Local Context: Walnut and the Southern California Metropolis Geography 8 Local Context: Walnut and the Southern California Metropolis

Keywords Natural harbor Coastal plain Inland valleys Pre-1500 history Gabrielenos Gaspar de Portola Benchlands Pueblo Alta California Land grants, ranchos Export-oriented agriculture John Rowland and William Workman Gold rush Population change 1870-1900 Transcontinental RR Speculative real-estate development Henry Huntington Red car, Pacific Electric Railway Doheny, Standard Oil, Unocal Alameda corridor

WALNUT, CA Los Angeles grew in a unique location, unlike other modern cities not located near coast nor port nor waterway. Instead grew in extensive coastal plain and inland valleys near fresh water sources like the Los Angeles River.

Los Angeles Region pre-1500

Spanish arrive in 1542 but don’t explore northern colonial lands until 1769. Gaspar de Portola’s exploration route—he identifies the LA River as a promising site.

The Los Angeles pueblo is founded in 1781. Self-sufficient agricultural society. Catholic missions, military presidios. Pueblo of Los Angeles, 1820 LA Pueblo becomes capital of Alta California after Mexican independence. Big changes—shift to more global trade and issuing of land grants.

The globally oriented ranchos. Export-oriented: wheat, wool, cattle hides, citrus, wine. Sepulveda Family Machado Family Dominguez Family Walnut: Rancho San Jose Rancho Los Nogales Rancho La Puente—John Rowland & William Workman, 1842. Rowland & Workman’s land grant expands from initial 18,000 acres to almost 50,000 acres.

In 1870, nearly 85% of the state’s population is located in the northern 2/3 of the state.

Even in 1900 most live north of Monterey. Soon the south looks appealing: --Southern Pacific RR completed in 1876 --health tourism vacation destination --exotic foods and crops --retirement --the middle-class Rivera or Italy --speculative real-estate development begins

Los Angeles surpasses San Francisco in size in 1910 Los Angeles surpasses San Francisco in size in 1910. Los Angeles City Hall, built in 1920s. Reflects the growing economic importance of Los Angeles by the 1920s.

Los Angeles’s Economic Dominance Oil Industry “Golden Age” of the automobile Cars are affordable Oil is affordable Freeways/Roads being built Doheny—big oil executive, founds Beverly Hills in 1890 Standard Oil and Unocal are others located in So Ca. Henry Huntington (Huntington Beach, Huntington Gardens…) another big oil executive.

Los Angeles’s Economic Dominance Manufacturing Good climate and cheap land Water and energy also plentiful and cheap (country’s only municipally owned water/power) And…cheap labor! (Latinos, and working-class whites who are “slaves to the bungalow”) Auto manufacturing: Ford, General Motors. LA 2nd largest producer of cars and rubber tires by the 1920s Also steel, food processing, oil refineries Creates a new residential geography for the city: white blue-collar neighborhoods along the Alameda Corridor Long Beach Ford Plant, 1930.

The Pacific Electric Railway. An intraurban railway, helped promote a diffused, decentralized landscape. Henry Huntington bought it and extended it to remote areas to make that distant land more valuable (speculation!). Los Angeles in many ways, decidedly anti-urban. City’s residents vote to sell-off the right of ways and dismantle the railway. See no need for it.

Sierra Madre Red Car station, 1908.

Los Angeles’s Economic Dominance Hollywood—Entertainment Industry Arrives by the 1910s from the east coast. Better climate, avoid patents owned by Edison on Nickelodeons Becomes crucial to the economy of the region: tax base, major employer, major land owner. Unlike manufacturing and oil, this industry thrives on selling an idea about this place. That image is sent to the rest of the country and world.

Fashionable Bunker Hill.

Los Angeles– 3.94 million San Diego– 1.3 million San Jose– 930,000 San Francisco– 800,00 Long Beach– 495,000 Fresno– 465,000 Sacramento– 450,000 Oakland– 414,000 Santa Ana– 354,000 Anaheim– 350,000

Historical Population of Walnut, CA Census Year Pop. %± 1960 934 — 1970 5,992 541.5% 1980 12,478 108.2% 1990 29,105 133.3% 2000 30,004 3.1% 2010 29,172 −2.8% Est. 2015 30,237 3.7% Source: US Census Bureau.