Bunker Hill is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is part of Downtown Los Angeles.
Historically, Bunker Hill was a large hill that separated the Victorian-era Downtown from the western end of the city. The hill was tunneled through at Second Street in 1924, and at Third and Fourth Streets. In the late 20th century, the hill was lowered in elevation, and the entire area was redeveloped to supplant old frame and concrete buildings with modern high-rises and other structures for residences, commerce, entertainment, and education.
History
Early development
In 1867, two wealthy developers, Prudent Beaudry, a French-Canadian immigrant, and Stephen Mott purchased a majority of the hill's land. Beaudry's land purchase ranged from present-day Hill Street to Olive Street and 4th Street and 2nd Street. Mott's land purchase ranged between 4th Street to Temple and Figueroa and Grand. Because of the hill's excellent views of the Los Angeles Basin and the Los Angeles River, he knew that it would make for an opulent subdivision. Beaudry employed surveyor George Hansen to help divide up the land into 80 plots to sell to individual buyers.
Beaudry started to build his house on the top of the hill, a modest two-story structure. He needed the infrastructure set up to reach the top of the hill, such as the water pipes. He asked the Los Angeles Water Company to help build the water pipe up the hill. Due to the nature of the hill and their initial concerns about the plan they denied his plea. As result, he built his own pipes and also formed the Canal and Reservoir Company Several new streets were created, one of which—Bunker Hill Avenue, named in commemoration of the Battle of Bunker Hill—eventually gave its name to the new neighborhood.
Beaudry developed the peak of Bunker Hill with lavish two-story Victorian houses that became famous as homes for the upper-class residents of Los Angeles. The dominant architecture of the community of the houses of Bunker Hill was Queen Anne and Eastlake style. The geography of the Hill allowed these residents to escape the hustle and bustle of the city as it slowly grew around at the flatland at the bottom of the hill. Some notable residents during these times are: Prudent Beaudry – 13th Mayor of Los Angeles, developer of Bunker Hill L. J. Rose: Arrived from Iowa, due to the death of his son to serious bronchial trouble during a harsh winter. Wine maker and entrepreneur Dr. Edmund Hildreth: Retired Clergyman from Chicago D. F. Donigan: Self-made man. Owned his own contracting business, which later was the contractor for the construction of the first railroad which led from Los Angeles to Pasadena. He became an indispensable adviser to Beaudry when it came to beginning the development of Bunker Hill in its early stages. Lewis L. Bradbury, Sr. and his wife – Made their fortune from silver mines in Mexico. Original owner of the Bradbury Building in Downtown LA. Judge Robert M. Widney – Founder of University of Southern California. Helped create the first transportation for the residents up the Hill, a horse-drawn carriage.
After the introduction of the horse carriage to the Bunker Hill neighborhood, the iconic Angel's Flight was proposed. Angel's Flight, now dubbed "The World's Shortest Railway", took residents homeward from the bottom of the 33% grade and down again. Colonel J. W. Eddy petitioned the Los Angeles City Council to establish an electric cable railway, which was approved ten days later signed by the mayor, Meredith P. Snyder. The first railways which was established and operational was on Third Street, from Hill Street to Olive Street.