Downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Sandstone Trough
Photographed By Craig Baker, June 1, 2021
1. Sandstone Trough Marker
Sandstone trough used for feeding crushed acorns to livestock, hewn in 1897 by the Schweikand family on their San Fernando Valley ranch.
Presented in 1930 by the Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles.
Erected 1930 by City of Los Angeles.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 34° 3.482′ N, 118° 14.249′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Downtown Los Angeles. Marker is on Olvera Street just south of Cesar Chavez Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: E-23 Olvera St, Los Angeles CA 90012, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid (within shouting distance of this marker); 1932 Olympic Village Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); Italian Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Italian Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Zanja Madre (within shouting distance of this marker); Pure Water from Many Sources (within shouting distance of this marker); Hammel Building
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Regarding Sandstone Trough. In 1897, a drought caused the Schweikhard family to search for extra food for the horses on their 37-acre ranch in Chatsworth. They noticed that the pigs liked the acorns under the oak trees, so August Schweikhard suggested that the horses would eat them too if the shells were broken. The family used a dull hatchet to cut out a trough in a sandstone boulder located in the horse corral. The kids would gather acorns and put them in the trough and mash them up. In 1912, when the City bought the ranch for the Chatsworth Reservoir, the DWP relocated the trough to Olvera Street. The original marker read: “Water trough hewn by the Mission Indians in the year eighteen hundred and twenty. Presented by the Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles, 1930.” Today’s marker has the name Schweikhard misspelled as Schweikand. Part of their original ranch is now Chatsworth Oaks Park, located at 9301 Valley Circle Blvd.
Photographed By Craig Baker, June 1, 2021
2. Sandstone Trough and Marker
Photographed By Craig Baker, June 1, 2021
3. Sandstone Trough and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 2, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 271 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 2, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
