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The 5-generation Genealogy Project

What was Chávez Ravine — and what wasn't

7/30/2015

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There is so much misinformation surrounding the term 'Chávez Ravine' that it becomes truly mind-boggling.  First, of course, there is the ravine itself, which is a distinct geographical feature located far to the west of anything else that later bore its name.  Next, there were the three so-called Chávez Ravine communities of la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop, none of which was remotely connected to the actual Chávez Ravine.  Finally, the name was ludicrously appropriated and mis-applied to Dodger Stadium, which was constructed against the bulk of a decimated Mt. Lookout, and which sits firmly astride Sulphur and Cemetery Ravines; again, with its having no connection whatever to the geographical feature called Chávez Ravine.

Of the three, then, there is only one Chávez Ravine, and that is the narrow canyon that lies near the western edge of the massíf on which today sit Elysian Park, the historic Solano Canyon community, and Dodger Stadium.

This blog takes a look at what was — and what wasn't — Chávez Ravine.
This map, surveyed in 1868 by George Hansen and Wm. Moore, shows the Stone Quarry Hills as it looked at the time.
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This is a portion of the same map, but with the ravines identified.  Reservoir Ravine was initially not named; it was named only after a reservoir was constructed at its mouth.
SR 377 w/ID
Next, let's take a look at a modern image of the same area, with Chávez Ravine clearly marked; the red line is the original Chávez Ravine trail, and the heavy yellow line is the location of Stadium Way today.
CR road on Google Earth
Finally, here's the same image, but with the approximate locations of the three so-called Chávez Ravine communities of la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop marked, along with historic Solano Canyon, which is outlined in red on the right-hand side of the image.
What is and isn't
By now, it should be clear that Chávez Ravine — the heavy red line on the left-hand side of the image — has nothing at all to do with either the communities of la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop or Dodger Stadium.  And, for that matter, if la Loma (the right-hand yellow polygon) is a part of Chávez Ravine—the Communities, then why not include Solano Canyon in that designation, too?  In fact, la Loma was less a stand-alone community than it was a natural extension of Solano Canyon; it was simply the growth of population up and onto the loma that gave the community its name.  To illustrate that argument, look at this 1930s-era photograph, taken from a point high above the Solano Avenue School, where most of the children from la Loma attended school, and looking up into la Loma.  It is impossible to tell where Solano Canyon ends and la Loma begins.
la Loma from Solano Canyon, 1930

So what does it mean — if anything?

It probably doesn't mean anything, in reality, other than to serve as a vestigal linguistic curiosity.  But there does seem to exist a bit of a 'cult of Julián Chávez' surrounding the historical context of the names, and which, of course, is entirely unwarranted, given that the oft-repeated '83 acres' that Julián Chávez actually owned was not within Chávez Ravine itself, nor within any of the communities that co-opted his name, but rather on the northeast side of the Stone Quarry Hills, on the flat land by the Los Angeles River in the area that is known locally as Frogtown; and the Palo Verde Tract, which included all of la Loma, most of Palo Verde above Effie Street, and all of Bishop was subdivided and developed by Alfredo Solano, son of the founders of Solano Canyon, Francisco Solano and Rosa Casanova, beginning in 1897.

One further thing:  it is entirely possible that the name Chávez Ravine derives not from Julián Chávez at all, but rather from his brother, Mariano, who once owned land high up in the ravine near the summit.  And the Chávez Ravine trail itself led directly, not to the Frogtown properties of brothers Julián and Mariano Chávez, but to the adjacent, larger acreage of Juan Bouet, my great-great grandfather.
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Los Desterrados Annual Reunion, 2015

7/25/2015

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The author was fortunate to have been able to attend, for the first time, the annual reunion and picnic of los Desterrados on Saturday, 18 July.  For a historian and genealogist, it was a treasure chest of memories and living history.  Although I am a relative outsider — I descend from the founders of Solano Canyon and no one in my family lived in Chávez Ravine — I felt welcomed, and I was able to talk with many of the residents and descendants of those who were displaced from la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop.

The image below shows a bit of a database I have put together that gives the names and addresses of everyone who ever lived in any of the three Chávez Ravine communities during the decennial census years of 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.  The database also gives the names of everyone in each household (the names in the box with the yellow background), their relationships to the heads of household, and references to the actual census images.  Another part of the database provides information from the actual building permits for any address, to the extent that information is available in the Department of Public Works database.

Census database

Neither lightning nor rain (but no snow or sleet) ...

Right at nine o'clock, as if on cue, the skies opened up, and a magnificent thunderstorm passed directly over the picnic site, accompanied by profuse lightning and heavy rain.  Spirits were not dampened, however, and when it passed and the sun came out, it was a warm and pleasant day.

Reunion 1

The need to preserve history from living memory ...

It is important to preserve and record the history that is within the memory of those who lived it.  For something as momentous as the Chávez Ravine evictions, and for those of us who wish to study that event, it is particularly important.  It is incredible how much the generation that went through the evictions — even as relatively young children — remember about the events of that time.

Reunion 2

... by recording memories and asking questions

That's the author on the left, asking a question to clarify a point from some of the ones who were actually there.

Reunion 3
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Happy Fourth of July from Chávez Ravine!

7/3/2015

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We at ChávezRavine.org want to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration this weekend.

We've decided to wrap Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving all together today.

Why?

Fourth of July is obvious.  It's the ceremonial celebration of our nation's 239th birthday.  No other republic has survived that long, and it is surely something for us all to be proud of.  We sincerely hope that every one of our Nation's citizens — indigenous Americans and all the rest of us, who are immigrants all — are able to share fully in the independence that was so hard-won so long ago.

Thanksgiving, because it gives us the opportunity to express our gratitude — and to offer our thanks — to the many of you who read these blogs, like them on Facebook, share them, and occasionally share your comments with us.

Why Memorial Day?  We just thought it was appropriate to remember — to memorialize, if you will — the thousands of people who were displaced from their nearly 1,100 homes in the Chávez Ravine communities of la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop for what was a suspect purpose in the first place, and, ultimately, to make room for the construction of Dodger Stadium.  It is for them — los Desterrados — that we take the time to remember them and to celebrate them in memoriam — literally, to take them 'into memory'.

So we hope all of you have a great weekend.  Have fun, but stay safe.  And if there are fireworks where you are, then we hope it will be a spectacular display.

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    About the Author

    Lawrence Bouett is a retired research scientist and registered professional engineer who now conducts historical and genealogical research full-time.  A ninth-generation Californian, he is particularly interested in the displacement of the nearly 1,100 families that lived in the Chavez Ravine communities of la Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop to make way, ultimately, for the construction of Dodger Stadium.  His ancestors arrived in California with Portolá in 1769 and came to Los Angeles with the founders on September 4, 1781.

    Lawrence Bouett

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  What our friends are saying


"Thank you for such an informative site which highlights the plight of those relocated from Chavez Ravine.   My stepfather was a happy child growing up in the Palo Verde area.  He had many stories about living in the area and working at the [Ayala] store."

"Wow that is awesome thank you"

"
Dodger Stadium will always be a monument to the displacement of three entire communities"




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