My late great grand aunt Ruth was one of those last few residents at Chavez Ravine. She was a renter and good friends with the owner with whom she had lived. Both were very elderly women. My great grand aunt was the lady who shook her cane for the newspaper camera in a famous photo that has been circulated for several years. She was never the same after she had to move out and lived unhappily for several months in temporary motel housing before finding a new place for her remaining years. So, I say: Always remember Chavez Ravine, the neighborhood that was.
It is a shame that the residents of Chavez Ravine were never given anything for their land by the La city council, till this day they have never been 😢given a marker to remember the residents
They don't even teach math anymore. Wokeism is the new Commiefornia indoctrination under newscum puglosi shifty & waters. Russian hoax anyone. Criminals are running & ruining Calif. & These United States. They sold y'all out for CCP profits....
My grandfather and all his brothers hated the Dodgers for this. When my grandfather came back from Europe after the occupation of Germany, he was unable to find his family. He later signed up to become a Drill Instructor in the Army, this is when he seen my Great-uncle, his brother, who joined the Army and told him where they had moved in the San Fernando Valley.
Sorry but your grandfather and his brothers hated the wrong people. The Dodgers had NOTHING to do with the eviction of the Chavez ravine community. ZERO. Blaming the Dodgers for the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential community is a completely FALSE NARRATIVE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian and then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
I grew up in Los Angeles in the late 1940's-50's and I remember watching them build Dodger Stadium. It displaced quite a few families...but not nearly as many as the construction of the Harbor Freeway.
So can you tell me how the air back then smelled? I know It's completely off-topic, but how did you guys live with all the lead exhaust fumes during that era?
I would honestly and truly like to see a movie about this Los Angeles history. So few stories of Chicanos are told and I think this is a testament to our legacy.
The episode "Dan Hostage " on the 1950s series Highway Patrol was filmed here. The diner shown was located at the corner of Effie Street and Raposa Street right in the middle of the ill-fated Chavez Ravine area. This area is now under the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. The episode was aired on May 4, 1959.
Broderick Crawford was convicted of DWI and his driver's lic was suspended during part of the run of the Highway Patrol series. They had to film that period of the series inside Griffith Park because he couldn't legally drive on regular streets. They filmed a lot of the "non DWI episodes" in what was then rural Thousand Oaks. Thanks - Lumpy
Even some fans today don't realize how important Fernando Valenzuela was for the Dodgers. It was his presence and performances that helped heal many of the wounds left from the forced evictions at Chavez Ravine in order to build Dodger Stadium.
My friend's father was an man named Jose. He was born in 1929 and was raised in Chavez Ravine. Jose told me how he and his family were forced out and had to move to Lincoln Heights. Strangely, he was a big Dodger's fan, but some of his family refused to ever go to the stadium. Jose is gone now and I regret not asking him more questions about his neighborhood, etc. We did talk about Chavez Ravine, but I have so many unanswered questions for him that I will never be able to ask, nor know the answers.
Yep Johnny Podres was the pitcher. At 1 p.m., Kay O’Malley threw out the ceremonial first pitch to catcher John Roseboro. The honor was a “two day early” birthday present from her husband who was the Dodger President Walter O'Malley.
many hispanics were evicted from their homes to build dodger stadium...for years no hispanics would see the dodgers play...now 90% of the fans at the park are hispanic.......WTF
Of course it started with Fernando. Not quite 90% of the fans at the stadium are Hispanic but I feel a large amount is because Fernando and it is Los Angeles. Don’t matter what ethnicity goes to the stadium we all have one thing in common. We bleed Dodger Blue.
clarkewi all school systems in California are at the bottom They keep throwing money into the school system and it never gets better as my co-worker who was on a school board told me
and people in Brooklyn hated their owner J. Walter 'O' Malley for moving them out of Brooklyn. He was never safe on the streets of Brooklyn after that.
Feliks Gailitis I laugh when those babies blame him when he wanted to keep them there he had a great proposal for a beautiful new stadium but some POS I forgot his name refused it no matter what he just wouldn’t budge. He’s your enemy. I forgot his name but watch the ghosts of Flatbush it explains everything
My grandparents on bth sides lived around the corner from the police academy I was a kid remember playing there when most of the houses were already gone just the cement porches were left and some of the homeless people use to go to the porches at night singing and drinking next to a fire. I was there when they dragged the lady out of her home then ran a bulldozer through it some guy shouting now you don’t have a home. Man that stayed in me my head my whole life I was 4-5 years old God bless all those people. But that’s America. Oh yea my dad was born in his home there in 1928. On Gabriel.
I grew up around Elysian Park, all my life, born and raised in this neighborhood. There’s nothing better than to feeling Los Angeles. There’s something in the land that remains in the heart of a Mexican American, or a Latino living in this neighborhood is like you can here the land telling you it’s past. And hearing the story about Chavez ravine always makes me cry. No wonder nobody wears the dodger uniform better than Chicanos
My great grandfather bought the first land in Chavez ravine thats why is called Chavez ravine, then other people came and settled there. My sir name is Chavez and I am Proud of it.
I cannot believe Tonka tribes once lived there,I always played with tonka toys,it brought joy but at what costs,cleared my memory of the tribe which I know so little of ,I can only hope their are existing members.honor those who are silenced .
I never knew the story of how Dodger Stadium came to be . It is sad what is scarificed in the name of progress . Thank you KCET for the best programming, more people could learn from from you station .
Excellent program (and series). Nathan Masters is a premier historian. However, Sandy Koufax did not throw the first pitch at Dodger Stadium. That signal honor went to Johnny Podres, who worked 7.1 innings on opening day (April 10, 1962) before 52,564 paying customers, only to be tagged with the loss as the visiting Cincinnati Reds beat L.A., 6-3. Reds' starter Bob Purkey, who also pitched 7.1, got the win, while Wally Post's 3-run HR in the 7th, the first ever at the new ballpark, was the decisive hit. Koufax pitched the next day (April 11), hurling a complete game, allowing 4 hits while striking out 7 as the Dodgers won, 4-2, before a crowd of 35,296. Jim Gilliam's 2-run HR in the 4th made the difference. Reds' starter Moe Drabowsky took the loss. Thank you again for this outstanding contribution to public television.
As a NY-er I've always been focused on the aspect of the beloved Dodgers being ripped out of Brooklyn. Now, I understand the losses on the Los Angeles side. It was a travesty for everyone involved.
Dodger Stadium is yet another sad story in Los Angeles where so many grand places and structures were lost to developers eager to make a buck. The city planners were shameful in their greed as they allowed so many beautiful buildings, roads, tunnels and estates to be torn down in the name of 'progress'. Today, LA is a horrible, filthy, smog filled corridor of ugliness. As a child I played in Orange Groves, Walnut Groves and open spaces. There were dirt roads, ranches and such beautiful places to linger. Now, most, if not all of that is gone and what replaced it is a tragic statement of humanity run amuck. And it is not better, but much worse than it once was. I am glad I left there after the first 50 years of my life and will never return.
This is why my family and I are not Dodgers fans, we're Angels fans. Angels were named after the city of Los Angeles and been here in LA market ever since the late 1890's, as a minor league team until 1957. Gene Autry bought back the Angels name for the Los Angeles Angels. Angels are LA's original team.
My father took me to a Dodgers game in the early 70’s. I remember some Mexicans seated behind us and they were yelling at the Dodgers that still land. I asked my father what they were talking about. He lean over to me and told that the City stole their land and gave it to that SOB McNally to build this stadium. I was shocked to learn later that we were seated by third base where a elementary was buried.
kcet please if you are going to do a documentary about the Chavez Ravine are please let the people know about Frank Wilkinson and how he was accused of being a communist so the project intended for the area was stopped and the land stood idle. The first notice for the people to leave was 1950, the project was cancelled in late 1952 and the Dodgers didn’t move in to the park until 1962 so please get it together KCET.
It's fair to criticize the program for not including mention of the original housing project that was planned for the (former) residents of Chavez Ravine. However, since the program is about the historic uses of the land the Dodgers would eventually occupy, I guess I can understand why they didn't go into the Wilkinson/public housing angle... the land was never actually used for that project. It remains one of the most scandalous stories in Los Angeles' history. I would urge anyone who hasn't already seen the 30 minute (Bullfrog film?) documentary on the history of Chavez Ravine to watch it. It's fine work.
KCET actually did make a documentary about Chavez Ravine that included film and commentary from Frank Wilkinson and how he was accused of being a communist. I saw it on KCET a few nights ago, and I personally believe that Wilkinson was used as a fall boy for when the bottom fell out of the housing project plans.
211em: You are correct. Blaming the Dodgers for the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential community is a completely FALSE NARRATIVE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian and then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
Being of Hispanic decent, I didn't know about this, then again I was only 8 yrs old. But I'm surprised that my dad who came from Mexico in the late forties didn't mention this to me. He was a big Dodgers fan, as well as I, as well as my son. But now, after listening to this bit of history, I'm very frustrated to hear of this. I'm all for progress, but not at the expense of human disregard! I remember back in 1974, I along with my wife and my two little girls were out trick or treating, I accidentally parked my car a few inches into this driveway, the gentleman who was waiting for us to return to move my car started to come down on me pretty hard, I apologized, but he had to throw in the race card, by telling us that we should go back where we came from, I then told him we are where we come from and he should go back to school to brush up on his history, because all of California belonged to Mexico at one time. Now this 2019 and we're still being told to go back to where we came from, is this progress??? Physically the land (scape) will change, but not the people, sad...
I’m sorry that has happened to you and your family but one thing to look forward to is that the Latino population is the fastest growing demographic in the US. While that may mean more problems in the future it also means progress for our races. This growing demographic will bring more college graduates = more professional in the work field. This also means that the majority (white people) and the ones that believe we should will have accept us into society because they’ll be the minority. This has become the meaning of some protest and the call for harder immigration laws but the fact is immigration has slowed down and the demographic growing is from folks like you that have created a family after years of being here. The results of heavy immigration in the 1970s and 80s is a result of the destruction of governments in the homelands where the U.S had enforced their will and created uneasiness causing immigration. The caravans are a result of the same thing and in a couple of decades we’ll see a boost in the Latino population.
Erik Lopez when you become the majority make sure you don’t become hypocrites and start discriminating against the new minority as some kind of revenge for the past. Keep moving foward and don’t punish innocent people for the sins of their ancestors
No one from this area cared. They were happy to attain the American Dream. Stop using 3 question marks, which is not English, and start being appreciative. My grandparents worked hard, moved as was necessary, and did very well. Never once mentioned race. Only losers mention race. DO go back. Do it. You are the trash that failed because you thought someone held you back. You are the very reason for your own failure.
@@clvrswine that's not true. The systems that are lined up for our families have failed the latino community. You can't possibly tell me that if our two very races that most prominent in california have had equal oppurtunity. The latino population before this century wasn't know to have college students. But the latino population has been rising in all states so it makes sense that white donald trump supporters are afraid.
The whole this was Mexico 's land first is BS. I wish Mexican/American people would simply be honest with them selves. Mexico has and still doesn't give a crap about it's own people. They treated their own people, like the whites treated the blacks in the US. You should be ashamed of the Mexican flag instead of flying it. If it's about pride, then fly a Azteca flag.
And don't forget that the Dodgers were the heart and soul of another neighborhood back in Brooklyn. That heart and soul was ripped out and moved to Los Angeles. Ebbits Field was demolished and turned into a pubic housing project while the public housing project in LA was never built and Dodger Stadium was built there instead. I guess that money is all that matters in the modern world.
@@bradwesley8419 Yes money is important. But it isn't everything. Both the Dodgers and Braves abandoned their cities and moved away due to economic conditions and changing demographics. But Tom Yawkey stuck it out and kept the Red Sox in Boston. That's why both the team and Fenway Park are still here today instead of another apartment building.
Joe Vignolo It’s a free market, last I checked. An owner of a team risks his or her capital into the franchise, there’s no fault trying to make the best deal possible as long as it’s within the legal boundaries
@@bradwesley8419 Well I don't completely agree. There is something to be said for incorporating loyalty to a community and to your fan base and to considering people's feelings and emotions when making decisions. Otherwise it will continue turning into a pretty cold and hard world when everything is just all about money.
My main gripe, aside from the terrible forced evictions, is that the stadium should have been rotated 180 degrees to face downtown LA. The views would have been stunning.
Gamer norcal, the sun would be killer if the stadium was reversed. Also walking out of the top deck seating area and looking towards DTLA is jaw dropping, especially at night.
So, was the lithograph taken from about where the Elysian Park helipad is....or a little farther towards the stadium...on a hill top that was brought down?
If you want to know why Fernandomaina happened. That's why. The poor short fat shy Mexican kid who grew up to be Fernando Valenzuela symbolically came back to "reclaim" and own Chavez Ravine for Mexicans again. His success on that very soil is extremely symbolic for all generations of local Mexicans.
You make it sound like the dodgers wiped out Chavez Ravine. The city of Los Angeles did it in 1952. Long before the Dodgers were even in the picture. 😊
The real villains in this story are the developers and city officials who wanted to drive out the residents. The Dodgers just happened to drop in when the new LA mayor refused to proceed with the public housing project. Can't really blame O'Malley who interestingly enough was screwed over by NYC officials and Robert Moses in trying to build a new stadium in Brooklyn. Irony of ironies.
Beautiful view from the stadium but they really didn't take in consideration how it would impact traffic and residential areas surrounding the stadium.. traffic is horrible when its game day.
Terrific, enlightening documentary for the eyes of a Midwesterner... every bit sobering too, I'm sure, to the ancestors of the Chavez Ravine community.
I was born and raised EAST of EAST Los Angeles (AZUSA/IRWINDALE) CALIFORNIA. So much for my NATIVE American/JAPANESE Roots. Chumas-Tong-va, With JAPANESE Heritage. Sweet memories 😢
My family and I lived in the LA area from 1958 to 1973. We attended dozens of Dodger games. I never knew the story of the forced evictions of the inhabitants of the area that became Dodger Stadium !
Hopefully this information reaches those interested in knowing the history of Chavez Ravine! East Los Angeles College will be performing the production of Chavez Ravine. This production will portray the life’s of the families who once lived in Chavez Ravine; and inform the public/audience of the affect of the Housing Authority Act of 1949. Including some known individuals (which will be characterized by actors) such as, the people from Chavez’s Ravine, Vin Scully (notorious sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers), Frank Wilkinson (American activist who served as Executive Director of the National Committee and the site manager for the City Housing Authority for the city of Los Angeles), Richard Nuetra (Austrian-American architect for the sitting project of Chavez Ravine), and Norris Poulson (36th Mayor of Los Angeles). These are some of the many character that will be portrayed in the production of Chavez Ravine at East Los Angeles Community College. Location: 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez Monterey Park, CA 91754 United States Theater Department( P2 building) Opening night will be on May 18, 2018 at 8pm. Unfortunately this play will only run for two weekends, with a total of 8 performance. So, contact me with any questions or thoughts that you have. Look forward in hearing from you! This is a chance to inform the public and tell a magnificent story!
The stadium was built with private money, which was better than the taxpayer funding used since. However, the land was another thing. In 1949 it was planned to be a public housing area and it was acquired in large by eminent domain. Then a new mayor canceled that project. The city acquired the land at a low price from a federal agency. The Dodgers got the land in exchange for some other land they owned, but I couldn't find details on that. Anyway, effectively eminent domain was used to build a private sports stadium. George W. Bush's group used that tactic to build their baseball stadium. That is how GWB made his fortune, on stolen land.
Time will continue to erase the past. Today Dodger Stadium exists. The future will continue to unfold. What we know of the past, is that change is constant. Some day the stadium itself will no longer be. 😭
when I hear that background music, I think what she's really saying at 8:45 is "we took away parking area and increased landscaping so we could charge more for parking since there isn't enough parking now"
That was the mentality of the people of that era.This was before the civil rights movement.There are people alive today with that same mentality ,some of whom actualy lived in those times.
You are correct; the idea that a Mexican barrio community was destroyed by the Dodgers IS A COMPLETE LIE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
@@dislikesquare8749 Interesting how convenient that the city's plan of project housing (mind you not even houses) deal fell through to be sold to Dodger's owner.
@@deedeekong7161 DO YOUR HOMEWORK and consult the LA Times microfilm searching "Chavez Ravine" starting in the 1920s. The FACTS prove that the Dodgers had nothing to do with the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential neighborhood. The area was long considered problematic and the City of Los Angeles attempted many interventions including the building of a TB hospital which was never used and later proposed for a jail, and an international marketplace, all of which failed, as did a massive planned residential community which the residents of Chavez Ravine were either bought out or evicted to build. However, this plan also failed and it was not until the dust of that debacle failed that the Dodgers negotiated to buy the land. GET IT STRAIGHT ONCE AND FOR ALL: THE IDEA THAT THE DODGERS DISPLACED CHAVEZ RAVINE RESIDENTS IS A LIE AND COMPLETELY FALSE NARRATIVE.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
My late great grand aunt Ruth was one of those last few residents at Chavez Ravine. She was a renter and good friends with the owner with whom she had lived. Both were very elderly women. My great grand aunt was the lady who shook her cane for the newspaper camera in a famous photo that has been circulated for several years. She was never the same after she had to move out and lived unhappily for several months in temporary motel housing before finding a new place for her remaining years. So, I say: Always remember Chavez Ravine, the neighborhood that was.
Truly sad.
WE NEED TO MASS DEPORT MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM CALIFORNIA TO MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN.........AND NOT LOOK LIKE TJ.
It is a shame that the residents of Chavez Ravine were never given anything for their land by the La city council, till this day they have never been 😢given a marker to remember the residents
The city paid residents 10k. Those who refused to leave turned down the eminent domain payment were issuedunlawful detainers.
@@higher_pwr8178Kind of like the Indians. Told what to do or else.
I grew up on sunset blvd and marion . born in 1990 and had no idea of the history ..Thank you for this show. Sucks they dont teach you this in school.
They don't even teach math anymore. Wokeism is the new Commiefornia indoctrination under newscum puglosi shifty & waters. Russian hoax anyone. Criminals are running & ruining Calif. & These United States. They sold y'all out for CCP profits....
THEY SPREAD ALL KINDS OF WOKE GARBAGE NOW, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'D SUCK UP BECAUSE YOU'RE CRAZY
It was either Dodgers Stadium or Housing projects you chose?
My grandfather and all his brothers hated the Dodgers for this. When my grandfather came back from Europe after the occupation of Germany, he was unable to find his family. He later signed up to become a Drill Instructor in the Army, this is when he seen my Great-uncle, his brother, who joined the Army and told him where they had moved in the San Fernando Valley.
That must have been real painful my heart goes out to your familia ✊🏽💙
Sorry but your grandfather and his brothers hated the wrong people. The Dodgers had NOTHING to do with the eviction of the Chavez ravine community. ZERO. Blaming the Dodgers for the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential community is a completely FALSE NARRATIVE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian and then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
My father born in 1948 grew up in Chavez ravine before Dodger stadium
I grew up in Los Angeles in the late 1940's-50's and I remember watching them build Dodger Stadium. It displaced quite a few families...but not nearly as many as the construction of the Harbor Freeway.
Gregory Fisher and the lax fwy
So can you tell me how the air back then smelled? I know It's completely off-topic, but how did you guys live with all the lead exhaust fumes during that era?
@@sredson my father tells me there were days where it hurt to breathe. Do everyone just staying inside
All freeways interestingly lead to Anaheim and Disneyland I reckon Disney displaced more people
And also excludedBlacks and LatinX and also gay people
I would honestly and truly like to see a movie about this Los Angeles history. So few stories of Chicanos are told and I think this is a testament to our legacy.
Very interesting history there. Bet many people living in Los Angeles don't know about this.
Yeah I bet, most people in LA aren't born here they come from elsewhere looking for the American dream
T, there are people who don't know that California and parts of several other states were once Mexican territory 😏
I know right? Hence the Spanish names of cities and state...@@jamesrivera4947
i have to say that this is one of the best films i have ever seen.both great and sad at the same time..good post.
The episode "Dan Hostage " on the 1950s series Highway Patrol was filmed here. The diner shown was located at the corner of Effie Street and Raposa Street right in the middle of the ill-fated Chavez Ravine area. This area is now under the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. The episode was aired on May 4, 1959.
HP has been a favourite show of mine. Thanks for the info. I only wish more locations were credited for a then and now look using Google Earth.
I remember that show. Broderick Crawford as Lt. Dan Mathews. Thx for that info, I'll have to check it on the "tube".
@@joemackey1950 : That would be cool.
Woah
Broderick Crawford was convicted of DWI and his driver's lic was suspended during part of the run of the Highway Patrol series. They had to film that period of the series inside Griffith Park because he couldn't legally drive on regular streets. They filmed a lot of the "non DWI episodes" in what was then rural Thousand Oaks. Thanks - Lumpy
One of the oldest hospital next to dodger stadium is Barlow. It was built in 1902 and still in business today.
You've done your homework. It was abandoned as a hospital and repurposed not long after it was built.
¡Gracias!
Thank you for supporting public media!
If you were born in the 50's in LA and are Mexican-American, you knew somebody who was displaced. The stories were horrific.
Can't blame the Dodgers, blame LA they were going to build housing projects.
thank you KCET
Even some fans today don't realize how important Fernando Valenzuela was for the Dodgers. It was his presence and performances that helped heal many of the wounds left from the forced evictions at Chavez Ravine in order to build Dodger Stadium.
My friend's father was an man named Jose. He was born in 1929 and was raised in Chavez Ravine. Jose told me how he and his family were forced out and had to move to Lincoln Heights. Strangely, he was a big Dodger's fan, but some of his family refused to ever go to the stadium. Jose is gone now and I regret not asking him more questions about his neighborhood, etc. We did talk about Chavez Ravine, but I have so many unanswered questions for him that I will never be able to ask, nor know the answers.
Thank you 🙏
Great doc, heavy content.
Good show! A former SoCal resident I was always amazed by the place. It's amazing, if somewhat, dark history.
Sandy Koufax did NOT throw the first pitch at dodger stadium. The starting pitcher for the LA dodgers on April 10, 1962 was Johnny Podres!!
KCET has a Racist Caucasian bias.
Sandy Koufax didnt even throw the first no hitter at Dodger Stadium. Bo Belinsky of the Angels beat Koufax to it by 51 days
@@johndough23 seriously. Go to 4:28
Yep Johnny Podres was the pitcher. At 1 p.m., Kay O’Malley threw out the ceremonial first pitch to catcher John Roseboro. The honor was a “two day early” birthday present from her husband who was the Dodger President Walter O'Malley.
You’re wrong. They are talking about Opening Day, not exhibition.
La was actually nice back in 1877.
It was okay. But nothing like 1860, when it really started to go downhill.
D&D Operations it’s nice now I’m sorry you’re broke and find yourself in the shithole but the rest of us get to enjoy the west side
@@DrunkenSlob Do all jokes fly that high over your head?
James Allen who’s replying to you?
@@DrunkenSlob I'm posting on the internet. Why don't you have arrested for committing that crime?
Moron.
many hispanics were evicted from their homes to build dodger stadium...for years no hispanics would see the dodgers play...now 90% of the fans at the park are hispanic.......WTF
Two words Fernando Valenzuela
I guess.....also human have a short memory span
humans or mexicans?
Of course it started with Fernando. Not quite 90% of the fans at the stadium are Hispanic but I feel a large amount is because Fernando and it is Los Angeles. Don’t matter what ethnicity goes to the stadium we all have one thing in common. We bleed Dodger Blue.
Yup! Doyer Dogs!
I moved to LA as a kid in 1958, the year the Dodger's and Giants moved west. Was a wonderful place in those days.
Still is a wonderful city, honestly !
@@LongieR8er Not like it was in those days, believe me. I was there. LA city public school system was number one. Now its at the bottom.
clarkewi all school systems in California are at the bottom
They keep throwing money into the school system and it never gets better as my co-worker who was on a school board told me
@@dondressel4802 Very untrue. You have to find the right areas within the state - big place, you know
I am not american, never been to L.A. but these series are work of art documentary.
My great grand mother always hated the dodgers for displacing her and so many other Hispanic people
Figures, Dodgers can do what they want.
Thanks for taking one for the team👍
and people in Brooklyn hated their owner J. Walter 'O' Malley for moving them out of Brooklyn. He was never safe on the streets of Brooklyn after that.
Feliks Gailitis I laugh when those babies blame him when he wanted to keep them there he had a great proposal for a beautiful new stadium but some POS I forgot his name refused it no matter what he just wouldn’t budge. He’s your enemy. I forgot his name but watch the ghosts of Flatbush it explains everything
No one cares.
love watching L.A. history!, there's always something new to learn!;)
Yes, thank you for remembering the barrio of Chavez Ravine!
The Barrio or a future of hoodlums having another hood to call home. The history sucks, yes, but most hood vatos would have made things worse.
My grandparents on bth sides lived around the corner from the police academy I was a kid remember playing there when most of the houses were already gone just the cement porches were left and some of the homeless people use to go to the porches at night singing and drinking next to a fire. I was there when they dragged the lady out of her home then ran a bulldozer through it some guy shouting now you don’t have a home. Man that stayed in me my head my whole life I was 4-5 years old God bless all those people. But that’s America. Oh yea my dad was born in his home there in 1928. On Gabriel.
thanks for the video
I grew up around Elysian Park, all my life, born and raised in this neighborhood.
There’s nothing better than to feeling Los Angeles. There’s something in the land that remains in the heart of a Mexican American, or a Latino living in this neighborhood is like you can here the land telling you it’s past.
And hearing the story about Chavez ravine always makes me cry.
No wonder nobody wears the dodger uniform better than Chicanos
The battles that occurred between Mexican and US armies in downtown LA over possession of the city was not mentioned and is kind important.
They do in other episodes
WOOAH! WHAT A HISTORY!
Thank god, I though for a moment this story wasn't going to have a happy ending.
This so so beautiful... what once was
Only 20 families were left when they started to build dodger stadium? Id always pictured way more based on the historical villification
Well done
My great grandfather bought the first land in Chavez ravine thats why is called Chavez ravine, then other people came and settled there. My sir name is Chavez and I am Proud of it.
mary Martinez sad to know what happened to those family members
thanks for your thoughts.
Awesome that your surname is Chavez, I always take time to cut thru the area and imagine old LA on my way back to Silverlake..
Thank you Sir.
surname
Chavez Ravine is to Los Angeles like the 98 Acres is to Albany, NY. Sad.
This is so insightful gotta love this stuff
I cannot believe Tonka tribes once lived there,I always played with tonka toys,it brought joy but at what costs,cleared my memory of the tribe which I know so little of ,I can only hope their are existing members.honor those who are silenced .
Great job.
I never knew the story of how Dodger Stadium came to be . It is sad what is scarificed in the name of progress . Thank you KCET for the best programming, more people could learn from from you station .
many people lost their home when they build the 60 fwy back in 1964.
Cant forget the century in 80s and 90s
D Garland Even till this day with the expansion of the Metro Line. It’s Called progress, makes life easier in the long run.
Does anybody know, is Mount Lookout the site of what's generally referred to as a "forty-niner" (pow wow) in the movie The Exiles?
I love Elysian Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent program (and series). Nathan Masters is a premier historian. However, Sandy Koufax did not
throw the first pitch at Dodger Stadium. That signal honor went to Johnny Podres, who worked 7.1 innings
on opening day (April 10, 1962) before 52,564 paying customers, only to be tagged with the loss as the
visiting Cincinnati Reds beat L.A., 6-3. Reds' starter Bob Purkey, who also pitched 7.1, got the win, while
Wally Post's 3-run HR in the 7th, the first ever at the new ballpark, was the decisive hit. Koufax pitched
the next day (April 11), hurling a complete game, allowing 4 hits while striking out 7 as the Dodgers won,
4-2, before a crowd of 35,296. Jim Gilliam's 2-run HR in the 4th made the difference. Reds' starter Moe
Drabowsky took the loss. Thank you again for this outstanding contribution to public television.
The Tongva people? Where are they now!?
Displaced by the people who were displaced by the Dodgers.
Right here !! We are still here !!
As a NY-er I've always been focused on the aspect of the beloved Dodgers being ripped out of Brooklyn. Now, I understand the losses on the Los Angeles side. It was a travesty for everyone involved.
It’s always screw the lower class over big business
Dodger Stadium is yet another sad story in Los Angeles where so many grand places and structures were lost to developers eager to make a buck. The city planners were shameful in their greed as they allowed so many beautiful buildings, roads, tunnels and estates to be torn down in the name of 'progress'. Today, LA is a horrible, filthy, smog filled corridor of ugliness. As a child I played in Orange Groves, Walnut Groves and open spaces. There were dirt roads, ranches and such beautiful places to linger. Now, most, if not all of that is gone and what replaced it is a tragic statement of humanity run amuck. And it is not better, but much worse than it once was. I am glad I left there after the first 50 years of my life and will never return.
This is why my family and I are not Dodgers fans, we're Angels fans.
Angels were named after the city of Los Angeles and been here in LA market ever since the late 1890's, as a minor league team until 1957. Gene Autry bought back the Angels name for the Los Angeles Angels.
Angels are LA's original team.
Fuck the Angels fuck Orange County!
@@southsidecompton9668 You sound stupid.
The should of called dibs on the ravine
I was a kid then living right off Riverside Dr, I remember the turmoil surrounding land acquisitions and stand offs with residents at the time.
That was messdup for the people living there. They got punked out scammed.
Just like some people today (trump & other racists) they think of brown and black people as just obsticles in their way to make more money.
My father took me to a Dodgers game in the early 70’s. I remember some Mexicans seated behind us and they were yelling at the Dodgers that still land. I asked my father what they were talking about. He lean over to me and told that the City stole their land and gave it to that SOB McNally to build this stadium. I was shocked to learn later that we were seated by third base where a elementary was buried.
It’s O’Malley. Walter O’Malley. Not McNally.
So Sad 😞
kcet please if you are going to do a documentary about the Chavez Ravine are please let the people know about Frank Wilkinson and how he was accused of being a communist so the project intended for the area was stopped and the land stood idle. The first notice for the people to leave was 1950, the project was cancelled in late 1952 and the Dodgers didn’t move in to the park until 1962 so please get it together KCET.
thanks brah can't believe they didn't mention Wilkinson. they trippin.
It's fair to criticize the program for not including mention of the original housing project that was planned for the (former) residents of Chavez Ravine. However, since the program is about the historic uses of the land the Dodgers would eventually occupy, I guess I can understand why they didn't go into the Wilkinson/public housing angle... the land was never actually used for that project. It remains one of the most scandalous stories in Los Angeles' history.
I would urge anyone who hasn't already seen the 30 minute (Bullfrog film?) documentary on the history of Chavez Ravine to watch it. It's fine work.
KCET actually did make a documentary about Chavez Ravine that included film and commentary from Frank Wilkinson and how he was accused of being a communist. I saw it on KCET a few nights ago, and I personally believe that Wilkinson was used as a fall boy for when the bottom fell out of the housing project plans.
211em: You are correct. Blaming the Dodgers for the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential community is a completely FALSE NARRATIVE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian and then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
@@dislikesquare8749excellent comment.
Being of Hispanic decent, I didn't know about this, then again I was only 8 yrs old. But I'm surprised that my dad who came from Mexico in the late forties didn't mention this to me.
He was a big Dodgers fan, as well as I, as well as my son.
But now, after listening to this bit of history, I'm very frustrated to hear of this.
I'm all for progress, but not at the expense of human disregard!
I remember back in 1974, I along with my wife and my two little girls were out trick or treating, I accidentally parked my car a few inches into this driveway, the gentleman who was waiting for us to return to move my car started to come down on me pretty hard, I apologized, but he had to throw in the race card, by telling us that we should go back where we came from, I then told him we are where we come from and he should go back to school to brush up on his history, because all of California belonged to Mexico at one time.
Now this 2019 and we're still being told to go back to where we came from, is this progress??? Physically the land (scape) will change, but not the people, sad...
I’m sorry that has happened to you and your family but one thing to look forward to is that the Latino population is the fastest growing demographic in the US. While that may mean more problems in the future it also means progress for our races. This growing demographic will bring more college graduates = more professional in the work field. This also means that the majority (white people) and the ones that believe we should will have accept us into society because they’ll be the minority. This has become the meaning of some protest and the call for harder immigration laws but the fact is immigration has slowed down and the demographic growing is from folks like you that have created a family after years of being here. The results of heavy immigration in the 1970s and 80s is a result of the destruction of governments in the homelands where the U.S had enforced their will and created uneasiness causing immigration. The caravans are a result of the same thing and in a couple of decades we’ll see a boost in the Latino population.
Erik Lopez when you become the majority make sure you don’t become hypocrites and start discriminating against the new minority as some kind of revenge for the past. Keep moving foward and don’t punish innocent people for the sins of their ancestors
No one from this area cared. They were happy to attain the American Dream. Stop using 3 question marks, which is not English, and start being appreciative. My grandparents worked hard, moved as was necessary, and did very well. Never once mentioned race. Only losers mention race. DO go back. Do it. You are the trash that failed because you thought someone held you back. You are the very reason for your own failure.
@@clvrswine that's not true. The systems that are lined up for our families have failed the latino community. You can't possibly tell me that if our two very races that most prominent in california have had equal oppurtunity. The latino population before this century wasn't know to have college students. But the latino population has been rising in all states so it makes sense that white donald trump supporters are afraid.
The whole this was Mexico 's land first is BS. I wish Mexican/American people would simply be honest with them selves. Mexico has and still doesn't give a crap about it's own people. They treated their own people, like the whites treated the blacks in the US. You should be ashamed of the Mexican flag instead of flying it. If it's about pride, then fly a Azteca flag.
And don't forget that the Dodgers were the heart and soul of another neighborhood back in Brooklyn. That heart and soul was ripped out and moved to Los Angeles. Ebbits Field was demolished and turned into a pubic housing project while the public housing project in LA was never built and Dodger Stadium was built there instead. I guess that money is all that matters in the modern world.
Money is pretty important, go to the grocery store and see if a poem or tap dance will pay for the groceries next time.
@@bradwesley8419 Yes money is important. But it isn't everything. Both the Dodgers and Braves abandoned their cities and moved away due to economic conditions and changing demographics. But Tom Yawkey stuck it out and kept the Red Sox in Boston. That's why both the team and Fenway Park are still here today instead of another apartment building.
Joe Vignolo It’s a free market, last I checked. An owner of a team risks his or her capital into the franchise, there’s no fault trying to make the best deal possible as long as it’s within the legal boundaries
@@bradwesley8419 Well I don't completely agree. There is something to be said for incorporating loyalty to a community and to your fan base and to considering people's feelings and emotions when making decisions. Otherwise it will continue turning into a pretty cold and hard world when everything is just all about money.
Joe Vignolo As soon as you start working for free or exist in a world where money is irrelevant, I’ll take you seriously
my grandma lived up there in the 30s and went to Belmont high
wtf i Belmont high still there
damn!
Hope we get a movie to show what happened
My main gripe, aside from the terrible forced evictions, is that the stadium should have been rotated 180 degrees to face downtown LA. The views would have been stunning.
My Grandmother was a Chavez from LA. I wonder if she was from Chavez Revine? Or her Ancestors.
think if Dodger stadium was reversed. You would have a great shot of Downtown L.A. viewing from home plate out to the outfield.
Gamer Norcal The Dodgers would have had to landscape the topography quite differently.
Gamer norcal, the sun would be killer if the stadium was reversed. Also walking out of the top deck seating area and looking towards DTLA is jaw dropping, especially at night.
But the sun would be in the player's eyes.
So, was the lithograph taken from about where the Elysian Park helipad is....or a little farther towards the stadium...on a hill top that was brought down?
If you want to know why Fernandomaina happened. That's why. The poor short fat shy Mexican kid who grew up to be Fernando Valenzuela symbolically came back to "reclaim" and own Chavez Ravine for Mexicans again. His success on that very soil is extremely symbolic for all generations of local Mexicans.
Loco Tx you realize native Americans were there before Mexicans right...
and now Dodger Stadium is unsafe
Can you still get a hot dog there or is it all tacos now? And how do all these illegals afford to go to a game? Welfare? Drugs?
They did not have pictures of the before? I find that hard to believe.
Money first
13:49 I see camera crews, does anybody know if that footage is available for viewing?
Nice to see D.J. (Don" Waldie featured in this doc. I have his book about the history of Lakewood, CA, "Holy Land".
Excellent! Thank you!
My City, Our History, LA will always be a part of me. I love LA, love the Dodgers.
I love PBS ❤
LIBERAL NEWS NETWORK, FAKE NEWS. LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER.
My home the Northeast Los Angeles!
You make it sound like the dodgers wiped out Chavez Ravine. The city of Los Angeles did it in 1952. Long before the Dodgers were even in the picture. 😊
The real villains in this story are the developers and city officials who wanted to drive out the residents. The Dodgers just happened to drop in when the new LA mayor refused to proceed with the public housing project. Can't really blame O'Malley who interestingly enough was screwed over by NYC officials and Robert Moses in trying to build a new stadium in Brooklyn. Irony of ironies.
The constant drone of music under the spoken parts of this documentary is distracting and unnecessary.
The picture at 10:20 that's elephant hill in the city of pomona/diamond bar ca look up elephant hill in pomona ca
Beautiful view from the stadium but they really didn't take in consideration how it would impact traffic and residential areas surrounding the stadium.. traffic is horrible when its game day.
Terrific, enlightening documentary for the eyes of a Midwesterner... every bit sobering too, I'm sure, to the ancestors of the Chavez Ravine community.
Moving. Breathtaking. Thank you.
I was born and raised EAST of EAST Los Angeles (AZUSA/IRWINDALE) CALIFORNIA.
So much for my NATIVE American/JAPANESE Roots.
Chumas-Tong-va, With JAPANESE Heritage.
Sweet memories 😢
My family and I lived in the LA area from 1958 to 1973. We attended dozens of Dodger games.
I never knew the story of the forced evictions of the inhabitants of the area that became
Dodger Stadium !
Hopefully this information reaches those interested in knowing the history of Chavez Ravine!
East Los Angeles College will be performing the production of Chavez Ravine. This production will portray the life’s of the families who once lived in Chavez Ravine; and inform the public/audience of the affect of the Housing Authority Act of 1949.
Including some known individuals (which will be characterized by actors) such as, the people from Chavez’s Ravine, Vin Scully (notorious sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers), Frank Wilkinson (American activist who served as Executive Director of the National Committee and the site manager for the City Housing Authority for the city of Los Angeles), Richard Nuetra (Austrian-American architect for the sitting project of Chavez Ravine), and Norris Poulson (36th Mayor of Los Angeles).
These are some of the many character that will be portrayed in the production of Chavez Ravine at East Los Angeles Community College.
Location: 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754
United States
Theater Department( P2 building)
Opening night will be on May 18, 2018 at 8pm. Unfortunately this play will only run for two weekends, with a total of 8 performance. So, contact me with any questions or thoughts that you have.
Look forward in hearing from you!
This is a chance to inform the public and tell a magnificent story!
I'm a bit late
Shades of Robert Moses. In his era as well. I wonder if the city consulted with him.
The stadium was built with private money, which was better than the taxpayer funding used since. However, the land was another thing. In 1949 it was planned to be a public housing area and it was acquired in large by eminent domain. Then a new mayor canceled that project. The city acquired the land at a low price from a federal agency. The Dodgers got the land in exchange for some other land they owned, but I couldn't find details on that. Anyway, effectively eminent domain was used to build a private sports stadium. George W. Bush's group used that tactic to build their baseball stadium. That is how GWB made his fortune, on stolen land.
I'm truly saddened at this piece of historical information and that I didn't know it sooner.
you're sad about learning?
@@drfunk1986 She is sad about WHAT she learned in this video.
Surely this was a sad day 4 Chavez ravine neighborhood and the other neighborhoods dodger stadium should have been put at Murano Beach
Isn't this season 1 e2? You have two different videos labeled as s2e2 .
Time will continue to erase the past. Today Dodger Stadium exists. The future will continue to unfold. What we know of the past, is that change is constant. Some day the stadium itself will no longer be. 😭
Pat Robinson that is so true
I don't even wanna think about that. That's like killing history damn I hate it when something historical goes away
Si
Exactly. Things change and the world moves on...at least most of us do.
when I hear that background music, I think what she's really saying at 8:45 is "we took away parking area and increased landscaping so we could charge more for parking since there isn't enough parking now"
I always wondered why they called it chavez ravine now i know it sucks all those families had to leave
THEY DIDN'T GO FAR IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE FOR YOURSELF !
@@flipflopsguy8868 They still got forced out, though.
They displaced all those Mexicans... they did them dirty 🤦🏻♂️💭💭💭
My grandparents and great grandparents lived there.. last name Rodriguez
Where’s episode one
Why do they have to bring race into this? 4:40
That was the mentality of the people of that era.This was before the civil rights movement.There are people alive today with that same mentality ,some of whom actualy lived in those times.
people like sticking together nothing wrong w staying in your kinds hood, thats how it works in prison lol. Not racist its natural.
for history purpose.... can u understand that?
9:52 Wow imagine if you can see the ocean from there today? All that smog what a shame...
That's koo lil history lesson my poor Raza
Thank you
The greatest loss was the pacific electric!
They weren't displaced because of the Dodgers. The city had planned to build new housing and that deal fell through.
You are correct; the idea that a Mexican barrio community was destroyed by the Dodgers IS A COMPLETE LIE. Dodger Stadium DID NOT "displace" ANYONE but came along long after everyone was evicted to make way for a large planned community that never happened. The Dodgers simply picked up the pieces of an earlier mess which began as a massive project to improve what LA County considered to be a number of "blighted" communities that included Chavez Ravine. What happened to the residents of Chavez Ravine was a tragedy, but the Dodgers had nothing to do with it. If a driver hits and severely injures or kills a pedestrian then sells the "accident car" to someone else, we don't blame the new owner/driver of the car for the injuries caused by the car's previous owner. This is the case with the Dodgers; they bought the land in Chavez Ravine AFTER all of the failed political, legal & business wrangling that displaced a community.
@@dislikesquare8749 Interesting how convenient that the city's plan of project housing (mind you not even houses) deal fell through to be sold to Dodger's owner.
@@dislikesquare8749 you and @fliprod5958 are naive if you don't think that was all orchestrated
@@deedeekong7161 DO YOUR HOMEWORK and consult the LA Times microfilm searching "Chavez Ravine" starting in the 1920s. The FACTS prove that the Dodgers had nothing to do with the demise of Chavez Ravine as a residential neighborhood. The area was long considered problematic and the City of Los Angeles attempted many interventions including the building of a TB hospital which was never used and later proposed for a jail, and an international marketplace, all of which failed, as did a massive planned residential community which the residents of Chavez Ravine were either bought out or evicted to build. However, this plan also failed and it was not until the dust of that debacle failed that the Dodgers negotiated to buy the land. GET IT STRAIGHT ONCE AND FOR ALL: THE IDEA THAT THE DODGERS DISPLACED CHAVEZ RAVINE RESIDENTS IS A LIE AND COMPLETELY FALSE NARRATIVE.
damn inmagine now a days it would be a huge part of LA like east LA or south gate didn't know the complete story sad what maney does.
Can you guys please place the tittle of the show, lol n this case Lost LA in the titles of the videoed you post?