2A0 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



L.\KK I\ l,.\STI_AKE PARV. SHMWIXi; T 1 1 K M A(;.\I FICEXT F.^XAI.^■p L 

 AI.dXG THE SHORE, FOR WIIICTT THIS PARK IS XOTED. 



saving effected that the park department, ahnost con-- 

 tinuously throughout the year is called on to perform 

 constructi(jn work for other city departments. 



In all its work the department maintains an accurate 

 cost accounting system, all work heing careiullv es- 

 timated and performed according to and the final cost 

 checked against, approved work orders. An exact svs- 

 tem of apportioning maintenance and standardizing labor 

 units has been worked out so that a large saving has 

 been effected in maintenance costs, which saving has 

 been applied to permanent improvements. 



Of the total expenditure for the year 1912-1.^. 57 per 

 cent, went into permanent improvements, as against a'/: 

 average of 13 per cent, previous to the regime of the 

 present park organization, ^^'ith the increase of ex- 

 penditure as mentioned above and this proportion of 

 description it can be seen how the city has been able t > 

 make much progress in park development in the i^ast few 

 years even without park bond issues so common in man\ 

 cities. 



The larger and more important parks of Los Ange!cs 

 with their acreage are as follows: 



ci.irding to current values of adjacent real 

 estate, more than five millions of dollars, 

 so that this little park is the most valu- 

 able park holding of the city. 



Central Square has a great deal of 

 historical interest. It is the oldest of the 

 city parks and was a portion of the 

 original grant to the pueblo of Los 

 Angeles by Charles II of Spain in 1781. 

 There is a monument in the park to the 

 soldiers who fell in the war with Spain 

 and near this is a bronze cannon captured 

 at Santiago de Cuba. July 17, 1898. 

 This cannon was made at Douay, France,, 

 in 17.^1, during the reign of Louis XV, 

 for the I'^rench navy. It bears the sea 

 emblems of naval guns and also the lilies 

 and armorial bearings of the Bourbons. 

 It aLo is inscribed with two mottoes in 

 Latin meaning "the last argument of 

 kings" and ".\ worthy adversary for 

 many foes." The cannon was probably 

 left in .^pain b}' Xapoleon's retreating 

 arii'iy ui 18L^ and later tak-en by the 

 Spaniards to Cuba. 



Exposition Park, which is being constructed through 

 the joint eft'orts of the city, county and state, will be, 

 when completed, one of the finest formal parks in 

 .\merica and easily the most elaborate park of similar 

 area in the west. The county art and natural history 

 museum with its world famous collection of prehistoric 

 skeletons discovered in the La Urea oil beds is located in 



.\cres. 



Hollenbeck Park 20 



.Svcamore Grove 10 



South Park 18 



Sunset Park 11 



Central .S(|uare .^ 



.\cres. 



Grifiith Park 3.01.=; 



Elysian Park 748 



Exposition Park .... 117 



Eastlake Park 4.^ 



Westlake Park 3,2 



Echo Park 29 



In addition to these there are fourteen minor ])arks 

 ranging in size from a city lot to an area of several acres. 



Probably the best known park in Los .Angeles is Central 

 Square, located at Olive and Sixth streets. With its 

 fountain, evergreen lawns and splendid specimens of 

 tropical trees it forms one of the most beautiful formal 

 squares in .America. It is situated in the heart of the 

 business district and is the only park area lying v-ilhin the 

 downtown section of the city. The reconstruction of this 

 park from a run-down village park to a dignified cit\ 

 square was among the first large pieces of work per- 

 formed by the present park commission. In 1911 the 

 park was entirely resoiled, redesigned and reconstructed 

 at a cost of $32,000, including an $11,000 underground 

 comfort .station as fine as is to be found in anv citv in the 

 United States. 



The five acres which comprise this park are worth, ac- 



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THE FAMOUS BRIDAL TRAIL IX GRIFFITH PARK. 



