ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE Historical Society OF Southern California Los Angeles 1893 PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY LOS ANGELES, CAL. CONTENTS. PAGE The Los Angeles River, Its History and Ownership-C. P. Dorland......31 The Destruction of the Catholic Missions on the Colorado-Rev. J. Adam...36 Life Today in the Pala Mission Station - Frank J. Polley..... Siege and Capture of Los Angeles, September, 1846-J. M. Guinn............47 Reminiscences of Los Angeles in the '50s and Early '60s-H. D. Barrows...55 Los Angeles in the Later '60s and Early '70s-J. M. Guinn..... Leaves from the History of the Last Decade, 1880 to 1890-Edwin Baxter...74 In what I am about to say I assume no superior wisdom. Mind you, I am required by the by-laws to suggest to you tonight what I think the society should do during the coming year; that is one excuse to offer, and another is my intense desire to see this society take a high and prominent stand as an educating and enlightening influence in this community. I doubtless shall suggest nothing new to any of you, and shall be as terse and brief as possible. Without further ado, then, I wish to urge that the work of this society should hereafter be almost altogether in the field of history. Our society has heretofore had other subjects for consideration; especially has it made scientific subjects prominent in its deliberations. But now, that a scientific society of considerable prominence has been formed here, let us relegate those matters mainly to the care of that body, especially such of them as are entirely foreign to the realm of history. As it may properly come within our province to deal with. the history of our plants and animals, our rocks and fossils, to some extent as well as that of our people-so we are necessarily thrown, / more or less, into contact with scientific questions; further than this, however, we should, I think, turn over to the Scientific Society all subjects properly pertaining to it. Let that body make history for ours to transcribe and enter on the general roll in its proper order; and let this one, from now on, devote itself especially to gathering together the material for a history of this region and community. The labor and its result will be unique. There is no account, so far |