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Origin, Location, and Description of Solano Avenue

Solano Avenue, Casanova Street, and the alley between them, were the original streets in what is now that portion of Solano Canyon below the Arroyo Seco Parkway (California State Highway 110, the Pasadena Freeway).  Alfredo Solano named both streets; they appear  for the first time on the map of his survey dated 24 April 1888, which subdivided the 16-acre tract that his father, Francisco Sales de Jésus Solano, purchased from the City of Los Angeles on 13 September 1866, and known as Solano Tract (Solano Tract No. 1 after Solano Tract No. 2 was deveioped in 1903) [Book of Deeds 8, 207].


 
The Huntington Library Manuscripts Department
 
Both Solano Avenue and Casanova Street, in the beginning, ran from Buena Vista Street—which is now North Broadway—northwest to the edge of the tract.  Figueroa Street, which did not extend as far as Solano Canyon until 1940, would eventually cross just northwest of the top of the original property (at the right of the map, above, which has been rotated 90º to the right in order to show the street names clearly).  Notice that, for the most part, Solano Tract was surrounded on three sides by Elysian Park.

Solano Avenue was originally 60 feet wide; Casanova Street was originally 30 feet wide; and the alley between the two streets was originally 12 feet wide.

Origin of the Name "Solano Avenue"

Solano is the surname, of course, of Alfredo Solano, who surveyed the property in 1888.  Alfredo's parents were Francisco Sales de Jesus Solano and María Rosa de las Mercedes Casanova.  Francisco Solano died in 1871, and Rosa Casanova died in 1884; in order for the undivided interest in the property to be distributed to the heirs, the individual interests of the heirs had to be determined.  Alfredo, by then a professional surveyor, surveyed the property, subdivided it, and produced the map, above, which was used in court to determine individual interests.  Alfredo named two the streets Solano Avenue and Casanova Street in honor of his parents.

History of Changes to Solano Avenue
  • 02 May 1888.  Solano Avenue was created from Solano Tract; It ran from Buena Vista Street northwest the entire length of the tract, a distance of about 1,400 feet [CD 439-12].
  • 1903.  This portion of Solano Avenue was created from Solano Tract #2 when it was surveyed, also by Alfredo Solano, in March 1903; it ran from Park Row to Figueroa Street, a distance of about 1,500 feet [MB 4-17/18]
  • 09 December 1929.  This 320-foot section of Solano Avenue was created to connect the northern portion of the street from Figueroa Street to the northwest end of the original street in Solano Tract No. 1 [Ordinance 65,483].
  • 10 January 1961.  This portion of Solano Avenue was created from Tract 25130; it ran from Boylston Street to southeast of Malvina Avenue (probably all the way to Brooks Avenue), a distance of more than 2,000 feet.  It is unlikely that this street was every known as Solano Avenue; it became Academy Road 14 months later [MB 665-71].
  • 25 August 1961.  This correction joined existing streets from west of Brooks Avenue to Park Row [Ordinance 119,891].
  • 19 March 1962.  The portion of Solano Avenue between Boylston Street and Park Row was renamed Academy Road [Ordinance 121,587].
  • 19 March 1962.  The short stretch of Solano Avenue from southeast of Amador Place to the end of the original, 1888 street was vacated for construction of the Arroyo Seco Freeway [Freeway Agreement].

This page was updated 24 September 2009