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Old Posted Dec 14, 2010, 12:41 AM
malumot malumot is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 188
Crown Motel Redux

Great work on The Crown, Ethereal.....I know it, or know OF it, fairly well....



I have a friend who works at Carl's Jr. HQ, which is a block or so away from The Crown, and just south of the eastbound 91. I saw it one day and went into "Motel Hunter Mode", which is basically when I ask myself "WTF is this old motel doing out here, on THIS street, in THIS neighborhood?" (I'm sure most of you can relate.) As it is now, The Crown is surrounded by mostly vacant lots, a tire store, a Salvation Army outlet. Lots of bums and homeless in La Palma Park across the street. It is in some sort of urban redevelopment zone, though as in many cases the emphasis is more on clearing of lots than "redevelopment".

Well, as with most things, there is a reason.....and a story.

Prior to the Freeway Age, the "Coast Route", U.S. Highway 101, took the motorist from Downtown through East LA, Whittier, and La Habra before turning south and hitting Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana and points south. Here's a 1941 map.



Let's examine Orange County more closely......and what is that little 45 degree jog to the right, about halfway between Fullerton and Anaheim?



THAT, my friend, is Los Angeles Street - now renamed La Palma Parkway, and was the main highway entering Anaheim back in the day. (Now the postcard makes sense!) The Crown is "1136" in the middle of the satellite photo.)






La Palma Park has it own interesting history. Built in the mid-1930s it was soon washed away by the horrific floods of March, 1938 (I suggest a quick google of "Los Angeles flood 1938" to learn more.) You can clearly see the diagonal "Los Angeles Avenue" in the air photo.....and YES, that is a house, washed off its foundations and deposited in the middle of the road.







The park was rebuilt and for a few short years - from 1939 through 1941 - was the spring training home of the Philadelphia Athletics. Now named Glover Field, still in use for high school football games (see the grandstands across from The Crown)

Last edited by malumot; Dec 14, 2010 at 1:03 AM.
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