This newsletter has already highlighted the most dramatic changes name from Echo Park’s past: Sunset Boulevard was previously known as Reservoir Street, while Glendale served as Lake Shore Boulevard south of Sunset Avenue and Allessandro Street just north of it.
Still, it Boggle the mind to see just how many streets were renamed at the start of the 20th century. For example, Echo Park Avenue used to be known as Echo Park Road, and before that it was Mecca Street!
Smaller sections of streets were also transformed. Lemoyne Street was known as Olympian north of Effie Street, but went by the name of Edgar south of Effie all the way down to Grafton. Not far away, Lake Shore Avenue Avalon as it passed from north to Cerro Gordo – was originally known as Tropico.
In fact, maps of northern-most Echo Park from around 1900 are Awash in unfamiliar names: Husted, Taylor and Waverly Streets became Ewing, Avalon Terrace and Avon, respectively.
Still, some of the changes fit like a glove. Cerro Gordo, which is translated into Spanish in fat hill, used to go by the unromantic name of much more Morcom Avenue. Somehow, that name seems to befit a faceless corporation, not a winding hillside road.
