LA History

Remember Barnes City in West LA? Probably not — it left town with the circus

Barnes City was created 100 years ago. And then it disappeared, one of L.A.'s shortest-lived municipalities. What happened to it?

A color illustration from the 1920's advertising Al G. Barnes Circus. There are many lions and tigers and a male trainer, dressed in white shirt, white pants and black boots holding a whip.

‘A view to die for’: The macabre history of the Verdugo Hills Cemetery in Sunland-Tujunga

The cemetery atop a hill contains more than 100 years of Sunland-Tujunga history — and yes, killer views.

A panoramic view from the Verdugo Hills Cemetery in Sunland-Tujunga. Trees, house and rolling hills are in the background.

Why Hollywood Burbank Airport was once disguised to look like a California suburb

Under “Operation Camouflage,” the army brought in Hollywood pros.

A black and white archival view of cars lining the parking lot in front of the Union Air Terminal, which was a wide building with multiple stories peaking from the center.

What is the city of Industry? A brief history of its eyebrow-raising origins

We look into how corporate interests and land control influenced how the city formed.

An aerial view of large industrial buildings with homes in the background.

Your guide to the Manson Family members — and where they are now

Patricia Krenwinkel has been recommended for parole for a second time since 1971 murder conviction. Under the sway of Charles Manson, his followers committed a series of gruesome murders in 1969. The cult leader's Helter Skelter plan terrorized the city and still fascinates more than 50 years later.

The long legacy of Japanese immigrants and the strawberry fields of Southern California

A look at how the region became a hotspot for strawberry farms and the Japanese farmers behind them.

Two men are seen in a strawberry field, one on the older side and one about middle aged. They are jointly holding a large box of strawberries up, presenting it to the camera. The photo is aged, suggesting it is decades old.

A piece of LA history is on the 2025 list of most endangered historic places in the US

This year, the annual list from the National Trust for Historic Preservation includes a mysterious castle, flooded communities in Florida and North Carolina, historic hotels and a gigantic turtle.

What is May Day? A brief history of LA’s labor rallies

International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, has grown to have an immigrant and workers' rights focus in Los Angeles.

A wide view of dozens of people with medium skin tones as they carry bright protest signs, including an orange butterfly that says May Day, in English and Spanish calling for investment into jobs and education instead of deportations. In the front are people with The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.

For SoCal’s Vietnamese community, Black April tethers generations to the fall of Saigon

“ I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my family, who suffered through months in refugee camps.”

A family hosts street food in a Vietnamese street food market.

Why is there a SoCal freeway with a 40-mile gap?

Route 90 covers only a few miles today, but 1950s freeway planners meant for it to connect inland Orange County to Pacific Coast Highway in Marina del Rey.

A green street sign showing the 90 freeway, with the word EAST and an arrow below it in white. In the background is a highway with palm trees and a blue sky

A forced good-bye: LA’s iconic Pacific Dining Car demolished after fire

The famed steakhouse was torn down Thursday.

A black and white photo of the railroad car in a field of grass. "Pacific Dining Car No. 1" is painted on the side.

Before the internet, how the LA Public Library helped readers pick their next novel

The Los Angeles Public Library stores thousands of index cards with staff reviews of books dating back to the 1920s. A librarian explains how they were used and what we can learn from them today.

A review card of Virginia Woolf's 1925 novel <em>Mrs. Dalloway</em>, written by a Los Angeles Public Library staff member around the time of the book's publication.

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