Canoga Park 818 VALLEY(formerly known as Owensmouth) is a section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles.
It is bordered by Woodland Hills on the south, West Hills on the west, Chatsworth on the north, and Winnetka on the east.
History
For hundreds of years Canoga Park was home to Native Americans of both Fernandeno and Chumash tribes. It is believed to be named after Canoga, New York, which derived its name from the Native American village "Ganogeh".
In the 1860s, an Australian, Albert Workman, bought 13,000 acres (53 km2) in this area and became a major producer of wheat. Eventually, the area's zoning was rural/agricultural and its industry was small farms involved in production of fruits, vegetables, melons, some livestock, horses, movie/television studio and stunt location work.
The area was originally named Owensmouth by Los Angeles Suburban Home Company by general manager HJ Whitley due to its proximity to the Los Angeles Aqueduct that brought water from the Owens Valley. The town was founded on March 30, 1912, and the Suburban Home Company contracted with the Janss Investment Company, to sell properties. The lack of an independent water supply made annexation to the City of Los Angeles inevitable, and on February 26, 1917 it joined with its larger neighbor. The name was changed to Canoga Park in 1930.
In 1955, Rocketdyne corporation, then a division of North American Aviation, moved into the area. It became a major employer and other aerospace companies followed, including North American Aviation, Hughes Aircraft (now Boeing), Atomics International, and Teledyne. Small machine shops and other ancillary businesses also sprang up to service the aerospace industry.
Canoga Park is home to a diverse community. Much of the western section of Canoga Park has been renamed West Hills and a portion of the eastern section has been renamed Winnetka. According to some scholars, this may be due to white flight. For example, many residents of Canoga Park would rather send their students to El Camino Real High School in neighboring Woodland Hills than the local Canoga Park High School. Today, Canoga Park is, along with neighboring Woodland Hills, home to what would potentially be the largest mall in the west coast with the planned merger of Topanga Plaza Shopping Mall with the Westfield Promenade. Most of the area is now suburban communities with small industrial areas, however some of the area is still rural; film production, stunt, equine, and feed businesses still exist.
On June 25, 2005, Canoga Park was named an All-America City.
Canoga Park is mentioned on the Frank Zappa album Joe's Garage as the hometown of the main character. It is also mentioned in the songs "Can't Let Go" by Bryan Ferry and "Eat Fried Wheat (a Canoga Park jingle)" by Vycrol.
The lead character in the movie Chilly Dogs is from Canoga Park.
Demographics
In 2009, the Los Angeles Times's "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Canoga Park neighborhood statistics: population: 53,227; median household income: $51,601.[1]
Government and infrastructure
Los Angeles Police Department operates two police stations that serve Canoga Park [2]:
- Topanga Community Police Station serves residents north of Roscoe Boulevard [3]:
- West Valley Community Police Station serves residents south of Roscoe Boulevard [4]:
The Topanga Police Station, located in Canoga Park, opened in January 2009. The police department named the station after the Gabrielino-Tongva, a Native American tribe. The department originally planned to name it the Northwest Station, but some residents preferred a name that refers to the area's history.[5] Prior to the opening of the Topanga station, the Devonshire Community Police Station served that section.[6]
The United States Postal Service operates the Canoga Park Post Office at 8201 Canoga Avenue and the Challenger Post Office at 21801 Sherman Way.[7][8]
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Canoga Park is zoned to Los Angeles Unified School District schools.
Public schools serving Canoga Park include:
Elementary schools:
Middle schools:
High schools:
Private schools
Private schools located in Canoga Park include:
K–12 schools:
High schools:
Public libraries
The Los Angeles Public Library operates the Canoga Park Branch Library at 20939 Sherman Way.[10]
Businesses
References
- ^ "Canoga Park" entry on the Los Angeles Times "Mapping L.A." website
- ^ "Canoga Park Police Stations." Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ "Topanga Community Police Station." Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ "West Valley Community Police Station." Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ Vives, Ruben. "LAPD opens new station in Canoga Park." Los Angeles Times. January 4, 2009. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.
- ^ "Canoga Park Police Stations." Los Angeles Police Department. October 11, 2007. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.
- ^ "Post Office Location - CANOGA PARK." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ "Post Office Location - CHALLENGER." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ http://www.laschools.org/project-status/one-project?project_number=56.40038
- ^ "Canoga Park Branch Library." Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
Coordinates: 34°12′04″N 118°35′50″W / 34.20111°N 118.59722°W / 34.20111; -118.59722
Further reading
- Gaelyn Whitley Keith, The Father of Hollywood: The True Story, ISBN 1419641948
