Main and Arcadia Street

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View of the corner of North Main Street at Arcadia Street in the Plaza area in 1871, showing at right the residence of the wealthy merchant, trader, and government official, Don Abel Stearns. This residence was a virtual mansion at the time, with fourteen beautifully-decorated rooms. It was the social center of the pueblo. Later it became the site of the Baker Block. A number of low-lying adobe and brick buildings are seen in this panoramic view.In 1829 Abel Stearns came to Monterey, California, then settled in Pueblo de Los Angeles, present day Los Angeles. He obtained a concession to build a warehouse in San Pedro. Later, he established a stagecoach route connecting San Pedro Bay with the Los Angeles pueblo. In 1831, he built a three-story flour mill on North Spring Street, Los Angeles. Soon Stearns became one of the most prominent and influential Californian citizens of the pueblo.Abel Stearns represented Los Angeles under American military rule, 1848-1850.