1 industrial expansion , growth, 1870—1913
1.1 railroads
1.2 oil discovery
1.3 activists on left
1.4 class conflict
1.5 battle of los angeles river
1.6 water distance
industrial expansion , growth, 1870—1913
in 1870s, los angeles still little more village of 5,000. 1900, there on 100,000 occupants of city. several men actively promoted los angeles, working develop great city , make rich. angelenos set out remake geography challenge san francisco port facilities, railway terminal, banks , factories. farmers , merchants bank of los angeles first incorporated bank in los angeles, founded in 1871 john g. downey , isaias w. hellman. wealthy easterners came tourists recognized growth opportunities , invested heavily in region.
much of los angeles county farmland, emphasis on cattle, dairy products, vegetables , citrus fruits. after 1945 of farmland converted housing tracts.
railroads
the los angeles & san pedro railroad first railroad in los angeles, photo ca.1880
the city s first railroad, los angeles & san pedro railroad, inaugurated in october 1869 john g. downey , phineas banning. ran 21 miles (34 km) between san pedro , los angeles.
the town continued grow @ moderate pace. railroads arrived connect central pacific , san francisco in 1876. impact small. greater impact of santa fe system (through subsidiary california southern railroad) in 1885. santa fe , southern pacific lines provided direct connections east, competed vigorously business lower rates, , stimulated economic growth. tourists poured in thousands every week, , many planned on returning or resettling.
the city still lacked modern harbor. phineas banning excavated channel out of mud flats of san pedro bay leading wilmington in 1871. banning had laid track , shipped in locomotives connect port city. harrison gray otis, founder , owner of los angeles times, , number of business colleagues embarked on reshaping southern california expanding harbor @ san pedro using federal dollars.
this put them @ loggerheads collis p. huntington, president of southern pacific railroad company , 1 of california s big 4 investors in central pacific , southern pacific. (the big 4 numbered among robber barons of gilded age). line reached los angeles in 1876 , huntington directed port @ santa monica, long wharf built.
in april 1872, john g. downey went san francisco , successful in representing los angeles in discussions collis huntington concerning los angeles s efforts bring southern pacific railroad through los angeles.
train @ southern pacific railroad s arcade depot station, 1891
in 1876 newhall railroad tunnel located 27 miles (43 km) north of los angeles between town of san fernando , lyons station stagecoach stop (now newhall) completed, providing final link san francisco los angeles railroad. 6,940-foot-long railroad tunnel (2,115.3 m) took year , half complete. more 1,500 chinese laborers took part in tunnel construction, began @ south end of mountain on march 22, 1875. many of them had prior experience working on southern pacific s located tunnels in tehachapi pass. due sandstone composition of mountain saturated water , oil, frequent cave-ins occurred , bore had shored timbers during excavation. initial location north end of tunnel near newhall abandoned due frequent cave-ins caused oil-soaked rock. north end of tunnel excavation commenced in june 1875. water constant problem during construction , pumps utilized keep tunnel flooding. workers digging both north , south ends of tunnel came face face on july 14, 1876. bores each end half inch out of line dimensions of 22 feet (6.7 m) high, 16.5 feet (5.0 m) wide @ bottom , on 18 feet (5.5 m) @ shoulders. track laid in place after tunnel dig completed , first train passed through on august 12, 1876. on september 4 charles crocker notified southern pacific track had been completed on route between san francisco , los angeles.
the san pedro forces prevailed (though required banning , downey turn railroad on southern pacific). work on san pedro breakwater began in 1899 , finished in 1910. otis chandler , allies secured change in state law in 1909 allowed los angeles absorb san pedro , wilmington, using long, narrow corridor of land connect them rest of city. debacle of future los angeles harbor termed free harbor fight.
in 1898, henry huntington , san francisco syndicate led isaias w. hellman purchased 5 trolley lines, consolidated them los angeles railway (the yellow cars ) , 2 years later founded pacific electric railway (the red cars ). los angeles railway served city , pacific electric railway served rest of county. @ peak, pacific electric largest electrically operated interurban railway in world. on 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of tracks connected los angeles hollywood, pasadena, san pedro, venice beach, santa monica, pomona, san bernardino, long beach, santa ana, huntington beach, , other points , recognized best public transportation system in world.
oil discovery
oil wells in 1904
oil discovered edward l. doheny in 1892, near present location of dodger stadium. los angeles city oil field first of many fields in basin exploited, , in 1900 , 1902, respectively, beverly hills oil field , salt lake oil field discovered few miles west of original find. los angeles became center of oil production in 20th century, , 1923 region producing one-quarter of world s total supply; still significant producer, wilmington oil field having fourth-largest reserves of field in california.
activists on left
the immigrants arriving in city find jobs brought revolutionary zeal , idealism of homelands. these included anarchists such russian emma goldman , ricardo flores magón , brother enrique of partido liberal mexicano. later joined socialist candidate mayor job harriman, chinese revolutionaries, novelist upton sinclair, wobblies (members of industrial workers of world, iww), , socialist , communist labor organizers such japanese-american karl yoneda , russian-born new yorker meyer baylin. socialists first set soapbox in plaza, serve location of union rallies , protests , riots police attempted break meetings.
class conflict
at same time l.a. times whipping enthusiasm expansion of los angeles trying turn union-free or open shop town. fruit growers , local merchants had opposed pullman strike in 1894 subsequently formed merchants , manufacturers association (m & m) support l.a. times anti-union campaign.
the california labor movement, strength concentrated in san francisco, had largely ignored los angeles years. changed, in 1907, however, when american federation of labor decided challenge open shop of otis town.
in 1909, city fathers placed ban on free speech public streets , private property except plaza. locals had claimed had been open forum forever. area of particular concern owners of l.a. times, harrison grey otis , son-in-law harry chandler.
this conflict came head bombing of times in 1910. 2 months later, llewellyin iron works near plaza bombed. meeting hastily called of chamber of commerce , manufacturers association. l.a. times wrote: radical , practical matters (were) considered, , steps taken adaption of such adequate cope situation tardily recognized gravest los angeles has ever been called upon face.
the authorities indicted john , james mcnamara, both associated iron workers union, bombing; clarence darrow, famed chicago defense lawyer, represented them.
at same time mcnamara brothers awaiting trial, los angeles preparing city election. job harriman, running on socialist ticket, challenging establishment s candidate.
harriman s campaign, however, tied asserted innocence of mcnamaras. defense in trouble: prosecution not had evidence of mcnamaras complicity, had trapped darrow in clumsy attempt bribe 1 of jurors. on december 1, 1911, 4 days before final election, mcnamaras entered plea of guilty in return prison terms. harriman lost badly.
on christmas day, 1913, police attempted break iww rally of 500 taking place in plaza. encountering resistance, police waded crowd attacking them clubs. 1 citizen killed. in aftermath, authorities attempted impose martial law in wake of growing protests. seventy-three people arrested in connection riots. city council introduced new measures control public speaking. times scapegoated foreign elements calling onlookers , taco vendors cultural subversives.
the open shop campaign continued strength strength, although not without meeting opposition workers. 1923, industrial workers of world had made considerable progress in organizing longshoremen in san pedro , led approximately 3,000 men walk off job. support of l.a. times, special red squad formed within los angeles police department , arrested many strikers city s jails filled.
some 1,200 dock workers corralled in special stockade in griffith park. l.a. times wrote approvingly stockades , forced labor remedy iww terrorism. public meetings outlawed in san pedro, upton sinclair arrested @ liberty hill in san pedro reading united states bill of rights on private property of strike supporter (the arresting officer told him ll have none of constitution stuff ) , blanket arrests made @ union gatherings. strike ended after members of ku klux klan , american legion raided iww hall , attacked men, women , children meeting there. strike defeated.
los angeles developed industry in 20th century when movie producers east coast relocated there. these new employers likewise afraid of unions , other social movements: during upton sinclair s campaign governor of california under banner of end poverty in california (epic) movement, louis b. mayer turned mgm s culver city studio unofficial headquarters of organized campaign against epic. mgm produced fake newsreel interviews whiskered actors russian accents voicing enthusiasm epic, along footage focusing on central casting hobos huddled on borders of california waiting enter , live off bounty of taxpayers once sinclair elected. sinclair lost.
los angeles acquired industry in years before world war ii: garment industry. @ first devoted regional merchandise such sportswear, industry grew second largest center of garment production in united states.
unions began make progress in organizing these workers new deal arrived in 1930s. influential strike los angeles garment workers strike of 1933, 1 of first strikes in mexican immigrant workers played prominent role union recognition. unions made greater gains in war years, los angeles grew further.
today, ethnic makeup of city , politically progressive views of surrounding west hollywood , hollywood have made los angeles strong union town. however, many garment workers in central la, of whom mexican immigrants, still work in sweat shop conditions.
battle of los angeles river
the los angeles river flowed clear , fresh year, supporting 45 gabrielino villages in area. source of river aquifer under san fernando valley, supplied water surrounding mountains. rising of underground bedrock @ glendale narrows (near today s griffith park) squeezed water surface @ point. then, through of year, river emerged valley flow across floodplain 20 miles (32 km) sea. area provided other streams, lakes, , artesian wells.
early settlers more little discouraged region s diverse , unpredictable weather. watched helplessly long droughts weakened , starved livestock, drowned , carried off ferocious storms. during years of little rain, people build close riverbed, see homes , barns later swept out sea during flood. location of los angeles plaza had moved twice because of having been built close riverbed.
worse, floods change river s course. when settlers arrived, river joined ballona creek discharge in santa monica bay. fierce storm in 1835 diverted course long beach, stays today.
early citizens not maintain footbridge on river 1 side of city other. after american takeover, city council authorized spending of $20,000 contractor build substantial wooden bridge across river. first storm come along dislodged bridge, used battering ram break through embankment, , scattered timbers way sea.
some of concentrated rainfall in history of united states has occurred in san gabriel mountains north of los angeles , orange counties. on april 5, 1926, rain gauge in san gabriels collected 1 inch in 1 minute. in january, 1969, more water fell on san gabriels in 9 days new york city sees in year. in february 1978, foot of rain fell in 24 hours, and, in 1 blast, inch , half in 5 minutes. storm caused massive debris flows throughout region, 1 of them unearthing corpses in verdugo hills cemetery , depositing them in town below. wiped out small town of hidden springs in tributary of big tujunga river, killing 13 people.
the greatest daily rainfall recorded in california 26.12 inches on january 23, 1943 @ hoegees near mt. wilson in san gabriel mountains. fifteen other stations reported on 20 inches in 2 days same storm. forty-five others reported 70 percent of average annual rainfall in 2 days.
quibbling between city , county governments delayed response flooding until massive storm in 1938 flooded los angeles , orange counties. federal government stepped in. transfer floodwater sea possible, army corps of engineers paved beds of river , tributaries. corps built several dams , catchment basins in canyons along san gabriel mountains reduce debris flows. enormous project, taking years complete.
today, los angeles river functions flood control. drop of rain falling in san gabriel mountains reach sea faster auto can drive. during today s rainstorms, volume of los angeles river @ long beach can large mississippi river @ st. louis.
the drilling of wells , pumping of water san fernando valley aquifer dried river 1920s. 1980, aquifer supplying drinking water 800,000 people. in year, discovered aquifer had been contaminated. many wells shut down, area qualified superfund site
water distance
for first 120 years, los angeles river supplied town ample water homes , farms. estimated annual flow have support town of 250,000 people—if water had been managed right. angelinos among profligate users of water in world. in semi-arid climate, forever watering lawns, gardens, orchards, , vineyards. later on, need more support growth of commerce , manufacturing. beginning of 20th century, town realized outgrow river , need new sources of water.
legitimate concerns water supply exploited gain backing huge engineering , legal effort bring more water city , allow more development. city fathers had eyes on owens river, 250 miles (400 km) northeast of los angeles in inyo county, near nevada state line. permanent stream of fresh water fed melted snows of eastern sierra nevada. flowed through owens river valley before emptying shallow, saline owens lake, evaporated.
photograph of bunker hill in 1900, looking north today s pershing square
sometime between 1899 , 1903, harrison gray otis , son-in-law successor, harry chandler, engaged in successful efforts @ buying cheap land on northern outskirts of los angeles in san fernando valley. @ same time, enlisted of william mulholland, chief engineer of los angeles water department (later los angeles department of water , power or ladwp), , j.b. lippencott, of united states reclamation service.
lippencott performed water surveys in owens valley service while secretly receiving salary city of los angeles. succeeded in persuading owens valley farmers , mutual water companies pool interests , surrender water rights 200,000 acres (800 km²) of land fred eaton, lippencott s agent , former mayor of los angeles. lippencott resigned reclamation service, took job los angeles water department assistant mulholland, , turned on reclamation service maps, field surveys , stream measurements city. studies served basis designing longest aqueduct in world.
by july 1905, times began warn voters of los angeles county dry unless voted bonds building aqueduct. artificial drought conditions created when water run sewers decrease supply in reservoirs , residents forbidden water lawns , gardens.
on election day, people of los angeles voted $22.5 million worth of bonds build aqueduct owens river , defray other expenses of project. money, , special act of congress allowing cities own property outside boundaries, city acquired land eaton had acquired owens valley farmers , started build aqueduct. on occasion of opening of los angeles aqueduct on november 5, 1913 mullholland s entire speech 5 words: there is. take it.
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