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Old Posted Sep 26, 2012, 10:11 PM
BifRayRock BifRayRock is offline
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Feathers from the "other" end of the tracks?

Most are familiar with Cawston's Ostriches in South Pasadena and other menageries in East Los Angeles, http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2448 but what about Santa Monica?

There was an Ostrich Farm Railway*, and in 1889 Santa Monica started bird farming with 34 birds on a seven acre tract. http://oceanpark.wordpress.com/top/ocean-park-history/

SM.P.ub.Lib

C.ST.LIB


*
Quote:
LOS ANGELES OSTRICH FARM RAILWAY COMPANY

The original line of LAP, on Sunset Blvd., came into being away back in 1886 when the 3' gauge Los Angeles Ostrich Farm Railway Co. built its single track line of steam motor railroad from a point in Elysian Park Avenue (Sunset Blvd.) opposite the Sisters' Hospital (now St. Vincent's, then at Beaudry & Sunset) in a general northwesterly and westerly direction along present Sunset Boulevard to Childs Avenue (near Sanborn Junction)and thence northerly, crossing Effie Street and the northern boundary of the city, then up the west side of the Los Angeles River to Kenilworth Station on the Los Feliz Rancho (now Griffith Park), where the ostrich farm then was.

The Ostrich Farm Ry. was incorporated in California on August 5, 1886; among its incorporators was Mr. I.W. Hellman (later to be affiliated with Henry E. Huntington in the famous Huntington-Hellman Syndicate which established the Pacific Electric in 1901). The company's announced purposes were: "to acquire by purchase or otherwise rights of way and lands---and to construct, operate and maintain a narrow gauge steam motor railroad." The proposed road would transport passengers and freight, the cars of which were to be drawn by locomotives or dummies, from some point in Los Angeles City to the Ostrich Farm, about eight miles. The total capitalization was $60,000, of which $8,000 was paid to Mr. G.J. Griffith, the treasurer.

During the latter part of 1886, Mr. W.L. Wicks of Los Angeles constructed for this company a line of railroad 6.387 miles in length which followed the route set forth in the first paragraph. Wicks performed the work under a contract with the company by the terms of which has was to receive a subsidy from various land owners along the line and also all of the capital stock of the company. After the construction work had commenced (1886), all of the stock was issued to Wicks except a few shares which were issued to the directors. On July 9, 1887, an agreement was entered into by Mr. Wicks and the LOS ANGELES COUNTY RAILROAD COMPANY where-by the latter company agreed to purchase the Ostrich Farm Ry. Co. for the sum of $50,000, payable to Wicks in bonds of the Los Angeles County RR. Co. During August, 1887, this deal was carried out.

Operation of this line commenced during the latter part of 1886 and was continued until on or about August 15, 1887, at which time the line was turned over to the Los Angeles County RR. Co. under the agreement dated July 9, 1887.

On September 6, 1888, the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm Ry. Co., together with the Los Angeles County RR. Co. and the Los Angeles & Pacific Ry. Co., entered into an agreement to consolidate, and to form a new railroad corporation to be known the THE LOS ANGELES & PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY. This consolidation was effective on September 11, 1888, on which date the LA&P became the owner of all property formerly owned by this corporation.http://www.erha.org/lap_corphist.htm#laofrc
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