Rancho San Rafael
Spanish corporal José María Verdugo (née Berdugo) creates Rancho San Rafael. Verdugo receives a 36,000-acre land grant from the Spanish crown, encompassing present-day Glendale, Burbank, Highland Park, and the future site of Taylor Yard. Rancho San Rafael will be subdivided several times until its eventual dissolution in 1887.
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Parks and Gentrification
During the 80s, Downey Recreation Center — one of the few public parks in Lincoln Heights — was inaccessible and uninviting. Still, as the only park in the area, neighborhood kids like Lazaro Arvizu found themselves there often. Located in between the Swiss Dairy Company Plant (now home to the newly built Albion Riverside Park),…
The Nannies of Glen Park
Under the trees at Glenhurst Park in Atwater Village, you might find a group of 20 nannies who have been gathering there for years. They socialize, let the children play on the playsets, and celebrate many, many birthdays. Each nanny has a different story about how they found both the park and the group. This…
The Story Behind the “Orange Bridge” Pt. 2
The Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge, better known as the “Orange Bridge,” is not easy to miss, but many overlook the history behind it. Although it was just completed in 2022, the story behind this bridge goes further back. Part 1 of this tale recounts shady practices by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority…
A River’s Watershed
Mark Hanna is a civil engineer with a specialization in water resources management and river restoration and revitalization. His passion for rivers has led him to work extensively on a variety of projects up and down the LA River. “I prefer projects that are right here in Los Angeles. I live here, my family lives…