Los Angeles Township, California facts for kids

Los Angeles Township was an old type of local government area in Los Angeles County, California. Think of it like a very early version of a neighborhood or district. It existed a long time ago, before the 1870s, when these types of areas were no longer used in California.

What Was Los Angeles Township?

The Los Angeles Township was a large area that surrounded the original city of Los Angeles. Back then, the city itself was much smaller. The township included many places that are now well-known parts of Los Angeles County.

Where Was This Township?

The township covered a big region around the old city of Los Angeles. This city was once a square area bordered by streets like Hoover Street, Fountain Avenue, Indiana Street, and Exposition Boulevard. The township included the entire San Fernando Valley. It also covered areas that today are known as West Los Angeles and East Los Angeles.

Most of this land has since become part of the modern city of Los Angeles. However, some parts of the old township are now independent cities. These include Glendale, Burbank, and Santa Monica.

How Many People Lived There?

We know about the population of the Los Angeles Township from old records called censuses. A census is like a big count of all the people living in an area.

• In 1860, the census showed that 1,231 people lived in the township.
• By 1870, the population had grown to 2,757 people.

What Happened to the Township?

By the time of the 1880 census, the Los Angeles Township no longer existed. It had been officially ended, or "abolished." Some of its land was added to the growing city of Los Angeles. The rest of the township was divided into other smaller areas. These new areas included:

• The San Fernando Township, which covered the San Fernando Valley.
• The La Ballona Township, which was in the Westside area.
• The San Antonio Township, located near what is now Huntington Park.