Below is the First published Map of Sawtelle, California courtesy of Santa Monica Outlook Newspaper dated Feb 22, 1901. The area shown on this map is the original 225 acre Barrett Villa tract that the Pacific Land Company purchased and developed for the new township. Click on image twice to zoom in. Generally there are 5 acres to a City block – 4 Lots to an Acre – 20 Lots to a City Block. The boundaries of the original 225 acres known as the Barrett Villa Tract were Ohio & La Grange avenues, Sepulveda and Federal avenues. The current street names have been added in red on the Map. Residential Lots for House construction sold for $60.00.
On the map, you can barely make out the words “Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica” next to Ninth Avenue and next to La Grange Avenue. The words “Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres” can barely be made out next to “Military Boulevard” with the words “Southern Pacific Railroad” (Sepulveda Boulevard). This is why the acreage east of Sepulveda Boulevard was never part of Sawtelle, It originally belonged to different owners from another Rancho and in the 1920s, the Rancho acreage became Westwood and Bel-Air.
“So rapid was the growth of the town that the company was obliged to buy additional land. The town now contains three tracts, aggregating twelve hundred acres: the original Barrett Villa tract with two hundred and twenty five acres; In June, 1901 the Lindsay addition of one hundred acres was made; in October of 1901 the Pacific farms addition was made with four hundred acres, and other adjoining lands. Under the energetic supervision of the officers the town is being established upon a solid basis and its population each year shows a gratifying increase.”
Source: Historical and biographical record of southern California 1902 by J.M. Guinn
first published Map of Sawtelle, California in 1901
To zoom in, right click on the Map, then click on “open link in new window”. Click on the image to zoom in and use Vertical and Horizontal slide bars to Pan.
Below are two tables that show the Sawtelle, California street names. The 1910 street names are the same as the 1901 street names except they were expanded to include more street names as the township grew in size.
The first small residential lots sold for House construction at that time, were mainly located north of Santa Monica Blvd near the Soldiers Home as the map indicates, from Sepulveda Boulevard to Federal Avenue. This area was devoted to single family house construction.
Santa Monica Boulevard with the intersection of Sawtelle Boulevard was the main business center. Santa Monica Boulevard was originally named the Electric Road, Barrett avenue & Oregon avenue. Today, the old Sawtelle area between the 405 Freeway and Sepulveda has been rezoned to a Commercial, Industrial zone and the original residential Single family houses have all been demolished in that area.
Streets running East and West were given names of States except La Grange Avenue. The Governor of the Soldiers Home Oscar La Grange was honored with the street named after himself and that street name remains to this day despite most of the others streets renamed.
Luther A. Ingersoll commented in his contemporary history: “It was noticeable that some men who had hitherto squandered their money in dissipation now purchased land and became valuable citizens. Many families of veterans and widows also secured little homes in the new township. Married members of the Soldiers’ Home bought land in Sawtelle in order to return to some semblance of normal family life. Likewise, single veteran homebuyers sought privacy and a resumption of their civilian lives while retaining the safety-net that Soldiers’ Home membership provided. In addition, some Veterans of the Soldiers’ Home preferred to “live out” by renting rooms or cottages in the town. Though Pacific Branch members (Soldiers’ Home) and their families made up a large segment of Sawtelle’s population, they were by no means its only inhabitants. After Henry Laird bought land and built Sawtelle’s first grocery store, businessmen from Santa Monica and Los Angeles invested in and opened other businesses in the new town. Able-bodied Union veterans from throughout the western states who sought homeownership, businesses opportunities, and the fellowship of other veterans moved to Sawtelle.“
The article below states that Sawtelle was founded by the right men: (Messrs) Robert C. Gillis, Robert F. Jones, Thomas R. Lowe, W.E. Sawtelle and C.L. Bundy. Source: Santa Monica Outlook 2-21-1901.
“The Thriving Little Town of Sawtelle” Los Angeles Herald Newspaper, 10 June 1900. On the bottom right is a photo of the Schoolhouse. See the following link February 1899 New Barrett School opened
To zoom in, right click on the Article, then click on “open link in new window”. Click on the image to zoom in and use Vertical and Horizontal slide bars to Pan.
Sawtelle California 1897 to 1950 