The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Los Angeles (city)

LOS ANGELES, a city and the capital of Los Angeles co., California, on the W. bank of Los Angeles river, a small stream, 30 m. above its entrance into the Pacific, and 350 m. S. S. E. of San Francisco; pop. in 1850, 1,610; in 1860, 4,392; in 1870, 5,728, of whom 2,004 were foreigners; in 1874, estimated by local authorities at 11,000. The Los Angeles and San Pedro railroad extends to the bay of San Pedro (22 m. S.), which forms its harbor. The Southern Pacific railroad is completed 28 m. S. E. and 25 m. N. of the city, and about 100 in. remain to be built (1874) to connect Los Angeles with San Francisco. The Los Angeles and Anaheim line is 29 m. long, and a narrow-gauge railroad to the nearest point on the coast (14 m.) is in progress. Along both banks of the river below Los Angeles extends a fertile plain, planted with vineyards and orange groves, and there are also large vineyards within the city limits. In the N. W. portion there is a hill 60 ft. high, commanding a fine view of the city. The adobe buildings, of which it was originally composed, are fast giving way to larger and more imposing structures. It has a large and varied trade with the interior, and contains three banks, St. Vincent's college (Roman Catholic), several public schools, including a high school, a public library, three daily, a semi-weekly (Spanish), and two weekly (one German) newspapers, and a monthly periodical. The city is frequented in winter by invalids on account of its mild climate. It was settled by the Spaniards in 1780, and was called Pueblo de los Angeles, “town of the angels,” from the excellence of its climate and the beauty of its surroundings.