Los Angeles

Los Angeles is on State Highway 97 thirteen miles east of Cotulla in north central La Salle County. It was named Los Angeles to encourage comparison with the climate enjoyed by the California city. It was among the last of several new settlements in La Salle County in the early 1900s. The town was established in 1923 by the F. Z. Bishop Land Company of San Antonio, a land development firm. Many of the early settlers were Texans of German ancestry from such towns as Taylor, Round Rock, and Pflugerville, who lived in tents while preparing their farms and building their homes. The town's location on the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad gave it access to outside markets. Los Angeles was granted a post office in 1923; by 1928 it had 300 residents, a hotel, a general store, a cotton gin, and a brick school building that also served as a church. Though farmers in the area were able to produce ample crops of cotton and grain, low prices during the Great Depression made it difficult for producers to realize a profit. By 1933 the town had dwindled to 100 residents, and by 1937 its school had closed. Many of its residents moved to Cotulla, and by the 1940s Los Angeles was primarily a supply point for neighboring ranchers. In 1952 the town had 100 residents and one business; in 1962, 140 residents and four businesses, and in 1974, 140 residents and a post office, a gasoline station, and a small grocery store. In 1980 and 1990 it reported no businesses but still had an estimated population of 140. The population dropped to twenty by 2000.