El Sereno 1950s
El CAMEO Theater
The Cameo Theater, 1956.
El Sereno Elementary
Franky Moline, 8, and Gary D. Norsworthy, 8, sit dejectedly on September 11, 1950 awaiting the opening of El Sereno School.
A Christmas piñata party for the children on December 13, 1948, at the Rose Hill Courts Housing Project, located at Montecito Drive and Sardonyx Street in the El Sereno area of Los Angeles. (LAPL)
The following information is courtesy of the Online Archive of California: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles Photographs Collection-Administrative History. Any additional information added to the Administrative History section will be shown in purple font. (Link to Online Archive of California)
During the Depression era, the City of Los Angeles was in the throes of a severe housing crisis. The need for affordable and decent housing was acute, as overcrowding was common, and deteriorated and substandard housing were widespread. Such urban conditions were not limited to Los Angeles, causing concern in cities across the nation.
In response to this crisis, the Roosevelt administration established the United States Housing Authority in 1937 to develop low-cost public housing which sought to alleviate overcrowding in inner cities and replace deteriorated housing in depressed areas. Soon thereafter in 1938, the City of Los Angeles established its own local program, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA).
A Christmas piñata party for the children, with Santa Claus present, at the Rose Hill Courts Housing Project, located at Montecito Drive and Sardonyx Street in the El Sereno area of Los Angeles. The project provided housing for war workers during World War II. Photo date: December 13, 1948. (LAPL)
Under the 1937 Federal Housing Act, HACLA constructed ten (10) public housing projects in Los Angeles: Aliso Village, Avalon Gardens, Estrada Courts, Hacienda Village, Pico Gardens, Pueblo del Rio, Ramona Gardens, Rancho San Pedro, Rose Hill Courts, and William Mead Homes.
The Rose Hill Courts Public Housing Project was built in the community of El Sereno, with 100 public housing units completed in 1942. The Rose Hill Courts public housing projects were planned to include 2200 additional housing units. The Rose Hill Courts public housing extension project began in 1951, but was quickly opposed by residents of El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and Montecito Heights.
The Extension Project was eventually canceled and only the 100 units remained. The Rose Hill Courts housing projects were scheduled to expand over several community boundaries. This is the reason why some photographs state that Rose Hill Courts public housing projects are located near El Sereno, when the actual 100 units have always been with the community of El Sereno.
Rose Hill Courts Expansion Plans
Rose Hill Courts was one of the public housing projects outlined to have a large extension added to the 100 housing units already in existence. Below are several photographs showing the planned extension area and models/architectural drawings of what the Rose Hill Courts extension housing units would have looked liked.
However, signs of discord between public housing advocates and members of the real estate industry were evident and growing stronger with the completion of each new project. In an effort to curtail the growth of public housing, public housing opponents painted it as 'creeping socialism' and 'one step this side of Communism' in local media and public meetings. During the McCarthy era, this strategy proved extremely effective. Several housing project developments, including Elysian Park Heights (Chavez Ravine), were canceled and employees of HACLA, such as Frank Wilkinson, were labeled as Communists, suspended and eventually fired.
Residents of El Sereno were also opposed to the expansion, sighting fears of overdevelopment and lower home values. Severla protest were held in El Sereno against the Rose Hill Courts expansion.
El Sereno protest against Rose Hill Courts expansion
Some 200 residents of the El Sereno area, including many children, staged a demonstration May 17, 1952, against the $110,000,000 Los Angeles public housing program, Proposition B on the June 3 ballot. The demonstrators, clad in garden clothes and carrying hoes and rakes, called themselves "The Grass Roots Real Estate Lobby." (LAPL)
El Sereno protest against Rose Hill Courts expansion
El Sereno Residents Protest against building of Rose Hill Courts Extension project. Children join housing demonstration -- El Sereno District, 17 May 1952. (USC Digital Library)
Well-known El Sereno businesses in the 1950s
CAMEO Theater, 1954
Well-known El Sereno businesses in the 1950s
Besh's Department Store, 1954
Well-known El Sereno buildings in the 1950s
DWP Building on Eastern Avenue and Converse Street
May 1955 - An open house and public inspection program attracted approximately 800 persons to the Department's new electric Distributing Station 50 at 3245 Eastern Avenue on Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, 1955.
The new station, which serves the El Sereno district, is the hub for electric service to homes and industries in an area extending approximately from the South Pasadena City limits to the Belvedere boundary and from Monterey Road to Alhambra.
Initial investment in the station was $485,000, but future expansion will bring the ultimate cost to $900,000. It will be financed partly through current income and partly by issuing revenue bonds that will be repaid from future income, and imposes no burden on the taxpayer.
Well-known El Sereno buildings in the 1950s
DWP Building on Eastern Avenue and Converse Street
Open house programs carried on by the Department are arranged to give local residents, students, civic clubs, and others a "behind the scenes" view of a modem electric distributing station.
Engineers from the Design and Construction division served as guides escorting visitors through the facility. They were R. C. Fink, C. M. Short, R. K. Morten, E.G. Sasine, W. B. Banning, J. G. Stevens, S. B. Hyde, J. B. Haas, W. A Schmahl, R. J. Schonborn, and V. A Giroux.
Senior Home Economist Jean Granger, assisted by Home Economist Mrs. Betty Mace, prepared and served refreshments throughout the two-day exhibition. On display was a selection of late model electric appliances.
Open house arrangements were made by a committee consisting of Chairman E. G. Russell, R. T. Dickey, C. M. Short, J. C. Cunning, G. S. Allen, and Frank Williams.
Principal function of the distributing station is to transform power from 34,500 volts to 5000 volts, after which it is routed over feeder lines to all parts of the area served. Present installed capacity of the station is 10,000 kilowatts, but the design is such that the capacity can be increased to 30,000 kilowatts as the load in the area grows.
El Sereno Branch Library-Groundbreaking Day
Library Ground breaking Ceremony
Councilman Ernest Debs breaks ground for new $67,797 branch library at El Sereno. Helping are left to right, Harold L. Hamill, City Librarian, and A. Parisi, school principal". 26 May 1958.
Original site of the El Sereno Library Branch
Before the El Sereno Branch Library was built, the Los Angeles Library Branch rented space in this brick building. Storefront view of the exterior of El Sereno Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. (Used prior to El Sereno's Branch Library being built) [LAPL].
El Sereno’s University: Cal State LA
Cal State LA History
Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles) was created on July 2, 1947 with the passage of Assembly Bill 586. It was the first state college to be established in California since 1913 and was known as Los Angeles State College. The founding of Cal State LA was spurred by returning World War II veterans who could not find space in an already crowded southern branch of the University of California, at the time Southern California’s only four-year public college.
Cal State L.A. held its first classes for 136 students on September 1947, on the Vermont campus of the Los Angeles City Junior College. In June 1948, seven students, all of them transfers from other colleges and universities, made up the first graduating class.
From 1949, the student body increased at the rate of 1,000 a year. With the fifties came an urgent need to establish a permanent home for Cal State L.A. That site, the former Rancho Rosa Castilla (today El Sereno), a 100-acre hilltop in northeast Los Angeles, hosted its first classes on February 6, 1956, in temporary bungalows.
Below is a collection of photos depicting the El Sereno hills before, during, and after they were leveled to construct Cal State LA. Also included are early architectural models of Cal State LA.
1981-CSULA main drive through campus is renamed from Western Arterial Road to Paseo Rancho Castilla, in honor of the Batz Family and as acknowledgement of the community's historic heritage with Rancho Rosa de Castilla.
June 23,1983-CSULA dedicates Batz Rose Garden in honor of the Batz Family and the Rancho Rosa de Castilla. The site of the original adobe, one of the 36 original adobes built in California, lies somewhere beneath what is believed to be the present site of CSULA campus.
Below are more images of Cal State LA during its growth from 1960s and 1970s.
Special thanks to historian Robert A. Lerner and California State University, Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, CSULA Collections, for the photos and information.
CSULA Articles from the El Sereno Star
El Sereno’s University: Cal State LA
Since its humble beginning in 1956, Cal State LA has been part of the El Sereno community. In fact, during the school’s expansion in the 1960s, many El Sereno homes and even a local elementary school (Gravois Elementary) were sacrificed in order to make way for the college. The institution was given University status in 1972.
Special thanks to historian Robert A. Lerner and California State University, Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, CSULA Collections, for the photos and information.
Articles below are from the El Sereno Star
L.A. Times Article
CSULA in El Sereno, 2013. Click on articles for full pdf.
Before adopting the Golden Eagle in 1980, Cal State LA's mascot was the Diablos.
Special thanks to historian Robert A. Lerner and California State University, Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, CSULA Collections, for the photos and information.
Prehistoric El Sereno: Once A Coastal Area
Fossils
An article from 1958 Scientific Journal featuring a unique fossil found in El Sereno by two boys on a shale embankment on Round Drive near Chester Street. The fossil was so unique that it was sent to the Los Angeles County Museum and was classified as a new genus (Palaeosula) of the SULIDAE Family (medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulidae.
Generate excitement
Here is a PDF of the article, the El Sereno fossil find starts on page 11. Miocene Sulids In El Sereno
Photos above were sent to us by Megan Kanipe, showing sea shells she found near her home in El Sereno in the 1980s. Our local hills abound with proof of El Sereno's prehistoric coastal history.
Peter Cooper Collection
Scanned photos and other memorabilia from my time in El Sereno. This photo is Kinder
The Kindergarten and First Grade photos from my time at Farmdale School (1958-9) were found in the Edwards Photography envelope that I rescued from my mother's home in Las Vegas, NZ about twenty years ago. In both photos, I can be seen, fourth from the left in the bottom/front row, respectively.
First Grade, Farmdale Elementary
At a guess, I believe that the boys in the left -hand top row and second from left in the bottom row of the First Grade proof sheet are Ronald and Donald Bailey, twins who lived across the road from me on Richelieu Avenue. Ronald taught me how to tie my shoelaces - LOL!
The little girl, two rows above my picture, I think is Irene Bowers, whose family lived on Eastern Ave. She and I used to spend a lot of time together, as toddlers. I remember that the family kept pigeons.
I think the little boy, second from the right in the top row is Mark (Markie) Doody. His family lived on the southeastern corner of Richelieu Ave and Klamath St. He was another kid I played with at that ti me. One of his older sisters, Claudia, quite often babysat my brother and me.
My sibling and I were always impressed when we got to ride around in the Doody family's bright red 1956Cadillac convertible, so much so that my brother eventually bought one in the 1980s, albeit in black.
Lastly, I think the kid one the far right in the second row from the bottom is one of the Nagahera (sp?) sons, whose family lived on (I think) Druid Street. My older brother was in the same grade and close friends as their older son and I remember that the family had an amazing Japanese garden in front of their house.
As you can see from the photos, El Sereno was very much an ethnically-diverse, working class neighbourhood in those days. It would be interesting to see if anyone else could shed some light as to who's in the photos. Feel free to share them.
Fish-shaped spoon holder
The fish-shaped spoon holder was something I made in Kindergarten at Farmdale in 1958, which I brought back to Aotearoa/New Zealand when I cleared out my mother's house in 2002. It now lives on my kitchen bench in Waihi, a small town around 90 miles southeast of Auckland.
I'm pretty sure that the Kindergarten classes were in the original school building in those days, as it was separate from the 'newer' school buildings where I started First Grade.
Pinewood Derby ribbons
Finally, I've scanned the two Pinewood Derby ribbons I got from participating at what was then called El Sereno Playground (now Recreation Center/Park). The park/playground was an important part of my early childhood, having spent a lot of time there, including attending pre-school just before I started at Farmdale.
Edwards Photography envelope
The Kindergarten and First Grade photos from my time at Farmdale School (1958-9) were found in the Edwards Photography envelope that I rescued from my mother's home in Las Vegas, NZ about twenty years ago. In both photos, I can be seen, fourth from the left in the bottom/front row, respectively.
1960's
Shades of L.A.: Mexican American Community
Brothers Alfonso and Adan in a yard of a home in El Sereno. 1960 [LAPL]
Fire Station No. 16
Fire Station No.16 moves to El Sereno, March 8, 1962
Source- L.A. Fire Department Historical Archive
Fire Station No. 16
New Wilson begins in El Sereno
Photo of El Sereno's Wilson High School in the first stages of construction in 1968.
The "new" Woodrow Wilson High School under construction,1969, El Sereno.
Woodrow Wilson High School-El Sereno after completion, early 1970s.
1970's
Grand Opening of New Campus-1970
History
Woodrow Wilson Senior High School has been making historic changes since the late 1930’s. Its door first opened in 1937 in what is now El Sereno Middle School located on Eastern Ave. Our original colors were Purple and Gold which changed to Blue and Gold in the 1950's. Classes were separated into winter and summer classes and took place in tents and old bungalows. The first gym was built right before World War II and was completed in 1942. The first class to graduate was in the winter of 1940 with a class of 40 students. Since opening its first doors, we have had a total of 12 principals Angus L. Cavanagh being our first and Gilberto Martinez is current principal.
Map of Wilson High School
In 1970, Woodrow Wilson Senior High School moved to its campus to the top of Multnomah St. On a clear day to the south, you can see Catalina Island and to the north Mt. Baldy. Once Wilson opened its new doors, it became the major landmark of El Sereno. Woodrow Wilson Senior High School was designed by California architect Paul Williams. It became the first 5 story high school in the district. It was originally designed to accommodate handicapped students, providing elevators and escalators in our buildings.
Many people wonder why our mascot is a mule and what led us to that choice. There are actually two reasons, the first is that the original Wilson High School was built on a mule farm and the second is President Woodrow Wilson's association with the democratic party. (Courtesy of Wilson High School- About Us Page ).
Mighty Mules Legendary Football Era
The Undefeated
During the 1970s, Wilson’s football coach was none other than the legendary Vic Cuccia. Coach Cuccia led the Mighty Mules to a 39-game winning streak, taking the team to win the City’s Section 3-A championship in 1975, 1976, and 1977. That’s undefeated 3-A City Champions--three years in a row!
Cuccia’s own son, Ron Cuccia, was the team’s quarterback for those three years, during which time he set a City and state record for passing, accounted for 145 touchdowns, and set a national record for total offense with 11,451 yards. What’s more, the Mighty Mules went on to win the City championship title in 1978.
During his 22 years as the football coach (1956-1977), Vic Cuccia compiled a 151-42-6 record. He was also a teacher, serving all his 44 teaching years at Wilson High School. Coach Vic Cuccia, who grew up in El Sereno, was honored for his dedication and work on September 1999. Wilson High School’s football stadium was renamed in his honor (the football field had already been dedicated in honor of Paul Barthel, a former Wilson teacher). Coach Vic Cuccia passed away on January, 2008 at the age of 80.
Community Celebration
Group photo of El Sereno football players receiving trophies, 1976. Assemblyman Richard Alatorre is at far left.
City Recognition
L.A. City Councilman Art Snyder (at left) with Wilson High School with Varsity jacket at Quiet Cannon, 1976.
Wilson Legend
Legendary Wilson Mule QT Randy Garcia
Legendary Duo
Legendary Wilson Mules father and son team: Coach Vic Cuccia with son Ron Cuccia. To read more about these Wilson High School personalities, click on each picture.
President Carter Visits El Sereno
President Jimmy Carter in El Sereno
President Jimmy Carter spends some time in El Sereno, May 4th and 5th, 1979. He was a guest of Stephen and Gloria Rodriguez, at 2012 Ronda Dr. Mr. Rodriguez was a Community Development Project Coordinator. President Carter jogged to Wilson High School and took a jog around the track on the morning of May 5th, 1979. L.A.Times article incorrectly states that the home President Carter stayed in is located in Lincoln Heights. 2012 Ronda Drive is located in El Sereno, as is Wilson High School. ) (See L.A. Times Article and Presidential daily log of events). Click on photo to enlarge.
LA Times Article
President Jimmy Carter spends some time in El Sereno, May 4th and 5th, 1979.
LA Times Article
President Jimmy Carter spends some time in El Sereno, May 4th and 5th, 1979.