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Los Angeles History continued...
Los Angeles history dates back to the 1700's. The first European land expedition was being led through the area that is now California at the time by Captain Fernando Rivera y Moncado. Accompanying him was Father Juan Crespi, a Fransiscan priest. Father Crespi was keeping a journal about the group's exploring. In his journal, Father Crespi wrote about “a beautiful river from the northwest.” The group named the river Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de la Porciuncula. The name came for the celebration feast of the Perdono at the tiny Assisi chapel of St. Francis of Assisi. Later on, Felipe de Neve, Spanish Governor of California, believed that there needed to be a pueblo establishment along the River Los Angeles north of the mission at San Gabriel. The primary purpose for this pueblo would be to reaffirm Spain's claim over the region. The pueblo would also help to keep Spain's California military garrisons supplied and fed.
The site Governor de Neve had in mind was actually the site that Father Crespi had written about more than a decade earlier. Governor de Neve received permission through King Carlos III of Spain to establish the pueblo on the site. Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, who was Lt. Governor of California at the time, was appointed to oversee recruitment of colonists and accompanying soldiers for the new settlement.
Governor de Neve immediately began designing the new pueblo. The effort to recruit settlers for the new settlement, however, was much more challenging. The Spanish government was willing to offer money, land and livestock. However, Rivera y Moncada found it difficult to find promising and willing candidates. This was due, in part, to the fact that what we know today as southern California was remote and desolate. It did not represent the type of opportunity that people found attractive. Rumors began to circulate that soldiers serving in the area did not get paid. The rumors were somewhat truthful. This was not to mention that getting to the area was arduous and dangerous. In spite of all of this, recruiting efforts revealed 12 families willing to relocate. On September 4, 1781, the settlers, along with Governor de Neve, arrived at the location for the new settlement along the Los Angeles River. The named the settlement El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles, which means The Town of the Queen of the Angels. Over the years, the city grew from a cow town to a Gold Rush town to an oil town. Settlers began to flock to the area for its climate and, of course, gold. The city of Los Angeles, or more commonly L.A., was incorporated in 1850.
In the 1920's, the fledgling film industry in the United States realized that it was sunshine that was missing from their films. With this in mind, the industry packed up and moved west from New York City. Hollywood, then just a simple district, became famous. Today, with major studios such as Paramount, Universal, Fox and Warner Brothers all making their homes in Hollywood, it truly is the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”
However, there is much more to Los Angeles than Hollywood. The city is the home to many educational and cultural institutions. The city is home to California State University, as well as the University of California, Los Angeles, or, as it is more commonly known, UCLA. The Museum of Contemporary Art, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Getty Museum, are all located in Los Angeles. Disneyland, America's most famous family fun park, also makes its home in the city of angels.
Every year, millions of tourists visit Los Angeles for numerous reasons. Many come to see the giant Hollywood sing in Griffith Park. Others are more interested in the mansions of the stars in Beverly Hills. The nightlife on Sunset Strip, the beach life and the car culture are a few more reasons why people flock to Los Angeles. The city is also home to many professional sports teams. The Los Angeles Lakers, of the NBA, is probably the most famous. However, the city has another NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers. The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL also make their homes in the city.
Los Angeles has a very diverse population. Its residents represent over 160 different countries and speak 96 different languages. On top of everything else that the city has to offer, it also experiences about 329 days of sunshine each year. Los Angeles truly is a city that has it all.
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