Seal of Los Angeles County, California facts for kids
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The first Seal of the County of Los Angeles was created in 1887. It has been updated three times since then. This seal is an important symbol. You can see it on official county papers, on vehicles, and on buildings. It is also on the badges worn by county officers. The seal is even on the county's flag. The design used today was adopted in 2016. It looks exactly like a design first used in 2004.
Contents
Understanding the Seal's Design
The current design of the seal was adopted in January 2014. It shows a picture of a Tongvan woman. She represents the first people who lived in the Los Angeles Basin.
Six smaller pictures surround the woman, three on each side. The words “County of Los Angeles, California” go around the edge of the seal.
The woman stands on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. In the background, you can see the San Gabriel Mountains and the sun.
On her right side, there are:
- Engineering tools like a triangle and a caliper. These show the county's building industry and its important role in space exploration.
- A Spanish galleon ship. This is specifically the San Salvador, the ship of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. It sailed into San Pedro Harbor on October 8, 1542.
- A tuna fish. This represents the important fishing industry in the area.
On her left side, you will find:
- The Hollywood Bowl. This famous place represents the county's many cultural activities.
- Two stars above the Hollywood Bowl. These stars stand for the movie and television industries.
- The Mission San Gabriel Arcangel. This shows the important historical role of the missions in settling the Los Angeles area.
- A championship cow named Pearlette. She represents the dairy industry.
History of the Los Angeles County Seal
First Seal: 1887–1957
The very first county seal was created in 1887. It showed pictures of grapes. The words "Board of Supervisors – Los Angeles Co. Cal." were around the grapes.
Second Seal: 1957–2004
A new seal was designed by former L.A. County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. An artist named Millard Sheets drew it. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved it on January 2, 1957. It became official on March 1, 1957. This seal included a picture of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees. It also had symbols like a cross and oil derricks.
Third and Fifth Seal: 2004–2014, 2016–Present
In 2004, the seal was changed again. Soon after, on May 25, 2004, a group called the ACLU said that the cross on the seal went against a rule about keeping government and religion separate. The county had already removed Pomona and the oil derricks from the new seal.
In the current seal, the stars and a picture of the Hollywood Bowl replaced the oil derricks. The cross was removed. In its place, a picture of the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was added.
Some older county buildings and vehicles still have the old seals. This is because they haven't been replaced yet. Also, county officers who got their badges before 2004 still wear the older design. Sometimes, when a new seal is adopted, old ones are used until they wear out.
Fourth Seal: 2014–2016
On January 7, 2014, the Board of Supervisors voted to put a cross back on top of the mission in the county seal. They said it showed the history of the San Gabriel Mission more accurately. The cross on the real mission had been removed during repairs.
The ACLU of Southern California disagreed. They said this change would go against the rules of both the California and United States Constitutions. A lawsuit was filed against Los Angeles County on February 6, 2014. Some people, like Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, felt that the time and money spent on the seal were wasted. They thought there were more important issues for the Board of Supervisors to focus on.
In April 2016, a judge named Christina A. Snyder ruled that adding the cross to the seal was against the Constitution. The county agreed with this decision. Because of the court order, the 2014 seal was covered up at county sites. It was replaced with the 2004 seal. Badges, uniforms, and other items with the 2014 seal were also removed and replaced.
See also
In Spanish: Sello del condado de Los Ángeles (California) para niños
