The City of Los Angeles has a long and fascinating history. It was founded on September 4, 1781, and was originally called The Town of the Queen of Los Angeles, which translates to “The City of Our Lady the Queen of Angels”. The name comes from the Spanish language on a river called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula. Its main village, Yaangva, flourished on the banks of the Los Angeles River, providing resources such as fish, nutrient-rich land and fresh water before it empties into the Pacific Ocean.
On his recommendation, the governor ordered that the area now known as Los Angeles be established in a town or town. Father Francisco Palou described how the first settlers founded the future “city of Our Lady of the Angels on the banks of the river called Porciúncula”. The Santa Monica Mountains cross the city and separate it into the San Fernando Valley to the north and the Los Angeles Basin to the south. Grants and donations from the historical society and a group of book lovers called the Zamorano Club of Los Angeles paid to print a new book on durable acid-free paper and distribute it free to colleges, universities and public libraries. The easiest and most obvious origin is a direct translation of los angeles, which in Spanish means “the angels”. Crespi designated the river “in honor of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula, a title derived from an approaching Franciscan religious celebration.
Originally home to Native American tribes, the first Europeans passed through Los Angeles during the 16th century when an expedition sent by the Viceroy of New Spain originally claimed the area in what is now Southern California for the Spanish Empire. The 19th and 20th century reinforcement campaign gave Los Angeles countless nicknames, ranging from 'Land of Eternal Spring' to 'The Wonder City of the United States' and home to 'Sunkist Skies of Glory'. The greater Los Angeles area is home to many movie stars and many of the biggest rock bands in US history. As in much of the southwestern United States, the area surrounding what is now Los Angeles once belonged to Spain. There is probably no other major city in America whose original name is as much discussed as Los Angeles. So is the inscription on the plaque under the statue of Philip of Neve, which describes him as “founder of The People of Our Lady the Queen of Los Angeles”.
This name has been passed down through generations and continues to be celebrated today.
