Chapter V. The Day of the Trolley.
From the shrieking, log-wheeled, ox-drawn carretas, moving at the rate of two miles, or less, an hour to the broad gauge passenger coach, speeded by electric motive power at the rate of sixty miles an hour, is a transformation that some citizens of Los Angeles have seen. The changes in the business and social life of the people, in the building and the general aspect of the country are scarcely less amazing. The city of Los Angeles, which in 1880 had a population of 11,000 and was still for the most part made up of one-story adobes, has become a metropolitan, modern city, with a population of 250,000 and with twelve and fourteen story buildings equal to any in the United States. And the county has kept pace with the city. The assessment for 1880 for the county gave a total valuation of $18,593,773, while the assessment for 1907 was $375.719,358. In 1880 there were but three banks in the county, all in the city; there are now about sixty banks doing business nearly half of them in outside towns. In 1880 the county reported 192,000 bearing orange trees; the latest report from the State Board of Agriculture gives this county over 1,500,000 bearing orange trees and over 3,000,000 bearing fruit trees of all varieties. These figures are but indications of the tremendous changes broght about in the past quarter of a century by the development of our natural resources, the exploitation of our incomparable climate and the influx of eastern capital which has built up our railway systems. There can be no question that a large credit for our prosperity is due to our transportation facilities. The advance movemnt in the county began with the entry of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe roads; during the boom years a number of "dummy" roads were built, connecting the city with Pasadena, Glendale, Hollywood and Norwalk, and a broad gauge road to Santa Monica. During these years the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific built many branch roads-Pasadena, Santa Ana, and intermediate points; Redondo; Ballona and Santa Monica; Long Beach and Orange. Many new town sprang up along these lines and older places, like Downey, Compton, Florence, and a dozen other farming communities, took on a new aspect under the stimulus of the railroad.
In 1874 the first street-car line in the city of Los Angeles was built, running down Spring street to Sixth. Horses, or more likely mules, were the motive power. A number of other horse-car lines followed and it was considered in those days that Los Angeles was very well provided for in the way of transportation. In 1884 the first cable line was built, out West Second street to Belmont hill. This did not prove a successful venture and was aban- [p. 113] doned, as was an electric line attempted that same year, running out Pico street. During the boom a company was organized and plans were laid for a cable system which sould give rapid transit to all parts of the city. Under the supervisionof Col. J.C. Robinson, an experienced engineer, these plans were carried out and June 8th, 1889, the first division of the new service, the line starting at the Grand Avenue power house, now the postoffice, down Seventh and "Fort" streets to the Baker block, was put in operation. The Temple street, Boyle Heights and Downey avenue divisions followed.
In 1891 the West Second street electric line was built and the first car went over it July 1st. This line over the heaviest grades in the city was looked upon with very serious doubts at first. But when its success was assured, developments were rapid. In 1892 the Pasadena and Mount Wilson Company was organized by T.S.C. Lowe, and this, at the time the most remarkable mountain road in the world, was completed in 1893.
In 1895 Messrs. Sherman and Clark built the electric line to Pasadena. This was the first inter-urban street-car line and it was freely predicted that "it would never pay." Yet the next year the same gentlemen announced their intention of building an electric line to Santa Monica, and carried out their purpose. In 1895 the Traction Compnay entered the field and built their University line.
But the trolley history of the county really began when the Cable Railway system was sold under foreclosure to the Electric Street Railway Company, in 1898, for $1,344,320. The company was at once reorganized and in 1901 H.E. Huntington was announced as its head. The extension of lines in the city since that date has gone steadily on. But the greatest work has been in the building of suburban lines. First the Pasadena line was extended to Altadena and the foot of the Mt. Lowe Incline; lines were built to Alhambra and San Gabriel, to Hollywood and Glendale. Then Long Beach, San Pedro, Redondo, and Newport were reached. These lines were constructed by the Pacific Electric Company and the Los Angles Pacific. Within the past two or three years, roads have been built to Whittier, Monrovia, Covina, and Santa Ana. In 1903 the Pacific Electric constructed its building in Los Angeles, which gives a central poiin for its suburban lines. A number of elaborate and costly power plants supply the motive power and a large number of substations distribute it. The expenditure of the many millions of dollars necessary to build and maintain this network of railways has been no small factor in our general prosperity.
The extension of these roads with their frequent and comfortable service caused an expansion of the beach towns. Long Beach, San Pedro, Redondo and Santa Monica experienced a sudden rise in values that recalled the days of '87. New beach settlements, Ocean Park, Venice, Playa del Rey, Manhat- [p. 114] tan, Hermosa, and half a dozen others were platted and put on the market. The quick transit brought new settlers to the beach; it also brought crowds of pleasure seekers; and at once new bathhouses and pavilions, hotels and piers were provided. It is probably safe to say that the population of our beach towns has been more than doubled during the past seven years.
But the suburban lines have created many new settlements between the city and the beach. People who could never hope to own a home within the city have been able to purchase a lot or a tract outside of the city, and at the same time be within easy reach of their places of business, or of labor. Many handsome homes have been built along the electric lines and such residence districts as Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hollywood, South Pasadena, Huntington Park and others, have shown that there is a demand for high class suburban property.
The electric lines also carry the mails, express and freight. So satisfactory has their freight service proved tht the older steam lines cannot compete with them. They are now handling carload lots which are transferred direct to the steam lines. The fact that they can give a frequent service and stop whenever freight or express matter is to be handled has been of great benefit to the dairymen and small farmers. They ar thus able to put thier vegetables, berries and produce on the market with an ease and a promptness which adds largely to their profits.
Los Angeles county increased in population at the rate of 67 per cent between 1890 and 1900. And her progress in the present decade has been acccelerated and will doubtless show an even greater gain in 1910. And we cannot question that there is a relation between the mileage of our electric railways, now about 700 miles in the county, and our growing population.