Gentle reader,

Our friend Dr. Don Hodel is a man on a mission: he wants to protect L.A.’s remarkable trees from neglect and the axe. If we save the trees, he says, the trees will save us. We think he’s right.

UPDATE #4: On October 1, 2025, the second of three scheduled water truck visits once again soaked the big trees, which all showed evidence of new growth since they were deep watered six weeks ago.

UPDATE #3: On August 20, 2025 the first of three scheduled visits from the water truck brought tens of thousands of gallons of deep irrigation to the heritage trees of Rancho Los Amigos. Yay!

UPDATE #2: We received the following email from the office of Supervisor Janice Hahn on the morning of 3/4/25, prior to the rescheduled hearing: “The item has been referred back to the department. The project will not move forward at this time.” Thank you, preservation pals! The Rusty Leaf Fig trees are safe… for now! We stopped by that evening to give them the good news in person.

UPDATE #1: the County Supervisors’ vote scheduled for 2/18/25 has been rescheduled for 3/4/25 (agenda) and public comments can still be submitted. However, as of 3/3 none of the 28 comments submitted for the last meeting have carried over to the rescheduled agenda.

Here is the new public comment page for the 3/4 meeting:
https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/200792.pdf

Previously submitted public comments from the 2/18 meeting:
https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/199992.pdf

And because he is such a respected environmental horticulturist, and author of the book Exceptional Trees of Los Angeles (California Arboretum Foundation, 1988), when he sounds the alarm about a threatened tree, people listen.

For the past few years, we’ve been visiting Rancho Los Amigos, the old Los Angeles County Poor Farm in Downey, with Don. When we first came, the South Campus was a potential National Register District with dozens of residential cottages, industrial buildings, a church, auditorium, greenhouses, Craftsman style staff housing, even a three-room monkey cage left over from the community’s zoo.

While the buildings were no longer in use, locals enjoyed walking the grounds. But once the County fenced the massive parcel, the only people who went there had to sneak in. Some were respectful, interested in history and architecture, others drawn by internet legends of a haunted asylum. Some of these trespassers set fires, others tagged up the buildings and stole historic records, pipes and gutters.

Finally, the County decided the property was an attractive nuisance, and hired contractors to tear almost every building down (they salvaged the valuable old bricks, at least). But a few distinctive structures were marked for preservation, and so were many of the very old trees.

Among them was a magnificent Bunya Bunya that was struck by lightning, and died from the shock—though not before we tried to save it.

But acts of god aren’t the only threat to the protected trees. Because irrigation pipes have been repeatedly stolen for scrap, the trees have been on their own through these dry seasons, and they need some help. And thanks to Don’s advocacy, water trucks will soon be visiting to soak their thirsty roots!

So that’s great news we’re delighted to share. And here’s our ask. On Tuesday 2/18 (agenda link), the County Supervisors will meet at 1pm to vote on a contract to redevelop one portion of the South Campus. In this area, there is a very special stand of Rusty Leaf Fig trees (Ficus rubiginosa). Note how small Don looks beneath their majestic spread. Like the Moreton Bay Fig, this is an Australian tree that thrives in Southern California.

And although these trees are explicitly protected in the Environmental Impact Report, they aren’t mentioned in the contract under discussion on Tuesday. Don has sent a message to the Supervisors asking them to ensure the Rusty Leaf Fig trees are protected, and you can, too!

Here’s how—and it only takes a moment. Go to this link before 4pm on Monday. Fill out your name and any other identifying information you wish to share. In the Agenda Items panel, search for the word Amigos and item #24 will pop up. Click the check box to pick this item, select Other, then type your comment. You can use your own words, but please say something along these lines: “I care about the environment and am asking that you please ensure that redevelopment of the Rancho Los Amigos South Campus doesn’t harm the mature Rusty Leaf Fig trees that are called out in the EIR.” Once you’re happy with your comment, solve the CAPTCHA by typing the letters you see at the bottom of the page. If it doesn’t work, try a different browser.

Let’s tell the County Supervisors that citizens care about this historic place and are paying attention, and hopefully it won’t be too much longer before the fences come down and you can visit these beautiful trees, and the cool buildings that still survive, like the Spanish style women’s residence Casa Consuelo, and the two very old Bunya Bunya trees behind it.

Yours for Los Angeles,

Kim & Richard

Esotouric

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Our work—leading tours and historic preservation and cultural landmark advocacy—is about building a bridge between Los Angeles' past and its future, and not allowing the corrupt, greedy, inept and misguided players who hold present power to destroy the city's soul and body. If you’d like to support our efforts to be the voice of places worth preserving, we have a tip jar, vintage Los Angeles webinars available to stream, in-person tours and a souvenir shop you can browse in. We’ve also got recommended reading bookshelves on Amazon and the Bookshop indie bookstore site. And did you know we offer private versions of our walking tours for groups big or small? Or just share this link with other people who care.

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UPCOMING WALKING TOURS

• The Real Black Dahlia (Sat. 3/1) • Hotel Horrors & Main Street Vice Downtown L.A. (Sat. 3/8) • Bunker Hill, Dead and Alive (Sat. 3/15) • Raymond Chandler’s Noir Downtown Los Angeles (Sat. 3/22) • Franklin Village Old Hollywood (Sun. 3/30) • John Fante’s Downtown L.A. (Sat. 4/5) • Angelino Heights & Carroll Avenue (Sat. 4/12) • Elmer McCurdy’s Main Street Revival (4/15) • Leo Politi Loves Los Angeles (Sat. 4/19) • Downtown Los Angeles is for Book Lovers (Sat. 4/26) • Human Sacrifice: The Black Dahlia, Elisa Lam, Heidi Planck & Skid Row Slasher Cases (5/3) • Charles Bukowski’s Westlake (5/10) • Highland Park Arroyo Time Travel Trip (5/17) • The Run: Gay Downtown History (5/24) • Evergreen Cemetery, 1877 (5/31) • Angelino Heights & Carroll Avenue (6/7) • Raymond Chandler’s Noir Downtown Los Angeles (6/14) • Miracle Mile Marvels & Madness (6/22) • Westlake Park Time Travel Trip (6/28) • Film Noir / Real Noir (7/12) • The Real Black Dahlia (7/19) • Broadway (7/26)

CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS

Courthouse Update: Judge Amy Ashvanian’s Department 32, where Curren Price’s preliminary trial setting date was to be scheduled, was unexpectedly dark on Friday morning, so the case moved next door to Judge Victoria B. Wilson’s Department 37. Judge Wilson was briefed on the state of the case, and set a new date, with the understanding that the preliminary hearing, which is estimated to last nine court days, would not be heard in her busy courtroom. Curren Price’s attorney stipulated that as subpoena duces tecum (SDTs) came in, the prosecution could make copies of the documents. Next court date: March 20.

And here’s another video about that gorgeous pink magnolia tree we’re trying to save from the last newsletter.

Friends of Banning Park are donating funds to restore the massive brick well that Phineas Banning dug to bring water to parched Wilmington. Just brick, no tower, though! Matter to be discussed 2/20 by the Rec and Parks Commission.

Tiles crafted by Ernest Batchelder were mute witnesses as the Eaton fire destroyed everything around them. Now a team of Altadena preservation pals are racing to salvage fireplaces ahead of the Army Corps bulldozers. You can help!

Just announced: John Carpenter's Walk of Fame star ceremony is Thursday, April 3 at 11:30am in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

El Pato (quack!) brand spicy tomato sauce is the signature product of legacy Los Angeles business Walker Foods, on the east side of the river. And the programmatic roof sign, with its primitive can opener, is the coolest!

A perk of working for a billboard company: everyone driving by on the 5 sees your retirement card. Happy trails, Al Oliver!

New: the recently unearthed 1910s Starland Theatre facade on Broadway has now been further enhanced with a four color stripe pattern on the art deco topper. Will they fix the third, broken T? Scrape down the janky arch? Stay tuned!

Zane and Dolly Grey's Altadena mansion has been lost, but down on Broadway in Lincoln Heights, their Tonto Apartments (1927) investment property still casts charming shadows. Fun fact: our smartest cat was a stray who came out of the basement!

The spooky abandoned grocery store on Broadway in Lincoln Heights is coming down, and we're really going to miss that derelict neon arrow sign. Bye bye, Bi-Rite (1936-2025).

Three years ago today, the last surviving diamond pane roof sign on a Chili Bowl restaurant came down, after Mike Bonin fell for a scam Abundant Housing Yimby new housing plan claim. Potential National Register landmark destroyed for a parking lot. Phooey!

Esotouric - Looking out for Los Angeles

Help Save the 1888 Moreton Bay Fig Tree and…