This Campo Cahuenga history site is so interesting and well done. It has accurate historical information along with pictures that focus on the various periods from the Tongva Indians of the area to the women like Dona Bernarda Ruiz who may have brought the men to the peace table.
I'm posting it not only because it's interesting American history, but because on Sunday it will be the 165th anniversary of the Signing of the treaty between the Californios and Mexico and there's going to be a celebration at the Campo, which happens to be right across the street from the big Universal Studios Tourist Trap. Sadly, though thousands visit the Tourist Trap and spend lots of money there, few look across the street to a place that is open to the public once a week for free and the site of transformative history.
Being so close to the Universal Studios Tourist Trap also means that you can get there by public transportation very easily, forget the gas prices and the parking fees, including simply getting off the subway station at Universal and taking the elevator up to street level. That subway itself is one of the most beautiful artistic subway stations in Los Angeles featuring local history in pillars of handmade glazed tiles (a wonderful photo-op).
Despite what certain history revisionists may want us to believe (that this territory still belongs to Mexico) the treaty was signed fair and square back when the people who lived in California did not identify themselves as Mexicans but as Californios. Many Spanish land grant recipients had huge (Malibu for instance) ranchos here. Today as you ride down Lankershim Boulevard, you may not realize that stage coaches once came down this way.
See you there?
