Los Angeles marks 245 years since its Spanish founding

Los Angeles is marking 245 years since 44 settlers established the community in 1781, when the future metropolis was still an agricultural settlement beside the Porciúncula River.

The founders were part of an expedition organized under the Spanish Crown’s strategy to secure military sovereignty in Alta California. The group included Indigenous people, mestizos, people of African descent and Spaniards. Known as “Los Pobladores,” they traveled more than 1,609 kilometers from northern Mexico before settling in an area with water for crops and a strategic position near the San Gabriel presidio.

They named the agricultural community El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula. Today, the city has nearly four million residents and the largest Latino population in the United States.

Los Angeles expanded rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after the arrival of the railroad and the discovery of major oil deposits. Industrial growth was followed by the development of Hollywood’s powerful film industry in the 1910s. During the Great Depression, Los Angeles and California also became destinations for migrant families seeking a better life.

El Pueblo, located in the center of the modern city, preserves buildings associated with the founders. Nearby Olvera Street, a colorful pedestrian lane filled with craft stalls and Mexican food, celebrates the Hispanic heritage and multicultural character that shaped Los Angeles from its beginning.