our backyard
LA CIMA SUMMER 2020
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Table of Contents
Whittier Historic Landmarks
Pg. 6 - 25
We Will Breathe - Juneteenth
The Wonders of El Monte
Pg. 40 - 51
Pg. 28 - 35
EDITORS NOTE
Michael Martinez
David Flores
Brayan Altamirano
My name is Michael I have done photography for three years now and each day my passion for it becomes stronger. I pretty much love all types of photography, the reasoning for “Our Backyard” which ties into my photography life is simply exploring what is out there and photography can bring that and show others around the city that not many people know about.
I am David Flores and with photography I am able to document moments so they will not be forgotten about. Capturing any moment is therapeutic for me especially when looking back at what I shot, it is always a time of reflection for me. I encourage others to take photos of whatever they see, choose to enjoy, or find and explore as I believe it to be a form of self-care because celebrating the time, is all we have.
I’m Brayan Altamirano, I began to practice photography as a form of preserving a moment of time that would someday be viewed in the future, Once a picture is taken that piece becomes eternal to the point when you look at a picture and wonder is that person, alive or dead.
The time we spend through out our childhood passed by quickly. While then as children, we pursued adulthood. Now all we want is to go back in time and enjoy those moments we once wanted gone. The purpose of Our Backyard is to remind ourself that time can not be stopped. We can not go back, but those memories we made will be forever. The place where the memories were made will always be around. That place is what we call home and what’s beyond is our next adventure. All content created by Michael, David, and Brayan. LA CIMA, Rio Hondo College.
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Whittier Historical Landmark Michael Martinez Whittier is known for its history and its landmarks that still stand, modern Whittier roots can be traced to 160 acres of public land acquired in 1868 by Jacob Gerkens. Gerkens was a German immigrant who paid $234 to the U.S. government for the land under the Homestead Act. The land changed hands several times before 1,259 acres were acquired in 1887 by a group of Quakers interested in founding a new community in California. The group acquired the land as the Pickering Land and Water Development Company. The town was named after fellow Quaker John Greenleaf Whittier, a famous poet, writer and newspaper editor. John Greenleaf Whittier never had the opportunity to visit the town that in his name but he did write and dedicate a poem in honor of the new City. Whittier was founded in 1898. Many residents drive past Whittier’s historical landmarks without even knowing. Being a Whittier resident for years and not knowing its history, as time went on I started to learn its history which I found it quite interesting.
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Driving down Hadley street is this all white building abandoned with words saying Whittier ice cream company above its doors, but it was also known as cool a coo ice cream the building which was built in 1930. Cool-A-Coo was a vanilla ice cream sandwich made with oatmeal cookies and dipped in chocolate. It was a specialty in the Los Angeles area for over 25 years and was made fresh in Southern California. It was the original ice cream sandwich of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is unsure what is in store for this historic building.
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Whittier’s fifth oldest church has been around for 94 years. First Christian Church dates back to 1895 when it held its first meeting on the second floor of the Jonathan Bailey School building, It incorporated in 1898 and later built a church that housed 300 people at Pickering Avenue and Philadelphia Street. It made the move to Greenleaf in 1924. The sanctuary was designed by Robert Orr of Los Angeles and built at a cost of $150,000. In 1895, a group of 22, met in a classroom on the 2nd floor of the old Jonathan Bailey schoolhouse, which was located on Pickering St. The congregation was led by 2 of its members, for its early years. One was a rancher, and the other worked in a packing house. The first paid minister was R.H. Bateman, who began his ministry in 1898, the year the church was incorporated, at a salary of 50 dollars per month. After a stint of meeting in the Lindley Building, the church was able to buy land and
build a church on the corner of Philadelphia and Pickering Sts. The small church grew, offering a variety of activities along with its Sunday services, including Sunday Schools, adult retreats, choirs, and youth groups. By 1918 the church had grown to over 500. The church continued to grow in numbers, peaking at around 700 when WWII was concluded. The Sunday School program was extremely popular, and the number of children who participated, neccesitated the construction of a new Youth Building. It was built and dedicated in 1954. A Childrens Building was constructed alongside it in 1959. After many years of service the plan for the future is to stop church service and turn it into a senior housing service. It is unsure if they will keep the outside design original.
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Another historical site that still stands is Former First National Bank and Bank of America The site has been the location of at least four banks, built in 1922 which have had an important role in the commercial development of the community. Additionally, the structure is of significance at the National Level due to the fact that it housed the law offices of Richard Millhouse Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. The building is a six story
reinforced concrete bank and office structure Two exterior features of interest are the brass four-faced clock on the ground floor at the corner of Greenleaf Avenue and Philadelphia Street and a plaque commemorating the building as the location of the Nixon’s law offices. After many years the building was abandoned and unsure what will take place for its future as of now the former bank and law office is now a brewery and hot spot for residents and tourists.
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Another historic building is Uptown Whittier Cinemas which was formerly called Wardman Theater which was built in 1932 the Wardman Theater was financed by Aubrey Wardman, a local businessman the total construction cost approximately $1,000,000.00 at the time. The work was completed in five months and the contract called for the utilization of local construction professionals. The Wardman Theater was abandoned for a few years after the 1987 earthquake before the structure was purchased and renovated in 1990. The single screen theater was redesigned into a three-screen theater and remodeled both on the interior and exterior. After 88 years the formerly Wardman theater is still used to this day and a popular tourist attraction
Jonathan Bailey House is a historic site in Whittier which was built around 1868–1869 by Jacob Gerkens. In 1887, the house was occupied by Jonathan Bailey and his wife, Rebecca. It is the oldest remaining building in Whittier. The first “Friends” meetings in the area were held on the front porch of the Bailey House. The woodframed cabin was originally 20 feet by 24 feet. Eventually additions to the house increased the overall size and the number of rooms to six. Jonathan and Rebecca Bailey moved into the ranch house and lived there until 1894. The Baileys were the first residents of the new settlement of Whittier. In 1973, the Whittier Heritage Association raised money to preserve and restore the structure, in 1975, the Jonathan Bailey House was deeded to the city of Whittier and now operates as a walk-through museum
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In 1894 Whittier founding fathers planned to set two acres to create a community gathering place which is known as Central Park during that time they had concerts in the park. In 1981 the city council wanted to upgrade the park after is 87 year history they wanted to restore some of its original features the plans included old fashioned lights, benches and a fish pond, the main focus was a restoration of a gazebo after all the remodeling the park reopened 1983. As the city was approaching its 100th birthday Christoph Rittshausen a well known sculptor wanted to create an art piece in his hometown with his thoughts of doing a statue of John Greenleaf to be presented in
Central park. This was the first statue at any of the city parks unfortunately the city didn’t agree to fund Rittshausen sculptor, Rittshausen had to raise money by selling shares with donors to receive a signed print of the statue. The reason John Greenleaf Whittier was chosen to have a statue in his honor was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Aquilla Pickering a Quaker met with others named Elwood Newlin, Hervey Lindley and Jonathan Bailey had a meeting to discuss the city name which they all decided was John Greenleaf Whittier. After 33 years the statue still stand in the exact location of where the founding father stood in 1894
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The former Fred C. Nelles School was the oldest school for juvenile offenders in the State of California and is 74 acres. Originally named the Reform School for Juvenile Offenders when it opened on July 1, 1891, the name was changed to the Whittier State School in 1893. In 1983, the Nelles School site was designated California State Historical Landmark Number 947. In 1941 the name was changed again to the Fred C. Nelles School in memory of its Superintendent from 1912 to 1927. The institution remained in continuous
operation for 113 years, from its opening in 1891 until its closure in 2004. Over 15 years this site has been abandoned and purchased by Costa Mesa-based Brookfield Residential which purchased the former prison from the state for $42.5 million. 561 for-sale homes, 189 apartments 60 targeted for ages 55-plus and 150,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, it is expected to open in spring 2021
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Another historical landmark is known as King Richard which is an antique store that has been in operation for 30 years From 1902 until 1951, the building was dedicated to citrus production. In 1979, the building was converted into an Antique store. Citrus Association packing became one of the largest packing plants in the State of California and included a main packing house, lemon curing plant and an office building. By 1906 650 carloads of
oranges and 250 carloads of lemons were shipped annually by rail. The development of the Whittier Citrus Association and packing house was one of the main economic bases of the area for many years. This building still stands as it was originally built after over 100 years and still brings attraction to this location from near and far, this location is in the heart of the city which makes it all so special. 24
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We Will Breathe David Flores
Juneteenth in Leimert Park
Not many people may be aware of Juneteenth or Leimert Park but on June 19, 2020 hundreds of people gathered in the neighborhood that is the heart of black culture in observance of the Jubilee day. Juneteenth is a celebration commemorating the day June 19, 1865 when slaves in Texas finally learned that they were free. It was more than two years since President Abraham Lincoln signed the Proclamation of Emancipation abolishing slavery, and was also two months after the end of the Civil War. Due to the fact Texas slave owners did not want to part with their slaves, they did not tell them they were free. It wasn’t until Major General Gordon Granger read out General Order No. 3, informing them finally. Those who witnessed the order being read broke out in song and dance as they learned of their freedom. It has become an annual celebration for all African American communities and that was no different this year. In the South Central Los Angeles community Leimert Park, which is known for being a center of African American culture and art, Juneteenth was first celebrated back in 1949 when local businessman Jonathan Leonard hosted a barbecue in his backyard. Moza Mjasiri Cooper, founder of the nonprofit organization Black Arts Los Angeles, has been holding a Juneteenth Festival in Leimert Park for more than 10 years. Originally, she decided to cancel this year’s celebration which was set to be a two-day festival due to coronavirus. However, Tony Jolly, who works for Cooper’s nonprofit, decided a celebration was needed this year after all the events that have occurred following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota this past Memorial
Day. Jolly, who is the owner of “Hot & Cool Cafe” which was visited by California Governor Gavin Newsom visited earlier this year, teamed up with local entrepreneur, hip-hop artist and fashion designer Six Sev to bring “Leimert Park Rising” and “Pray For The Hood” for this year’s Juneteenth celebration. The festivities took place throughout the day starting at 11am and were free to everyone to join. There were black owned food trucks, various vendors, and activities available for all families to enjoy in addition to live DJ’s and music. All of the local businesses were open for everyone to support and enjoy. The black owned businesses that make up Leimert Park Plaza were open and busy. From the independent bookstore, Eso Won Books which specializes in black literature, to the Neighbors Skate Shop and Harun Coffee. It was a blissful experience to witness and be a part of for all. Throughout the entire event was the theme of red, black and green which are the colors of the Pan-African flag which is not a flag of Africa but an American creation in the colors red, black, and green. Red represents the blood that was shed, black is for the color of our skin, and green is for the ground upon which they proudly stand free. The current climate of police brutality against people of color was not absent from the festival as there many anti-Trump and anti-police apparel being sold. The lives of those lost like George Floyd were commemorated in a makeshift memorial art piece in the form of an altar. Created by Inglewood Artist Sierra Hood, the altar featured photos of
(Pictured left) Sierra Hood of Inglewood created this altter allowing festival goers to say a prayer for those that have passed on like Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and George Floyd.
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Black excellence was on full display this past Juneteenth in Leimert Park. There were three stages for Leimert Park Rising and Pray For The Hood event, a true communal effort that successfully lifted spirits. Payday L.A., a platform that has been cordinating events aimed to be “the best rap show in LA” had a peak afternoon two o’clock set time for one of the stages. With their time slot Payday L.A. split it amongst emees that have performed for the brand before, which just celebrated a successful first two years prior to the countiy’s first stay at home orders. Among the live performers was Inland Empire artist Cam Gnarly, who shown above in a photo taken by Eazee, performed at multiple Juneteenth events. For Leimert Park he performed two songs that got the crowd not missing a groove.
In Riverside later this day he was able to rap more of his catalog during a cookout celebration put on my by the IE chapter of Black Lives Matter. Gnarly was grateful to lend his voice and take part in joyous events celebrating Black freedom. TAt the main stage shown to the left, there were pews set up which was ideal due to the fact a lot of the speakers and perfomers were speaking truth that was healing for those listening.
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Hundreds gathered early on Juneteenth as the whole block was filled with various vendors, some offering free service, others sharing their art, all was well throughout the day even as the crowd grew to over a thousand people.
All of the businesses on the block were open, some in coinjunction with the festival like Sole Folks, which housed a live mural painting by Bryan Blue and live producer sets. Harun Coffee, pictured to the left, located in the heart of Leimert Park was busy all day for the Leimert Park Rising x Pray For The Hood. Celebrities Rihanna, rapper Murs and the radio’s Big Boy have been seen enjoying themselves some Harun Coffee.
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Closed during Juneteenth due to the novel coronavirus, Leimert Plaza Park is usually bustling as the center of the neighborhood. The park has been the site of cultural celebrations for decades.
those that have recently passed including Floyd, other victims of police killing like Breonna Taylor, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and Grammy Award Winner artist Nipsey Hussle. Hood created the altar as an expression of her recent emotions as she told the Los Angele Times that “I wanted to share how I have been feeling.” The art installment included unlit candles and a note that read “light a candle, say a prayer.” The art piece was a poignant center piece for the festival as everyone was indeed there to celebrate Juneteenth but due to the fact of recent events they were doing so with a heavy heart. Leimert Park will continue to be a hub for African American culture and art as it has been due to in part to the large turnout the Juneteenth celebra-
tion and media coverage. What was appreciated on this day were all of the individuals who chose to use their gifts to make the day possible. In tough times where it is hard to smile, Junteenth allowed time for everyone to beam, The special days radiance allows for black people to find joy as Juneteenth is about the positive. Rather than thinking about only the suffering of their ancestors and how long it took for their ancestors to finally be free. It is also about remembering their ability to survive, their ability to make something out of nothing, to make treasure out of trash. That is what is celebrated on Juneteenth, nothing can break their spirits, they are an amazing people they are still here.
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photographs by brayan altamirano
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a place to create memories...
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a place to remember...
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place to lose of time.... a Aplace to lose tracktrack of time...
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a place where knowledge is power... 48
... My only regret at the end of the day is leaving this place without saying goodbye.
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have you explored your backyard?