Los Angeles Settlers

Los Angeles Settlers. Italian, French, African American Settlers. , Italian Settlers , The pueblo's warm Mediterranean climate and growing opportunities were a major attraction to Italian immigrants who came to the United States in large numbers in the early 20th century. Giovanni Batista Leandri arrived in 1827. He opened a general store on the southeast corner of the Plaza-where the old Firehouse is located- and is believed to be one of the earliest Italian settlers of Los Angeles. Many of the city's first wineries were Italian-owned and located on Olvera Street, which was originally known as Vine or Wine Street. In the 20th century, the center of the Italian community was the Italian Hall on North Main Street. The building was constructed in 1908 and hosted many social, cultural, and charitable activities for the Italian community, and was also used as a meeting place for radical labor and political groups. The Italian Hall was restored in 2016 and reopened as the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, a monument to the city's proud Italian-American history. , , French Settlers , The French were among the earliest European settlers in El Pueblo and made important and lasting contri- butions as vintners and in business. The first resident priest at La Placita Church was Frenchman Augustine Alexis Bachelot, who arrived in 1831. The French were largely responsible for the pueblo's development as the largest wine-making region in the country, an industry that was led by Louis Bauchet in 1827 and Jean-Louis Vignes in 1831. Vignes introduced Bordeaux cuttings that he mixed with local stock, producing the finest wine in Alta California. Philippe Garnier was another leader of the French community of Los Angeles. His properties, Plaza House, built in 1883, and Garnier Block, built in 1880 still stand today. During the 1860s, Joseph Mascarel and French-Canadian Damien Marchessault, served as Los Angeles mayors. The French influence in Los Angeles is still evident today in several street names and buildings bearing the names of prominent French Angelenos. , , African American Settlers , Of the 44 pobladores who founded Los Angeles in 1781, 26 were of African descent, or Afro-Mexicans. Many of their descendants became large land owners and prominent citizens of the pueblo. Most notable were Pío Pico, who served as the last Governor of California under Mexican rule, and his younger brother Andrés Pico, who commanded Mexican forces in California during the United States and Mexico War, and served as a California State Senator in the American era. Bridget "Biddy" Mason was born a slave in Mississippi and brought to California in the 1850s by her owner. She worked as a nurse and midwife, and she saved her earnings to become the first African American woman to own land in Los Angeles. She was known for her charitable work on behalf of the poor and the imprisoned, and was a founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, or First AME, which continues today. , , Union Station , Union Station Passenger Terminal is located on the site that served as the city's first Chinatown. Completed in 1939, it is the largest passenger train station in the Western United States. The building was designed by architects Parkin- son and Parkinson, who designed Los Angeles City Hall. The station's architecture is a mix of Streamline, Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles. Today, Union Station serves as a bustling regional transportation hub for the Metro, Amtrak, and Metrorail lines, and houses popular retail and dining facilities.