Watts, Los Angeles
Watts | |
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Website | Watts Neighborhood Council |
Watts is a neighborhood in southern
Founded in the late nineteenth century as a
Watts is noted internationally for the landmark
History
Founding
The area now known as Watts is situated on the 1843 Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant. As on all ranchos, the principal vocation at that time was grazing and beef production.[5] There were household settlers in the area as early as 1882,[6] and in 1904, the population was counted as 65 people; a year later it was 1,651.[7] C.V. Bartow of Long Beach was noted as one of the founders of Watts.[8][9]
Naming
In 1904, it was reported that Watts was named after Pasadena businessman Charles H. Watts, who was found dead by suicide in the
In 1919, Watts Mayor Z. A. Towne said that the settlement was named after a widow who lived on ten acres which was later occupied by a Pacific Electric power house. She later moved to Arlington, California, Towne said.[12][13][14]
In 1912 and 1913, a movement was afoot to change the name of Watts because, as one headline writer put it, the residents were tired of the "quips and jests" at the town's expense. One real-estate agent said that prospective clients backed out of a property inspection tour when they found out their streetcar ride would end up in Watts. The name "South Angeles" was proposed.[15][16] Another plan for a city name change surfaced in 1919, when the city trustees asked for suggestions. Mayor Towne said: "Watts has got a bad reputation in Southern California, somehow or other . . . a good many of us felt that the liquor element left a black mark upon the community's name. . . . Towns are something like people. They can live up to a good name easier than they can live down a bad name."[12][13]
Subdivision
A subdivision with the name Watts was platted, possibly by the Golden State Realty Company, between 1903 and 1905, when the settlement had a population of about 150 people.[17][18] In 1905 lots were being sold by that firm for prices ranging from $100 to $200: The terms were advertised at a dollar as down payment and a dollar a month thereafter, with the company claiming there would be "no interest and no taxes."[7][18][19] The Watts Lumber Company had a plan of "easy payments" which "enabled those desiring houses in the little settlement to secure their material and to build and occupy their houses at once."[9]
After 1903, Watts saw the establishment of a newspaper, a general merchandise store, a lumber yard, a
Cityhood
Watts became a city in 1907, after three petitions objecting to the proposed borders were presented to the
The City of Watts was approved by voters of the district, and it became a
We have two retail saloons and one wholesale as a result, and an income that more than pays our running expenses. In fact, we have several hundred in the treasury. The voters, who admitted the saloons, looked upon it as a business proposition. While many of them are not really in favor of having them in our midst, the experience was adopted for giving us a working fund. Some of the surplus funds are being used to employ
thoroughfares in the near future. As an instance of prosperity, there is not a vacant house in Watts, and it is impossible to find one to rent.[8]
Watts was brought to nationwide attention in 1908 with the
In response to the raillery occasioned by the play, a "big advertising excursion" took place on Thursday, May 30, 1912, via a special train of three chartered electric railway cars. The route was scheduled over the
By 1910, Watts had a population of about 2,500, "well improved streets, a fire department, a weekly newspaper" (the Watts Advertiser), and it was completing a $12,000
Joining Los Angeles
In a special election on April 2, 1926, Watts residents decided to enter Los Angeles by a vote of 1,338 to 535. It was the heaviest vote ever in Watts, with 1,933 voters at the polls of the 2,513 registered. Thus 23,000 more people were added to Los Angeles when the decision was put into effect on June 1 of that year. Mayor L.A. Edwards of Watts led the fight for consolidation with Los Angeles. Opposed were the Watts Chamber of Commerce, the Farmers and Merchants Bank, the Taxpayers League, the Ku Klux Klan and the Watts Welfare League.[28] Edwards was re-elected to the outgoing Watts Board of Trustees, the other winners being William Booth, Robert Rhoads and James West.[29]
Watts did not become predominantly black until the 1940s.
World War II brought the Second Great Migration, tens of thousands of African American migrants, mostly from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, who left segregated Southern states in search of better opportunities in California. During World War II, the city built several large housing projects (including Jordan Downs and Imperial Courts) for the thousands of new workers in war industries. By the early 1960s, these projects had become nearly 100 percent black, as whites moved on to new suburbs outside the central city. As industrial jobs disappeared from the area, the projects housed many more poor families than they had traditionally.[citation needed] Passenger rail service on the Long Beach Line was shut down in 1961, severing the area's primary transportation link to jobs and services in the greater region.
Longstanding resentment by Los Angeles's working class black community over discriminatory treatment by police and inadequate public services (especially schools and hospitals) exploded on August 11, 1965, into what were commonly known as the Watts riots.[3] The event that precipitated the disturbances, the arrest of a black youth by the California Highway Patrol on drunk-driving charges, actually occurred outside Watts.
The damage from the riots was particularly severe along the stretch of 103rd Street between Compton and Wilmington Avenues. 103rd Street was the neighborhood's historic commercial center, consisting of a traditional main street lined with storefronts, easily accessible by foot from Watts Station. After suffering extensive arson in the riots, the ruined, burnt-out area was nicknamed "Charcoal Alley".[32]
An urban renewal plan was drawn up by the redevelopment agency in 1966, with the aim of demolishing all structures between Century Boulevard and 104th Street and redeveloping the area into a modern shopping district.[33] By 1972, the entire area had been acquired and demolished. Century Boulevard, 103rd Street, Compton Avenue, and Wilmington Avenue were all widened into large arterial roads, and the surrounding plots were gradually redeveloped with suburban-style garden apartments and single family subdivisions of much lower density than the previous and surrounding development.[34] The modern shopping center, a main promise of the redevelopment program, was not completed until the early 1980's.
This project dramatically altered the urban fabric of Watts, replacing the densely-populated, walkable main street with large surface parking lots and wide roads carrying hazardous high speed traffic. Community activism in response these problems would eventually lead to a "green streets" project to improve pedestrian safety and environmental quality in the area, beginning in 2016.[35]
Watts suffered further in the 1970s, as
Beginning in the 1980s, those African Americans who could leave Watts moved to other suburban locations in the
Neighborhood leaders have begun a strategy to overcome Watts's reputation as a violence-prone and impoverished area. Special promotion has been given to the museums and art galleries in the area surrounding
In 2019, the Watts Towers were a gathering place along the 25.5-mile (41.0 km) funeral procession from the memorial for
Geography
The Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times states as follows:
The neighborhood's irregular street boundaries follow the Los Angeles
The southern boundary runs east–west on Imperial Highway, the eastern line is north–south on Alameda Street and the western line is north–south on Central Avenue to 103rd Street. Ted Watkins Park and other county areas are excluded. Thence the line is Success Avenue between Century Boulevard and 92nd Street.[42][43]
Watts is flanked on the north by Florence-Firestone, on the east by South Gate, on the southeast by Lynwood, on the south by Willowbrook and on the north and west by Green Meadows.[42]
Climate
Climate data for Watts, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 91 (33) |
92 (33) |
93 (34) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
111 (44) |
106 (41) |
100 (38) |
91 (33) |
111 (44) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
72 (22) |
74 (23) |
78 (26) |
82 (28) |
83 (28) |
82 (28) |
78 (26) |
73 (23) |
68 (20) |
75 (24) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 47 (8) |
50 (10) |
51 (11) |
53 (12) |
57 (14) |
61 (16) |
64 (18) |
65 (18) |
64 (18) |
59 (15) |
52 (11) |
47 (8) |
56 (13) |
Record low °F (°C) | 24 (−4) |
31 (−1) |
32 (0) |
37 (3) |
40 (4) |
43 (6) |
47 (8) |
46 (8) |
45 (7) |
40 (4) |
33 (1) |
30 (−1) |
24 (−4) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.23 (82) |
3.56 (90) |
2.86 (73) |
0.71 (18) |
0.25 (6.4) |
0.08 (2.0) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.14 (3.6) |
0.29 (7.4) |
0.40 (10) |
1.14 (29) |
1.86 (47) |
14.53 (369) |
Source: [44][45][46] |
Demographics
A total of 36,815 people lived in Watts's 2.12 square miles, according to the 2000 U.S. census—averaging 17,346 people per square mile, among the highest population densities in Los Angeles. Population was estimated at 41,028 in 2008. The median age was 21, making Watts the Los Angeles neighborhood with the youngest population. The percentages of residents aged birth to 18 were among the county's highest.[1][47]
Hispanics made up 61.6% of the population, blacks 37.1%, non-Hispanic whites 0.5%, Asian 0.2%, and others 0.5%. Mexico and El Salvador were the most common places of birth for the 34% of the residents who were born abroad, an average percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city or county as a whole.[1]
The $25,161 median household income in 2008 dollars was considered low for the city and county. The percentage of households earning $20,000 or less was high, compared to the county at large. The average household size of 4 people was high for the city. Renters occupied 67% of the housing units, and homeowners occupied the rest.[1]
In 2000, there were 2,816 families headed by single parents, or 38.9%, the highest rate for any neighborhood in the city.[48] The percentages of never-married women (45.3) and never-married men (44.7) were among the county's highest.[1]
In 2000, there were 739 military veterans, or 3.6% of the population, low when compared to the rest of the city.[1]
Government
Local
Watts Neighborhood Council 10221 Compton Avenue, Suite 106A, LA CA 90002.
Los Angeles Fire Department Station 65[49] (Watts) serves the community.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 16[50] (Watts) serves the community.
Los Angeles Police Department operates the nearby Southeast Community Police Station.[51]
County, state, federal
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the South Health Center in Watts.[52]
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates the L.A. Watts Juvenile Parole Center.[53]
The United States Postal Service Augustus F. Hawkins Post Office is located at 10301 Compton Avenue.[54] On January 24, 2000, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate presented a bill to rename the Watts Finance Office as the Hawkins Post Office.[55]
Education
There was a school in Watts from an early date. In 1905 it was reported that "steps have already been taken to enlarge the present school building",[56] and a new building was erected in 1911 at a cost of $30,000. By 1914, however, that structure had become overcrowded, and additional desks were "installed everywhere, in the library, in the halls and in the auditorium." There were 630 pupils and 18 teachers.[57] While work was under way on a new school, the contractor absconded with some of the money and his bondsman was compelled to finish the job.[58] Older students attended Redondo Union High School.[59] Later, Watts was a part of the Compton School District, but in January 1914, a mass meeting was held in Watts to make plans to secede from Compton and build a new high school in Watts, at a cost of about $100,000.[60] Later the same month, Watts boosters made the same statement at a meeting with Compton backers in that city.[61] By 1925 Watts voters had approved $170,000 in bonds for a new high school, and the town was served by four public grammar schools and one Catholic school.[26] There were seven grade schools.[27]
Just 2.9% of Watts residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree, according to the 2000 census, which is considered a low figure for both the city and the county. The percentage of those residents with less than a high school diploma was high in comparison with the county at large.[1]
Schools
Schools within Watts are as follows:[43][62]
- LAUSD, 2265 East 103rd Street
- Animo College Prep Academy, Green Dot Public Schools, 2265 East 103rd Street [1]
- Thomas Riley High School, LAUSD alternative, 1524 East 103rd Street
- Alliance Cindy & Bill Simon Technology High School, charter school, 10720 South Wilmington Avenue
- Verbum Dei High School, private, 11100 South Central Avenue
- Simon RodiaContinuation School, LAUSD, 2315 East 103rd Street
- Edwin Markham Middle School, LAUSD, 1650 East 104th Street
- Ninety-Sixth Street Elementary School, LAUSD, 1471 East 96th Street
- St. Lawrence of BrindisiElementary School, 10044 Compton Avenue
- Weigand Avenue Elementary School, LAUSD, 10401 Weigand Avenue
- Dorothy V. Johnson Community Day School, LAUSD, 10601 South Grandee Avenue
- San MiguelCatholic School, private elementary, 2270 East 108th Street
- Lovelia P. Flournoy Elementary School, LAUSD, 1630 East 111th Street
- Grape Street Elementary School, LAUSD, 1940 East 111th Street
- Ritter Elementary School, LAUSD, 11108 Watts Avenue
- Ninety-Second Street Elementary School, LAUSD, 9211 Grape Street
- Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy, Green Dot Public Schools grades 9–12, 325 East 111th Street
- Compton Avenue Elementary School, 1515 East 104th Street
- Resolute Academy Charter School, E 112th St, Los Angeles, CA 90059
In May 2013 Wiegand Avenue Elementary School became the first school in California from which a
Public libraries
A Watts public library was established in 1913, with Maud Walton as the first librarian and Bessie Hunt as the second.
Community service
CicLAvia Tour
On January 22, 2012, the popular cycling event called CicLAvia took place in south L.A.'s Central-Alameda neighborhood to the Watts Towers. Volunteers were excited to hold an event close to the CicLAvia events in downtown L.A. The event was meant to encourage civic engagement. Throughout the group of volunteers the diversity was large. Cyclists took photos for a "crowd-source" map made up of photos and recordings by the cyclists.[71]
Watts Re-Imagined
Watts Re:Imagined[72] is a local urban planning initiative led by Grant Housing Economic Development Corps (Grant EDC, a non-profit division of the community-based Grant AME church) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC[73]) Urban Solutions program. Its mission is to help the community of Watts realize their full potential by promoting economic opportunity, social equity, public health, and an improved quality of life, all while working with community leaders to preserve the identity of the area. It is trying to achieve this goal by implementing different existing plans proposed for the area. The Watts Re:Imagined initiative was formed in response to the dissolution of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles.[74]
Parks and recreation
The following recreation facilities are within the Watts boundaries:
- Watts Senior Citizen Center, 1657 East Century Boulevard[43][75]
- 109th Street Recreation Center, 1464 East 109th Street. The center, which acts as a Los Angeles Police Department stop-in center, has an auditorium, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a lighted football field, an indoor gymnasium with weights, an outdoor gymnasium without weights, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts.[43][76] The 109th Street Pool is a seasonal outdoor unheated pool.[77] In June 2008, a group of young men attacked a manager there, forcing the city to close the pool for a short period of time. When it re-opened, police were stationed there.[78] The pool, located between the Nickerson Gardens and Jordan Downs public housing complexes, also lay between two competing gangs in 2008.[79]
- Unnamed Park, Evers Street[43]
Attractions
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet (30 m). The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker
Watts Station
The Watts station was a train station built in 1904. It is a National Historic Landmark.[82] It has been known as one of the few structures that were untouched by a huge fire along 103rd Street stores during the 1965 Watts riots. When it was found intact, it was a symbol of hope and faith for the Watts community. Being one of the most original buildings that was first constructed in Watts, it was a popular stop for the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" that ran through Los Angeles, CA, to Long Beach, CA, for 50 years. It was also admitted to the NRHP (National Register of Historic Places) four months after the riots.
Watts Christmas Parade
The Watts Christmas parade was created in 1964 by Edna Aliewine before the Watts riots. She put together a group of local volunteers to fundraise and create the parade. Ms. Aliewine started a drill team with neighborhood girls which marched in homemade Santa hats. She died at the age of 90 in her home in Watts on July 5, 2011.[83][84]
Watts Summer Games
The L.A. Watts Summer Games started in 1968 and were held at Locke High School. The games are a three-day athletic tournament that brings together more than 5,000 students from 200 California schools. Almost 200,000 youth have competed in the games over the past 30 years. The Watts Summer Games have a scholarship program for students who are dedicated to the community and have awarded more than $300,000 since their inception in 1992.[85][86]
Performing arts
Dance
Epifani Dance Company was founded by Lakesha Buchanon in Watts in 2002.[87] They compete in year-round SHARP International competitions, where they have won several first-place trophies.
Theater
Located on 107th Street, the Watts Village Theater Company is a multicultural urban company whose mission is to "inspire its community with an appreciation of all cultures." The company was started in 1996 and has been involved in helping the community with educational workshops ever since. The members strive to make a more understanding Watts whose citizens can harmoniously live together in a diverse community.[88]
Newspapers
- LA Youth was founded by Donna Myrow in 1988. The first edition of the publication sold 2,500 copies. Its current circulation is 120,000. LA Youth reaches approximately half a million readers.[89]
- L.A. Watts Times Weekender Newspaper is an African American newspaper in both print form and online. It was started in 1965 with the motto: "The Voice of Our Community Speaking for Itself."[90]
- In the summer of 2010 the Bakewell family was in negotiation to purchase the LA Watts Times.[91] Danny Bakewell said, "I am proud and honored that Melanie chose me and my family to continue the great legacy of the Watts Times, its founders and her parents,".[91]
In popular culture
Music
Watts, along with several other California areas, is referenced in the
For five years, the record label
Television and film
- The television series Sanford and Son was set in Watts, and the neighborhood was mentioned prominently by the characters.[94][95]
- Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern crash a police helicopter into a construction site in Watts in the 1983 movie Blue Thunder.
- The television series Two and a Half Men had an episode called "Weekend in Bangkok with Two Olympic Gymnasts",[96] which makes reference to Watts in a brief scene. The show also features a restaurant called “Clucky's” located in Watts in the same episode.
- A plot in the film The Big Lebowski involves the embezzlement of a million dollars from a foundation that ensures a college education for youngsters from Watts, the so-called Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.
- The film Menace II Society was filmed at the Jordan Downs public housing project in Watts.
- Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep was filmed in and is set in Watts in the early 1970s.
- Wassup Rockers was filmed in Watts, and parts were filmed at Locke High School and Gompers Middle School.[97]
- Portions of the Oscar award-winning movie Training Day were filmed in and around the Imperial Courts public housing project in Watts.
- The television series What's Happening!! and its sequel What's Happening Now!! was set in Watts, where the characters lived.
- The reality television series Pit Boss filmed a Season 1 episode in which Shorty Rossi returns to his community to do a fundraiser for the kids of the Nickerson Gardenspublic housing project in Watts.
- The episode of Black on White on Fire" was set in Watts during the riots in 1965.
- Watts tower is a notable location in the movie Ricochet (1991) with Denzel Washington and John Lithgow.
Video games
- Imperial Courts which is located in Watts, appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas where it is parodied as Ganton Courts.
- The neighborhood of Rancho also resembles Watts, as it appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
Notable people
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2023) |
- 03 Greedo, rapper[98]
- P. P. Arnold, singer[99]
- Bambu, rapper
- Arna Bontemps, poet and novelist of the Harlem Renaissance
- Don Cherry, jazz musician
- Dr. Dre, rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur[100]
- Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), journalist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974–91; Watts newspaper publisher
- Shawn Fonteno (actor)
- Nipsey Hussle, Rapper, activist, and entrepreneur[101]
- Tyrese Gibson, R&B singer and actor
- Florence Griffith-Joyner, Olympic track and field gold medalist; raised in the Jordan Downs projects[102]
- "Sweet Alice" Harris, community organizer; founder and executive director of local youth outreach group Parents of Watts[103]
- Etta James, singer[104]
- Glasses Malone, rapper; born in Watts
- Charles Mingus, jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist; raised largely in the Watts area[105]
- Walter Mosley, novelist
- Anthony Ortega jazz saxophonist, Smithsonian Honoree, cousin of Ray Vasquez
- Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, musician, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist
- Jay Rock, rapper[106]
- Shorty Rossi, reality television star
- Sylvester, disco singer
- Glenn T. Seaborg, chemist, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry[107]
- Ray Vasquez Singer, Trombonist, Actor, Jordan High School Watts
- JuJu Watkins, basketball player[108]
- Barry White, R&B singer, actor, and voice artist[109]
- The Watts Prophets, hip-hop/jazz and poetry group
- The Sylvers, family R&B/disco/pop group
Transportation
Watts was situated at a point on a rail line that ran south from Los Angeles (eight miles to the north) to Long Beach and, according to real estate advertisements and publicity releases, was about 6+1⁄2 minutes from the terminal at Sixth and Main Streets. In 1910 it was a transfer point for the Santa Ana, Long Beach and San Pedro lines of the Pacific Electric system. The Watts Station, which is now a National Historic Landmark,[110] included Wells Fargo Express and Western Union telegraph facilities.[25] Pioneer settler A. E. Ruoff recalled that the electric line was installed about 1902.[111] The point known as Latin Station, just a mile north of Watts station, was called North Watts, and Abila station, 1.5 miles south of Watts, was South Watts[56] (later "Palomar").
Around 1905, a junction was installed for a line that ran to Santa Ana.[112] In February 1909 the railroad changed its schedule so that Watts travelers would have to take local trains rather than expresses, thereby increasing the length of the ride to Los Angeles from 15 minutes to one hour.[113] In 1912 Watts passengers could get a car into Los Angeles about every three minutes, and those returning from the city "have the choice of riding five different lines of cars, not to mention the Watts locals, namely the Long Beach, Santa Ana, San Pedro, Redondo and Newport lines."[114]
In 1925, there were 800 freight and passenger trains stopping in Watts, and "a great number of wide boulevards" passed through the city.[27]
Public transportation
Watts is currently served by the 103rd Street/Watts Towers station on the LA Metro Rail A Line.
Historically, the neighborhood was served by the Pacific Electric Watts Station and several Pacific Electric lines, including the Watts Line.
See also
References
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- ^ Shaver, Shonassee (February 27, 2014). "The Beautiful Color of Watts; Lynn Manning's gift for theatre thrives at the Watts Village Theater Company". L.A. Watts Times. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ a b Ray, MaryEllen Bell (1985). The City of Watts, California: 1907 to 1926. Los Angeles: Rising Publications.
- ^ "Watts Pioneer Dies," Los Angeles Times, June 16, 1907, page 18
- ^ a b " 'The Marvel of Suburbs,' ": Rapid Growth and Development of Town of Watts Set Forth in a Folder," Los Angeles Herald, October 8, 1905, page 8
- ^ a b c d "Saloon Taxes Run the City," Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1907, page II-8, August 21, 1907
- ^ a b "The Watts Lumber Company," Los Angeles Herald, January 2, 1910, page 6
- ^ "Took His Own Life," Los Angeles Times, August 24, 1904, image 17
- ^ "Took Deadly Potion," Los Angeles Express, August 23, 1904, image 5
- ^ a b "Name of Widow Wearies Watts," Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1919, page II-1
- ^ a b "Name of Widow Wearies Watts," Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1919, image 13
- ^ "Watts," Sunday Express Tribune, July 7, 1918, image 36 (source for initials of Mayor Towne)
- ^ "Shall It Remain Watts?" Los Angeles Times, August 10, 1912, page I-14
- ^ "South Angeles Is New Name: Citizens of Watts Tire of Quips and Jests at Expense of City and Will Rechristen Town," Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1913, page II-9
- ^ a b "Enterprising Cityette," Los Angeles Times, June 7, 1907, page I-15
- ^ a b "There's Only One Town of Watts," advertisement, Los Angeles Herald, November 12, 1905, page 2
- ^ "Sunday the Best Day of All: Watts," Los Angeles Herald, advertisement, December 17, 1905, page 3
- ^ "Would Remain Outside: Many Protests Made Against Lines of Proposed City of Watts," Los Angeles Times, February 6, 1907, page II-8
- ^ "Mayor of Watts Is Exonerated," Los Angeles Herald, July 12, 1907, page 3
- ^ "Watts Will Proclaim Itself," Los Angeles Times, May 17, 1912, page II-6
- ^ "Watts Boosters Ride," Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2012, page IV-14
- ^ "Watts Boosters Busy," Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1913, page II-10
- ^ a b H. Dodd, "Watts: A Growing Suburb With a Future," Los Angeles Herald, January 2, 1910
- ^ a b "Los Angeles County, First in America," Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1925, page G-2
- ^ a b c "Towns Enjoying Rapid Progress," Los Angeles Times,; July 19, 1925, page F-8
- ^ "Watts Votes to Enter City," Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1926, page A-1
- ^ "Annexing Body Wins at Watts," Los Angeles Times, April 13, 1926, page A-1
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- ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "$4-million settlement will fund stormwater projects and a 'green street' for Watts". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-4299-0269-4. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
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- ^ Jennings, Angel. "Tens of thousands mourn Nipsey Hussle. But his memorial service was all about South L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
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- ^ "Station 16".
- ^ "Southeast Community Police Station". Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^ "South Health Center" (PDF). Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ "Southern Region Division of Juvenile Parole Operations". California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office Location - AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS". United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ "H.R. 643: To redesignate the Federal building located at 10301 South Compton Avenue, in Los Angeles, California". THOMAS. Library of Congress. 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "At the Town of Watts," Los Angeles Herald, April 23, 1905, page 7
- ^ "Watts Election Case Dismissed," Los Angeles Times, October 1, 1914, page B-10
- ^ "Fever of War Stirs Watts", Los Angeles Times, November 3, 1915, page II-7
- ^ "Neighbors in a Controversy", Los Angeles Times, August 31, 1912, page II-4]
- ^ a b "Watts Would Secede", Los Angeles Times, January 22, 1914, page II-8
- ^ "Watts Wars on Compton," Los Angeles Times, January 30, 1914, page II-2
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External links
- Media related to Watts, Los Angeles at Wikimedia Commons
- Watts crime map and statistics