When I saw this photo it reminded me of another time when rich men wanted to take over property for their own benefit while at the same time removing people who were in their way. I'm thinking of the neighborhood in Los Angeles called Chavez Ravine. In the 1950s this property which was considered a slum was going to be converted to a wonderful housing project.
The people of Chavez Ravine were all evicted. They didn't want to move. These were their homes, their neighbors, their life. Some people moved when they were promised first dibs on the new, fancy housing. Others refused to move and were finally forcefully removed from their homes.
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| Aurora Archega being removed from her home of 36 years. |
and a closeup view of some of the housing:
But did this wonderful housing development ever get built. NO. Of course not. Once the politicians got involved, everything changed. The development was considered socialistic (this was the 50s afterall!). Instead the property stood vacant until Walter O'Malley (the owner of the Dodgers baseball team) spotted this nice empty piece of property right in the heart of Los Angeles. He wanted it and he got it. The previous tenants of the property got next to nothing.
And this is what O'Malley and the people of Los Angeles got - Dodger Stadium:
They promised to at least build a park on the property, but that never happened.
See other stories about evictions, spas, rivers here: Sepia Saturday.
Oh no this is very disturbing to read....do you know whatever happened to Aurora?
ReplyDeleteI did a little research to see what happened to her. Actually her name was mispelled on the first photo I found of her. It's actually Arechigas.
DeleteAfter being removed she had to spend 30 days in jail.
Then she and her family moved back to the property. Her father lived in a tent on the property until he was finally removed a few years later when they were getting ready to build Dodger stadium.
Aurora would be 88 now (if she's still alive). Will have to do a little more research to see if I can find any current trace of her or an obituary. BTW her name changed to Vargas at some point - she must have gotten married.
I hope that is not what's happening in the prompt and that the woman is actually charging big bucks for her waters. What happened in your post reminds me of the vacant land left after it was urban renewed and never built on. Back in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteThere is still that kind of removal going on. All the politicians have to do is say the area is blighted and needs renewal. It doesn't even matter if it is really blighted.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very clever connection to the photo prompt making way for a very interesting story. During the Depression many families were evicted to make way for what became the Skyline Drive in the mountains of Virginia. While it was certainly painful for those families, we have benefited by having amazing scenery and hiking and camping facilities for everyone to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! I didn't know the history behind Dodger Stadium. How sad. Another example that I think of, though for the greater good I suppose, is when they were building the hydroelectric dams in Oregon. People had to leave their homes and farms in the valley that was later flooded to make lakes. Some folks could never get over the loss, and grieved for their former homes underneath the lake. Dexter and Lookout Reservoir on Hwy 58 are are a couple of places where that happened.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
This was a great take on this week's theme! You hear about these stories all the time where people are forced out of their homes for development of something but to actually see someone carried out is painful even all these years later. A person's home is their home.
ReplyDeleteThis would explain the woman's body language. She is so rigid looking and her face seems to be turned away in anger. I've never seen the photos you included of the proposed Chavez Ravine housing project. Quite a difference between the plan and the reality, as per usual.
ReplyDeleteA familiar story everwhere yhese days it seems. Our area is being drown in unwanted developments for houses.
ReplyDeleteIn your case they did get a park - but unfortunately it was a parking lot for the stadium. Big bucks win again.
Oh I never knew that bit of history of Dadger stadium even though we lived 40+ years in northern CA. Where ever did you find the eviction photo? Great choice for the prompt. I think development may have slowed some though in recent years with the rough ride to the economy/
ReplyDeleteSome interpretation of the prompt! To be evicted in exchange for the Dodgers parking lot... that's not what I would call a home run.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, this story was new to me.
Great story. I had no idea that is how Dodgers stadium came about. Nice twist on the theme.
ReplyDeleteThe other comments say it all. Rich landlords will have their way. A clever interpretation of the prompt.
ReplyDeleteWell. . . there is a park -- a sports park. Not what was expected or promised.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the history lesson. I've wondered why the stadium was referred to as Chavez Ravine.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this story either. I always learn something on Saturday!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a story! I feel for those people who were turfed out! That's a bitter pill to swallow.
ReplyDeleteGreat twist on this week's theme. Sad back story to the location and home of Dodgers Stadium. It's a shame the politicians didn't follow through with their promises, but that's nothing new.
ReplyDeleteSad, but when have the poor ever had rights? Your assumption that she had to move and leave her hovel, could be right. The landlords in Ireland would burn the homes of the tenants if they did not move, if they wanted them out. The Irish poor have seen very hard times.
ReplyDeleteThis is a story all too familiar, evictions of this type are still going on. I think I will always remember this story when the Dodgers Stadium is mentioned now.
ReplyDeleteShameful, and only too familiar.
ReplyDeleteHere, it was for an airport that farmers were forced to sell at a ridiculous price. The airport turned out to be a fiasco, and they also realized they overtook way too much land for it... good earth that used to be for farming.
:(~
HUGZ