1950 Census Map - Historical locations (Los Angeles, Long Beach: low income, extended stay, hotel)

[Labonte18]

Figured i'd take a shot at posting this here.. Trying to decipher a census map/sheet to determine some information about where my great grandfather lived in 1950.


I had actually tracked him to Santa Monica, where he passed away in 1952 and knew that he lived in the Long Beach area for a time.. But he must have moved to Santa Monica in like May of 1950 and was counted at his old location in April.


So.. What I've found is that he was counted in ED66-860


If you go here.. https://1950census.archives.gov/sear...age=1&state=CA



That's the ED. Defined as

Los Angeles city - That part of Assembly District 60 (Tract 143-part) Bounded by Mississippi Ave.; Purdue Ave.; Pico Ave.; Federal Ave.; This Enumeration District consists of the following blocks: 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 83, 84

Click on ED Maps, and it'll show you the map. I can find a Pico Ave in Long Beach there, just to the right of Roosevelt Base


But.. I can find a Purdue and Federal Ave up in West LA as well, and there's Pico BLVD as well. Perhaps that's what they mean. In which case, likely, the area he lived was caught up in demolition when the Santa Monica Freeway came through.

Anyway, he's listed on Page 14 (Entry 30)there, Donald B Curtiss, with his wife Louella on Page 15 (Entry 1)

You can see those pages are listed as a large boarding house/hotel/military installation. We know he worked at the VA Hospital, and that would be quite close. It's listed as "O.C. Auto" on the sheet.. Does anyone have any ideas about what that might have been?

He moved about a month after the census down to 114 Grand Ave in Santa Monica, which, also no longer exists, but I know where it was located.. 2 years later.. He moved to Woodlawn cemetery and has resided there ever since.



Just looking if there's anyone who knows the history and might be able to offer some insights to the area and what this "O.C. Auto" might mean.

[Labonte18]

In case anyone cares.. We think we've narrowed this down. Seems it was the Olympic and Purdue Auto Court.. Also known as the Cozy Court.


Apparently there were two of these. One on Olympic and Sepulveda and the other a few blocks up at Olympic and Purdue.


This should be the area today..



https://goo.gl/maps/hDvxcJsCnxdr9xQn7


I would suspect it would have been on the left side.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

Just looking if there's anyone who knows the history and might be able to offer some insights to the area and what this "O.C. Auto" might mean.

I thought it might mean "Orange County Auto" so I'm glad that you found out.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I thought it might mean "Orange County Auto" so I'm glad that you found out.

Yeah, that was my first thought as well, but I couldn't see 130+ people living there.


These 'auto courts' were apparently kinda comparable to an 'extended stay' hotel in today's world.

From what I can tell about these two, at least the one at Olympic and Sepulveda.. By the mid 80's they were very low income places that were almost considered the "First stop" for people who had entered the country from Mexico.

Demolished in the late 80's. At least, the Olympic and Sepulveda one was. The other, perhaps before that.