And so, down the rabbit hole we go, thanks to would-be murderer John Stiglitz (he was given a fifty/fifty chance of surviving his suicide attempt; which fifty did he end up on?). Stiglitz’s address, 11000 National Blvd., L.A., is of interest, though I am hitting dead ends to clarify the matter.
What structure was Stiglitz living in at the time of his residence there?
By scrambling hither and thither, with forays into yon, I am able to put together the following scraps: In 1875, that portion of Rancho La Ballona pertaining to Agustin Machado was partitioned. That same year—so the story goes—one Smith, living in a cottage on the rancho land at or about what is now 11000 National Boulevard planted a Moreton Bay Fig in honor of the birth of his first son. The tree remains, now enormous, on the grounds of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, which purchased its present 2.56 acre plot in November, 1949. The current building was dedicated 11/25/1962. The tree is Historic-Cultural Monument #19.
gsv
I am unable to make progress on three fronts:
—Further information about said Smith and his first-born son;
—Further information about the cottage in which he lived in 1875 (a rancho building of the Machado family?);
—Further information about the structure in which Stiglitz lived (was it the Machado?/Smith cottage?), including whether it was present up until demolished to make way for the church (or if it had already been demolished with another structure taking its place).
Since this matter concerns a tree,
it obviously is important!