As of 1886, Los Angeles had four public parks (plus the old Plaza): Sixth Street, Elysian, Westlake, and East Los Angeles. Sixth Street Park ultimately became Pershing Square in 1918, taking the name of WWI general John J. Pershing; Elysian remained Elysian; Westlake was rechristened MacArthur Park in 1942 to honor WWII general Douglas MacArthur; and East Los Angeles Park has been called Lincoln Park since 1917, after Honest Abe. Eastlake Avenue is a remnant of the latter park’s “in-between” moniker. The park, built between 1877 and 1881, was popularly known as “Eastlake” by 1889 – likely influenced by fashionable Westlake. In fact Eastlake Avenue was named in 1894, seven years before the Parks Commission officially changed the park’s name to Eastlake. The avenue’s previous name was Hansen Street, possibly for city surveyor/reservoir builder George C. Hansen (1824-1897). If you like minutiae, you’ve come to the right place.
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