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Inventory of the Dept. of Public Works. Division of Highways. District VII Records
F3790  
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Arrangement and Description

 

District Engineer's Records

Folder F3790:1-16

1. CONTRACTS. 1912-1919, 1925-1926.

Physical Description: 16ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by county, route, section, and chronologically thereunder.
Incoming memoranda, correspondence, and copies of outgoing memoranda and correspondence between the District Engineer, State Highway Engineer, contractors, subcontractors, and residents dealing with construction--lack of materials and workmen, and bad weather; complaints over workmanship, and living conditions at road construction camps; requests for extra work orders, and extension of construction time. See Headquarters Records, series entry #22 CONTRACTS, and below, series entry #22 CONTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS.
Included in this series are:
Folder F3790:17-19

2. MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORTS. 1912-1935, 1937, 1941-1943.

Physical Description: 3ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Copies of reports prepared by the District Engineer for the State Highway Engineer listing the current status of construction projects, whether road surveys have started, or are completed; construction plans drawn; date contract awarded; current construction progress; and estimated date of completion. This series is incomplete. See also series entry #1 CONTRACTS.
Folder F3790:20-22

3. REPORTS AND ESTIMATES. 1913-1917, 1919, 1921, 1925-1928, 1930-1934, 1936, 1957-1959.

Physical Description: 3ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Copies of reports to District Highway Engineer, preliminary and final of work proposed or completed on various sections of roadway providing a description of work to be done--change in grade, realignment, or resurfacing; detailed statistical information concerning quantities of excavation, concrete, steel, and pipe, use of labor, and engineer's cost of project.
Folder F3790:23-43

4. DISTRICT ENGINEER'S GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 1912-1939, 1941-1944.

Physical Description: 21ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Letters received and copies of letters sent, as well as memoranda between Headquarters, district employees, city and county officials, contractors, and local citizens pertaining to all District VII activities. These include accounting procedures, personnel matters, requests for supplies, highway planning, design, complaints and requests from contractors for extra work orders and payments, and from residents over damage to property caused by construction work.
Folder F3790:44

5. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF. 1933.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence between the District Engineer and various city and county officials assessing road damage, amount of funds needed for repairs, and actual funds each locality received, in response to the Long Beach earthquake of March 10, 1933.
Folder F3790:45

6. WINTER STORM RELIEF. 1934, 1938.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Consists of incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda between the District Engineer, Maintenance Superintendents and Headquarters relating to highway damage, and estimated cost of road repair caused by heavy winter rains and flooding of 1934 and 1938. See series entry #24, WINTER STORM PHOTOGRAPHS.
Folder F3790:46

7. FLIGHT STRIP RECONNAISSANCE REPORTS. 1942.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged alphabetically.
Copies of reports prepared by the District Engineer for the State Highway Engineer describing possible locations for emergency runways, detailing prevailing winds, remoteness or availability to military bases and cities, estimated cost of right of way, and amounts of grading, cement, and asphalt needed for construction. See also series entry #8, FLIGHT LANDING STRIPS.
Folder F3790:47-48

8. FLIGHT LANDING STRIPS. 1941-1943, 1946.

Physical Description: 2ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence, and memoranda between the District Engineer, Headquarters, Army Air Corps, and contractors pertaining to the selection of landing site locations, construction progress, use of landing strips, maintenance, and disposal of strips after World War II. See also series entry #7, FLIGHT STRIP RECONNAISSANCE REPORTS.
Folder F3790:49

9. JOURNAL REPORTS. 1916.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Copies of reports prepared by the District Engineer at the request of the State Highway Engineer highlighting special construction problems in District VII for possible publication in highway journals. Topics include highway construction in the Imperial Valley Desert, preliminary steps involved in general highway construction, and maintenance of highways after completion.
Folder F3790:50-53).

10. PROPOSED HIGHWAY HEARINGS. 1961, 1964.

Physical Description: 4 Vols.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by county, route and section, and chronologically thereunder.
Transcripts of testimony, both pro and con, by the general public, local government officials, special interest groups, and District VII highway planning teams over the selection of new highway routes. Includes maps, exhibits, and copies of correspondence from people unable to attend meeting. See Headquarters Records, series entry #81, HEARING TRANSCRIPTS.
Included in this series are:
 

LA/Ven-60-A/A

 

LA-1-A

 

Right of Way

Folder F3790:54-77

11. APPRAISAL REPORTS. 1944, 1946-1950, 1961-1963.

Physical Description: 24ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by county and route, and chronologically thereunder.
Reports prepared by the District Right of Way Agent for the District Engineer listing the appraised value of structures, or unimproved land, giving details as to improvements--swimming pools, carpeting, drapes, or landscaping; complete interior descriptions of structures, and a general social and economic analysis of the area--lower, middle, or upper class housing. See also series entry #23, APPRAISAL PHOTOGRAPHS for accompanying photos.
Included in this series are:
Folder F3790:78

12. DEMOLITION FILE. 1945, 1948-1952.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Letters received, copies of outgoing letters, and memoranda between the District Right of Way Agent, District Engineer, Headquarters, contractors, and property owners concerning the acceptance of bids, value of salvage, complaints of safety and labor infractions, requests for payment from contractors for the removal of structures on freeway rights of way.
Folder F3790:79

13. VETERAN LOAN FILE. 1947-1948.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Letters received and copies of outgoing letters between the District Right of Way Agency, Headquarters, and the American Right of Way Association pertaining to combined efforts to influence Congress to amend Title III of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (G.I. home loans) in order to allow a veteran the right, in case of condemnation, to transfer his low interest loan to a new house.
Folder F3790:80-82

14. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 1934-1935, 1941-1944.

Physical Description: 3ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Letters received and copies of outgoing letters along with memoranda between the District Right of Way Agent, Assistant Right of Way Agent, District Engineer and Headquarters pertaining to the current status of right of way projects, the acquisition of new freeway rights of way, procedures to follow in determining fair market values, and problems with reluctant sellers.
 

Shop 7

Folder F3790:83-88

15. SHOP SUPERINTENDENT'S CORRESPONDENCE. 1925, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1946.

Physical Description: 6 Vols.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically one year to a volume.
Copies of outgoing letters (green sheets) from the Superintendent of Shop 7 to the District Engineer, Maintenance foremen, State Highway Engineer, State Equipment Engineer, and various part suppliers pertaining to shop accounting procedures; personnel matters, promotions, raises, and layoffs; description of damage to highway equipment and cost of needed repairs; requests for parts, and inventories of District VII equipment.
 

Relief Camps

Folder F3790:89-92

16. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF CAMPS. 1930-1931.

Physical Description: 4ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by camp letter, county, route, and section with correspondence placed first and reports second, and chronologically thereunder.
Consists of two sections: incoming letters and copies of outgoing letters between the Camp Engineer, District Engineer, Headquarters, laborers, and local citizens concerning relief camp construction costs, personnel matters, requests for employment, and complaints of camp life; and Monthly Reports of Day Labor giving a narrative of project descriptions with statistical data on quantities and costs of excavation, clearing, grading, and cement work; complete camp expenditures for the month including meals, supplies, salaries, equipment upkeep, and a daily count of personnel See also series entry #25, PHOTOGRAPHS OF RELIEF CAMP C.
Camps included in this series are:
 

Relief Camp C LA-4-H

 

Relief Camp D LA-61-A

 

Prison Labor Projects: Cedar Springs Honor Camp #37

Folder F3790:93-95

17. MONTHLY REPORT OF DAY LABOR WORK. 1951-1957.

Physical Description: 3ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Consists of statistical data from Camp Engineer to District Engineer, on quantities of excavation, clearing, grading, asphalting, cement work, estimated and actual cost to date; detailed analysis of camp equipment, and camp maintenance costs; description of work assignments given to convict and free labor; list of new inmates; reasons for removal of prisoners; and average inmate population per month. See also series entry #18, CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS.
Folder F3790:96

18. CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS. 1947-1951, 1954-1955.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Consists of memoranda, reports, and blueprints sent by the Assistant District Engineer to Prison Camp Engineer describing changes on contract work--grades, road alignments, detours, and construction of camp buildings, giving detailed financial data concerning additional costs of savings caused by the change. See also series entry #17, MONTHLY REPORT OF DAY LABOR WORK.
 

Traffic Survey Studies

Folder F3790:97

19. AIRPORT TRAFFIC SURVEY. 1954-1961.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Letters received and copies of letters sent, along with copies of reports (frequently containing maps) between the District Engineer, Headquarters, Los Angeles city and county officials, business leaders, and concerned residents pertaining to airport traffic congestion, traffic counts, and recommendations for widening streets servicing Los Angeles International Airport.
Folder F3790:98

20. L.A. REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY. 1960-1961.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
The Los Angeles Regional Transportation Study (LARTS) comprised of State Highway employees, Los Angeles city and county officials and business leaders was formed to determine future Los Angeles transportation needs.
This series consists of letters received, reports, minutes and copies of outgoing letters from the District Engineer to all of the above pertaining to traffic counts, future land use patterns, and population density in the greater Los Angeles region. See Headquarters Records series entry #111, CENTRAL FILE for additional LARTS material.
Folder F3790:99-102

21. LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC COMMITTEE REPORTS. 1956-1957.

Physical Description: 4ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically; sampled two reports per month.
This committee, comprised of the Automobile Club of Southern California, California Highway Patrol, California Division of Highways, and the Los Angeles County Road Department, normally met weekly to discuss traffic problems--need for stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrian crosswalks, speed zones, or no parking signs, and recommendations to the proper agency for correction.
 

Photographs

Folder F3790:103-106

22. CONTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS. 1912-1917.

Physical Description: 4 Vols.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by county, route, section and chronologically thereunder.
This series consists of prints taken by the Resident, or District Engineer of road construction projects throughout District VII, normally showing equipment, workmen, and in the background, houses, stores, garages, and other miscellaneous structures along the roadway. See series entry #1, CONTRACTS.
Included in this series are:
 

LA-2-A,B,C,D SBd-2-F

 

LA-4-A,B,C,D,E SBd-9-A,B,C,D

 

LA-9-A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J SBd-19-A,B

 

LA-19-A

 

LA-23-B,C,D SD-2-A,B,C,D

 

SD-12-A,B,C,D,G

 

Ora-2-A,B,C,D,E,F

 

Riv-19-A

 

Riv-26-C,D,G

Folder F3790:107-123

23. APPRAISAL PHOTOGRAPHS. 1944, 1946-1950, 1961-1963.

Physical Description: 17ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged by county, route and section, and chronologically thereunder.
Prepared by the District Right of Way Agent to accompany his appraisal reports, this series includes pictures of houses, buildings, stores, barns, and vacant land purchased or condemned for highway right of way purposes. See series entry #11, APPRAISAL REPORTS, for financial background and highway routes included in this series.
Folder F3790:124-140

24. PHOTOGRAPHS--WINTER STORMS. 1934, 1938.

Physical Description: 4ff. and 13 Vols.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Photographs prepared by District VII to accompany reports of road damage from the winter storms of 1934 and 1938. Typical views include sections of roadways, bridges, and houses washed out by flooding and mud slides. See series entry #6, WINTER STORM RELIEF.
Folder F3790:141

25. PHOTOGRAPHS--RELIEF CAMP C. 1931.

Physical Description: 1ff.

Scope and Content Note

43 photographs mounted on 8 × 11 paper, showing construction of camp bunkhouse, cook house, and other camp buildings, along with photos of various road construction projects undertaken by Camp C. See series entry #16, UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF CAMPS.
Folder F3790:142-143

26. MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS. 1915, 1920's, 1929.

Physical Description: 2ff.

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
 

1915. 78 photographs mounted on 8 × 11 paper of various road sections in Los Angeles showing workmen repairing sections of highway, highway equipment, cars, bridges, and countryside.

 

1920's. 12 photographs of the road between Los Angeles and Imperial Valley showing the need for widening of the roadway, cars, trucks, and surrounding countryside.

 

1929. 20 photographs taken along Foothill Blvd. between Pasadena and Arcadia, and along Ora-2-E between Fullerton and Anaheim showing various architectural styles of hot dog stands and other eating establishments.