Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license--http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/--Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Send requests to address or e-mail given USC Libraries Special Collections specol@usc.edu
Description
Photograph of old Chinatown, Los Angeles, Calle de los negros (Negro Alley, colloquially referred to as "Nigger Alley" at the time), the junction of Los Angeles Street, Arcadia Street and Aliso Street, was the scene of a Chinese massacre in 1871. The long low building, center, was the Coronel adobe. The stagecoach in the foreground was owned by the Lafayette Hotel, the second Los Angeles hotel (after the Bella Union), owned by C. Fluhr (Fleubul?). Nigger Alley, so-named because originally several Negros lived in it, is at the extreme right of the image and ran north from Los Angeles Street toward Aliso Street, ending where Dr. Gelsich had an apothecary shop. The Coronel house was the scene of the beginning of the Chinese massacre. Plummer says he was on the balcony of the Caswell and Ellis building and saw the first Chinese man hung taken from there by the mob. The two story brick building at the extreme left corner, on Arcadia Street, was occupied mainly by Caswell and Ellis grocers (or General Merchandise store of Harris Newmark?). In the corner was a saloon run by Marjett. He sold the first 5-cent beer. Marjett also owned a ranch in Antelope Valley to which the name of "Cinco Centavos" was given on account of his 5-cent beer. A son of Marjett later lived in Ocean Park. The open space in the foreground of the image is the end of Los Angeles Street. The hat on the stagecoach driver is a typical French cap of the time. Numerous horse-drawn wagons and carriages are parked along the street.
Type
image
Format
1 photoprint : b&w 8 x 10 in. 2 photographs : photonegatives, b&w 21 x 26 cm. negatives (photographic) photographs
Chinese Americans Revolutions Dissenters Adobe houses Coaching Coronel Los Angeles--Chinatown Los Angeles--Plaza #6--Streets--Calle de los Negroes Cities
Time Period
circa 1875
Place
"Nigger Alley" Calle de los Negroes Arcadia Street Aliso Street Los Angeles Street California Chinatown Los Angeles USA
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