Named in 1905 on the Westgate subdivision, which was surveyed by Newell Dike Darlington (1874-1960) although I can’t say whether he was cocky enough to name this street after himself or if Westgate’s owners the Santa Monica Land & Water Co. did it to acknowledge his work. Born and raised in West Chester, PA, Darlington studied engineering at Lafayette College in Easton, PA before dropping out c. 1894 and coming to Los Angeles to live with his big brother Barton, an attorney. Darlington’s stock rose quickly after he became surveyor for Malibu owner Frederick Rindge – a Westgate investor – and in 1911 he was appointed to the new CA State Highway Commission, which he chaired for years. Darlington married Clara May Monroe (1874-1950) in 1909; in a curious twist, Barton married Clara’s sister Lela a year later. Both couples wound up on tiny Darlington Street in the San Gabriel Valley. See that entry for some background on Barton Darlington.
Find it on the map:
