Lest we forget that the land north of Wilshire Blvd—now home to the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, the Park La Brea housing development, and The Grove shopping mall—was once empty land, here’s a photo of oil well dotting the La Brea Tar Pits in 1910. At this time, there would have been development much further north along Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd but at this time, Wilshire wasn’t even paved over yet. And it would be another 30 years before developer A. W. Ross saw the area’s potential developed Wilshire as a commercial district which he dubbed The Miracle Mile, a name we Angelenos still use today.
I have no idea if this is in any way accurate, but when I saw this tar pit, I wondered if it’s the same one that’s now outside the museum and which we can see in this satellite photo from 2021:
My parents brought us to the museum in about 1979. I’ll never forget the Indian girl skeleton. I was quite small and it really impacted me. I felt so badly for her and it did get me so interested in the American Indians. It also started me on my love of anthropology and archaeology. I heard it is no longer there, which is a shame in some ways. One never knows what will spark a child to explore further. Seeing her depicted as a real human was powerful for me.
Thanks for stopping by, Gina. Your story speaks to the power of museums, doesn’t it?
(Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
(Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Doheny, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Cahuenga, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda)
(Tar Pits!)
La Jolla, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Sequoia, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda)
(Tar Pits!)
You can keep Alvarado,
Santa Monica,
even Beverly Drive.
Vine may be fine,
but for mine I want to feel a-live
and settle down in my
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Where nobody’s dreams come true…
(Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
(Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Doheny, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Cahuenga, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda)
(Tar Pits!)
La Jolla, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Sequoia, (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda)
(Tar Pits!)
You can keep Alvarado,
Santa Monica,
even Beverly Drive.
Vine may be fine,
but for mine I want to feel a-live
and settle down in my
La Brea… (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
…Tar Pits (Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
Where nobody’s dreams come true…
(Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda)
(Pico and Sepulveda)