Los Angeles County is located in the United States and consists of 86 cities. Its main metropolis is also divided into numerous neighborhoods and streets. All of them have their own history. Today we will talk about the oldest district of our city, Lincoln Heights. More information you can find at la-future.com.
East Los Angeles
This area was originally called East Los Angeles. A long time ago, Yaangna Village was located in its place.
In 1863, John Strother Griffin bought a 2,000-acre ranch in this settlement. The land plot cost $1,000. Over time, the houses built by the Griffin family began to appear there.
Residents decided to name the area Lincoln Heights in 1917.
It should be noted that the area is mainly inhabited by Latin Americans and Asians. In addition, there are many landmarks in this place.
Remarkable places of the neighborhood
Lincoln Heights has a number of famous places often visited by tourists and locals. Here are some of them which are worth seeing:
- Lincoln Park. It is one of the first parks created in 1881 thanks to John Strother Griffin, who donated the land. Initially, it was East Los Angeles Park. In 1901, it was renamed Eastlake Park and eventually became Lincoln Park in 1917. There is a large lake, playground for children, recreation center, picnic tables and home for seniors.
- San Antonio Winery started its operation in 1917. It was founded by an Italian man. When Prohibition in 1920 came into force, the owner of the winery was smart enough to ask permission from the Catholic Church to make wine for communion. Varietal, table red and white wines are produced in San Antonio. The winery also has a winehouse, a restaurant and a banquet hall. This place has become a historical landmark of Los Angeles and is often visited by tourists.
- Lincoln Heights Jail. The former prison complex is located in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. It was constructed in the Art Deco style in 1927 and is recognized as a historical and cultural monument. 5 million dollars were spent on its construction. The jail was opened in 1931 and accommodated 625 prisoners. In the 1950s, the building was expanded, so it could house 2,800 inmates. It is noteworthy that the notorious criminal Al Capone served his sentence in the Lincoln Heights Jail. In 1965, the prison was closed. Instead, from 1979 to 2014, the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts was operating on its premises.
- Church of the Epiphany. It is considered the oldest working Episcopal church in LA. In 2005, it was included in the list of the city’s Historic-Cultural Monuments. The church is extremely beautiful and has an interesting history that attracts many tourists.
In the last century, Lincoln Heights had another unique attraction, Alligator Farm opened in 1907. About a thousand various-aged reptiles lived on this exotic farm. Locals enjoyed visiting this attraction. When Los Angeles was hit by a flood, some alligators could reach Lincoln Park’s lake. However, soon, the crocodiles began to cause trouble for the locals. They made a lot of noise at night and barged into people’s homes and private pools. For this reason, the farm was first relocated but eventually closed in 1984.
This is the story of one of the oldest districts in LA. We hope this information was useful for you and you learned more about the history of your native city. What interesting facts do you know about Lincoln Heights? We are looking forward to your comments on social networks.
