These days the intersection of Wilshire Blvd and Fairfax Ave on the Miracle Mile is a busy one and will only get busier when the Academy Museum opens, But back in 1920 when this aerial photo was taken, it was all open land, bean fields, oil wells, and a couple of private airfields – Charlie Chaplin had one, and Cecil B. DeMille had the other. When I read that, my first thought was “You know you’re doing well when you have your own airfield.” But back then land was cheap and plentiful so it might not have been that big of a deal.

Jon says: In 1907 Ida Haraszthy Hancock and her son Allan, the owners of all that land, put in over 70 oil wells. They struck oil with every one, and were briefly the richest people in California and maybe the United States. They began selling off the unproductive acreage of their property, which was a former Mexican land grant called Rancho La Brea. The unproductive land later became Hollywood, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and the Miracle Mile, which is shown in the foreground of the photo. I think Allan Hancock built the first air field there. He later established the Hancock College of Aeronautics in Santa Maria — now known as Hancock College. The airport in Santa Maria is still known as Hancock Field.

Susan says: I remember all the bean fields around here. Closer to Imperial Blvd. there were lots of lettuce fields, celery was big too in there. There also were a couple of dairies around that Imperial Blvd area that I remember as a kid. We used to go out there most weeks to pick up fresh produce and sometimes milk, although we had the milk man deliver every other day at home. Down by where Gardena and Torrance are today, were lots and lots of strawberry fields. There were a few strawberry fields around where Inglewood is today. Out past the Old Soldier’s Home in Sawtell, there still were lots of farm fields.