As veterans returned to Los Angeles after World War II, many found that there was no housing available for them and their families. To help alleviate this problem, the city of Los Angeles and the federal government joined together to build a temporary community for them in the north east corner of Griffith Park. The area was called Rodger Young Village after a war hero from Ohio. It opened in 1946 and lasted until the mid 1950's.
LAPL
This area of Griffith Park was the site of the Griffith Park Aerodrome, which had been taken over by the National Guard Air Service.
[url]http://www.airfields-http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg13/scaled.php?server=13&filename=grandcentca27julsw.jpg&res=medium
It was directly south of the Grand Central Airport in Glandale
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/...m#grandcentral
Rodger Young Village consisted of 750 Quonset huts, which housed 5,000 people, and provided the families with a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living room.
LAPL
LAPL
LAPL
LAPL
The area before Rodger Young Village: (looking south)
http://www.airfields-http://desmond....jpg&res=medium
The area after (looking south-east)
LAPL
Rodger Young Village was open to veterans of all races:
LAPL
Wikipedia has this nice description of the various groups living together:
"Rodger Young Village was, for a time, the most diverse community in Southern California, as veterans of all races and all branches of the military lived there. This caused problems in some nearby restaurants, which were practicing de facto racial segregation, as next-hut neighbors went to dine together. The influence of RYV residents helped end these practices in a number of establishments"
The village area then:
LAPL
And now:
Google Maps
The area has now been taken over by soccer fields, the L.A. Zoo parking lot, and the 5 and 134 Freeways