Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission

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"Builders, Violet Street Playground," (Los Angeles Playground Commission annual report, 1908)

The city of Los Angeles Park Commission, originally the city of Los Angeles Playground Commission,[1] was a supervisory committee established in 1904 that devoted to creating parks and recreational facilities for the young people of the young city of Los Angeles, California in the United States. The current City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks was chartered in 1947. The Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission continues as an active body of governance with five appointed commissioners, two task forces, and regular meetings in order to administer city parks.[2]

History[edit]

The Los Angeles Department of Parks was organized in 1889.[3] The Los Angeles Playground Commission was organized by the city council in 1904 as an unpaid five-person commission, the commissioners had authority to hire a superintendent and staff.[4] By 1908, they had created two playgrounds, at Violet Street Park and Echo Park, and a Spanish Renaissance-style recreation center intended "offer something of what the social settlement or YMCA building furnishes."[4] Planned for 1910 were playgrounds at Hazard Playground and Slauson Avenue Playground.[4] By 1914 Downey Playground and Exposition Park Athletic Field had been established.[1] A municipal bathhouse and a "Mexican settlement" bathhouse were established in 1915.[1] Mrs. Leafie Sloane-Orcutt was president of the Los Angeles Park Commission from 1916 to 1920.[5] She was the first woman park commission president in the United States and the first woman park commissioner in California.[5]

Superintendent Frank Shearer and members of the Parks Commission meet at City Hall in 1927

In 1934 and 1935, the Park Commission was heavily involved in the planning for Griffith Observatory, including approving exhibits such as a seismograph, a presentation on the telescope manufacturing process, and a model of an oil field.[6] Eagle Rock Park was conceived at a 1936 meeting of the Park Commission chief and the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.[7] In 1939 the Commission asked the Chief of Police to please look into removing the possibly dangerous "coyotes, foxes, wildcats and mountain lions" of Griffith Park.[8] Also that year, Van Griffith, whose parents Griffith J. Griffith and Tina (Mesmer) Griffith gave Griffith Park to the city, joined the Park Commission.[9]

The Park Commission oversaw the Griffith Park Zoo within Griffith Park.[10] For example, in 1938 the city council asked the Park Commission to investigate the feasibility of buying the Zoopark (formerly the Selig Zoo) collection of birds and animals for the Griffith Park Zoo.[11] In 1941 the Commission approved the establishment of a "bird fountain" in Lafayette Park to be funded in honor of Mickey Bishop, "the famous Ambassador canary."[12] Mickey Bishop was a literal canary, and the bird bath remained standing in the park until at least 1979.[13] While Encino School was under construction in 1956, the Park Commission allowed lunchtime use of Encino Park as a play area.[12]

Governance[edit]

The five-person board of the current Recreation and Park Commission is responsible for departmental budget, staffing, contracting, leasing, purchasing and establishment of policies for Los Angeles city parks and recreation facilities.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Commission, Los Angeles (Calif ) Playground (1907). Annual Report of the Playground Commission, City of Los Angeles, for the Year Ending November 30 ... The Commission.
  2. ^ Goldfarb, Al (1989). "An Overview: 100 Years of Parks and Recreation" (PDF). laparks.org. John H. Ward. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  3. ^ "History". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  4. ^ a b c Stoddart, Bessie D. (1910). "Recreative Centers of Los Angeles, California". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 35 (2): 210–219. doi:10.1177/000271621003500226. ISSN 0002-7162. JSTOR 1011270. S2CID 140397775.
  5. ^ a b "Calexico Chronicle 21 December 1920 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  6. ^ "Exhibit List Increased". The Los Angeles Times. 1935-01-15. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  7. ^ "Eagle Rock Park Is Suggestion". The Pasadena Post. 1936-07-11. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  8. ^ "Palos Verdes Peninsula News 3 February 1939 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  9. ^ "Council Votes Griffith Shift". The Los Angeles Times. 1939-04-25. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  10. ^ "Griffith Park Zoo family increased". The Los Angeles Times. 1941-05-18. p. 46. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  11. ^ "City Makes Bid for Zoo". The Los Angeles Times. 1938-10-14. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  12. ^ a b "Fountain approved". The Los Angeles Times. 1941-05-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  13. ^ Laskey, Anne (1978), Mickey Bishop bird bath, retrieved 2023-04-25
  14. ^ "Commission". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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