Wednesday, April 4, 2001

Limit: 30 people

This tour is not entirely wheelchair accessible

This tour takes you to the birthplace of Los Angeles, now El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. At present predominantly Latino in flavor, the area has been home to a number of immigrant populations. If you don’t have to rush back to the hotel after this tour, we recommend you take your time, eat lunch on Olvera Street, and stop in at the Mexican Cultural Institute Gallery at 125 Olvera Street and the Sister Karen Borccalero Gallery at 19 West Olvera St. Union Station, an architectural landmark, is also nearby, across Alameda Street. Keep going north on Alameda, turn left on Ord, and right on North Broadway and you’re in the middle of Chinatown.

Los Angeles was originally inhabited by Native Americans who became known by the names of the missions built near them. The Gabrielino and Fernandeno Indian communities are still an active part of the life of the city. In 1781, Under orders of King Carlos III of Spain, a pueblo was founded in 1781 to grow food for the soldiers guarding this far-off Spanish territory. 27 historic buildings, located in the northeast section of downtown L.A., are clustered around an old plaza. Each has an exciting story to tell about the people of various ethnic groups who settled here, as does the colorful Mexican style marketplace nearby on Olvera Street. As the town prospered, retired soldiers were given land on which to graze their cattle.In 1821 Mexico declared her independence from Spain and successive governors of Alta California made additional land grants to other settlers. They joined the Californios in becoming ranchers, merchants, and winemakers.

In 1846 the Mexican-American War began and U.S. troops took Los Angeles the following year. Gradually, as the population grew, the professional heart of the city moved southwards. The plaza area then saw many changes. The old landowners who had owned houses around the plaza moved away, new buildings were constructed, and the area gradually evolved to light industrial and business use. These changes brought in new settlers and the east side of the plaza became the heart of the city's first Chinatown. French and Italian settlers also arrived in large numbers, but could not prevent the gradual decline of the former pueblo which, soon after the turn of the century, became a slum.

Christine Sterling, a determined woman who recognized the value of the old historic buildings, and cherished the Spanish and Mexican heritage of the city, rescued the Avila Adobe from demolition. The city's oldest landmark, it has become the focal point of Olvera Street, which began a new life as a Mexican American marketplace in 1930. In 1953 efforts to preserve the area resulted in the creation of a state historic park. Together the State of California and the County and City of Los Angeles purchased the buildings and land around the plaza. In 1989 the Park was turned over to the City of Los Angeles and the Monument, as it is now called, is run by the City. Plans are underway to further restore and develop the historic buildings.

Upon his expulsion from Mexico for political activity in 1932, the Mexican artist, David Alfara Siqueiros, settled in Los Angeles for six months. During that short time, he completed three murals. Siqueiros' most important mural in Los Angeles was his second, "Tropical America." We will see this powerful political statement, which was executed along the exterior of the second floor of the Italian Hall, where the Plaza Art Center was located.