1871, Southern Pacific Shops

"Sonora Town" in 1871. Photo was taken from Gen. Phineas Banning's residence on Fort Hill. View is east of North Broadway (then Buena Vista), from the hill over present North Broadway tunnel. Southern Pacific Railroad shops can be seen in the distance.

1873, LASHP parcel & Calvary Cemetery

1873 view looking southeast from Radio Hill (just above Bishops Road. Prominent in the middle of the image is the original Calvary Cemetery (facing North Broadway Street). On the other side of North Broadway Street (center left of the image) is the field later occupied by the Southern Pacific Railroad River Station (1876). Further in the background (uper center of the image) is the area ocupied by Sonora Town, which later became the new Chinatown.

1873, North Broadway & LASHP parcel

An 1873 view of Sonora Town, showing North Broadway (front left). Curving on the center of the image is current day North Spring Street. Just above the North Spring Street curve are the fields later ocupied by the Southern Pacific Railorad's River Station and now the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

1876, Pacific Hotel

The Pacific Hotel "passenger eating station" adjoining the Los Angeles depot in the Los Angeles Station Yard. Its original proprietor, W. N. Monroe, was killed in a brawl at the railroad station in 1882.

1875, Southern Pacific schedule

1875 schedule for the Southern Pacific Railroad Los Angeles Division. The schedule refers to the 'New Route between Los Angeles and San Francisco".

1879, River Station Map

1879 map of the Southern Pacific's River Station in Los Angeles. This map refers to the station as the 'Los Angeles Junction'. The map indicates: 'Los Angeles Junction was the first major facility erected by the Southern Pacific in Southern California.'

1883, Freight House

1883, Work being done to the second station house at the Southern Pacific Railroad's Los Angeles River Station.

1880s, Roundhouse & Turntable

An early picture of the roundhouse at the Southern Pacific Railroad's Los Angeles River Station.

1888, Los Angeles Cable Railways

In 1888 a cable line succeeded the old horse car line which went over the old North Spring Street bridge to Downey Avenue, East Los Angeles. The cables were carried over the Southern Pacific freight yard to the bridge on this old viaduct. It's use was abandoned in 1904 and it was torn down in 1910. Counting this old viaduct as a part of the old North Spring Street bridge, that ancient wooden structure was more than two miles long.

1888, Fruit Train

The first train into Los Angeles with workers posed on top. Workers stands on top of and around a locomotive fruit train, whose freight cars read "California Fast Freight Line" as well as "[...] Pacific Freight Car". A caption below the image reads "Fruits for Eastern Tables--About 1888".

1889, L.A. Cable Railway

In 1888 a cable line succeeded the old horse car line which went over the old North Spring Street bridge to Downey Avenue, East Los Angeles. The cables were carried over the Southern Pacific freight yard to the bridge on this old viaduct. It's use was abandoned in 1904 and it was torn down in 1910. Counting this old viaduct as a part of the old North Spring Street bridge, that ancient wooden structure was more than two miles long.

1889, Los Angeles Railways

In 1888 a cable line succeeded the old horse car line which went over the old North Spring Street bridge to Downey Avenue, East Los Angeles. The cables were carried over the Southern Pacific freight yard to the bridge on this old viaduct. It's use was abandoned in 1904 and it was torn down in 1910. Counting this old viaduct as a part of the old North Spring Street bridge, that ancient wooden structure was more than two miles long.

1890, River Yard Station

Freight cars at the Southern Pacific Railroad's River Yard Station. To the left is a row of buildings on North Spring Street. Far in the background is section of the pedestrian bridge connecting North Spring Street and North Broadway Street.

1890s, River Station

Southern Pacific's Old River Station, located on North Spring Street between Sotello Street and Ann Street.

1889, L.A. Cable Railway

In 1888 a cable line succeeded the old horse car line which went over the old North Spring Street bridge to Downey Avenue, East Los Angeles. The cables were carried over the Southern Pacific freight yard to the bridge on this old viaduct. It's use was abandoned in 1904 and it was torn down in 1910. Counting this old viaduct as a part of the old North Spring Street bridge, that ancient wooden structure was more than two miles long.

1894, Facilities

River Station facilities in 1894.

1900, Northeast End

By 1900, River Yard Station was entirely dedicated to freight service.

1894, River Station and Dogtown

Section of a 1894 hand-drawn map showing the Los Angeles River, the Elysian Hills/Park, Solano Canyon, the Southern Pacific Railroad's River Station and the Dogtown neighborhood..

1909, S.P. Freight Depot

1909 map (section) of Northeast Downtown Los Angeles. It includes the Los Angeles River, the Southern Pacific River Depot ("S.P. Freight Depot), the Charles Raphael Jucntion Block Building and the area later known as dogtown.

1902, River Station

River Station was located on San Fernando Street (today's North Spring).

1918, Freight House

Elements of Southern Pacific's first depot at River Station Yard remain in this photograph of the Los Angeles Freight House.

1918, Freight Cars

1918 photo of the Southern Pacific River Depot . A section of Elysian Park can be seen on the top left corner of the image. In the background is the North Broadway Street Bridge.

1918, Water Tank

This 50,000-gallon wooden water tank that served switching engines was located between the "River Depot" and North Broadway Street.

1920s, S.P.R.R. River Depot

The Southern Pacific Railroad's River Depot in the 1920s. The photos is taken from present day Radio Hill. North Broadway Street can be seen just below the hill. On North Broadway Street, near the right edge of the image is the Basso car dealership. Across the railroad yard is the neighborhood known as Dogtown.