Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality
Now...let's briefly return to Inglewood.
eBay.........................................................................................................................The street situation seems rather odd.
Does anyone know where, in Inglewood, this Ford Dealership was located? ....
The back of the postcard is undivided so...pre-1907.
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The Ford dealership was located on the currently
long-vacant SW corner of N. Market Street and E. Florence Avenue
(formerly Redondo Boulevard). So, in the photo above, the arched windows to the left of the building's corner cupola
are on Market St. I believe the photographer was standing on the north side of Florence/Redondo, which runs to the
right of the corner cupola, past the open court entrance:
November 1923 Inglewood Sanborn Map @ ProQuest via LA Public Library
Here is a wider view of the area, with the dealership site marked by a red dot. In the old photo, the rails at left by
the bench belong to the LA Railway, whose right-of-way was on the south side of Florence/Redondo; the line then
went south on Market. Today, Grace Avenue no longer runs between Locust and Market:
November 1923 Inglewood Sanborn Map @ ProQuest via LA Public Library
The ebay seller may have the wrong postcard rear associated with this photo, because the dealership wasn't built until 1920:
June 20, 1920,
Los Angeles Times @ ProQuest via LA Public Library
The dealership owner, Robert P. Fite, was a thrice-wounded hero of the Great War. Henry Ford helped with his recovery:
August 15, 1920,
Los Angeles Times @ ProQuest via LA Public Library
This is a closer view of the dealership. The photo caption says, "On his return from France, as a token of gratitude for
past services, the Ford company awarded him [Fite] the Inglewood Territory, before territorial lines were eliminated."
February 1, 1921,
Motor West @
Googlebooks
This photo of Robert Fite sitting in a 1919 Ford was taken inside the dealership's court and looks out its entrance. The
"INGLEWOOD WELCOME/COME AGAIN" sign at the top of the ebay photo appears to be in the distance behind Fite's
head in this image:
August 1, 1921,
Motor West @
Hathitrust