Named not for San Francisco but for a family who lived on the corner of 9th and Fig. The Franciscos were an old Ohio clan; patriarch Andrew Wiggins “Andy” Francisco (1825-1898) was born and raised in Cincinnati, where he married Ella M. Clark (1829-1895) and launched his career as a newspaper editor. He moved the family – there were six surviving kids – to Columbus in 1872, then brought them to L.A. in 1883 after purchasing a quarter stake in the fledgling Los Angeles Times. A year later, he sold his Times share to Henry Boyce (see Gladstone Street for some gossip) and got into – what else? – real estate and politics. He was elected to the County Board of Supervisors in 1892 and was appointed U.S. Customs collector for the Port of Los Angeles in 1897. His son Andy Jr. (1866-1947) was a court clerk and was briefly married to Selma Avenue‘s namesake. The former Moore Street and Okey Street (named for a son-in-law) were rechristened Francisco Street in 1903.
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