282 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES 
Los Angeles is the largest city of the Southwest, in area, population, 
and business. Founded in 1781 by a garrison of Mexican soldiers from 
Los Angeles. the mission of San Gabriel, in 1831 it had a population 
Elevation 253 feet. of 770, and as late as 1880 it was an easy-going semi- 
ia Oren 3002 Mexican town of 12,000 inhabitants centered about 
mil the old plaza with the mission church of Nuestra Sefiora 
la ‘bain de los Angeles (Our Lady the Queen of the Angels), from 
which the city takes its name. 
At La Mesa battlefield, now the stockyards on Downey Road, there 
was on January 9, 1847, a battle between the Americans and Cali- 
fornians which resulted in the capture of Los Angeles by the American 
forces. 
Among many historical episodes in Los Angeles one of the most 
important was the truce signed on January 13, 1847, by Gen. Andrés 
Pico, which when ratified gave to the United States all of the territory 
west of the Rocky Mountains south of Oregon. This event occurred 
at Campo de Cahuenga, now 3919 Lankershire Boulevard. At the 
southeast corner of Los Angeles and Aliso Streets is the building in 
which General Frémont had his headquarters while he was military 
governor of California, and here the city of Los Angeles was organized 
in 1850. 
With the coming of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 
November, 1885, homeseekers began to arrive, and a great increase in 
property values and growth of the city followed. The census showed 
that Los Angeles made a greater percentage of increase in population 
from 1880 to 1900 than any other city in the United States, and there 
has been a remarkably rapid increase since that time, amounting to 
nearly 115 per cent in the decade 1920-1930. The city is the largest 
in area in the United States, comprising within its limits 442.5 square 
miles. In addition to the salubrity of its climate, which attracts 
citizens from all over the United States, two important factors in its 
growth have been the generation of electricity from mountain streams 
as far as 226 miles away and the availability of cheap petroleum fuel. 
The economical power thus available has developed a very large 
manufacturing center. 
Los Angeles has had to provide a vast amount of water for its 
rapidly growing population. At first local supplies were used, but 
later an aqueduct was constructed to bring water from Owens Valley, 
226 miles distant, at a cost of about $25,000,000. Its capacity is 
250,000,000 gallons a day. As still more water will be required in 
the future, it is planned to bring in a supplemental supply from the 
Ie er aR River at Parker after the Boulder Dam is completed. (See 
Pp. 24h.) 
Los Angele: C unty, with an area of only 4,115 square miles, claims 
st Sage ey States in value of farm property — 
ig to the U United ‘States census 
