WELL HELLO EVERYBODY I'M HUELL HOWSER AND HERE WE ARE STANDING IN ONE OF THE MOST HIK HISTORIC SPOTS IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.

WE'RE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COURTYARD IN THE ADIVA O DOBE.

WHICH IS THE OLDEST STANDING IN LOS ANGELES.

IT WAS BUILT IN 1818.

IT'S LOCATED HERE IN OLVERA STREET.

IT'S RIGHT THERE AND THIS COURTYARD IS A REAL JULY.

WE HAVE COME HERE ABOUT TO DO A STORY THAT'S CRITICAL TO LOS ANGELES.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER.

AND THERE IS A WONDERFUL WATER STORY HERE RIGHT HERE ON OLVERA STREET.

AND TO GET THAT WATER STORY WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE WATER MUSEUM WHICH IS LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN THE CORNER OF THE COURTYARD OF THE AVILA ODOBE.

AND HERE IT IS EXHIBITIONS THE HISTORY OF WATER OF LOS ANGELES.

WE'RE GOING INTO THIS LITTLE WATER MUSEUM.

GENTLEMEN INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

THIS IS BILL ESTRADA.

>> I'M EYE CURATOR TO THE MONUMENT.

>> Huell: SO IT USED TO BE A STATE HISTORIC PARK, NOW IT'S A CITY PARK?

>> THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IS IN CHARGE OF THE 44 ACRES LANDMARK.

>> Huell: OLVERA HAS 44 ACRES?

>> NO THE ENTIRE MONUMENT.

>> Huell: OKAY.

WE GOT THAT STRAIGHT AND YOU'RE THE GENERAL MANAGER.

>> GENERAL MANAGER OF THE HISTORIC MONUMENT.

>> Huell: YOU KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE.

THIS LITTLE MUSEUM IS KIND OF A GEM HERE IN THE PARK.

BILL, AS AS THE CURATOR AND THE HISTORIAN TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY ABOUT THE WATER OF L.A. >> THIS ONE SHOWS A WOMEN GATHERING--COLLECTING WATER IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY FROM THE LOS ANGELES RIVER.

SHE'S PLACING IT IN A PLACE POT OR HOYA TO CARRY INTO HER HOME AND THAT IS THE STORY OF WATER IN LOS ANGELES IN TERMS OF PEOPLE ACQUIREING WATER.

AND IN THIS ROOM ON TWO LEVELS IS THE STORY OF WATER BEGINNING WITH THE DITCH SYSTEM THAT BEGINS OUR TOWN AND LEADING INTO THE ACQUISITION TO THE OWN'S VALLEY.

>> THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE MOHALAND AQUADUCT.

PEOPLE GOT THEIR WATER IN LITTLE JARS LIKE THIS FROM THE L.A. RIVER WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE.

BUT PEOPLE USED TO DRINK THE WATER OUT OF THE RIVER.

>> THAT'S BECAUSE THE RIVER WAS THE LOCAL SOURCE OF THE SYSTEM.

THIS OTHER SYSTEM WAS ESTABLISHED IMMEDIATELY JUST SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE THE CITY WAS FOUNDED.

THE CITY WAS FOUNDED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1781 BY THE THAT TIME, THE SYSTEM THIS OPEN DITCH OPEN WHICH TAPPED INTO THE LOS ANGELES RIVER AND BROUGHT WATER TO THE PEOPLE SDP HOMES WAS ESSENTIAL.

>> Huell: ALL RIGHT, NOW THEERZ A DRAWING OF THE DITCH BEING DUG THAT WOULD BRING THE WATER FROM THE L.A. RIVER INTO THE CITY AND THIS WAS JUST A DITCH DUG OUT OF DIRT?

>> RIGHT.

THE DITCH WAS DUG OUT OF DIRT AND BEING TENDED BY WATER OVERSEEER.

AND THE DITCH WAS REINFORCED WITH ROCK AND CLAY ON THE SIDES AND EVEN ON THE BOTTOM.

ROCKS WERE PLACED AT THE BOTTOM IN ORDER REENFORCE IT TO PROTECT IT FROM STORMS.

>> Huell: NOW THE OPEN DITCH LASTED FOR A WHILE AND THEN WE QUICKLY MOVED--SAM, WHAT IS THIS RIGHT HERE?

>> THAT HAPPENS TO BE A PICTURE OF THE TREE THAT CAME LATER ON THAT BEGAN TO COME INTO USE WHERE THIS WAS THE PETRIFIED SUBSTANCE ON THE TREE.

THE THING THAT HAPPENED FIRST WAS THE DITCH WAZ THE SYSTEM GREW TO ALMOST 93 MILES THROUGHOUT THE L.A. BASIN.

>> Huell: SO THAT WAS LIKE A WOODEN WATER PIPE.

>> YES, BUT I HAVE TO CORRECT SOMETHING, WE DO HAVE TO CONNECT TO SAN JUAN SYSTEM.

WE HAVE THE SYSTEM IN USE ALL THE WAY UP TO 1904--.

>> Huell: THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM?

>> THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM SO.

LOS ANGELES WAS STILL DEPENDENT ON LOCAL WATER FOR THAT LENGTH OF TIME.

>> Huell: ALL RIGHT NOW HERE--WE'RE GETTING TO THE PICTURE--WHAT WAS IT CALLED?

>> THEZAN ZANJAN WHICH MEANS DITCH.

AND LAMA, MADRE WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF THE DITCH.

>> Huell: I'M JUST LOOK UP HERE.

WHAT IS THIS UP HERE?

>> THIS IS ONE OF THE WOODEN--.

>> Huell: IS THAT THE ORIGINAL.

>> NO, IT'S A REPLICA OF THIS SYSTEM.

AS IT WAS HE INVOLVING FROM THE--IMPROVING THE SYSTEM TAPPING INTO THE SYSTEM WITH WOODEN PIPES GRADUALLY LEADING TO IRON PIPES SO.

WE STILL HAVE THE ZANJAH.

SO THEZNAANJ WAS ORIGINAL.

>> Huell: THIS PICTURE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE IT SHOWS L.A. FIRST RESERVOIR.

AND WE HAVE A LOST RESERVOIRS TODAY.

AND IT WAS LOCATED HERE ON OLVERA STREET.

>> YES, IT WAS A HOLDING--IT WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1860 AND IT'S LOCKED WHERE ANYBODY CAN COME--RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF OUR PLAZA AND IT LASTED UNTIL ABOUT THE LATE 1860s.

>> Huell: SO FOR OVER 5 OR 4 DECKADES, THAT WAS OUR ONLY RESERVOIR.

>> CORRECT.

>> Huell: THAT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL THE WATER WE COULD NOT ASSUME TODAY.

>> YES, IN THE MIDDLE WHERE THE TOWN FOLKS WOULD GATHER THAT'S WHERE THEY PLACED THEIR RESERVOIR.

THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE THE WATER PLAYED.

>> Huell: ABSOLUTELY.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL THE LOS ANGELES IF THE RIVER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE.

>> ALL OF YOUR MAIJ ORE CITIES IF YOU LOOK ON A WORLD MAP, YOU SEE THAT IT'S BUILT AROUND A MAJOR WATER SOURCE.

>> Huell: ALL RIGHT.

THE MOTHER DITCH WAS FIRST BUILT IN.

>> IN 17881 IT WAS DEVELOPED OVER HYMN.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE KIND OF A BRICK ARCH.

IT WAS GRADUALLY COVERED WITH BRICK IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE FROM STORMS.

IN ORDER TO DECREASE THE HE VAP AITION OF WATER.

AND POLLUTION IN ORDER TO CUT DOWN THE POLLUTION, IT WAS BIT 1880s AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT.

>> Huell: WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS IS A SECTION OF THAT ORIGINAL MOTHER DITCH.

LET'S GO DOWN AND SEE IT RIGHT NOW.

OKAY.

CONTINUING OUR TOUR, WE COME DOWN TO THE LOWER LEVEL TO SEE--LOOK AT THIS, LOUIE, THIS IS A REAL PIECE OF L.A. HISTORY.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT, BILL?

>> WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT AN 11 FOOT SECTION OF SAN LA MADRE, THIS COVERING OCCURRED AROUND THE 1880s BUT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL ZANHA MADRE.

AFTER THE 1971 SYLMAR EARTHQUAKE, WE WANTED TO PUT SOME OFFICES--DURING THE HE IS CA IS--ESCAVATION.

>> YOU FOUND THIS.

>> YES.

>> Huell: SAM, WHAT IS THIS MAP?

>> THIS MAP SHOWS THE BLUE LINES, THERE THAT'S THE FIRST BLUE LINE OF LOS ANGELES.

IT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE SYSTEM OF ARTERYS FEEDING INTO THE SAN LA MADRE.

AND THIS IS THE SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THE CITY OF THESE DICHZ THE ZANHA SYSTEM THAT TAKES WATER TO THE PUBLIC TO THE TOWN.

>> Huell: SO THIS DITCH, THIS MOTHER DITCH SPREAD OUT ALL OVER LOS ANGELES?

HOW MANY MILES WAS IT.

>> 93 MILES.

>> Huell: AND HOW MANY OF THAT FILE DO YOU STILL THINK IT'S HIDDEN UNDER OUR CITY TODAY.

>> A SIGNIFICANT PART.

WE KNOW FROM OUR HEADLINES THAT JUST LAST YEAR A SECTION OF IT WAS FOUND NOT TOO FAR FROM OLVERA STREET.

>> Huell: DEVELOPERS ARE PROBABLY RUNNING ACROSS IT WHEN THEY DIG IT UP.

>> YES, SINCE IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE THE CITY HAS GROWN.

IT HAS NOT BEEN RESPECTED AS MUCH AS IT COULD HAVE.

BUT FOR THE PIECES THAT WE HAVE FOUND FOR A WHOLE BUILDING TO BE CONSTRUCTED IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD THAT CONSCIOUSNESS.

>> Huell: YOU SHOWED IT RESPECT HERE.

AND LOOK AT THIS WATER WHEEL RIGHT HERE, THAT'S PART OF THE HISTORY TOO.

BECAUSE THAT WATER WHEEL HELPED BRING WATER TO LOS ANGELES, DIDN'T IT.

>> RIGHT.

AS THESE ZANHA SYSTEM, PEOPLE IN LOS ANGELES DEVELOPED WAYS TO BRING WATER INTO THE RIVER.

AND THIS DATES BACK TO THE LATE 1850s.

AND THAT WOULD CONNECT TO THE ZANHA SYSTEM.

WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT REPRESENT THAT.

BUT WE HAVE NO LIVING REMNANTS.

>> Huell: WHERE AS THE DICHZ WOULD HAVE.

YOU SAID WE WANTED TO WALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS MOLE RIGHT HERE, WHO WAS CALLED?

>> A SANHERO AND THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON IN CITY THE LOS ANGELES.

WITHOUT HIM THIS WATER SYSTEM WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED.

AND WITHOUT THE WATER SYSTEM WE HAVE NO LOS ANGELES.

THIS MEANS FROM THE SPON ISSUE TO THE ENGLISH IT MEANS WATER OVERSEER.

HE CONDUCTED MAINTENANCE ON THE ZANHA SYSTEM.

YOU HAD TO PAY FOR YOUR PERMIT AND THAT RANGED FROM DURING THE 1870s IT COST ABOUT 1.50.

>> Huell: WHICH WAS A LOT OF MONEY BACK THEN.

>> FOR IRRIGATING YOUR FARM.

AND IT WAS BASED ON TIME.

IN THE 1870s YOU WOULD PAY HIM 1.50 TO IRRIGATE YOUR FARM AT NIGHT.

IN THE 1870s HE WAS THE HIGHEST PAID CITY OFFICIAL.

MADE MORE MONEY THAN THE MAYOR, SHERIFF THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT THE WATER WAS.

>> Huell: YOU HAVE AN ADD.

>> YES THERE WAS AN ADD FOR THE DEPUTY SANHERO DEPUTY.

THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATION IS FROM SPANISH IS SUPERINTENDENT OF WATER DEPARTMENT WHICH IS WHAT THEY REALLY WERE.

>> Huell: HE REALLY WAS POWERFUL.

HOW DID THEY CHOOSE THIS GUY?

WAS IT POLITICS?

>> THERE IS ALWAYS POLITICS.

I'M SURE THERE WAS A LOT SKILL AND ABILITY.

MORE FOR MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM, YOU HAD TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

VERY VERY SKILLED INDIVIDUAL AND THEN YOU ALSO HAD TO--I SAID YOU HAD TO ENFORCE THESE POLICIES WHENEVER THE LAW WAS FROEK EN.

SO YOU TO DO A LOST THINGS.

>> Huell: THIS HAS BEEN REALLY INTERESTING.

THERE IS PICTURES THAT REALLY TRACE THE HISTORY OF WATER OF L.A. AND OF COURSE THE CENTER PIECE OF THE WHOLE MUSEUM IS THIS WONDERFUL BIT OF HISTORY HERE.

YOU CAN COME HERE TO SEE THE PIECE OF THE MOTHER DITCH.

BUT WHAT'S EXCITING IS THAT THERE IS STILL, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 70 OR 80 MILES OF THIS DITCH HIDDEN IN L.A. AND FROM TIME TO TIME PEOPLE COME ACROSS OTHER SEGMENTS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO IN SEARCH OF ANOTHER SECTION OF THE MOTHER DITCH.

>> Huell: OKAY.

AS THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES, WE'RE OFF THE 900th BLOCK OF NORTH BROADWAY AND WE HAVE COME DOWN--IT DOES NOT VERY HISTORIC HERE.

>> NO, THIS IS AN OLD YARD FOR THE TRAINS--.

>> Huell: AND THERE IS THE BRIDGE THAT GOES OVER THE L.A. RIVER.

WAY DOWN THERE.

SO WE'VE COME TO THE VICINITY OF THE L.A. RIVER.

>> THAT'S RIGHT AND THE PORTION OF THE MOTHER DITCH THAT WAS FOUND RECENTLY.

>> Huell: YES, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO TO A LITTLE ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK.

DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL HERE, WE'RE IN SEARCH OF THE OTHER PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTHER DITCH.

NOW, BILL, THIS IS AN INTERESTING PART OF L.A.

IT'S CALLED THE CORNFIELDS.

AND FOR A REASON.

>> THIS WAS A CORNFIELD AND THE L.A. RIVER WAS JUST ALONGSIDE HERE.

SO IT WAS PRIME SPACE--AND WE STILL REFER TO IT AS A CORNFIELD.

>> THEY LITERALLY GREW CORN.

>> YES AND OTHER STUFF.

YOU SEE A LOT OF REMNANTS OF THE RAILROAD RUNNING THROUGH HERE.

>> Huell: BUT ORIGINALLY IT WAS A CORNFIELD AND SUPPLIED WITH WATER BY THE MOTHER DITCH.

LOOK OVER HERE.

LOOK WHAT WE HAVE FOUND.

GOOD MORNING.

HOW YOU ALL DOING?

INTRODUCE YOURSELVES TO EVERYTHING.

>> I'M MELODY WITH THE L.A. HISTORY SLUGS.

>> Huell: THE WHAT.

>> THE L.A. HISTORY SLUGS.

>> Huell: HOW DO YOU GET THAT GAME.

>> IT COULD BE SLUGGISH WHEN YOU'RE DOING RESEARCH.

>> Huell: IS THIS YOUR PARTNER IN CRIME.

>> CRAIG HALL, LOS ANGELES HISTORY SLUGS.

>> Huell: OKAY THAT'S A BIG TITLE.

BASICALLY WHAT YOU WERE ALL DID YOU WERE NOSEING AROUND AND LOOK WHAT YOU FOUND.

PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTHER DITCH.

>> YES.

CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE DOWN AT THE PLAZA.

LOOK AT THE CONDITION.

>> Huell: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

IT'S RAGED.

IT LOOKS LIKE TWO LEVELS.

>> TWO LEVELS AND THIS ONE A COMPLETELY ROUND IT'S 36 INCHES IN DIEAMETER--.

>> Huell: DO YOU THINK THIS WAS ADDED ONE LATER.

>> WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT RAN.

WHEN THIS WAS WAS BEING BUILT THE OTHER ONE HAD TO KEEP RUNNING.

THIS COULD HAVE HAD TO BE BUILT CONCURRENT WITH THE OTHER ONE FLOWING.

DOING THE SAME--.

>> Huell: HOW HOLD DO YOU THINK THIS IS.

>> THIS PROBABLY DATES FROM THE LATE 1870s.

>> WHEN DID YOU FIND.

>> IT WAS PRETTY XOFRD EXCEPT FOR THIS MUCH OF IT.

I WAS WALKING ALONG.

WE HAD JUST HAD A RAIN AND THE LIGHT WAS SHINING THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND I HAPPEN TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A LAYER OF BRICK.

AND YOU CAN SEE OTHER POE,S OF BRICK AROUND HERE.

BUT THIS ONE WAS CASTING A SHADOW OF A ROUND OBJECT.

>> Huell: DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAD FOUND?

>> I FIGURED--I KNEW WHAT IT WAS.

HIGHYDRAULICLY, HAD TO FOLLOW ALONG HERE.

SO STARTED POKE, THERE WAS A ROUND HOLE I KNEW WHAT WE HAD.

>> Huell: WERE YOU TOGETHER WHEN YOU FOUND IT.

>> NO WE WERE NOT.

BUT WE WERE LOOK FOR THIS FOR YEARS.

ANYWAY, CRAIG CAME HOME AND CALLED ME AND SAYS I THINK I FOUND THE ZANHA MADRE.

SO WE CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND TOOK PICTURES OF IT.

AND I SAID WE HAVE TO MAKE A LIST THE FIRST PERSON ON OUR LIST WAS THE PLAZA.

>> Huell: YOU CALL THEM.

>> YEAH, WE CALL THEM.

GAVE THEM THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEN WE GAVE PHOTOS TO CATHERINE MOHALEND IN MEMORY OF HER GRANDFATHER.

>> Huell: AND WE'RE DOING THIS STORY WHICH DOCUMENTS THIS.

LOOK OVER HERE, I'M LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER.

IS THIS JUST SITTING HERE.

BAKER IRON WORKS.

>> THAT'S PART OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COLLECTION.

>> Huell: , OH YOU PLACED THIS.

>> THE REASON THAT'S THERE, RIGHT ABOVE US WAS THE BAKER IRON WORKS.

THEY, FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, THEY DREW WATER FOR THEIR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES OUT OF THE ZANHA.

PLUS OUT OF THE CAPITOL TO POWER THEIR GRIZ--.

>> Huell: YOU SO TIED THIS ALTOGETHER IN A LITTLE PACKAGE TOGETHER.

>> YEAH.

THIS IS THE DOMESTIC AND THIS IS THE COMMERCIAL.

AND IN THE LATER DAYS.

THE LAST DAYS, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE IRRIGATION LEFT MOST OF IT WAS COMMERCIAL INCLUDING THE TROLLEY SYSTEM.

>> Huell: BOY, THIS IS ALL INTERESTING.

>> IT IS.

>> Huell: AND IT'S JUST HIDDEN AWAY.

BUT THANKS TO THE L.A. HISTORY SLUGS, YOU ALL HAVE UNCOVERED.

COME ON GENTLEMEN, WE ALL WANT TO STAND HERE TOGETHER.

THIS IS FASCINATING.

>> IT IS FASCINATING AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE THE L.A. HISTORY SLUGS.

>> Huell: .

OKAY.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE HISTORY WAS OVER, WE HAVE COME FROM THE CORNFIELD NOW WE'RE OVER ON NORTH SPRING STREET OUR GROUP KEEPS GETTING BIGGER.

WE NOW HAVE TOM MR. RAILROAD WITH OLD FRIENDS FROM UNION STATION DAYS.

AND MIKE WHO IS FROM UNION PACIFIC WHO OWNS A LOT OF THE CORNFIELD.

>> THE RAILROAD DOES, THAT'S CORRECT.

>> AND TOM IN CONVERSATION WITH ME THE OTHER DAY WITH AN UNRELATED STORY MENTIONED TO ME ABOUT A PLAQUE OVER AT THE CORNFIELD.

TOM, LET'S LOOK AT THE PLAQUE.

THIS IS A VERY OBSCURE PART OF THE RAILROAD HISTORY.

>> A VERY IMPORTANT PART.

OBSCURE NOW BUT AT ONE TIME IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.

>> Huell: TELL US WHAT WAS HERE COMMEMORATED BY THE PLAQUE.

LET'S STAND AROUND THE PLAQUE AS TOM FILLS US IN ON THE HISTORY.

>> THIS MARKS WHERE RIVER STATION WAS.

AND THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST MAIN RAILROAD STATION IN LOS ANGELES.

BACK IN OH, 1880s.

>> Huell: IT SAYS HERE SEPTEMBER THE 5th, 1876 THE FIRST TRAIN ARRIVED.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THROUGH SAN JUANQUINN VALLEY.

THERE WAS A STATION BEFORE RIVER STATION ACTUALLY DOWN TOWARD WHERE UNION STATION IS NOW.

BUT RIVER STATION IS IDENTIFIED AS THE FIRST STATION.

>> Huell: AND SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR OTHER STATIONS.

BUILT IN THE 1930s.

>> BEFORE UNION STATION, THERE WAS THE CENTRAL STATION.

AND THAT WAS DOWN AT 5th AND CENTRAL AND THAT WAS FROM ABOUT 1912 UP TO 1939.

AND PRIOR TO THAT THE ARCADE STATION.

>> Huell: WHEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR PICTURES OF THE OLD RIVER STATION, WE CAN FIND ONE PHOTOGRAPH IN EXISTENCE.

>> YES, IT'S IN THIS BOOK.

IT'S NOT A VERY GOOD COPY.

THERE WAS A HOTEL HERE IN THE VICINITY.

BUT RIVER STATION HAS HAD SIGNIFICANT AND THE HISTORIC EXPERTS WILL TELL YOU THERE WAS SOMETHING BEFORE RIVER STATION.

BUT IT WAS THE IMPORTANT STATION IN THAT ERA.

>> Huell: WELL, I'M SURE OUR HISTORY SLUGS--YOU'VE HEARD OF THIS?

>> YES, THE STATION WAS A HOTEL AND STATION COMBINED.

DINING ROOM, PANTRY, SLEEPING ROOM.

IT WAS MORE OF A BUNK HOUSE.

THIS IS WHERE THE ENGINE SHOPS WERE LOCATED, CAR SHOPS LOCATED.

>> Huell: BOY, HE KNOWS HIS HISTORY.

>> EXPERTS AROUND ALL THE TIME.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING NOTHING, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO THROUGH THE MAPS.

THIS IS PRETTY MUCH LEARN IT OFF THE FLOOR PLAN.

>> Huell: HAVE YOU DUG AROUND IN HERE?

DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY RIVER STATION UNDERGROUND?

>> IT MIGHT BE DOWN HERE.

WE'RE BASICALLY WHERE THE SLEEPING ROOMS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOCATED.

>> Huell: LET'S GO OVER HERE.

LET'S STAND, THIS IS THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE WHAT WE ENDED UP FINDING OUT TODAY.

THE SLUGS ARE BREAKING UP THE REAR.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT TODAY BOTH BY THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE MOTHER DITCH AND THIS PLAQUE AREA, THAT THIS AREA, THIS PART OF THE LOS ANGELES WAS ABSOLUTELY THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING IN OUR EARLY EARLY HISTORY OF THIS CITY.

>> YEAH, AND THAT'S WHY WE REFER TO EL PUEBLO AS THE HISTORY.

>> YEAH, IT HAPPENED HERE.

IT WAS ALL RIGHT HERE IN THE CORNFIELDS AND AS WE SAID EARLIER, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SCRATCH JUST A LITTLE BIT AND YOU'LL FIND ALL OF THIS RICH HISTORY RIGHT HERE.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU TO THE SLUGS.

WE'RE GOING TO HOOK UP WITH YOU LATER ON WHERE YOU CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT HIDDEN PARTS OF THE L.A. >> YOU'VE GOT MORE FOR US?

>> WE'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH MORE.

>> Huell: YOU'RE TEASING US.

THANK YOU, SAM, THANK YOU BILL, WE HAVE NOT MET THIS GUY YET.

ARE YOU PART OF THIS.

>> I'M ASSISTANT MANAGER.

>> Huell: ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS OUR DAY UNCOVERING A LITTLE BIT OF L.A.'S HISTORY.