Los Angeles, California Area Vintage and current photographs of the
Los Angeles area of
California. Includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties, portions of
Route 66, and numerous cities including
Azusa,
Glendora,
Hollywood, Long Beach,
Pasadena, and More.
Though the city of Los Angeles, California is the second largest metropolitan area in the United States, at almost 18 million souls, it is a relatively young city, not founded until the mid nineteenth century.
The area was first inhabited by several Indian tribes. The first explorer known to the area was Juan Cabrillo who stopped at present day San Pedro in 1542, greeted by Tongvan men, who rowed out to meet his ship. The explorer died later that year while wintering at Santa Catalina Island and no white face was seen again locally for 227 years.
The Spanish conquest of Mexico reached the area in 1769 and in 1771 they founded the Mission San Gabriel Archangel, one of eight missions established by the Franciscans in
Southern California.
