The City That Grew

By Boyle Workman

This book is an eyewitness account of the growth of Los Angeles from the post-Mexican era through the mid-1930’s and, as such, provides a detailed view of Los Angeles during its critical growth years. The author is the grandson of David Workman whose brother was the co-owner of Rancho La Puente.

The main events that occurred during Boyle’s lifetime was the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the completion of the aqueduct bringing water from the Owens River. Without these two construction projects, Los Angeles would not have developed as it did.

The railroad connected Los Angeles to northern California and from there to the rest of the nation, allowing Los Angeles to sell its produce nationwide. Along with the railroad, the man-made harbor of San Pedro was constructed, which enabled the city to profit from the completion of the Panama Canal. Both tourism and agriculture boomed with arrival of the railroad.

In the early 1860’s, floods followed by drought helped destroy the rancho system. These events were omens of the over-riding problem of Los Angeles and southern California, that is, the lack of water to support a booming population. That problem was addressed by the first aqueduct from the Owens Valley. An additional aqueduct in addition to water from the Colorado River enabled the Los Angeles to crack the top ten list of populous cities in the U.S.

Besides the significant construction projects, the author details the life of Los Angeles as it transitioned from a Mexican village to a major American city. The population moved from the plaza eastward to the new community of Boyle Heights, near the newly constructed Evergreen Cemetery, and southward into what is now the heart of the financial district. Immigration continued from all parts of the country and the world. The development of mineral resources started with the use of “brea”, or tar, to waterproof houses; then to oil and gas that enabled Los Angeles to take advantage of the invention of the automobile and airplane. Of course the beautiful weather promoted tourism and the newly created film industry, although movie prints were done back East.

This book details the construction of many buildings that still exist in Los Angeles, the city that continues to grow. The eyewitness accounts of life in the 19th Century makes this a must read from the Homestead docent.