Early Downtown Panorama

 USA > California > Los Angeles

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Composite panoramic view looking southeast from Bunker Hill with each property annotated and listed at top showing Los Angeles’ 1st City Hall & Jail at center-right. John Temple's 1858-built Clocktower Market/Courthouse building is on the left. The location of the camera was at the top of a hill called ‘Poundcake Hill’ the future site of Los Angeles High School (1873) and the 2nd L.A. County Court House (1891). Los Angeles' the first City Hall and Jail was located on the northwest corner of Spring and Jail St, (which later became Franklin St.). This building was established in 1850 and located directly opposite of where City Hall stands today. It was originally built as a residence by Antous Jose Rocha, who had come to L.A. from Portugal in 1815. Los Angeles, an extremely violent city in 1853, reported one death a day from fights or assassinations. Law enforcement was practically non-existent as they were often the victims of the violence.