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 and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

'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 devi ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

from 1893 until the opening of Union Station 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 region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

with its Moorish-inspired architecture. Los Angeles Railway 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 The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 , and a ...

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 Union Station 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 simpl ...

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 comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

'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 Ex ...

'' (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'' (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 "Something to Sing About" (actual title: "This Land of Ours") is one of Canada's national songs, a patriotic song written by folk singer Oscar Brand that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada. It has some similarities to "Sc ...

'' (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