History of street names in Los Angeles

Street names have changed over the years in Los Angeles. Knowing the old as well as the new names is important to the transit historian. For example, While many people know that Martin Luther King Bl. used to be known as Santa Barbara Ave., fewer know that Broadway south of Downtown was originally named Moneta Ave.

A few recommended sites:
Los Angeles in the 1900s: Streets of a Hundred Years Ago by George Garrigues (https://stevemorse.org/census/changes/LosAngelesChanges2.htm). Based on a 1903 Chamber of Commerce map.

“Street Names: Are They Sacred?” (Bottleneck Blog, Los Angeles Times)

Rasmussen, Ceciia.  “The Long and the Short of the Southland’s Street Names” (Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2006)

Youtube Video: Street Names of Los Angeles, Seaver Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Part1, Part2, and Part3)

4 Comments to "History of street names in Los Angeles"

  1. Chris's Gravatar Chris
    June 13, 2014 - 11:16 pm | Permalink

    Hi, I am looking for information on Graham Station.
    My great grandfather lived there in 1917.
    Am correct in guessing it was in the present day Florence-Graham area?
    Also, his WWI draft card lists an address that appears to be Date Street, Graham Station.
    Does anybody know if there were such a street?
    Thanks.

  2. August 16, 2015 - 3:31 pm | Permalink

    I met Mrs,, Wildasin man-years ago. There was a sign along Slauson ab0ut Western in South Central. The sign was on the Santa Fe line there (to Torrance). Wildasin was probably a property owner.. Jim Walker

  3. Andrea Naim's Gravatar Andrea Naim
    April 5, 2016 - 4:58 am | Permalink

    Hi, I am looking for information on Azusa Street. The origin of the name is spanish or tongva? (As for the town and the Gabrielino valley).
    In the neighborhood there is also Mono Street, even in this case I don’t know the origin, but mono is also a spanish word meanings monkey.
    I apologize for my english.
    Thanks

  4. David Johnson's Gravatar David Johnson
    August 30, 2018 - 2:53 pm | Permalink

    Azusa? I had heard it was named by boosters as it had “Everything from A to Z in the USA.”

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