Can you believe that Rose Hill was once called “Place of Roses” by the Tongva people? Welcome to Rose Hill. This neighborhood on the Eastside of Los Angeles has a captivating story. Rose Hill’s story is a tapestry woven from indigenous roots to modern-day community.
Long ago, ancestors of the Chumash people inhabited this area. Around 3,000 years ago, the Tongva arrived. They established a village named Otsungna which meant “Place of Roses.” Imagine the hills covered in wild roses. That’s Rose Hill’s namesake.
In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà led a Spanish expedition through this land. This marked the beginning of the end for the Tongva way of life. The Spanish founded Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. It was located nine kilometers east of present-day Rose Hill.
In 1781, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula was founded. It was eight kilometers southwest of Rose Hill. Boundary Avenue marked the pueblo’s eastern boundary. It runs straight into Rose Hill Park.
Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The missions were secularized. In 1831, Juan Ballesteros acquired the land containing modern Rose Hill. He named it Rancho Rosa Castilla.
The United States conquered Alta California in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo required honoring existing land grants. However, the Rosa Castilla grant was rejected. In 1852, Basque sheep herders Jean-Baptiste and Catalina Batz acquired the land.
Although Los Angeles is often characterized as having primarily developed around the automobile, it did in fact developed around the train. In 1901, Henry E. Huntington launched the Pacific Electric Railway. Beginning in 1902, the red cars began traveling up Huntington Drive. The Rose Hill stop was at Huntington and Monterey Road.
Leroy M. Grider developed the Rose Hill Tract. On October 3, 1904, Grider & Hamilton offered 132 lots for sale. It was advertised as twelve minutes to Downtown via Red Car. Grider transported potential homeowners via streetcar. They were treated to free BBQ.
Rose Hill School opened in 1909. In 1928, it was renamed Huntington Drive Elementary School.
Rose Hill was annexed by Los Angeles on February 9, 1912. This annexation extended the city’s eastern edge.
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Rose Hill church has roots in the Sacred Heart Parish. The congregation changed its name in 1924. In 1957, Our Lady of Guadalupe School was added.
In 1926, a shootout occurred at Rose Hill Pharmacy. William Edward Hickman attempted a robbery. The store proprietor, Clarence Ivy Toms, was killed.
The Housing Authority built Rose Hill Courts in 1942. These garden apartments were designed by W.F. Ruck and Claud Beelman. Landscape architect Hammond Sadler designed the grounds.
Eldridge Cleaver, the future Black Panther, moved to Rose Hill in 1946. He described it as a proud Chicano community.
Today, Rose Hill is a residential neighborhood. The Latino population is about 77%.
Metro lines 78, 79, and 378 serve Rose Hill. They follow the old Pacific Electric train route. The Tourmaline Stairway is the most impressive. It connects Tourmaline Street to Rose Hill Drive with 223 stairs.
Rose Hill Park and Recreation Center offer green spaces. The Native American Terraced Garden is located east of Rose Hill Court.
As we conclude our tour, remember Rose Hill’s diverse past. From its Tongva roots to its vibrant present, Rose Hill continues to be a unique corner of Los Angeles.