El Sereno in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
El Sereno
Early Communities
Photographed by Craig Baker, July 12, 2023
1. El Sereno Marker
Early Communities
The Tongva Indians named this area Otsungna (Place of Roses) for the wooded roses (Rosa californica).
1771 - Spanish Franciscans call a small river "El Rio Rosa de Castilla (Stream still exists along the 710 freeway by CSULA).
1821 - Rancho Rosa de Castilla granted to the prominent Californio Juan Ballesteros.
1833-36 - California missions secularized. Mission lands granted to individuals as privately held ranchos. Lands became a part of Rancho Rosas de Castilla establishing the oldest community in Los Angeles.
1849 - California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850, becoming the 31st state.
1852 - Title for Rancho Rosa de Castilla passed to Jean-Baptiste Batz and his wife, Catalina, from Spain.
1879 - The city of Los Angeles was incorporated.
1882 - After the passing of Jean and Catalina Batz, the land was divided between six of their eight children. The southernmost 700 acres passed to the third oldest son Jose Domingo Batz. Three generations of the Batz family raised sheep, cattle, and grew barley and hay.
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Pacific Electric, RedCar: 1901-1961
1901 - Henry E Huntington builds an interurban rail system called Pacific Electric that bars the development of suburbs.
The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California. Lines ran through Huntington drive as well as many other main streets.
Bairdstown: 1905-1917
The Baird brothers George and Llewellyn, led by George Baird, sold and subdivided most of what is El Sereno today. They centered housing tracts around Farmdale Avenue (now Eastern Avenue) and Huntington Drive, with Llewellyn opening the first Grocery store and post office.
El Sereno: 1917 - Present
1915 - Bairdstown is renamed to El Sereno after a local street. The street was named in honor of the old Mexican lamplighters.
1939-1945 - El Sereno experiences major industrial growth during the war years with many Italian-American families moving in.
1948 - Supreme Court decision (Shelly v. Kraemer), lifts restrictions allowing many Mexican-American families to move in.
Wilson High School
1947 - First campus on Eastern Avenue opens, now known as El Sereno Middle School.
1968 - Walk
Photographed by Craig Baker, July 12, 2023
2. El Sereno Marker
Other interpretive signs describe the history of the reservoir, and the park.
1970 - New School designed by renowned African American architect Paul Revere Williams opens on Multnomah Street.
1970's - Coach Vic Cuccia leads a 39 game winning streak.
2012 - Wilson becomes an IB World School with El Sereno Middle School and Farmdale Elementary.
Los indios Tongya llamaron a esta área Otsungna (Lugar de las Rosas) por las rosas boscosas (Rosa californica).
1771 - Los franciscanos españoles llaman a un pequeño rio "El Rio Rosa de Castilla (El arroyo todavia existe a lo largo de la autopista 710 por CSULA).
1821 - Rancho Rosa de Castilla otorgado al destacado Californio Juan Ballesteros.
1833-36 - Misiones de California seculartradas. Tierras de misión otorgadas a individuos como ranchos privados. Las tierras se convirtieron en parte del Rancho Rosas de Castilla estableciendo la comunidad más antigua de Los Angeles.
1849 - California ingreso a la Unión como un estado libre y sin esclavitud por el compromiso de 1850, convirtiéndose en el 31er estado.
1852 - El titulo de Rancho Rosa de Castilla pasó a Jean-Baptiste Batz y su esposa, Catalina de España.
1879 - Se incorpora la ciudad de Los Angeles.
1882 - Después del fallecimiento de Jean y Catalina Batz, la tierra se dividió entre seis de sus ocho hijos. Los 700 acres más australes Pasó al tercer hijo mayor, José Domingo Batz. Tres generaciones de la familia Batz criaron ovejas, ganado y cultivaron cebadarly heno.
1998 - Se establece la primaria Farmdale.
Pacific Electric, RedCar: 1901-1961
1901 - Henry E Huntington construye un sistema ferroviario interurbano llamado Pacific Electric qudumuta al desarrollo de los suburbios.
La Pacific Electric Railway Company, apodada los Red Cars, era un sistema de transporte público de propiedad privada en el sur de California. Las líneas pasaban por Huntington Drive y muchas otras calles principales.
Bairdstown: 1905-1917
Los hermanos Baird Georgey Llewellyn, liderados por George Baird, vendieron y subdividieron la mayor parte de lo que hoy es El Sereno. Centraron 11 áreas de viviendas alrededor de Farmdale Avenue (ahora Eastern Avenue) y Huntington Drive, con Llewellyn abriendo la primera tienda de comestibles y la oficina de correos.
El Sereno: 1917 - Present
1915 - Bairdstown se renombra a El Sereno después de una calle local. La calle fue nombrada en honor de los viejos faroleros mexicanos.
1939-1945 - El Sereno pasa por un gran crecimiento industrial durante los años de guerra con muchas familias italoamericanas que se mudan.
1948 - La decisión de la Corte Suprema (Shelly v. Kraemer) levanta las restricciones permitiendo que muchas familias mexicoamericanas se muden.
Wilson High School
1947 - Se abre el primer campus en Eastern Avenue, ahora conocido como El Sereno Middle School.
1968 - Salidas: "Reventones" comienzan el 1 de marzo, con los estudiantes de Wilson saliendo cinco dias antes de las retiradas planificadas.
1970 - Nueva escuela diseñada por el famoso arquitecto afroamericano Paul Rovere Williams abre en la calle Multnomah.
1970s - El entrenador Vic Cuccia lidera una racha de 39 victorias consecutivas.
2012 - Wilson se convierte en un Colegio del Mundo del IB con El Sereno Middle School y Farmdale Elementary.
Erected by City of Los Angeles.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 34° 4.285′ N, 118° 11.327′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in El Sereno. It can be reached from Multnomah Street 0.3 miles east of Soto Street, on the left when traveling east. Located in Ascot Hills Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4371 Multnomah St, Los Angeles CA 90032, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ascot Reservoir: 1910 - present (here, next to this marker); Ascot History (here, next to this marker); Soto Street Bridge Removal (approx. half a mile away); Soto Street Tunnel (approx. 0.6 miles away); Old Farmdale School (approx. 0.8 miles away); The 1968 Chicano Student Walkouts (approx. 0.8 miles away); Emiliano Zapata (approx. 1.1 miles away); Rancho Rosa Castilla (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 408 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 6, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2. submitted on July 19, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
