The herald., 1894-02-26
HOW THE CITY LANDS WENT,
Mr.. J. w. Potts Relates Some
Interesting History.
Eighty Thousand Acres and Vow
They We're Given Away.
Although They Brought but Littl e
Money, They Attracted Settlers and
Developed the City-rheir Dis
position in Detail.

AID the following interesting history Of
the disposition of city lands:
Your lamentation in your paper Of the
23d inst. over the frittering away OF this
city's princely estate of $1,000 acres of
good land, lie dark picture. can well
recollect when the city did not only own
$4,000 acres. but about $4,000 acres.
This was then called one of the COW
counties by the northern part OF the
state, and the only thing it was con-
aidered good for was for sheep and COW
pasture.
There was little patch Of land east
Of Main street and above Ninth that
was irrigated for orchards and vineyards,
and this was thought to be all that
could bs irrigated from the Los Angeles
river at that time.
All the wealth of the city when taxed
from So to s. on the 500 was not sutfi-
Gent to pay her running expenses, and
the council had to resort to the method
of issuing scrip, which sold in the
market at from 20 to 30 cents on the
dollar. So you can see that the great
wealth of the city did not give her a
very good credit.
All that could be expected OF the land
spoken OF was to use it for pasture, the
rent OF which was not more than 10
cents per acre per annum. Shortly after
the Americans came into possession OF
this county, the city council, composed
OF the best Spanish families and Ameri-
cans, concluded to give this land to
actual settlers, and in 1852 passed the
ordinance known as the donation ordi-
nance.
This ordinance required person to
improve q 35-acre lot to the extent of
5000. As soon az this was done the city
gave the party deed to the land, then
it became taxable property for city rev.
enue. About this time the people OF the
city concluded that they did not want
so much OF this worthless land, there
fore they employed a young lawyer to 90
to Washington and get the city grant
cut down to one league from the plaza,
instead OF two leagues, az granted by
the Spanish government. This lett
about 10000 acres, including all that
had formerly been donated to individ-
uals by the Spanish government. The
city council did not pass the donation
act to get the land. as they were like
most other people they did not want
it. their object being to induce settle
mont and get revenue for the city.
All the lands below the city that
could be irrigated from the bitches
then In use were finally given away
under this ordinance, and as it was
settled up and proved to be good farm
ing land it increased in value; but there
was still lot OF table land, north OF
Main street, about Ninth street, that
nobody would have, because there was
no water Tor irrigation, and the city
council entered into contract with o.
w. Childs to give him part of this
land il ne would construct water ditch
to THE and other lands, winch he did
with his own money.
The hill lands, which were also sub
ject to be taken up under the donation
act, were etill left, as no one would
have them. The first disposal OF them
was the tract known as the Mott tract
to s. ID. Mott, at what was then conaid
cred good round price. Then a COM
pany WAS formed, called the Canal and
Reservoir company, which proposed to
construct a reservoir in the hills for
storing water, and constructed q ditch
from the river to the reservoir for etor-
ing winter water. For this the city
council agreed to give to the company
the tract known as the Canal and Reser-
voir land. Alter the deed was made to
the company there were some objec-
tions made, and the company decided
back to the city one undivided half OF
ali the lands, and the city and the COM
pany sold the land at public auction in
35scre lots at about an average of So
per acre, and divided the money, the
members OF the company buying nearly
all the land, as nobody else would have
it.
About this time the hills on the east
side were sold at auction in 35-scre lots,
and all that anyone would buy OF the
lands on the hills where the Elysian
park is now located. When l was elect
ed as councilman in 1876, found
about 800 acres Of the Elysian park hills
unsold and 35-acre lot in what was
then called the Palatral,, where the
Westlake park ia now located.
There was q general disposition
amongst the council to continue the
sale of the city lands 80 as to obtain a
revenue from it. prevailed on the
council during my administration to
stop the sale of city lands. claiming
that we would need the Westlake lot
for reservoir and the other hills, where
the Elysian park 10. for a smallpox hos
pital, etc. They were both dedicated q
few years later for parks.
And now the question comes up,
what has the city got for all her princsly
estate, that was really not worth more
than $50, 1000? l answer che has more
than she would have had in 80 years if
she had not given away her lands. By
giving this land away she induced set
tiers that created wealth to enable her
to give $4,000 for building railroad
from Wilmington to Los Angelica. This
enabled her to give to the Southern
Pacific railroad another large sum for
railroad connection with the east. This
brought in people and wealth by the
millions and from the wealth 80 brought
in we have built the finest system of
public schools of any city of its Ameri.
can age in the union and all kinds of
public buildings. What has the city
got for this princely estate of 0,000
acres worth at the most $4,000? Well,
the city has exchanged this land for
$4,000 men estimated by economics to
be worth $1,000 each or $4,000. 900, be-
sides 30, 900 women and children who
are certainly worth as much 80 the men,
and has besides princely estate con-
Stating of all kinds of valuable property
of nearly $4,000, 900. yielding her an
animal income of S6 600 600 in the wav