noirish Los Angeles

[Mackerm]

I'm blanking out. How were gas stations listed in directories and yellow pages from the 1910s-1920s? Phone books from the 1940s have a category of "gasoline service stations"

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks for trying, Mackerm, but I can't answer your question, sorry.



Another mystery location (sort of)

I happened upon this interesting photograph on eBay a couple of weeks ago.



B.ut does anyone know where in East Pasadena.

I thought it would be fairly easy to find the address of the post office but so far I haven't had any luck.
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[Mackerm]

I see "Giddings" on one sign. The house on the left looks pretty darn close to the 2-story house shown here:


Water and Power
Calisphere Giddings First Home.
Pasadena Digital History Much better copy of the Giddings Home photo.


The description says 1318 East Colorado Street.

(Hmmm, on second thought the roof doesn't seem to go down far enough. Oh well. Can't delete the post, so enjoy!)

A bit more info on Joshua Reed Giddings from History of Los Angeles County, V.3 p. 76

"For a few years after completing his education he conducted a general merchandise store in Pasadena"

"Mr. Giddings built his present resident at the corner of Hollister and East Colorado streets twenty-eight years ago"

They probably meant Holliston. This is, of course the current site of McDonalds, and the famous Foothill Boulevard Milestone (Mile 11).


Instagram

This week we visit the Hill Avenue Branch, which was established in 1910 and called the East Pasadena Branch because it served the east side of Pasadena. It was first located in a feed and fuel shack, but it later moved and occupied the second floor of the Giddings Building, owned by the Giddings family, on Colorado Boulevard and Holliston Avenue. In 1922 a rainstorm caused heavy damage to the building, and when repairs proved too costly it was decided that a new library should be built instead. A vigorous campaign to build a permanent branch on the east side was launched in 1924 and its success resulted in the city approving bonds for a new library building. The new branch opened in 1925 and was renamed the Hill Avenue Branch. It was designed by the noted architectural firm Marston, Van Pelt and Maybury and is one of the oldest buildings in the Pasadena Public Library system. The building’s historical architecture has been maintained throughout the years and is listed in the City of Pasadena's Cultural Heritage Landmarks. See http://ww5.cityofpasadena.net/librar...avenue-branch/ (Image source: PPL collection @pdhc2019) #flashbackfriday #fbf @cityofpasadena

Compare the building with the library to the photo e_r posted.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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I've been trying to get on NLA all day but it kept saying "server busy". This has been happening alot lately. I hope Skyscraperpage fixes the problem behore we all get discouraged.


Guess what noirishers: I have a mystery location that needs to be solved.

Here's how it's listed on eBay.

Van Fleet & Durkee 427 Shell gas station S California Los Angeles ? visible pump....< - - - - Note the question mark behind Los Angeles.


eBay

We have seen other Van Fleet & Durkee sevice stations on NLA but I don't believe we have seen this particular one. ..I initially thought that was a plowed field in the distance but it's the roof of a building.



I think a sign down the street might says Billiards.


detail

The "Van Fleet and Durkee" branding of the stations lasted from 1929 to 1931. The chain then went under the "Shell Service Inc." banner.



archive.org - los-angeles-times_1931-03-10


If the the company stayed with their numbering system after the rebrand, the station pictured was likely in the general San Francisco area.

A 1933 San Francisco/Daly City directory lists the area's Shell Service Inc. stations with their designated number.

The stations are all in the 400 - 450 range. There is no listing for a 427 Shell station that year. Maybe closed or jumped ship?


I can't find a listing that fits but I think the pictured station may have been somewhere close to the intersection of Mission Street and Hillside Blvd. in Daly City.

You can make out "Mission" at the bottom of the real estate sign to the right of the picture.




The top of the sign maybe referring to the Vista Marina mentioned here.


archive.org - Daly City Record 1932-11-04


There is a Vista Avenue close to the intersection these days.

Back in the early 1930's there was a billiards hall just north of the intersection at 6375 Mission Street.

The area I think it might be nowadays.


GSV


Apologises for all the in the post.

[riichkay]

Great work Noir Noir, I think you have this one.....the San Mateo County list of remediated environmental properties shows a LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) site at 6417 Mission St., just south of Hillside Blvd. and very near the billiards parlor at 6375 Mission St.....this would put the station right around the fenced area in your Google street view....








Starting in about 1980 there was a nationwide effort to clean gas station sites, even if the station was long gone, as the metal underground tanks of prior generations invariably corroded over time and leaked petroleum products into the soil....note the action to clean the subject site commenced in 1986.

Here's a view facing south and towards the fenced site at the corner of Hillside and Mission, note the DC Smoke Shop building which now has an address of 6389 Mission St....





....the siding looks similar to that of the billiards parlor.....





I could not find a zoomable 1930-ish aerial of the area, that could put the matter to rest.

[Bristolian]

Apparently there is minor debate regarding L.A.'s longest street regarding whether all must be within city limits or not. If one tosses that out, Western Avenue, which works it's way through five cities, is the longest at just over 28 miles.
Some folks from the LA Times walked the entire length in one day and wrote a pretty interesting article on it this week.
The article is supposed to be for subscribers only but hopefully the link works for all.


http://https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-05-06/walking-western-avenue-in-a-day


LA Times

[odinthor]

Western's north end careens east and becomes Los Feliz, which terminates in due course at Glendale . . . unless one wants to construe as part of it its little continuation across the street into Forest Lawn territory as a lane appropriately called Roads End St.


gsv

[ethereal_reality]

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I agree riichkay,.. Noir Noir is correct about the location of the Van Fleet & Durkee photograph. Now I see why the seller placed a question mark after Los Angeles.
I was certainly surprised the Van Fleet & Durkee brand only lasted from 1929 to 1931. (a casualty of the Stock Market Crash?)




I just happened upon this rather odd photograph currently on eBay.

Seller's description:.. "American Legion Star Post #309 Los Angeles Sheriff's Department 1923"


eBay

The American Star Legion Post is located at 220 N. Monte Vista, San Dimas. Of course the parade photograph could have been taken anywhere.

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[ethereal_reality]

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Here's another parade photograph. I happened upon it a few days ago on eBay.


1918 Los Angeles History Cabinet Photo Flag Day Girl Colson Tandem Bicycle


eBay

You can clearly see the Los Angeles Brewing Co. sign on the side of the building down street but I think it's a tavern and not the company itself.



Back


An address is written at upper left. I believe is says 1268 W. 14th Street.



Let's take a closer look.

The banner behind and to the right of the girl is all but decipherable.



The seller mentioned Flag Day but it could very well be the La Fiesta de Los Flores Parade which was held from 1896 to 1916.

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[Lorendoc]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Here's another parade photograph. I happened upon it a few days ago on eBay.


1918 Los Angeles History Cabinet Photo Flag Day Girl Colson Tandem Bicycle


eBay

You can clearly see the Los Angeles Brewing Co. sign on the side of the building down street but I think it's a tavern and not the company itself.



Back


An address is written at upper left. I believe is says 1268 W. 14th Street.



Let's take a closer look.

The banner behind and to the right of the girl is all but decipherable.



The seller mentioned Flag Day but it could very well be the La Fiesta de Los Flores Parade which was held from 1896 to 1916.

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Yes, the circled banner says "Fiesta de las Flores"

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks Lorendoc. I appreciate your help. My eyes ain't what they used to be.

I wasn't able to log in all weekend. Is anyone else experiencing difficulty?

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[ethereal_reality]

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Today I have a SUPER DUPER mystery location.

I happened upon this rare photograph on eBay yesterday...I was dying to post it.


Are you sitting down?


eBay

LOS ANGELES PHOTO ANTIQUE 1885 LARGE STREET


The location and date (1885) are on the back amongst some scribbles.





Help!

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[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.I wasn't able to log in all weekend. Is anyone else experiencing difficulty?.

No, E_R, I have not had this problem.

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks for answering my question, Martin Pal. ..Odinthor told me he was having the same problem but to what extent I don't know.

What's strange is: I always use my laptop and All-In-One computer at the same time. (they are next to each other on my drafting table)
Sometimes I can log into SkyscraperPage on one but not the other - and vise versa.

I wonder if I need to eat clear cookies or something along those lines?



After all these years I'm still not very computer savvy.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Today I have a SUPER DUPER mystery location.

I happened upon this rare photograph on eBay yesterday...I was dying to post it.


Are you sitting down?


eBay

LOS ANGELES PHOTO ANTIQUE 1885 LARGE STREET


The location and date (1885) are on the back amongst some scribbles.





Help!

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The millinery is clearly at a corner. At the end of 1885, a spot at 1st and Wilmington was being made available:


LA Herald, 12/31/1885

It's hard to tell if the photo's "1885" is certain or an approximation; the location being advertised could have been advertised as for "shoemaker, taylor, or dressmaker and milliner" because it had already been used for that purpose.

The FLOUR FEED STORE close by on the right seems to have the words E WILM up above; but Wilmington St. would methinks be N/S, not E/W.

Contrarily, on the 1883 CD, there is a convenient list of concerns for "Millinery and Ladies' Wear" with all of the ten businesses being either on N. Main or Spring.

[westcork]

I just happened upon this article while curating my screenshots. Wilmington Street was barely 15 years old in 1885.


Courtesy California Digital Newspaper Collection,
Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research,
University of California, Riverside.

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks for your ideas & theories on the mystery location, odinthor and Westcock. Hopefully each discovery will lead us to a solid answer.



Re: Logging in.

oops/ I quit reading the notice after "the server is busy" & "try again later" line.

I didn't realize -until just now- that all I had to do was go ahead and log in. (per the 2nd line in the notice)

Color me totally embarrassed.

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[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Thanks Lorendoc. I appreciate your help. My eyes ain't what they used to be.

I wasn't able to log in all weekend. Is anyone else experiencing difficulty?

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When i get to the opening page that says "Server is Busy" I simply log in and have no trouble

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks, sadykadie2.

It's great to hear from you. ..I hope you're doing well.

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[ethereal_reality]

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A mystery location.


"1915 Boy Off to School Holding Books Short Pants Hat Los Angeles CA"


eBay

I think it's fair to say that this boy comes from a well-to-do family.

Luckily the seller included a bit more information than what is included in the title description.



Well, the photo certainly isn't Iowa because of the Palm Trees. . so, yes, I'd say the location is Los Angeles.


I thought it might be possible to figure out the location by searching for Johnstons in the old city directories. That is, until I saw how many Johnston are listed in the directories.

1900 - 1901 directory.

LAPL

Holy Moly! .. And that''s just half the page!



Before I finish let's take a closer look so we can get a better view of the houses in neighborhood.



The houses are LARGE. If you look closely there is a woman wearing a long skirt -just to the left of the boy's right arm- and her head barely makes it up to the window sills.
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