Sixty Years in Southern California, 1853-1913: Containing the Reminiscences of Harris NewmarkNewmark, Harris
History
Sixty Years in Southern California, 1853-1913: Containing the Reminiscences of Harris Newmark
Newmark, Harris
California, Southern; Los Angeles (Calif.)
In the course of time, the Foys moved to Los Angeles Street, becoming
my neighbors; and while there, in 1882, S. C. Foy, in a quaint
advertisement embellished with a blanketed horse, announced his
establishment as the "oldest business house in Los Angeles, still at
the old stand, 17 Los Angeles Street, next to H. Newmark & Company's."
John Foy, who later removed to San Bernardino, died many years ago,
and Sam Foy also has long since joined the silent majority; but one of
the old signs of the saddlery is still to be seen on Los Angeles
Street, where the son, James Calvert Foy, conducts the business. The
Foys first lived on Los Angeles Street, and then on Main. Some years
later, they moved to the corner of Seventh and Pearl streets, now
called Figueroa, and came to control much valuable land there, still
in possession of the family. A daughter of Samuel C. Foy is Miss Mary
Foy, formerly a teacher and later Public Librarian. Another daughter
married Thomas Lee Woolwine, the attorney.
Wells Fargo & Company--formerly always styled Wells, Fargo &
Company--were early in the field here. On March 28th, 1854, they were
advertising, through H. R. Myles, their agent, that they were a joint
stock company with a capital of five hundred thousand dollars!
FOOTNOTE:
[7] Often spoken of as Don Louis.
CHAPTER IX
FAMILIAR HOME-SCENES
1854
Many of the houses, as I have related, were clustered around and north
of the Plaza Church, while the hills surrounding the pueblo to the
West were almost bare. These same hills have since been subdivided and
graded to accommodate the Westlake, the Wilshire, the West Temple and
other sections. Main and Spring streets were laid out beyond First,
but they were very sparsely settled; while to the East of Main and
extending up to that street, there were many large vineyards without a
single break as far south as the Ninth Street of to-day, unless we
except a narrow and short lane there. To enable the reader to form an
accurate impression of the time spent in getting to a nearby point, I
will add that, to reach William Wolfskin's home, which was in the
neighborhood of the present Arcade Depot, one was obliged to travel
down to Aliso Street, thence to Alameda, and then south on Alameda to
Wolfskin's orchard. From Spring Street, west and as far as the coast,
there was one huge field, practically unimproved and undeveloped, the
swamp lands of which were covered with tules. All of this land, from
the heart of the present retail district to the city limits, belonged
to the municipality. I incline to the opinion that both Ord and
Hancock had already surveyed in this southwestern district; but
through there, nevertheless, no single street had as yet been cut.
[Illustration: J. P. Newmark
From a vignette of the sixties]
[Illustration: O. W. Childs]
[Illustration: Jacob Rich]
[Illustration: John O. Wheeler]
[Illustration: Benjamin D. Wilson]
[Illustration: Dr. Obed Macy]
[Illustration: George Hansen]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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