Homestead Museum

La La Landscapes: The Garden of Dr. Rudolph Schiffman, Pasadena, ca. 1920s

by Paul R. Spitzzeri As greater Los Angeles transformed dramatically in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant component of this change was the massive migration of people from other parts of the United States to the region.  These could be working class people attracted by the availability of jobs in agriculture and... Continue Reading →

“Workman’s John”: John Ballard on Rancho La Puente, 1863

by Paul R. Spitzzeri Just about a quarter century ago, in summer 1995, I spent some time doing research at the Seaver Center for Western History Research, a remarkable facility tucked away at the lower level of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  I was going through microfilm of Los Angeles County tax... Continue Reading →

Take It On Faith: “True Americanization” at The Santa Rita Settlement, Los Angeles, 1921

by Paul R. Spitzzeri In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as America’s ascendance towards economic might and dominance rapidly continued, fueling an immense need for cheap labor was an extraordinary influx of immigrants, including Asians, Europeans and Latinos.  While blue-collar workers were badly desired by the business community, many elements of society expressed... Continue Reading →

At Our Leisure: Sycamore Grove in the Arroyo Seco, 1874-1876

by Paul R. Spitzzeri During greater Los Angeles’ first sustained period of growth during the late 1860s and first half of the 1870s, places for outdoor recreation and leisure also developed in a number of areas.  Excursions to the San Gabriel Mountains and to several coastal areas were quite popular.  Central Park, renamed Pershing Square... Continue Reading →