La Grande Station was the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

's (Santa Fe) main passenger

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

from 1893 until the opening of

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

in 1939. The station was located at 2nd Street and Santa Fe Avenue on the west bank of the

Los Angeles River , name_etymology = , image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg , image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge , image_size = 300 , map = LARmap.jpg , map_size ...

, just south of the First Street viaduct built in 1929.

History

ATSF California Limited at Los Angeles circa 1899 William Henry Jackson photo

The Santa Fe Station by night, Los Angeles, Cal

Santa Fe opened La Grande Station on July 29, 1893. The station was unique for

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

with its Moorish-inspired architecture.

Los Angeles Railway The Los Angeles Railway (also known as Yellow Cars, LARy and later Los Angeles Transit Lines) was a system of streetcars that operated in Central Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods between 1895 and 1963. The system provided frequent loc ...

Yellow Cars called at the street adjacent to the station by 1920, and was at different times served by the N, 7, and 9 lines. Heavy damage from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake meant the last operating years of the station were spent in a state of disrepair as portions of the building, including the dome, had to be removed for the safety of passengers. When

opened in 1939, Santa Fe moved all of its passenger services there. Despite the closure, it was used as a staging ground for the

Internment of Japanese Americans Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

in Los Angeles. La Grande Station was demolished in 1946.

In popular culture

Many Hollywood movies were filmed at the stylish station.

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

's film ''

Berth Marks ''Berth Marks'' is the second sound film starring Laurel and Hardy, released on June 1, 1929. Plot Stan and Ollie are musicians who are traveling by train to their next gig in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a popular vaudeville performance location ...

'' (1929) was one of the first sound movies shot on location. Other movies that used Santa Fe's La Grande Station included ''

Choo-Choo! ''Choo-Choo!'' is a 1932 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 114th (26th talking episode) ''Our Gang'' short that was released. It is a remake of the 1923 ''Our Gang'' film '' A Pleasant Journey''. Plot Exch ...

'' (1932) (

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

— Little Rascals), '' Lady Killer'' (1933) with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, ''

Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...

'' (1936) with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

, and '' Something to Sing About'' (1937).

References

External links

Atsfrr.net—Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society: La Grande Station, 1914 remodeling plans

Los Angeles Times feature with photographs
{{Downtown Los Angeles, state=collapsed Railway stations in Los Angeles Buildings and structures in Downtown Los Angeles Former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway stations in California Demolished buildings and structures in Los Angeles Demolished railway stations in the United States History of Los Angeles Landmarks in Los Angeles Transit centers in the United States Railway stations in the United States opened in 1893 1893 establishments in California Railway stations closed in 1939 1939 disestablishments in California 19th century in Los Angeles 1890s architecture in the United States Moorish Revival architecture in California Victorian architecture in California Buildings and structures demolished in 1946