noirish Los Angeles

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by OLeander5-5225

While walking in my neighborhood known as Mid City West or Beverly Grove, I found at the corner of S. Flores Street and W. 3rd Street a pool of bubbling tar (research of the stuff from the 'net identifies it properly as asphalt). This piqued my interest and after doing some research, I found that my neighborhood was once a huge field of oil wells, sitting atop an old field called the Salt Lake Oil Field. And in fact, where the stuff is bubbling up is almost directly above an old plugged oil well. Made me think of that movie "Volcano" with Tommy Lee Jones. But various folks in my research have assured me this is quite common and is referred to as a "seep."

Anyone out there have photos of the oil fields in this area before it was residential? (pre 1936). Thanks!

Wow, that really covered a massive area!

Google

LAPL

From the Department of Water and Power:

In the 1890s, dairy farmer Arthur F. Gilmore found oil on his land, probably in the vicinity of the La Brea Tar Pits. The field was named after the Salt Lake Oil Company, the first firm to arrive to drill in the area. The discovery well was spudded (started) in 1902.

Development of the field was fast, as oil wells spread across the landscape, with drillers hoping to match the production boom taking place a few miles to the east at the Los Angeles City field. Peak production was in 1908. By 1912, there were 326 wells, 47 of which had already been abandoned, and by 1917 more than 450, which had by then produced more than 50 million barrels of oil.

After this peak, production declined rapidly. Land values rose, corresponding to the fast growth of the adjacent city of Los Angeles, and the field was mostly idled in favor of housing and commercial development. The early wells were abandoned; many of their exact locations are not known, and are now covered with buildings and roads.

LAPL
(1931) - View looking north on Fairfax Avenue at Drexel Avenue. A couple of oil derricks are seen in the distance around 3rd and Fairfax. The multi-story building on the left, now occupied by Sandy’s Camera, is still under construction.

LAPL
(1931) - View looking east on Drexel Avenue at Fairfax Avenue with oil derricks of the Salt Lake Oil Field in the background. Both corners on the west side of Faifax are occupied by gas stations.

LINK
Salt Lake Oil Field. View across a lagoon in the Salt Lake Oil Field, California, USA, from the east end, showing gas bubbles coming up through the water and oil floating on the surface. The Salt Lake Oil Field was discovered in 1902 and was once the most productive oil field in California. Photographed 7 miles west of Los Angeles, USA, in 1906.

LINK
Salt Lake Oil Field. View across the Salt Lake Oil fields, California, USA, from La Brea Ranch house, towards the Santa Monica Mountains in the background. Photographed 7 miles west of Los Angeles, USA, on 6th January 1906.

LINK
(1931) - View of an oil well in the middle of La Cienega Blvd. near Beverly, Feb. 16, 1931. One of Los Angeles' most unusual drilling was a well that stood in the middle of La Cienega Boulevard from 1930 to 1946, forcing drivers to zigzag around it. The oil island was located between Beverly Boulevard and 3rd Street.

LINK
(ca. 1931) - Oil island on La Cienega just south of Beverly Blvd. The view is looking north.

When the wooden derrick was constructed in 1907, it wasn't in the middle of La Cienega Boulevard. It was in the middle of a bean field. La Cienega didn't run that far north at the time but in 1930 the City extended La Cienega to Santa Monica Blvd. leaving the oil derrick in the middle of the roadway.

LINK

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by OLeander5-5225

While walking in my neighborhood known as Mid City West or Beverly Grove, I found at the corner of S. Flores Street and W. 3rd Street a pool of bubbling tar (research of the stuff from the 'net identifies it properly as asphalt). This piqued my interest and after doing some research, I found that my neighborhood was once a huge field of oil wells, sitting atop an old field called the Salt Lake Oil Field. And in fact, where the stuff is bubbling up is almost directly above an old plugged oil well....

There are 3,000 active oil wells in Los Angeles, a surprising number of them hidden in faux buildings. Oil is still being pumped from under the BevCen and elsewhere in the Salt Lake Field. The subject's been covered on the thread.

[Noir_Noir]

There is a well that's currently listed as active (red dot) at the corner of West 3rd and S Flores Streets. The others (black dot) in the immediate area are listed as plugged.






Google Maps


More drilling for oil well locations can be done here -

Dept Of Conservation - Well Finder

[ethereal_reality]

This is, no doubt, a very rare employees photograph. [1880s]




for sale at rubylane

Can you read what's on that white bucket?



Didn't think so.

this will help.

detail

Bishop & Company - Los Angeles, California
Manufacturing Confectioners
GUM DROPS

Does anyone have an idea where this gum drop factory was located"



Did ya'll notice the cat?

__

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by OLeander5-5225

While walking in my neighborhood known as Mid City West or Beverly Grove, I found at the corner of S. Flores Street and W. 3rd Street a pool of bubbling tar (research of the stuff from the 'net identifies it properly as asphalt). This piqued my interest and after doing some research, I found that my neighborhood was once a huge field of oil wells, sitting atop an old field called the Salt Lake Oil Field. And in fact, where the stuff is bubbling up is almost directly above an old plugged oil well. Made me think of that movie "Volcano" with Tommy Lee Jones. But various folks in my research have assured me this is quite common and is referred to as a "seep."

Anyone out there have photos of the oil fields in this area before it was residential? (pre 1936). Thanks!

I've marked some streets on this aerial view taken in August 1927. Most of the oil-related activity in this area looks to
be adjacent to the narrow part of La Cienega between Beverly and Third. However, there seems to be many oil wells
east of Fairfax over to Cochran, between Third and Sixth (not shown below).

Does anyone know anything about that stadium-shaped bowl north of Third Street, between Orlando and Harper?



Flight C-113 Frame 124 @ UCSB

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

This is, no doubt, a very rare employees photograph. [1880s]

detail

Bishop & Company - Los Angeles, California
Manufacturing Confectioners
GUM DROPS

Does anyone have an idea where this gum drop factory was located"

Bishop & Company was first called the Southern California Confectionery Co--owned by cousins William T. and Roland P Bishop...started in 1887. The first address in CDs is "Aliso and Aliso Road"; before long, it was 14 N Los Angeles--which became 114 NLA with the renumberings of 1891. By 1895 the company opened a factory near the corner of E 7th and Alameda...later expanding into the Parkinson-designed Building D of the LA Union Terminal.


The eventual E 7th/Alameda factory
LAPL


LAPL


LAPL


Building D of the LA Union Terminal today




More on the business and the family is in this history of WT Bishop's house on Adams Street...which, after years of neglect, has recently been refurbished.


HLA

[John Maddox Roberts]

Somehow, the Bishop factory reminds me of Lucy and Ethyl on the candy assembly line.

[HossC]

I haven't marked a landmark statistic for a while, but I thought that 25 million views was worth it. I've already defaced many of LA's well-known buildings in previous posts of this type, so I had to look for somewhere new. In the end I went for the Cinerama.


Original image found at www.tripsavvy.com

[ethereal_reality]

Awesome sauce Hoss.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Bishop & Company was first called the Southern California Confectionery Co--owned by cousins William T. and Roland P Bishop...started in 1887. The first address in CDs is "Aliso and Aliso Road"; before long, it was 14 N Los Angeles--which became 114 NLA with the renumberings of 1891. By 1895 the company opened a factory near the corner of E 7th and Alameda...later expanding into the Parkinson-designed Building D of the LA Union Terminal.

Thanks for the information & photos GW!

I see that there are too many early addresses to figure out where the employees photograph was taken.
If only someone had written the date & address on the back of the photograph.



That man standing in front of the open door is awfully tall.

I wonder if the cat was the company 'mascot' of sorts.....roaming around the factory and eating stray gum drops. (might explain why it's sliding off the lady's lap...too many gum drops!)

[rentatrip]

By The Way , anyone interested in L.A. Noir about the early oil wells ,
needs to watch , THE TWO JAKES , it even has some juicy bits with the
La Brea Tar Pits too

[ethereal_reality]

The only walrus that we have seen around these parts is Woofy at Marineland. (courtesy of HossC)

That is until I happened upon this postcard a few days ago at rubylane

"The Walrus in Los Angeles, Cal." at Vance Drug Company


rubylane


Here's the reverse:



It turns out the postcard is an advertisement for the Walrus Manufacturing Company out of Decatur Illinois. (about 70 miles southwest from the small town I grew up in)

And as you can see from the photograph...the Vance Drug Company [in Los Angeles] installed a 'Walrus' soda fountain.


The Vance Drug Co. was located at 400 S. Broadway.


lapl



And much to my surprise, I also found a local agency and display room of the Walrus Company at 814 E. Third.



So here's the rub...I'm trying to located a photograph of the building located at 814 E. Third around 1915. I haven't had any luck.

also
...what building was at 400 S. Broadway in 1915? (location of the Vance Drug Store)

Any help would be appreciated.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by goodj037

(loooongtime lurker, first time poster)

This was nagging at me so I looked at the 1931 Sanborn Map and it was still just a bunch of funky property lines.
I went back to the 1910 map and it appears that there was a dry creek that ran through this area.

picture host
1931 Sanborn Map, LAPL


Not necessarily related, but this is very close to the original main line of the railroad, that later became a spur to service the lumberyards and other businesses in the 1960's after the main line was diverted to the middle of the 210 Freeway. That one definitely left a scar! There is some good info about the spur here http://www.abandonedrails.com/Second_District


Google Maps
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is great. Thanks for your help goodj037. I really appreciate it. I somehow missed your post earlier.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I'm snoopy curious, did any of you fine Pasadenians ever buy a hub cap from Annie?

Originally Posted by ScottyB

Yes, for our '62 Buick Special. Hub Cap Annie was a fixture for so many years.

I keep picture her wearing a holster and guns.

I obviously have my Annies mixed up.


rubylane

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

...what building was at 400 S. Broadway in 1915? (location of the Vance Drug Store)

Any help would be appreciated.

According to the 1921 Baist and a 1909 Birds Eye view map, the Mason Building.

Goo goo g'joob.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

I went on a photoshoot with the Glendale group last Sunday and shot(through the door) a pic of the lobby of the Fine Arts Building on 7th.

_8050104.jpg by BillinGlendaleCA, on Flickr

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

I went on a photoshoot with the Glendale group last Sunday and shot(through the door) a pic of the lobby of the Fine Arts Building on 7th.

_8050104.jpg by BillinGlendaleCA, on Flickr

Beautiful, BillinGlendale! I may have mentioned it before, my father worked in that building. I spent much time there as a child.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by HossC

I haven't marked a landmark statistic for a while, but I thought that 25 million views was worth it.

Thank you HossC. That was lovely. I was hoping you'd do something for 2400 pages, but the 25,000,000 views milestone is even better


ETA:

And I really enjoyed the little secondary signs over the box office windows

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Does anyone know anything about that stadium-shaped bowl north of Third Street, between Orlando and Harper?

Could it be a catchment basin? Ancestor to the one that is now Pan Pacific Park (dug out of Pan Pacific Auditorium's parking lot), W 3rd between The Grove Dr and S Gardner Ave?

They look like they'd hold about the same volume of floodwater (Pan Pacific Park is way impressive when it's even partway full).

[Lorendoc]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Does anyone know anything about that stadium-shaped bowl north of Third Street, between Orlando and Harper?



Flight C-113 Frame 124 @ UCSB

It looks like it might be a Velodrome [edit: Nope! it's a polo field, see Flyingwedge's post below]

This aerial was taken a few months later than FlyingWedge's, in late 1927. The structure has gone, and the newspapers announced a new velodrome had been built on Venice near Culver City.


UCSB Aerials 12-31-1927

And thanks HossC for the 25M milestone, it looks great