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L.A. River Greenway Declared National Recreation Trail
The greenway and bike path that stretches from Burbank to Elysian Valley has been declared a valuable National Trail.
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L.A. River Excursion: Sixth Street Bridge
A walk across the Sixth Street Bridge reveals its fragile state and may very well be the last goodbye.
An 1880 view, looking west, of Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.
Pasadena at 125: Early History of the Crown City
This month, the city of Pasadena turns 125 years old. Set ten miles northeast of central Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Crown…
Courtesy of the Santa Monica Public Library Image Archives.
The Oldest Things in Southern California's Archives, Part 1
This week, we share six of the oldest object related to Southern California history-- including photographs, official decrees, even an Etruscan wine chalice.
Photograph by Douglas McCulloh
The Apache: One of Chevy's Most Famous Trucks, California Made
Although many classic cars and trucks are like emblems of American history, the Apache truly gets a particular kind of historic love from people of all backgrounds.
Home to two major film studios, Culver City once billed itself as the 'Heart of Screenland,' as seen in this undated photo. Courtesy of the Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.
Culver City: From Barley Fields to the Heart of Screenland
On June 20, the Expo Line arrives in Culver City, a town that sprang from the barley fields of Rancho La Ballona and grew into "The Heart of Screenland."
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The Law That Killed the L.A. River
Constant flooding of the L.A. River prompted the city to pass a law that essentially buried it underneath concrete.
Mount Wilson and the San Gabriel Mountains in 1961. Courtesy of the Dick Whittington Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
Rise of the Sierra Madre: A Brief History of the San Gabriel Mountains
For thousands of years, Southern Californians have found many reasons to value the San Gabriel Mountains, from recreation to resource extraction.
Downtown L.A.'s modern skyline took shape between the mid-1960s (top) and the late 1980s (bottom). Both photos courtesy of the Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.
L.A.'s Changing Skyline: A Brief History of Skyscrapers in the City of Angels
The cluster of towers rising today from the remains of Bunker Hill belies the fact that, for decades, Los Angeles lacked a modern skyscraper.
Two men demonstrate the girth of a 25-year-old eucalytpus tree on the L. J. Rose ranch in Rosemead, circa 1900. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
Who Eucalyptized Southern California?
The eucalyptus, or gum tree, is an invader from an alien botanical world. It arrived from Australia in the 1850s.
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Midnight Snack: Pacific Dining Car with Jen Cornett
"I like to call it the Ron Burgundy of restaurants. It's like, stay classy, Los Angeles."
Circa 1885 view of Pershing Square, then called Sixth Street Park and later Central Park. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
From Plaza Abaja to Pershing Square: L.A.'s Oldest Park Through the Decades
In its 163-year journey from open pasture to urban park, Pershing Square has weathered nagging complaints and survived multiple, radical renovations.
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