Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County has a shore-line of 90 miles on the Pacific, but the greater part of the county lies inland. It is just south of Kern county, and is cut off from the north by a spur of the Sierra. It is the most famous of the southern California counties, and is in the heart of the semi-tropical belt. Its area is 4,812 square miles, and its population, given as only 33,381 in 1880, has increased by the unexampled immigration from the East to 150,000, making it the second county in population and assessable wealth in the state. Los Angeles, the county seat, is the second city in the state, and claims 70,000 people; it covers an area of 36 square miles, but most of the houses are surrounded by large gardens. Its trade is large, as it is the natural railroad center for southern California, and is surrounded by colonies, where many wealthy people have made their homes. Large towns immediately about Los Angeles are Pasadena, Santa Ana, Orange and Tustin, while thriving colonies are Pomona and Anaheim. The whole county within a radius of twenty miles of Los Angeles has been converted into colonies and villas. Orange and grape growing, wine-making, market gardening and general agriculture form the chief industries, while the tourist business adds largely to the wealth of the county. The assessed valuation in 1889 was $84,386,319, while that of 1866 was only 137,560,880.

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Source: California State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1890, Volume II, R. L. Polk & Company, 1890.