Los Angeles History 1900 to 1950: The City That Became the Entertainment Capital of the World

Angels Flight Railway.  Photo: Yuri Hasegawa

Between 1900 and 1950, Los Angeles underwent one of the most remarkable transformations in American history. From a rapidly growing regional city, Los Angeles developed into a global centre for film, culture, transport, sport, architecture and entertainment.

The first half of the twentieth century saw the arrival of Hollywood, the expansion of the Port of Los Angeles, the construction of iconic landmarks and the city's emergence as a major international destination.

1900 to 1913: A City on the Move

In 1900, Los Angeles had a population of 102,479 and ranked 36th among American cities. The new century brought rapid change. Angels Flight opened in 1901, carrying passengers up Bunker Hill, while the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902.

Japanese immigration contributed to the city's growing multicultural character, with Fugetsu-Do opening in Little Tokyo in 1903. In 1905, developer Abbot Kinney created canals beside the coast, establishing Venice of America.

The first fossils were excavated at the La Brea Tar Pits in 1906, while the Los Angeles Auto Show began in 1907.

In 1910, Hollywood voted to join Los Angeles, D.W. Griffith filmed in the city and the population had reached 319,198. By 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed, bringing water from the Owens Valley, while the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened.

1914 to 1924: Hollywood Takes Centre Stage

"Dueling Dinos" at the Natural History Museum
Photo: Yuri Hasegawa

The next decade established Los Angeles as a centre of the motion picture industry. Beverly Hills became an independent city in 1914, while Universal Film Manufacturing Company opened near Cahuenga Pass in 1915.

Grand Central Market opened in 1917, and Frank Lloyd Wright designed Hollyhock House. Warner Bros. Studios followed in 1918, while the Los Angeles Philharmonic and UCLA were founded in 1919.

The 1920s brought even greater cultural fame. The Hollywood Bowl began presenting concerts in 1922, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre opened and the Rose Bowl Stadium was built. The Hollywood Sign appeared in 1923 as an advertisement for the Hollywoodland development.

By 1924, Los Angeles had passed the one-million population mark.

1925 to 1939: Icons of Los Angeles

Grand Central Market, Photo: GCM

Los Angeles continued developing its distinctive identity. The Central Library opened in 1925, while U.S. Highway 66 was designated in 1926, connecting Los Angeles with Chicago.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre opened in 1927, followed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The first Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1928, the same year Los Angeles City Hall opened.

UCLA opened its Westwood campus in 1929. The following year, Los Angeles International Airport opened, while Olvera Street, the Greek Theatre and the Hollywood Pantages Theatre also emerged as important attractions.

Los Angeles hosted the 1932 Olympic Games, the Original Farmers Market opened in 1934 and Griffith Observatory opened in 1935. In 1939, Union Station opened, creating one of the city's most distinctive architectural landmarks.

1940 to 1950: A Global City Emerges

the first known music event at the Hollywood Bowl, ca.1920

The 1940s brought further transformation. The Arroyo Seco Parkway opened in 1940 as America's first controlled limited-access highway, helping establish the freeway culture for which Southern California would become famous.

During the Second World War, the Port of Los Angeles became a major shipbuilding centre and Los Angeles developed into a crucial manufacturing and aerospace hub. The Pacific Electric Railway reached its peak ridership in 1944.

Post-war Los Angeles continued expanding its influence. The Los Angeles Rams arrived in 1946, In-N-Out Burger opened in 1948 and by 1950 the city's population had reached 1,970,358, making Los Angeles the fourth-largest city in the United States.

Discover the Los Angeles of History

Hollywood Sign | Photo: Yuri Hasegawa

For today's traveller, exploring Los Angeles is an opportunity to walk through this extraordinary history. From Hollywood's legendary theatres and studios to Union Station, Griffith Observatory, the La Brea Tar Pits and the city's historic neighbourhoods, reminders of this transformative era remain throughout the metropolis.

The years from 1900 to 1950 created much of the Los Angeles identity recognised around the world today: a city where entertainment, culture, innovation, transport and diversity continue to shape an ever-changing destination.

Discover Los Angeles

Website: www.discoverlosangeles.com
Email: info@discoverlosangeles.com
Phone: +1 213 624 7300
Address: 633 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, California 90071, USA

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