The Story: Los Angeles

Ep. 8: LA Goes Boom in the Roaring 10s & 20s - Part 1

The 1910s and 20s saw Los Angeles transform into a land of dreams. Silent films captivated audiences, airplanes soared, and LA's temperate climate fueled military growth. But beneath the prosperity lurked organized crime, extortion, and the rise of the mafia, fueled by Prohibition.

Ep. 7: Fame, Planes, & Automobiles

The arrival of the airplane and automobile transform transportation culture in the SouthLand while silent film stars and movie palaces sell the Land of Sunshine to the world as a place of dreams, fame, celebrity, and endless possibility.

Ep. 6: Troubled Waters in the City of Angels: The Aqueduct, Bombings, & The “Crime of the Century”

In the late 19th century, city leaders believed the Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco Creek would provide enough water for the growing region but as the population surged at the turn of the 20th century, it became clear this was not sustainable.  The city's rapid population growth and periodic droughts outstripped the local water supplies while devastating floods continued.  Along with the tumultuous condition of the water supply bumpy waters were ahead in the struggle for labor rights in the Southland. Anti-Union business owners faced off against employees and organized labor fighting to earn a decent wage and protection from the newer and more dangerous industrial jobs transforming the country. This battle led to a string of deadly encounters between the two sides.

Ep. 5: Oil, The Big Boom, and Huntington’s Real Estate Empire

The discovery of oil creates another economic boom, while Huntington builds his real estate and electric rail empire.

Ep. 4: A Tale of Two Harbors, The Railroad, and What Goes Boom Must Go Bust

The city wrestles over a harbor location, the transcontinental railroad is connected to the southland, and the cycle of booms and busts in the region is ignited.