A Venice History lesson on Rancho La Ballona by Venice Heritage Musuem

“About 75 Years Ago on Rancho La Ballona”

This aerial photo courtesy of family historian Fred Machado shows the intersection of Jefferson and Centinela (view is East).  The Machado family dates back in this area to 1819 when the Mexican government granted his ancestors grazing rights to the Rancho.  Fred was born on his grandfather’s farm (A) which was built about 1900.  His grandfather also built a gas station on Centinela (C) in 1923 then an estate home (B) in 1927.  Fred recalls the lima bean fields surrounding the farm (later celery) and getting paid .50 cents/week for burning the old paper in the Playa Vista School incinerator (D).  A distinguished WW2 veteran, Fred has lived an active life racing motorcycles, flying homemade airplanes, playing ragtime piano, and doing just about anything else a guy could dream about.  A devoted father, his marriage to his beloved wife Mildred (dec.) spanned over 60 years.  An avid gearhead, he continues his hotrod building to this day.

Thanks to the Venice Heritage Museum and Todd von Hoffmann for sending in the above photo and info.

About:  A living history

Envisioned is a Venice history museum campus that will include as its “centerpiece” a renovated Pacific Electric Red Car trolley (circa 1905).  Phase II of the campus will feature a replica of the original Tokio Red Car substation that served Venice residents from 1904 to 1950.  The substation was so nicknamed because of its distance from Venice’s business district along Windward Avenue.

The initial museum space is visualized to be located in Venice of America Centennial Park, just east of the Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library.

For more info, visit veniceheritagemuseum.org

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