The legend of a civilization of "lizard people" living below what is now Los Angeles is one of the city's great folklores.
Photo from the L.A. Times Photographic Collection at UCLA Library.
1969. Two boys play in the ruins of the late, great Wrigley Field ballpark in South Los Angeles before its demolition. When Wrigley Field opened in 1925, it was considered to be the finest minor league ballpark in the country and, by some, the finest ballpark period. It was named for chewing gum magnate, William Wrigley Jr., who had it built as home for his Pacific Coast League team,the Los Angeles Angels. Wrigley also owned the major league Chicago Cubs, however, L.A.’s Wrigley Field was named as such a year before the Cubs’ larger Chicago ballpark was renamed to Wrigley Field. The Angels served as a farm team for the Cubs. Wrigley Field also hosted both incarnations of the minor league Hollywood Stars clubs. In 1957, the Dodgers purchased the ballpark with its minor league Angels franchise. The Dodgers ended minor league play at Wrigley Field when they moved to Los Angeles in 1958. They considered expanding the venue as their new ballpark, but instead opted to play at the larger capacity L.A. Memorial Coliseum. In 1961, in agreement with the Dodgers, Gene Autry’s new major league expansion team, Los Angeles Angels (no relationship to the earlier minor league team), began playing at Wrigley Field. After only one season, however, the Angels moved to Dodger Stadium (Chavez Ravine when the Angels played there). After 36 years as a ballpark, Wrigley Field saw its last baseball game on October 1, 1961. The venue ended in the hands of the City of Los Angeles and played host to concerts, football, soccer, and film shoots. In 1963, it hosted a rally by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Wrigley Field was demolished in 1969 and is now the site of Gilbert Lindsey Recreation Center and Kedren Community Health Center.
We commonly call these superhot winds the "Santa Ana Winds." Are we getting that wrong?
