 34.37704,-118.471322
Plaque information: State plaque at the site. A second state plaque is located at SE corner I-5 and Lyons Ave, Newhall 34.378306,-118.563871
Site plaque text: Oak of the Golden Dream Francisco López made California's first authenticated gold discovery on March 9, 1842. While gathering wild onions near an oak tree in Placerita Canyon he found gold particles clinging to the roots of the bulbs. The San Fernando placers and nearby San Feliciano Canyon were worked by Sonoran miners using panning, sluicing and dry washing methods. Lopez's find predated James Marshall strike at Sutter's Mill by six years. First registered March 6, 1935. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society and Platrix Chapter No.2, E. Clampus Vitus, November 15, 1992. Remote plaque text: Oak of the Golden Dream In Placeritas Canyon, March 1842, Francisco Lopez Y Arballo, while gathering wild onions from around an old oak, discovered gold particles clinging to the roots of the bulbs. It is estimated that $80,000 in gold was discovered as a result of this discovery. Department of Public Works - Division of Highways
Site information: 1053 Cary St (corner of Cary and Opp), Wilmington Site and plaque restricted to operating hours. Both can be seen from outside the fence. 33.78447,-118.257464
Plaque text: Drum Barracks Established at Wilmington in 1862, Drum Barracks became the United States military headquarters for Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. A garrison and base for supplies, it was a terminus for camel pack trains operated by the army until 1863. Abandoned in 1866, its site remains a landmark of the Civil War in California. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission, in cooperation with the California History Commission. September 11, 1965
Plaque text: Hancock Park La Brea Pits Presented to the Citizens of Los Angeles County in December 1916 by Captain Allan Hancock with a request that the scientific features be preserved. First historic reference to the tar pools recorded in the diary of Gaspar de Portolá in August 3, 1769. Originally a portion of the Rancho La Brea granted by Governor Alvarado 1840. Marked by Californiana Parolr 247, Native Daughters of the Golden West April 28, 1940
OHP description: The bones of thousands of prehistoric animals that had been entrapped during the Ice Age in pools of tar that bubbled from beneath the ground were exhumed from this site. First historic reference to the pools, part of the 1840 Rancho La Brea land grant, was recorded by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769 - first scientific excavations were made by the University of California in 1906. The site was presented to the County of Los Angeles in 1916 by Captain G. Allan Hancock to be developed as a scientific monument.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, 420 Main St, Los Angeles 34.056062,-118.239736
Plaque text: Merced Theatre The Merced Theatre was built in 1870 and is one of the oldest structures erected in Los Angeles for the presentation of dramatic performances. It served as the center of theatrical activity in the city from 1871 to 1876. The theatre was built by William Abbot, the son of Swiss immigrants who settled in Los Angeles in 1854. In 1858, he married the woman for whom he would name the theatre, Maria Merced Garcia, the daughter of Jose Antonio Garcia and Maria Guadalupe Uribe, who were long-time residents of the Los Angeles pueblo. The theatre was designed by Ezra F. Kysor, the architect of the Pico House. Similar to the Pico House, Kysor used the Italianate style, but made the building more ornate. The theatre was located on the second floor of the three-story building. The ceiling of the second story is higher than that of the Pico House next door, an adjustment to allow for the stage, scenery and props. Thus, the building itself rises somewhat above the Pico House. Construction was completed in December, 1870 and the first performance, a melodrama entitled "Fanchon the Little Cricket," opened on January 30, 1871. Performances were mainly given in English, although some productions were presented in Spanish. Ticket prices ranged from 50 cents in the balcony to $1.00 for "parquette chairs." The opening of Wood's Opera House in 1876, which was located only four doors south of the Merced, as well as a smallpox epidemic which struck the area that same year led to the decline of the Merced Theatre. The last performance was given on New Year's Day, 1877.
OHP description: The Merced Theatre, erected in 1870 on North Main Street next to the Pico House, was the first building built expressly for theatrical purposes in Los Angeles. It was built by William Abbot, a cabinetmaker, and named in honor of his wife Merced Garcia.
Site information: 23802 Pine St, Newhall Site and private plaque located on what may be private property. Difficult to tell. A chain link fence prohibits close access. 34.369903,-118.519808
Plaque information: Private plaque at site. A state plaque is located a few miles away at Lang Blvd exit, E of I-5
Private plaque text: California's first oil refinery operated on a commercial scale. Erected 1876. Restored by the Standard Oil Company of California in 1930 as a memorial to D.G. Scofield and his pioneer associates of the California Star Oil Works Company, a predecessor of the Standard Oil Company of California. In 1875-1876 Mr. Scofield and his associates obtained California's first commercial production of crude petroleum in Pico Canyon six miles northwest of this point and built this refinery for the manufacture of petroleum products. State plaque text: Pioneer Oil Refinery 1875, the Star Oil Company, one of the predecessors of the Standard Oil Company of California, drilled its first well inPico Canyon. 100 barrels per day. The discovery resulted the following year in the erection of the first commercial oil refinery in California. Department of Public Works - Division of Highways
Plaque text: "Casa Adobe de San Rafael" Built by Tomás and Maria Sanchez, 1865-1871. Restored by the City of Glendale, 1932. Presented by Verdugo Parlor No. 240, Glendale Native Daughters of the Golden West and Glendale Beautiful. November 6, 1973
OHP description: In October 1784, José María Verdugo petitioned Pedro Fages, Governor of Alta California, for a grant of land. This grant was the first and one of the largest made. When parts of Rancho San Rafael were sold, Tomás Sánchez, Sheriff of Los Angeles County, purchased a tract of 100 acres and in 1865 built this artistic adobe of the hacienda type, restored in 1932.
#0289 First Home of Pomona College
Site information: SW corner Mission Blvd and S White St, Pomona Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.054738,-117.758917
Plaque text: On this site, September 12, 1888, was held the first session of Pomona College. Dedicated by the Historical Society of Pomona Valley, October 14, 1937
OHP description: Pomona College, incorporated October 14, 1887, held its first class in this small frame cottage on September 12, 1888. Those in attendance consisted of a mere handful of eager students, five faculty members, and the president, Professor Edwin C. Norton. Five months later, in January 1889, the college moved to an unfinished boom hotel on a plot of land in the town of Claremont.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, SE corner Los Angeles and Alameda Sts, Los Angeles Nothing remains of this site, as it was torn down in 1951. ~34.056019,-118.23739
OHP description: The Lugo Adobe, said to have been built in the 1840s by Don Vicente Lugo, was one of the very few two-story houses in the pueblo of Los Angeles. In 1867, Lugo donated this house on the Plaza to St. Vincent's School (forerunner of Loyola University). From the 1880s until it was razed in 1951, the building was occupied by the Chinese.
Site information: 1120 Old Mill Rd, San Marino Site is privately owned and access is restricted to operating hours, though the building can be seen from the road. 34.118911,-118.127841
Plaque information: There is a state sign at the site, and a private plaque specifically for the original millstones, but not one for the mill itself.
OHP description: The Old Mill, El Molino Viejo, was designed by Father José María Zalvidea and built of fired bricks and adobe about 1816 to serve Mission San Gabriel. Another grist mill was built in 1823 near the mission and the old mill was gradually abandoned - it passed from mission control in 1846. The property remained in private hands until 1903, when Henry E. Huntington bought the building and used it for a golf clubhouse. Later owners, Mr. and Mrs. James Brehm, had the mill restored in 1928 by Frederick Rupple.
#0362 Romulo Pico Adobe (Ranchito Romulo)
Site information: 10940 N Sepulveda Blvd, Mission Hills Plaque and site are located in a locked park. Access only during operating hours. 34.26865,-118.465625
Plaque text: "Ranchito Romulo" Oldest portion built about 1834 by ex-Mission Indians. Enlarged by Eulogio de Celis in 1846. Upper story added by Romulo Pico in 1874. Restored by Mr. & Mrs. M.R. Harrington in 1930. Marked July 18, 1936 by Californiana Parlor No. 247 N.D.G.W.
Site information: Edward Vincent Junior Park, 700 Warren Ln, Inglewood Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.974344,-118.342639
Plaque text: Aguaje de la Centinela (Centinela Springs) On this site, bubbling springs once flowed from their source in a deep water basin which has existed continuously since the Pleistocene Era. Prehistoric animals, Indians, and early Inglewood settlers were attracted here by the pure artesian water. The springs and valley were named after sentinels guarding cattle in the area. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Historical Society of Centinela Valley, October 9, 1970.
#0367 E.J. Baldwin's Queen Anne Cottage
Site information: Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 N Baldwin, Arcadia The site and plaque are in the arboretum, which is restricted to operating hours and requires a fee. 34.141271,-118.053881
Plaque text: Queen Anne Cottage Constructed by Elias Jackson ('Lucky') Baldwin in 1881. Designed by A.A. Bennett, and intended for entertaining. There being no kitchen, meals were served from the nearby adobe (built by Hugo Reid in 1839) where Baldwin actually lived. Restored and dedicated May 18, 1954, as part of Los Angeles State and County Arboretum. California State Park Commission
Site information: Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 N Baldwin, Arcadia 34.140571,-118.053155 The site and plaque are in the arboretum, which is restricted to operating hours and requires a fee.
Plaque text: Hugo Reid Adobe 1839 Reconstructed by the State of California 1958-60 Restored by the California Conservation Corps 1983
OHP description: Hugo Reid, a Scotsman, petitioned the government of Mexico to grant him Rancho Santa Anita. His claim strengthened by his marriage to Victoria, a native Indian of the San Gabriel Mission, he received the grant on April 16, 1841. Immediately upon filing his petition, Reid took possession of the land, started to farm and plant vineyards, and built the first house-the Hugo Reid Adobe-in 1839. In 1875, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin purchased the rancho, increasing his total ownership of California lands to 40,000 acres, and in 1879 added a wooden wing to the Reid adobe. Both Reid and Baldwin were actively involved in the early development and growth of southern California.
Plaque information: Stone state plaque in place in of the original bronze which was stolen.
Plaque text: Adobe de Palomares Completed about 1854 and restored in 1939, this was the family home of Don Ygnacio Palomares, who with Don Ricardo Vejar was granted Rancho San José in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado. Plaque placed by California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Historical Society of Pomona Valley. October 20, 1957
Site information: SE corner Harbor Dr and Yacht Club Way, Redondo Beach 33.851901,-118.396936
Plaque text: This marker locates the site near which the Indians and early California settlers came to obtain their salt, which at many times was more valuable than gold. Presented by Tierra del Rey Parlor #300 Native Daughters of the Golden West. March 27, 1955
OHP description: The Indians of this area obtained salt from this lake. Sometime in the 1850s, Johnson and Allanson erected the necessary works to manufacture salt by artificial as well as solar evaporation. The salt yield for 1879 was 450 tons.
#0380 Site of Home of Diego Sepulveda
Site information: 700 block of Channel St, San Pedro Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. ~33.753675,-118.293288
OHP description: This adobe home, built by Diego Sepúlveda in the 1850s, was the first two-story Monterey-type adobe built in Southern California.
#0381 Site of Old Whaling Station
Site information: Portuguese Bend Club, Palos Verdes Dr and Maritime Rd, Rancho Palos Verdes Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.734837,-118.354483
Plaque text: Portuguese Bend Whaling Station On the slopes below and west of this plaque stood the quarters of Portuguese whalemen who put out through the surf in boats under oars and sail to harpoon passing gray whales to be towed ashore where the blubber was stripped and "tried out" in large black iron try-pots to produce valuable whale oil for lamps and lubricants. Active from 1860 to 1885, this station began its decline with the advent of fossil oil; however, three of the original structures, the try-pots and crumbling furnaces remained until about 1928. Dedicated as an historical site on January 15, 1983
OHP description: The whaling industry is said to have been started by Captain Clark in 1864. Captain Frank Anderson, a Portuguese, tried 2,166 barrels of whale oil at this station from 1874 to 1877. The station was abandoned because of a lack of fuel rather than vessels.
#0383 Site of Adobe Home of Jose Dolores Sepulveda
Site information: Approx intersection of Madison St and Courtney Way, Torrance Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. ~33.796632,-118.347892
OHP description: This adobe was built in 1818. Dolores had trouble getting his land title cleared, so he took a trip to Monterey to get the matter definitely settled and, on his return trip, he was shot with an arrow by a hostile Indian at Mission La Purísima Concepción.
Site information: Sampson Way, N of Signal Pl, San Pedro Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.728367,-118.275266
Plaque text: Timms' Point and Landing In 1852 German immigrant Augustus W. Timms obtained Sepulveda's Landing on the mudflats near here. He built a wharf, added a warehouse, corral and other facilities to service shipping and running of stages to Los Angeles. Timms was a pioneer in the development of the harbor and for over fifty years this area was known as Timms Point. First registered January 3, 1944. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the San Pedro Bay Historical Society and the Port of Los Angeles. May 29, 1993
#0385 Rio San Gabriel Battlefield
Site information: NE corner of Washington Blvd and Bluff Rd, Montebello Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.992151,-118.111321
Plaque text: Near this site, on January 3, 1847, was fought the Battle of the Rio San Gabriel between American forces commanded by Capt. Robert F. Stockton, U.S. Navy, Commander-in-chief, Brig. Gen. Stephen W. Kearney, U.S. Army, and Californians commanded by General Jose Maria Flores. Structure erected by the City of Montebello, plaque placed by Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, June 8, 1944. California State Park Commission
Site information: 919 Puddingstone Dr, La Verne Plaque and site are located on private property and barely visible from a distance. Tours may be available. 34.096462,-117.788598
Plaque text: La Casa de Carrion This house, built in 1868 by Saturnino Carrión, was restored in 1951 by Paul E. Traweek. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with Rancho San Jose Parlor No. 307, Pomona Native Daughters of the Golden West, August 9, 1959.
Site information: 616 S Ramona St, San Gabriel Site is privately owned and not accessible. 34.094416,-118.107642
Plaque text: Ortega-Vigare Adobe Erected during mission days, 1792-1805. Second oldest adobe in this region. Originally 'L'-shaped, it is now only half its original size. In 1859, it became the property of Don Jean Vigare. In early 1860’s became San Gabriel's first bakery, and was separated from the mission's lime orchard by a high cactus wall. Marker placed by California Centennials Commission in cooperation with San Gabriel Valley Parlors N.S.G.W. No. 291 - N.D.G.W. No 281 Dedicated March 26, 1950
Site information: Mt. Baldy Rd, ~7 N of the 210, Claremont Site was in the canyon below the plaque site, but nothing remains of the site, as far as I know. 34.211866,-117.676017
Plaque information: State plaque has gone missing
Plaque text: The first hydroelectric installation in California for long-distance transmission of alternating current at high voltage was built in 1892 on San Antonio Creek below this spot by the San Antonio Light and Power Company organized by Dr. Cyrus Grandison Baldwin, President of Pomona College. The first high-voltage transformers built by George Westinghouse for this installation provided for transmission of 10,000 volts from this plant to Pomona. Marked by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with The Historic Society of Pomona Valley. May 7, 1955
Site information: On W Pico Canyon Rd, 1.5 mi past Mentryville, Newhall The road is usually gated to cars at Mentryville, but can be hiked or biked. 34.370255,-118.629207
Plaque text: First Commercial Oil Well in California On this site stands CSO-4 (Pico No. 4), California's first commercially productive well. It was spudded in early 1876 under the direction of Demetrious G. Scofield, later to become the first president of Standard Oil Company of California, and was completed at a depth of 300 feet on September 26, 1876, for an initial flow of 30 barrels of oil a day. Later in the same year, after the well was deepened to 600 feet using what was perhaps the first steam rig employed in oil well drilling in California. Upon the second completion it produced at a rate of 150 barrels a day - it is still producing after 77 years. The success of this well prompted formation of the Pacific Coast Oil Company, a predecessor of Standard Oil Company of California, and led to the construction of the state's first refinery nearby. It was not only the discovery well of the Newhall Field, but was indeed a powerful stimulus to the subsequent development of the California petroleum industry. Dedicated June 6, 1953. Standard Oil Company of California, Petroleum Production Pioneers, Inc.
Plaque text: Mentryville Mentryville, named after Charles Alexander Mentry, who drilled California's first successful commercial oil well in 1876, was one of the first oil towns in the state. Mentry's restored home, barn and Felton School remain on the site where the California Star Oil Works Co., a predecessor of Standard Oil Co. of California, was founded. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society and Newhall Woman's Club, C.F.W.C. September 16, 1976.
Site information: 1439 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles The OHP directions refer to University High School, but understandably the school grounds are not accessible to visitors. However, there is now a museum for this site which allows visitors during brief operating hours. The entrance to the museum is on Barrington, towards the back of the school. Also, they use the name Kuruvungna Springs or Gabrielino Tongva Springs now. 34.045190,-118.458501
Plaque text: The National Society Sons of the American Colonists California State Society Los Angeles, John Borton Chapter Bicentennial Marking 1976 Marked this day March 20 1976, as a California Historical Spanish Colonial Landmark "In 1776 Portola camped at the springs as part of the Rancho San Vicente - Santa Monica known as the 1.Junipero Serra Springs; 2.El Berrendo; 3.San Gregorio; 4.San Vicente Springs. This site is on the El Camino Real route, used by the mission fathers and discovered by the Franciscan missionary priests and by Father Junipero Serra, who liked it's waters. Known by the Indian habitation as 5."Wounded Deer Springs" Plaque text: Wounded Deer Springs A village site of the Tongva Indians who enjoyed the waters and participated in ritual games here as the original inhabitants of this area. Dedicated in their memory on October 27, 1979 by the University High School "Warriors".
OHP description: The Portolá Expedition of 1769 encamped at this spring, and it is reported that in 1770 Father Serra said Mass here to the Indians of this area. This spring was also the former water supply of the town of Santa Monica. The site is now the campus of the University High School.
Plaque information: Private plaques, but not specifically for the state landmark designation
Plaque text: El Alisal Built by Charles F. Lummis, writer, editor, founder Southwest Museum. Declared Historic Cultural Monument No. 68 by the Historic Cultural Heritage Board. Municipal Arts Department. City of Los Angeles. Plaque text: El Alisal, built 1897-1910 by Charles F. Lummis, 1859-1928 NSDAR Chapters: Beverly Hills, Cabrillo, El Redondo, Eschscholtzia, Felipe de Neve, Hannah Bushrod, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Milly Barrett, Rancho San Jose de Buenos Aires, Rodeo de las Aguas, San Vicente, Santa Monica, Temescal U.S.A. Bicentennial - Feb 23, 1975
OHP description: This building was constructed by Charles F. Lummis (1859-1928), author, editor, poet, athlete, librarian, historian, archeologist, etc. He selected this site in 1895 chiefly because of a mammoth, ancient sycamore (El Alisal) which has since died and been replaced by four saplings.
#0536 Original Building of the University of Southern California
Site information: Widney Hall Alumni House, University of Southern CA, Childs Way at Pardee Way, Los Angeles 34.019421,-118.282894
Plaque text: The Oldest University Building in Southern California Dedicated on September 4, 1880, this original building of the University of Southern California has been continuously in use for educational purposes since its doors were first opened to students on October 6, 1880, by the university's first president, Marion McKinley Bovard. The building was constructed on land donated by Ozro W. Childs, John G. Downey, and Isaias W. Hellman under the guiding hand of Judge Robert M. Widney, the university's leading founder. California State Park Commission, plaque placed September 4, 1955 on the occasion of the University of Southern California's 75th anniversary year.
#0554 Cecil B. DeMille Studio Barn
Plaque text: Hollywood's First Major Film Company Studio One-half of this structure, then in use as a barn, was rented by Cecil B. DeMille as the studio in which was made the first feature-length motion picture in Hollywood, “The Squaw Man”, in 1913. It was originally located at the corner of Selma and Vine streets, and in 1927 was transferred to Paramount Studios. Associated with Mr. DeMille in making “The Squaw Man” were Samuel Goldwyn and Jesse Lasky, Sr. Plaque placed by California State Park Commission and Historical Landmarks Committee of Los Angeles County in cooperation with Paramount Pictures Corporation. Dec 27, 1956
Site information: S side of The Old Road, near Henry Mayo Drive, Valencia Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.44026,-118.60515
Plaque text: Rancho San Francisco Approximately one-half mile south of this point was the adobe headquarters of Rancho San Francisco, originally built about 1804 as a granary of Mission San Fernando. The rancho was granted to Antonio de Valle in 1839. Here, in January 1850, William Lewis Manly and John Rogers obtained supplies and animals to rescue their comrades in a California-bound gold-seeking emigrant party that was stranded and starving in Death Valley, some 250 miles to the northeast. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Death Valley '49ers. November 6, 1959.
Site information: St. Vincent Court, in alley between Broadway and Hill, near 7th St, Los Angeles There is still a St. Vincent Court, but nothing remains of the college, as far as I know. 34.045726,-118.253748
Plaque text: St. Vincent Court This was the site of Saint Vincent's College from 1868 to 1887. The college, now Loyola University, was founded by the Vincentian Fathers in 1865 and was the first institution of higher learning in Southern California. Plaque placed by California State Park Commission In cooperation with County of Los Angeles and Bullocks Inc. September 4, 1957. Rededicated by Los Angeles United Investment Co. 1984.
Plaque text: Discovery Well Shell Oil Company – Alamitos No. 1 June 25, 1921. One of the world’s most famous wells, Alamitos No. 1, was started on March 23, 1921, and completed June 25, 1921, at a depth of 3,114 feet, flowing 590 barrels of oil a day. This discovery well led to the development of one of the most productive oil fields in the world and helped to establish California as a major oil producting state. This monument commemorating Alamitos No. 1 is a tribute to the petroleum pioneers for their success here, a success which has, by aiding in the growth and expansion of the petroleum industry, contributed so much to the welfare of mankind. Dedicated May 3, 1952. Shell Oil Company, The Petrolum Production Pioneers
Site information: Lang Station Rd at railroad tracks, 0.2 mi S of Soledad Canyon Rd The tracks are still there, but the Lang Station no longer remains, as far as I know. 34.431037,-118.37902
Plaque text: Lang Southern Pacific Station On September 5, 1876, Charles Crocker, President, Southern Pacific Railroad, drove a gold spike here to complete his company's San Joaquin Valley Line, first rail connection of Los Angeles with San Francisco and Transcontinental lines. Plaque placed by California State Park Commission in cooperation with Historical Society of Southern California, June 15, 1957.
Site information: Angeles National Forest, near Chilao Visitor's Center, Angeles Crest Hwy (State Hwy 2), 27 mi E of La Canada 34.326945,-118.006129
OHP description: This is California's first ranger station, built in 1900 by Louie Newcomb and Phillip Begue, early Forest Service men. The cabin took its name from the 'Short Cut Canyon Trail,' as the cabin was one of the main stopping points on this trail.
Plaque text: San Rafael Rancho First granted to José Maria Verdugo, Oct. 20, 1784. Catalina Adobe built about 1828. And General Andres Pico oak tree camp site, before he surrendered to General John C. Fremont, 1847. Marked by Californiana Parlor No. 247 Native Daughters of the Golden West Sept. 28, 1947
OHP description: San Rafael was granted to José María Verdugo on October 20, 1784. Don José died April 12, 1831, leaving his estate to his son Julio and his blind daughter Catalina. This adobe was built for Dona Catalina in the 1830s; she lived here until her death in 1861. Still in excellent condition, the Catalina, or Original Mud Block, Adobe is now in private ownership.
#0646 Grave of George Caralambo, "Greek George"
Site information: Founders' Memorial Park, Broadway at Gregory Ave, Whittier The park is formerly Mt. Olive Cemetery. Bodies still located there, but headstones removed. 33.986823,-118.046399
Plaque information: At the site, there is a sign which lists the names of people interred at the former cemetery. George Allen's name appears. The private historical marker was moved to the Whittier Museum, 6755 Newlin Ave, Whittier. The museum is restricted to operating hours. There is also some informational text at the museum about Greek George. 33.979332, -118.041131
Plaque text: "Greek George" Born in Smyrna as George Caralambo. Came to this country as a camel driver for the United States government in 1857. Naturalized -- George Allen in 1867. Died Sept. 2, 1913 at Old Mission. Historical marker erected by Whittier parlor No. 298 Native Daughters of the Golden West. Courtesy of F.G. Simmons and R.D. White. June 30, 1956. Museum sign text: One Whittier resident arrived in the most peduliar way...on camelback! In the spring of 1855, t he U.S. Secretary of War (and soon to be Confederate President) Jefferson Davis, sent the Navy storeship "Supply" to Northern Africa to purchase camels for the American Southwest. The Army wanted to augment cavalry with a pack animal that would function better in harsh environment. The Americans who went to purchase the camels were assisted in 1857 by Mimico Teodora ("Mico") Hagiatis Yannaco ("Long Tom"), Anastasio Corali ("Short Tom") along with Hadji Ali ("Hi Jolly"), and George Caralambo ("Greek George"). Eventually, they all arrived in Fort Defiance, N.M., where they found that the 'Camel Corps' had inadequate funding. Soon, everyone but 'Hi Jolly' and 'Greek George' left. After several years of being shuffled around, the Army decided the camels were too expensive and in November 1863, sold the camels to Samuel McLeneghan in Nevada. The camels, which were sued to carry freight to the Comstock Lode, were still accompanied by 'Hi Jolly' and 'Greek George'. After most of the Silver was mined out of the Comstock Lode in1865, McLeneghan took the camels to Fort Yuma to sell. On the way to Fort Yuma, McLeneghan died and "Greek George" and "Hi Jolly" decided to turn the camels loose. They occasionally were seen wandering in the desert. Greek George changed his name to "George Allen", became a citizen, and settled in Whittier. His tombstone, until recently, was located at the Pio Pico mansion.
OHP description: This is the grave of 'Greek George,' a camel driver from Asia Minor who came to the United States with the second load of camels purchased by the War Department as an experiment to open a wagon road to Fort Tejón from Fort Defiance, New Mexico. Because of the Civil War, the experiment was abandoned. 'Greek George' became a naturalized citizen in 1867 under the name of George Allen. He built an adobe home on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Site information: 0.1 mi N of intersection of Foothill Blvd and Balboa Blvd, 4 mi NW of San Fernando 34.322642,-118.497440
Plaque information: There once was a state plaque, but it is missing. A private plaque remains.
Plaque text: The Cascades On November 5, 1913 40,000 people gathered here to witness the dedication of the Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct. The terminus of a 233-mile long engineering marvel, the cascades were teh site of William Mulholland's famous speed: "There it is. Take it!" An extension completed in 1940 brings water 338 miles from the system's northernmost intake near Tioga Pass. Since 1917 significant hydroelectric power has also been generated by the aqueduct system. The water supplied by this aqueduct transformed Los Angeles from a city of 300,000 to nearly 4 million and led to the growth of Southrn California as a while. Environmental challenges, mandates and projects have resulted in modification to acquduct operations. Despite reductions in water deliveries, the aqueduct remains a critical part of the city's present and future water supply and protecting the Owns River watershed will continue to be a major activity of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Plaque dedicated November 5, 2013 by Platrix Chapter No 2 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
OHP description: This is the terminus of the Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct, which brings water 338 miles from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada to the City of Los Angeles. Begun in 1905, the great aqueduct was completed November 5, 1913. The Mono Craters Tunnel project, completed in 1940, extended the system 27 miles to its present northernmost intake near Tioga Pass.
#0655 Portola Trail Campsite (No. 1)
Site information: Elysian Park entrance, NW corner of N Broadway and Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.071963,-118.227384
Plaque text: Portola Trail 1769 Spanish colonization of California began in 1769 with the expedition of Don Gaspar de Portolá from Mexico. With Captain Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, Lieutenant Don Pedro Fages, Sgt. José Francisco Ortega, and Fathers Juan Crespí and Francisco Gómez, he and his party camped near this spot on August 2, 1769, en route to Monterey. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission, in Cooperation with Los Angles Recreation and Park Commission and California Parlor No. 247, Native Daughters of the Golden West, October 12, 1968.
Site information: Fletcher Bowron Square, 300 block of N Main, between Temple and Aliso Sts, Los Angeles Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.054443,-118.241073
Plaque text: Bella Union Hotel Site Near this spot stood the Bella Union Hotel, long a social and political center. Here, on October 7, 1858, the first Butterfield Overland Mail stage from the East arrived 21 days after leaving St. Louis. Warren Hall was the driver, and Waterman Ormsby, a reporter, the only through passenger. Plaque placed by The California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, October 7, 1958.
Plaque text: Western Hotel This buiding, erected by the Gilroy family in 1874, was purchased in 1902 by George T. Webber, who operated it as the Western Hotel. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce was organized in its dining room. Between 1905 and 1913, construction crews of the Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct were housed here, and it became a center of commercial and social activity in the early life of the community. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the History and Landmarks Association of the Antelope Valley and San Fernando Parlors, Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Joshua Tree Parlor No. 288, Native Daughters of the Golden West, November 28, 1958.
Site information: NW corner of Willowbrook Ave and Myrrh St, Compton Plaque and site are located on private land and access restricted. Both are visible from the street at a distance. 33.892797,-118.224599
Plaque text: Heritage House The original house of two rooms was built in 1869 by A.R. Loomis. Other rooms were added by successive occupants. It was marked as the "Oldest House in Compton" in 1955; purchased by the city June 11, 1957; and removed from 209 South Acacia Street to its present site in that year. Restored, refurnished, and renamed by the citizens of Compton as a tribute to early settlers of the community, it was presented to the public April 14, 1958. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Compton City Council; Compton Parlor, Native Daughters of the Golden West; and Heritage House Auxiliary, April 12, 1959.
#0665 Portola Trail Campsite (No. 2)
Site information: 325 South La Cienega Blvd between Olympic and Gregory, Beverly Hills Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.062099,-118.37635
Plaque text: Portola Trail 1769 The expedition of Don Gaspar de Portolá from Mexico passed this way en route to Monterey to begin the Spanish colonization of California. With Captain Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, Lieutenant Don Pedro Fages, Sergeant José Francisco Ortega, and Fathers Juan Crespí and Francisco Gómez, Portolá and his party camped near this spot on August 3, 1769. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the City of Beverly Hills and Los Fiesteros de Los Angeles, January 27, 1959.
#0669 Governor Stoneman Adobe, "Los Robles"
Site information: 1912 Montrobles Place, San Marino Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.114625,-118.136483
Plaque text: Los Robles (The Oaks) This was the site of 'Los Robles,' the 400-acre estate of Governor George Stoneman. President Rutherford B. Hayes was entertained here in 1880. The first schoolhouse in the San Gabriel Valley, California's first tennis club, and the first municipal Christmas tree of San Marino were located here. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with Region 14, Conference of California Historical Societies, September 9, 1959.
#0681 Paradox Hybrid Walnut Tree
Plaque text: Paradox Hybrid Walnut Tree Planted in 1907 as an experiment for the University of California. Dedicated 1963 by Whittier Area Community Beautiful Grand Parlor Native Daughters of the Golden West Whittier Chapter Daughters American Revolution
OHP description: Planted in 1907 by George Weinshank and assistants under the direction of Professor Ralph Smith as part of an experimental planting for the University of California Experiment Station, this tree stands as a monument to the early cooperation of state educational system with local walnut industry.
#0688 Lyons Station Stagecoach Stop
Site information: Eternal Valley Memorial Park, 23287 N Sierra Hwy, Newhall Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.362616, -118.507978
Plaque text: Lyons Station This site was the location of a combination store, post office, telegraph office, tavern, and stage depot accommodating travelers during the Kern River gold rush in the early 1850s. A regular stop for Butterfield and other early California stage lines, it was purchased by Sanford and Cyrus Lyons in 1855, and by 1868 at least twenty families lived here. Eternal Valley Memorial Park has called their final resting place "The Garden of the Pioneers." Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with Eternal Valley Memorial Park; The History and Landmarks Association of the San Fernando and Antelope Valley Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West, and San Fernando Mission Parlor No. 280, Native Daughters of the Golden West, November 22, 1959
#0689 Los Encinos State Historic Park
Plaque text: De La Osa Adobe of Los Encinos State Historical Monument This dwelling, built in 1849 by Don Vincente de la Osa, was a favored stopping place for the numerous travelers on El Camino Real. It stands on land that is part of the one-square-league Rancho El Encino granted in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico to three Indians, Ramon, Francisco, and Roque, whose interests were purchased by Don Vincente. Originally the land was under the jurisdiction of Mission San Fernando Rey founded in 1797. Marked by Los Angeles Parlor No. 124 Native Daughters of the Golden West in 1937 and again in 1950.
OHP description: The Franciscan padres used Encino as their headquarters while exploring the valley before establishing Mission San Fernando in 1797. In 1849 Vincente de la Osa built an adobe with nine rooms. The next owner of El Encino Rancho was Eugene Garnier, who built the existing two-story limestone house in 1872. In December 1891 Domingo Amestoy acquired the property.
Site information: 12685 Foothill Blvd at Vaughn St, Pacoima Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.290026,-118.411320
Plaque information: State plaque. The plaque was missing as of March 2024.
Plaque text: The Griffith Ranch Originally part of the San Fernando Mission lands, this ranch was purchased by David Wark Griffith, revered pioneer of silent motion pictures, in 1912. It provided the locale for many western thrillers, including "Custer's Last Stand", and was the inspiration for the immortal production, "Birth of a Nation." It was acquired by Fritz B. Burns in 1948, who has perpetuated the Griffith name in memory of the great film pioneer. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with Mr. Fritz B. Burns; the History and Landmarks Association of the San Fernando and Antelope Valley Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West; and the San Fernando Mission Parlor No. 280, Native Daughters of the Golden West, December 13, 1959.
#0717 The Angeles National Forest
Plaque text: The Angeles National Forest This was the first National Forest in the State of California, second in the United States. Created by proclamation, December 20, 1892, by President Benjamin Harrison. The first name given to the forest was "San Gabriel Timberland Reserve." It was changed to "San Gabriel National Forest" March 4, 1907, and then "Angeles National Forest" July 1, 1908. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation withthe History and Landmarks Association of the San Fernando and Antelope Valley Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West; and Rancho San Fernando Parlor No. 285, Native Sons of the Golden West, January 31, 1960.
#0718 Site of the Initial United States Air Meet
Site information: Wilmington Ave, S of Charles Willard St, Carson Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.861678,-118.234987
Plaque text: First United States Air Meet About one half mile southeast of this spot, on Dominguez Hill in historic Rancho San Pedro, the first Air Meet in the United States was held during January 10-20, 1910. Subsequently, this area has evolved into one of the world's leading aviation-industrial centers. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the City of Compton and the County of Los Angeles, January 10, 1960.
Site information: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, 501 N Los Angeles St 34.056027,-118.238785
Plaque text: Plaza Fire House Dedicated to the firemen of the Los Angeles Fire Department - past, present and future - who, since 1871, by their courage and faithful devotion to duty have protected the lives and property of the citizens of Los Angeles from the ravages of fire. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Box 15 Club of Los Angeles, October 1, 1960.
#0744 The Mirror Building (Site of Butterfield Stage Station)
Site information: 145 S Spring St, Los Angeles The Mirror Building still stands, but the stage station is no more. 34.051831,-118.245666
Cornerstone plaque text: This stone was set this day October 10, 1948 dedicating The Mirror Building by Norman Chandler, President The Times-Mirror Company. Private plaque text: This block is the site of: First brick school house in Los Angeles known as School No. 1, built 1854-1855; Butterfield Overland Mail Company office and corral, 1858-1861; Office of U.S. Quartermaster, 1861; Corral for camels from Fort Tejon, 1861; and Los Angeles City Hall, built 1884. Plaque placed by Californiana Parlor No. 247 Native Daughters of the Golden West May 25, 1949
OHP description: The Butterfield Overland Mail Company took an option on this piece of property in August 1858 and acquired it on December 7, 1859. A large brick building containing offices and living quarters, with shops and stables in the rear, was completed in 1860. With the exception of the station at El Paso, Texas, this was the largest and best equipped station on the entire route.
Plaque text: The San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery This Cemetery, earlier known as Morningside Cemetery, is the oldest non-sectarian cemetery in San Fernando Valley. It was used from the early 1800's until 1939. It was legally abandoned in 1959. In this same year Mrs. Nellis S. Noble donated the site in memory of the pioneers of San Fernando as a Pioneer Memorial Park. Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the San Fernando Mission Parlor No. 280, Native Daughters of the Golden West, and the History and Landmarks Association of the San Fernando and Antelope Valley Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West, April 30, 1961.
#0789 Site of the Los Angeles Star
Plaque text: Los Angeles Star Southern California's first newspaper, The Los Angeles Star, was founded in this block on May 17, 1851 and for many years exerted a major influence upon this part of the state. Suspended temporarily from 1864 to 1868, it continued later as an effective voice of the people until its final termination date in 1879. Plaque placed by the California State Parks Commission in cooperatino with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Historical Society of Southern California, October 15, 1964.
#0822 First Jewish Site in Los Angeles
Site information: Chavez Ravine, behind US Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, on Lilac Terrace near Lookout Dr, Los Angeles Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.069451,-118.241073
Plaque information: State plaque was reported missing in 2023.
Plaque text: First Jewish Site in Los Angeles The Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles (1854), first charitable organization in the city, acquired this site from the city council by deed of April 9, 1855. This purchase of a sacred burial ground represented the first organized community effort by the pioneer Jewish settlers. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles. September 29, 1968
#0840 Old Santa Monica Forestry Station
Site information: Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, NW corner of Latimer and Hilltree Rds, Los Angeles Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 34.037001,-118.515211
Plaque text: Santa Monica Forestry Station In 1887, the State Board of Forestry established the nation's first experimental forestry station. Located in Rustic Canyon, the station tested exotic trees for planting in California, established plantations for management studies, and produced planting stock for scientific and conservation purposes. The station was operated by the Board of Forestry until 1893 and by the University of California until 1923. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the California Division Of Forestry and the City and County of Los Angeles. August 18, 1971
Plaque text: The Gamble House Built in 1908, the David B. Gamble House is a tribute to the genius of architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene. Its design represents a unique California lifestyle and is a masterpiece of American craftsmanship. In 1966 it was made a gift by the Gamble family to the City of Pasadena in a joint agreement with the University of Southern California. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Pasadena and the University of Southern California. October 19, 1974
#0874 Workman Home and Family Cemetery
Site information: 15415 E Don Julian Rd, City of Industry There are two sites and plaques for this landmark - the cemetery and the home. The cemetery plaque and site are freely accessible, while the home and plaque are gated and only accessible during operating hours. Tours are available. Home: 34.019974,-117.964937 Cemetery: 34.018421,-117.96345
Plaque information: Two state plaques
Cemetery plaque text: Workman Family Cemetery "El Campo Santo," this region's earliest known private family cemetery, was established in 1850 by William Workman. The miniature Classic Grecian mausoleum was built in 1919 by grandson Walter P. Temple. Included in this cemetery are the remains of Workman, his family and descendents, partner John Rowland, friend Pio Pico (the last California Governor under Mexican rule), and his wife Maria Ygnacia Pico. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Industry, November 5, 1976. Home plaque text: William Workman Home Home of pioneer William Workman. Workman and co-owner John Rowland developed the 48,790-acre La Puenta Rancho. Workman and co-leader Rowland organized the first wagon train of permanent eastern settlers which arrived in Southern California on November 5, 1841. Workman first began this home in 1842, then remodeled it in 1872 to resemble an English Manor House. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Industry, November 5, 1976.
#0881 Site of "Port Los Angeles" Long Wharf
Site information: Will Rogers State Beach lifeguard headquarters, 15100 W Pacific Coast Hwy 1, Pacific Palisades Nothing remains of the wharf, though there is a bit of railroad tracks at the plaque. 34.031379, -118.527199
Plaque text: Port Los Angeles "The Long Wharf" In 1893 the Southern Pacific Railroad Company completed its 4,720-foot wharf which served as a deep water port for the Los Angeles area. After San Pedro became Los Angeles' official harbor in 1897, shipping activity at Port Los Angeles declined. Ultimately abandoned and dismantled. No trace remained of what was once the longest wooden pier in the world. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, July 18, 1976.
Plaque text: Pasadena Playhouse Considered Elmer Grey's outstanding design, the Pasadena Playhouse, an excellent example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, opened on May 18, 1925. The first in America to stage Shakespeare's 37 plays, the Playhouse has provided the theatre world with quality and excellence, and trained many of its stars. The Legislature proclaimed it the State Theatre of California in 1937. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Pasadena Playhouse Association, Pasadena Historical Society and City of Pasadena, November 20, 1977.
OHP description: Founded in 1917 by Gilmor Brown, the Pasadena Playhouse was designed by architect Elmer Grey and the cornerstone laid May 31, 1924. In 1928 the College of Theatre Arts was incorporated with the Pasadena Playhouse Association as a non-profit institution. In 1937, the Playhouse received the honorary title 'State Theatre of California' from the California Legislature.
Site information: For a time the the S.S. Catalina was in berth 96 of the Port of Los Angeles. The area is known as the Catalina Terminal. The ship itself ended up in Ensenada Harbor, but in 2009 was dismantled and no longer exists. The photos I took are at the Catalina Terminal in LA, near or at Berth 96, though that isn't what is commemorated with this landmark. 33.748697,-118.274766
Plaque information No plaque. Though there is a plaque for the Catalina Terminal, it doesn't mention the SS Catalina.
OHP description: Commonly referred to as the Great White Steamer, the ship was specially built by William Wrigley to serve his Catalina Island as a passenger ferry. She was christened on May 23, 1924. During World War II, she was requisitioned for use as a troop carrier, but in 1946 she resumed her voyages to Avalon.
Site information: 500 feet E of intersection of Woolsey Canyon Rd and Valley Circle Blvd, Chatsworth Site is located on private land and only visible from a distance. 34.233868,-118.641076
OHP description: The Chatsworth Calera is one of the few surviving representative structures of the early 19th century lime industry. This kiln marked the introduction to California of the European industrial process for vitrifying limestone building blocks which were used in the construction of the missions.
Site information: E Bennet Ave between Minnesota and Cullen, Glendora 34.139761,-117.861284
Plaque text: Glendora Bougainvillea Planted in 1901 by the R.W. Hamlins, early citrus growers, the Glendora bougainvillea is the largest growth of this exotic plant in the United States. The parent stock was brought to California by a whaling ship about 1870, and the vines survive as one of the best examples remaining of the early 20th-century promotional image of California as paradise. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the L.J. Pittman family, January 7, 1978.
#0919 St. Francis Dam Disaster Site
Site information: Disaster site (the old dam site) is about 1.5 miles north of the plaque location, on an abandoned road paralleling San Francisquito Canyon Rd. Remnants of the old dam can still be seen. 34.547075,-118.512742
Plaque information: State plaque located at San Francisquito Power Plant No. 2, 32300 N San Francisquito Canyon Rd, 9.2 mi N of Saugus 34.535027,-118.525449
Plaque text: St. Francis Dam Disaster Site The 185-foot concrete St. Francis Dam, part of the Los Angeles aqueduct system, stood 1½ miles north of this site. On March 12, 1928, the 185-foot high concrete dam collapsed just before midnight, sending 12½ billion gallons of water roaring down the Santa Clara River Valley 54 miles to the ocean. This was one of California’s greatest disasters: Over 450 lives were lost. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Receation in cooperation with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, U.S. Forest Service and The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. Dedicated March 12, 1978.
Site information: Fort MacArthur, E side of parade field on Quartermaster Rd, N of Officers Rd, San Pedro Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.720948,-118.28494
Plaque information: State plaque is located on an active military base, and so access is heavily restricted. The plaque can be seen from the road outside the fence. You can just see the plaque in the photo in front of the Christmas presents.
Plaque text: Casa de San Pedro Hide House Site The first known commercial structure on the shore of San Pedro Bay was built here in 1823 by the trading firm of McCulloch and Hartnell to store cattle hides from the San Gabriel and San Fernando missions. Richard Henry Dana described this adobe hide house in Two Years Before the Mast. Thus began the development of the Port of Los Angeles. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the San Pedro Bay Historical Society, April 21, 1979.
#0933 Site of Llano Del Rio Cooperative Colony
OHP description: This was the site of the most important non-religious Utopian experiment in western American history. Its founder, Job Harriman, was Eugene Debs' running mate in the presidential election of 1900. In subsequent years, Harriman became an influential socialist leader and in 1911 was almost elected mayor of Los Angeles. At its height in 1916, the colony contained a thousand members and was a flourishing communitarian experiment dedicated to the principal of cooperation rather than competition.
#0934 Temporary Detention Camps for Japanese Americans - Pomona Assembly Center
Plaque text: Pomona Assembly Center The Los Angeles County Fairgrounds was one of 15 temporary assembly centers established during World War II pursuant to Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. The U S. Army confined at this site 5,514 persons of Japanese ancestry, the majority of whom were American citizens, from May 7 through August 24, 1942. In August 1942, the majority of the detainees were relocated to Heart Mountain, Wyoming, one of 10 detention camps that collectively confined 120,000 people without due process of law, charges or trial, or establishment of guilt, as a result of hysteria and racism. May such injustice and suffering never recur.
OHP description: The temporary detention camps (also known as 'assembly centers') represent the first phase of the mass incarceration of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Pursuant to Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, thirteen makeshift detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds, and labor camps. These facilities were intended to confine Japanese Americans until more permanent concentration camps, such as those at Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, could be built in isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30, 1942, all native-born Americans and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were ordered to surrender themselves for detention.
#0934 Temporary Detention Camps for Japanese Americans - Santa Anita Assembly Center
Site information: Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia 34.138481, -118.046119
Plaque information: Private plaque located in the entrance area of the track. May be gated and restricted access, and you may need to pay to park, depending on what events may be going on.
Plaque text: Santa Anita During World War II Early in 1942 the US government designated Santa Anita Park for special usage during the war years. Pursuant to Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, from March 30, 1942 until October 27, 1942 the facility was used as an assembly and processing center for approximately 20,000 Japanese Americans prior to their displacement to interment camps in other areas of the country. From 1942 until 1945, the government utilized the property as an Army Base – Camp Santa Anita. It was the largest Army ordnance training center on the West Coast and more than 100,000 soldiers were trained there. Racing resumed at Santa Anita on May 15, 1945, just after “VE” Day. This plaque is placed at Santa Anita in remembrance of the events of that period in history by its dedication on this, the 15th day of May 2001.
#0939 Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments - Old Trapper's Lodge
Plaque text: Old Trappers Lodge Old Trapper's Lodge is one of California's remarkable twentieth century folk art environments. It represents the life work of John Ehn (1897-1981), a self-taught artist who wished to pass on a sense of the Old West. Derived from personal experiences, myths and tall tales from 1951 to 1981, using his family as models, and incorporating memorabilia, the "Old Trapper" followed his dreams and visions to create the Lodge and its "Boot Hill." Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Saving and Preservation Arts and Cultural Environments, a non-profit educational corporation, March 25 1985.
#0947 "Reform School for Juvenile Offenders" (Fred C. Nelles School)
Site information: West of Whittier Blvd, enter at Walnut Grove Dr. This site in recent years was mostly torn down for redevelopment. Some of the historic buildings were kept and restored. As of January 2021, one building was completely restored into a poolhouse/common area located a: 33.975217, -118.050485 Some other historic buildings were still in construction zones, but look like they will be preserved. 33.977393, -118.049684
Plaque information: State plaque used to be along Whittier Blvd but was went missing at some point. A private marker designating Whittier School, and a historical sign are located in front of the Commons building on Autumn Ave.
State plaque text: Reform School for Juvenile Offenders The March 11, 1889 Act of the California Legislature authorized the establishment of a school for juvenile offenders. Dedication and laying of cornerstone was done by Governor R.W. Waterman on February 12, 1890. Officially opened as "Whittier State School" for boys and girls on July 1, 1891. Girls were transferred in 1916 and only boys have been in residence since that time. Renamed "Fred C. Nelles School for Boys" in 1941 ("For Boys" was dropped around 1970). This school was been in continuous operation serving the needs of juvenile offenders since 1891. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Department of the Youth Authority, May 24, 1984. Stone marker text: Whittier State School Trustees Hon Andrew Mullen, President W.C. Cochran M.D. F.L. Haynes M.D. Walter Lindley M.D. Supt. February 1894
#0960 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Site information: South end of University of Southern California, 3911 S Figueroa, Los Angeles 34.01361,-118.286349
Plaque information: State plaque is behind locked gates except during events, but can be seen from outside.
Plaque text: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum This stadium was originally completed in 1923. It was partially redesigned and enlarged for the 1932 Olympic Games. Both designs were by architects John & Donald B. Parkinson. The Coliseum has witnessed many important sports, political, and historical events. When the games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad began here on July 28, 1984, the Coliseum became the first stadium in the world to host the Olympic Games twice. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, and University of Southern California, August 1984.
#0961 Harold Lloyd Estate ("Greenacres")
Site information: 1740 Green Acres Place, Beverly Hills Site is privately owned and gated. 34.088084,-118.426493
OHP description: Greenacres, one of the greatest estates of Hollywood's Golden Era, was built in 1929 for the internationally known silent screen comedian, Harold Lloyd. With its formal gardens, it is one of the finest Mediterranean/Italian Renaissance style residential complexes remaining in the state. The 44-room house was designed by Sumner Spaulding and the gardens planned by A. E. Hansen. The estate is patterned after the Villa Gamberaia near Florence, Italy.
Site information: Site of road runs from Drum Barracks in Wilmington to where State Route 66 crosses Los Angeles County line into San Bernardino County The terminus at Drum Barracks is at: 33.784496,-118.257451
Plaque information: No plaque at the western terminus, but the eastern end has a plaque in San Bernardino County.
OHP description: Long ago, Mohave Indians used a network of pathways to cross the Mojave Desert. In 1826, American trapper Jedediah Smith used their paths and became the first non-Indian to reach the California coast overland from mid-America. The paths were worked into a military wagon road in 1859. This "Mojave Road" remained a major link between Los Angeles and points east until a railway crossed the desert in 1885.
Site information: Point Dume State Beach, corner of Cliffside Dr and Birdview Ave, Malibu 34.001202,-118.806440
Plaque text: Point Dume (Dumé) On November 24, 1793, English explorer George Vancouver, commander of an expedition to determine the extent of settlement of the northwest coast of America, named this rocky promontory, Point Dume, after his Franciscan friend, Father Francisco Dumetz, at Mission San Buenaventura. Point Dume is the western terminus of Santa Monica Bay and has been an important landmark for navigators since Vancouver's voyage in 1793. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Malibu Historical Society and the Malibu Lagoon Museum. October 10, 1988
#0966 Adamson House at Malibu Lagoon State Beach
Site information: 23200 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu Site is privately owned and access is limited to operating hours. 34.034348,-118.67973
Plaque text: The Adamson House Designed by Stiles O. Clements in 1929, this Spanish Colonial Revival home contains the best surviving examples of decorative ceramic tile produced by Malibu Potteries. During its short existence from 1926 to 1932, Malibu Potteries made an outstanding contribution to ceramic art in California through its development and production of a wide range of artistic and colorful decorative tile. The home was built for Merritt Huntley Adamson and Rhoda Rindge Adamson, daughter of Frederick Hastings Rindge and May Knight Rindge, last owners of the Rancho Malibu Spanish grant. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Malibu Historical Society and the Malibu Lagoon Museum, September 24 1989.
#0972 Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center
Plaque text: Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center Los Angeles Designed as the largest enclosed structure without columns in the world by noted California architects Robert Clements & Associates, this Art Deco building, constructed between 1938 and 1941 by the WPA, is the largest and second-oldest Navy Reserve Center in the United States. It has served as the induction, separation, and training center for more than 100,000 sailors since World War II, as well as the filming site for countless motion pictures and television shows. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the United States Navy. September 19, 1987
#0975 El Monte - First Southern California Settlements by Immigrants from United States
Site information: Santa Fe Trail Historical Park, about 3 blocks south of the intersection of Valley Blvd and Santa Anita Ave, El Monte 34.074577,-118.042077 Note: The park was razed in 2023 to begin new development. The plaque will likely be re-mounted in the future.
Plaque text: El Monte El Monte, on the bank of the San Gabriel River, played a significant part in California's early pioneer history. It was first an encampment on the Old Spanish Trail, an extension of the trail from Missouri to Santa Fe. By the 1850's some began to call El Monte the "End of the Santa Fe Trail." Early in that decade a permanent settlement was esablished here by immigrants from Texas. The first settlement in Southern California founded by citizens of the United States. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of El Monte. November 15, 1987
#0978 Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site
Site information: 4600 Virginia Rd, Long Beach Plaque and site are privately owned and gated. Site accessible during operating hours only. 33.839947,-118.195675
Plaque text: Rancho Los Cerritos The 27,000-acre Rancho was once part of an 18th-century Spanish land grant to soldier Manuel Nieto. The Monterey-style adobe was constructed in 1844 and served the Temple and Bixby families as headquarters for large-scale cattle and sheep ranching operations in the 19th century. In the 1880s the land was subdivided for farming and city development. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Long Beach and the Friends of Rancho Los Cerritos. April 30, 1989
#0984 Casa de Rancho San Antonio (Henry Gage Mansion)
Plaque text: Casa de Rancho San Antonio Contained within this building are the remaining portions of an adobe house built by Francisco Salvador Lugo and his son Antonio María Lugo. Francisco Lugo was a prominent early landholder and Antonio served as the Alcalde of Los Angeles. They completed the building by 1810. Henry Tifft Gage acquired the property in 1880 and lived here from 1883 until 1924. Gage served as the Governor of California from 1899 to 1903. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with City of Bell Gardens Cultural Heritage Board. November 25, 1990.
#0988 Pacific Asia Museum (Grace Nicholson's Treasure House of Oriental and Western Art)
Plaque text: Pacific Asia Museum Grace Nicholson, a noted collector and authority on American Indian and Asian Art and artifacts, supervised the design of her combination gallery and museum which was begun in 1924. It has been called an outstanding example of 1920s revival architecture and is distinctive in its use of Chinese ornamentation. The museum is the work of the noted architectural firm of Marston Van Pelt and Maybury. The building served as the Pasadena Museum of Art from 1943 to 1969, when it became the Pacific Asia Museum in 1971. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with The Pacific Asia Museum, October 24, 1999.
Site information: Santa Rosa Ave, both sides of street from Woodbury Ave to Altadena Dr, Altadena 34.180811,-118.140164
Plaque text: Christmas Tree Lane The 135 Deodar Cedar trees were planted in 1885 by the Woodbury Family, the founders of Altadena. First organized by F.C. Nash in 1920, the "Mile of Christmas Trees" has been strung with 10,000 lights each holiday season through the efforts of volunteers and the Christmas Tree Lane Association. It is the oldest large-scale Christmas lighting spectacle in Southern California. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Altadena Heritage, December 14, 1990.
#0993 Watts Towers of Simon Rodia
Plaque information: No plaque, though there are many informational signs
OHP description: The Watts Towers are perhaps the nation's best known work of folk art sculpture. Using simple hand tools, cast off materials (glass, shell, pottery pieces and broken tile) Italian immigrant Simon Rodia spent 30 years building a tribute to his adopted country and a monument to the spirit of individuals who make their dreams tangible. Rodia's Towers inspired many to rally and preserve his work and protect it for the future.
Plaque text: The Tuna Club of Avalon The Tuna Club of Avalon marks the birthplace of modern big game sportfishing. In 1898, led by Dr. Charles Frederick Holder, the club's founding members adopted the rules of conduct stressing conservationist ethics and sporting behavior. Today, their work remains the basis for the sport's internationally accepted principles. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in Cooperation with the Tuna Club of Avalon, June 8, 1991.
#1006 Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass
Site information: Trailhead begins at intersection of Sierra Hwy and Clampitt Rd, Santa Clarita. It is a walk of a few hundred yards up the canyon to the site, which is not visible from the road. 34.344969,-118.508283
Plaque information: State plaque has gone missing. It was at the location of the trailhead to the site: 34.3422,-118.509378
OHP description: Beale's Cut is the only physical and cultural feature of its kind in the entire Los Angeles Basin. At the time of its construction in 1862, the actual creation and maintenance of the Cut was considered a significant technological and physical feat consisting of breaching the former impassable geographic barrier of the San Gabriel and Santa Susana Mountain ranges. General Edward F. Beale is attributed with the construction of a toll road across the mountains. Beale's Cut was also used as a favorite film-making location by pioneer film maker, David Wark Griffith, and others.
#1011 Frank Lloyd Wright Textile Block House, Ennis House
Plaque information: Private plaque, though not directly related to state landmark status
Plaque text: Ennis Brown House - 1924. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A master work by America’s foremost architect. Declared historic-cultural monument No. 149 by the Cultural Heritage Commission, Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles
OHP description: This house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924 for Charles and Mabel Ennis. It is one of four textile block houses registered as Landmark No. 1011. (Note: only 2 of the 4 block houses attained landmark status)
#1011 Frank Lloyd Wright Textile Block House, Freeman House
OHP description: The Samuel and Harriet Freeman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924, is one of four residences that were designed to be affordable and modular constructed using the cheap building material of concrete. These houses were constructed from a textile block system of handmade concrete tiles held in a matrix of steel bars, anchored and protected by a concrete mixture, and stacked without grout.
#1014 Long Beach Marine Stadium
Plaque text: Long Beach Marine Stadium Created in 1932 for the rowing events of the Xth Olympiad, the Stadium was the first manmade rowing course in the United States. Its width allowed four teams to race abreast, eliminating additional heats and allowing oarsmen to enter the finals at the peak of their form. Later it served as the venue for the 1968 and 1976 United States men’s Olympic rowing trials and the 1984 United States women's Olympic rowing trials. The site remains an important training and competitive center for rowers, including our National and Olympic teams. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Boy Scouts of America, the City of Long Beach and the local Community, April 29, 1995
#1018 Manhattan Beach State Pier
Plaque text: Manhattan Beach Pier Designed by City Engineer A.L. Harris, this pier was constructed by the City of Manhattan beach during the years 1917-1920. The roundhouse building was added a year later. Harris' innovative design featured a rounded end to the pier, which helped it withstand the pounding of the Pacific. Although the roundhouse was reconstructed in 1989, the pier itself survives as Southern California's oldest remaining example of early reinforced concrete pier construction. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Manhattan Beach, December 2, 1995.
Plaque text: Liberty Hill In 1923 the Marine Transport Industrial Workers Union 510, a branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), called a strike that immobilized 90 ships here in San Pedro. The Union protested low wages, bad working conditions, and imprisonment of union activists under California's criminal syndicalism law. Denied access to public property, strikers and supporters rallied here at this site they called "Liberty Hill." Writer Upton Sinclair was arrested for reading from the Bill of Rights to a large gathering. The strike failed but laid a foundation for success in the 1930s. The syndicalism law was ruled unconstitutional in 1968. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the San Pedro Bay Historical Society and the American Labor Movement, May 9, 1998.
Plaque text: Paramount Hay Tree The towns of Hynes and Clearwater, later incorporated as Paramount, were the center of the hay and dairy industry in Los Angeles and Orange Counties from the 1920s through the 1960s. Considered the “Milk Shed of Los Angeles”, Paramount developed into the largest hay market in the world. Each day the price of hay sold here was quoted by brokers in Chicago and New York City as the International Standard. Major hay sellers would gather each morning under this 120-year-old Camphor tree to determine the day’s price. The Hay Tree was also a cherished spot where truckers, workers, and farmers gathered for a lazy lunch or a spirited game of cards. The Camphor is the last remnant of the "World’s Largest Hay Market”. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Paramount, June 2004.
#1041 Site of Childhood Home of the Beach Boys
Site information: 3701 W. 119th Street, Hawthorne Nothing remains of this site, as far as I know. 33.925255,-118.337552
Plaque text: Site of the Childhood Home of the Beach Boys It was here in the home of parents Murry and Audree that Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson grew to manhood and developed their musical skills. During Labor Day weekend 1961, they, with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, gathered here to record a tape of their breakthrough song "Surfin'." This marked the birth of the rock group known worldwide as The Beach Boys, and the beginning of an historic musical legacy that would change the recording industry. The music of the Wilsons, Love, Jardine, and friend David Marks broadcast to the world an image of California as a place of sun, surf, and romance. Brian Wilson would become a legendary producer, arranger, and songwriter.
Plaque text: Savannah Memorial Park Established in 1851, on the spot where Henry Dalton’s land grant showed "the American graveyard”, Savannah was the first public burial site used by settlers who came to the San Gabriel Valley by wagon train. Many of these pioneers were instrumental in developing the educational, social, and legal foundations of Southern California. Their family names are commemorated in the names of streets, buildings, and parks throughout the area. These pioneers formed the foundation of the American presence in El Monte, Rosemead, and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley. Plaque palced by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation withthe El Monte Cemetery Association March 5, 2012
Plaque information: State plaque at site dedicated 2023 Private plaque (City of LA plaque)
State Plaque text: Black Cat Tavern At midnight on January 1, 1967, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat Tavern in Silver Lake. 14 men were beaten, dragged outside, and arrested. Six men were charged with lewd conduct for same-sex kissing. Outrage over the raid spurred two new California gay rights groups to organize hundreds of protestors to demonstrate against police entrapment and arbitrary arrest. The peaceful demonstration that took place outside the Black Cat Tavern on February 11, 1967 was Southern California's first public protest for gay rights. Events like the Black Cat Tavern protest, and earlier demonstrations at Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco, were critical milestones in California's LGBTQ+ history, opening the floodgates for new civil rights strategies within the LGBTQ+ community that led to the repeal of discriminatory laws in California. Plaque placed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with The Black Cat, the California Landmark Foundation, and the Bill Beaver Project, October 1, 2023. Private Plaque text: The Black Cat Site of the first documented LGBT civil rights demonstration in the nation held on February 11, 1967
OHP information: Black Cat Tavern, located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, was the site of the first LGBT civil rights demonstration in southern California. Following arrests of fourteen men on New Year's Eve 1966 at the Black Cat Bar for kissing, several hundred people protested at the Black Cat on February 11, 1967. The legal battle resulting from the Black Cat arrest laid the groundwork for California LGBT rights organizations to overturn California's sodomy laws.