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Downtown
Los Angeles (Texas)
TE Photo 8-02 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
It was named Los
Angeles to encourage comparison with the climate enjoyed by the California
city.
The town was established in 1923 by the F. Z. Bishop Land Company
of San Antonio.
The name was a deliberate borrowing from Los Angeles, California in
hopes that it would grow as quickly.
Many of the early settlers were Germans who were transmigrating
within Texas from Williamson
County.
The town's location on the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad
gave it access to outside markets. Los Angeles had a post office
in 1923 and by 1928 there were nearly 300 residents. Their school
building doubled as a church. In 1933 the town had been reduced to
only 100 residents, and by the end of the decade the Los Angeles school
had closed.
Many of its residents moved to Cotulla,
and in 1962 there were the same number of people that there are today.
In '62 they also had 140 residents and four businesses. |
Los
Angeles, Texas Forum
"And
the band slept on..."
" I was raised about 12 miles south of Los Angeles. I was reading
your page and saw that a lady by the last name of Walton had posted
a short article about the place and had spoke of a Dairy farm on
their place that was run by nuns. I am pretty sure that the place
she is speaking of was called the old Avant place. My father used
to plow the nuns' field that they grew their feed on. During one
of his plowing sessions he plowed up a very ornate brass bowl with
a hole in one side. Us kids always said that it had been shot. I
have this bowl now, it's brass and has "Made in India" stamped on
the bottom. It was found over 50 years ago.
We used to receive our mail in Los Angeles. The post office was
in the General store. My father would always buy us a soda there
to drink on the way home. The bridge just out of town running south
was still an old wooden brige. Before Ruby's lounge there was a
beer joint called the Los Angles Cafe. (Just a little west of where
Ruby's was.) In the early 50's two of my uncles owned it - but not
for very long. When my wife and I were in high school '65 - '67
we used to go dancing there on Saturday nights. There was always
a large crowd and a live band. Jo Tymrak from Jourdanton,
Texas and his kids would play. They were just children and as
they got sleepy and fell asleep their mother would carry them out
and put them in the car to sleep. The band got smaller but we still
danced on." - Deacon Welton J. Fiedler, Jr., November 21, 2007
Subject:
Los Angeles Texas
I was excited and glad to find you had included Los Angeles Texas.
My recollections of the small but family-oriented town are vivid.
I was a young girl in the early late 60's and early 70's and would
go spend summers there with my aunt and uncle Cecil and Mattie Roth.
My "Uncle Cecil" would take care of many of the rancher's cattle.
I remember riding with him to do headcounts on the cattle at several
ranches. I believe that today that's an obsolete activity. We rode
horseback to do headcounts but I think that's now done by helicopter.
I remember going to the only store/post office that was there. It
was operated by a lady that I can only recall as being "Ms. Roberts."
Sadly, I dont think that post office exists any more. I remember
the post office boxes just being little cubby holes, no lock or
key that I can remember, and I am assuming that was because there
was such a "trust" of your neighbors back in those days. I can still
hear the wood floors "creak and crack" as you would walk over them,
it is a sound that is vivid in my memory. The high point of my day
was getting on one of my uncle's horses...'Mona or Remona' and riding
down the dirt road to the store to see Ms. Roberts and buy some
candy.
There were no air conditioners at my aunt and uncels house, which
was torn down after their tragic death in a motor vehicle accident.
I can remember laying in bed at night listening to the music from
"Ruby's" dance hall. I can still hear Johnny Rodriquez and Charlie
Pride from the juke box. "Is anybody going to San Antone"...was
a favorite of the time. On rare occasions my aunt and uncle would
actually go down to Ruby's at night for a 'cold one.' I remember
watching the ranchers sit and talk about the happenings of the day.
I remember driving in my uncle's old green Ford pick-up (which would
be a Classic today) to visit their friends in Fowlerton
and Millet. Those were the "good old days" which are gone forever,
but exist like yesterday in my mind. I met interesting people during
those days, simple people who genuinely cared about their neighbors.
Just a few of my childhood memories of Los Angeles Texas:
Drinking un-homogenized milk from the dairy cow that they had...and
never got sick. Churning butter from the cream that was skimmed
off the milk. Margarine holds no candle to that butter...sweet and
tasty. Actually milking the cows and goats and learning to milk
the udders was a art in itself. Unlike the 'machines' that milk
the cows today, the art is lost. The goats and horses ran and grazed
wild...no fences. My uncle could go out and with certain actions/sounds,
call them back to the house and into their pens. I remember seeing
the signs on the highway that warned drivers to watch for animals.
That was before today's 'deer proof' fence, where the animals are
corraled like prisoners.
I still pass through there on occasion on my way to Corpus
Christi. As we drive through, we always slow down to allow me
to "soak up the smells and memories of such a wonderful time." -
Sheila Arthur Taylor, November 20, 2007
Subject:
"The town we are coming to was Los Angeles, Texas"
Dear TE, My dad went to school in Los Angeles, Texas and could provide
you with stories. You pass through Los Angeles getting to Fowlerton
from Cotulla, If
you blinked...
Los Angeles' claim to fame was a beer joint called Ruby's Lounge.
There was once a bumper sticker that claimed it was the "home of
Rattlesnakes, Wetbacks, and Cowboys." Sadly Ruby's caught fire right
before the New Years, so I'm not sure if it still stands. I believe
the population there is about 5 {family. It would have been 6 but
my brother passed away last year and is barried under an old mesquite
tree behind where Ruby's was. His property bordered Ruby's. - Demaris
Wilson, Bandera Texas, January 24, 2007
Subject:
The History of Los Angeles, Texas
Back in 1998 my husband and I purchased the Santa Maria Ranch which
is in Los Angeles, Texas. I have been researching the history of
the ranch and Los Angeles. When doing a search I found your information
posted about the town. What I particularly found interesting was
the article written by Ruth Bailey recalling her mother's days in
Los Angeles. She talked about a train station and artisian wells.
We have an old train station (albeit only the slab and well) on
our property not to mention an old windmill that could have once
been a flowing artisian wells. We have heard many stories about
the ranch from being a dairy farm run by a bunch of nuns to an irrigated
peanut farm. We know it was a dairy farm we're just not sure about
the nuns. I would really like to speak to Mrs. Bailey or her mother
to ask them further questions about the area. - Thanks, Debbie Walton,
Austin, August 21, 2006
Subject:
Los Angeles, Texas
I'm sitting here with my mother, Ruth (Klattenhoff) Bailey and my
Aunt Julia (Klattenhoff) Mellenbruch. They grew up in Los Angeles,
after moving from Taylor with their parents. Their father, Fred
L. Klattenhoff was an agent for the Bishop Land Company.
In addition to the school, which they attended, they remember the
post office/store, which belonged to Fred Klattenhoff and Leo Sladek.
They also remember the cotton gin, the lumber yard, the drug store,
meat market, service station, and hotel. The depot was really important
not only to the economy but also because the agent had a telegraph
and was a primary means of communication.
One of the reasons for locating LA where it was was the artesian
wells, which provided water for irrigation. One of the social centers
of the community was the swimming pool, which was the storeage facility
for the irrigation water. - Ruth Bailey, July 24, 2005
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La
Salle County
1940s map showing Los Angeles
on the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad
E of Cotulla, W of
Dull and Fowlerton
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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