Welcome to L.A. Street Names, the origin stories of street names across Los Angeles County, from the shortest cul-de-sacs to the longest boulevards. Mysteries solved, myths debunked, scandals exposed, history revealed. This is an ongoing project with more than 1,700 streets – and growing. See FAQ for more information.
Featured Major Street
Strathern Street
This street’s name appears to be a misspelling of “Strathearn”, which would refer to the old Simi Valley ranch of Robert Perkins Strathearn (1853-1928). What’s its relevance to the San Fernando Valley? Well, I’ll tell you. In 1916, a number of east-west streets in the newly-annexed SFV were renamed after Ventura County locales. 2nd Street, for instance, became Moorpark Street. 6th became Oxnard, 10th became Saticoy… and 11th became Strathern. It may seem a stretch, but R.P. Strathearn, a native of Scotland, was then one of the largest landowners in Simi Valley, with property spreading out over 15,000 acres. For L.A. civil engineers combing Ventura County maps for ideas, Simi’s enormous Strathearn ranch would have stood out – and city planners had a fondness for Scottish names anyway.