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
Hooper Avenue
Named for a New England farming family who settled here in the 1870s. John W. (1825-1887) and Adeline M. (1827-1900) Hooper both hailed from Vermont. By 1854, they were living in Orange, NH, where they sired four children: Truman, Arthur, Alice, and Nellie. After a few years in Worcester, MA, the Hoopers came to Los Angeles in December 1873 and bought a 50 acre orange grove near present-day Compton Avenue and 27th Street. (Compton Avenue was called Orange Avenue back then.) The family got rich by obtaining a large tract of land for $1.25 per acre, then selling it when it ballooned to $10,000 per acre. Hooper Avenue was named in 1894.