Fun with Maps ISSUE 2025-141

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (September 4, 2025) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps, we go back to the roots of Los Angeles, CA.           

La La Land

On September 4, 1781 The Town of “Our Lady of the Queen of the Angels” was founded by 44 settlers (well, they called it that in Spanish).

The natives avoided this area due to the lack of water and general dry conditions.  But the European settlers persisted, and the pueblo grew slowly to what is now Los Angeles, LA.

There were several key moments in the growth of Los Angeles.  One of the lesser known but super important is the construction of the Los Angeles Viaduct that delivered water to the San Fernando Valley – the central part of Los Angeles – from the Owens Valley 230 miles away.  It opened in 1908 and was the brainchild of William Mulholland.   This spurred significant growth.

The other one is more familiar – the relocation of the American film industry from New Jersey to LA in the 1920s.  Better weather allowed filming outside all year long.  Other industries, including aerospace, technology, fashion, followed to the place where it never rains.

This map is the Los Angeles Freeway Master Plan from 1953.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.