Harter, Aletta, and Marietta avenues were named in 1923 on a tract co-owned by Alfred Harter (c. 1870-1932) and his wife Etta (née Boyer, 1877-1955). Obviously Harter Avenue takes the couple’s surname and Aletta is a blend of “Alfred” and “Etta”. The “Mari-” in “Marietta” presumably comes from someone named Mary, but since little can be gleaned about the Harters, that bit remains a mystery. (It’s plausible that Etta’s birthname was Mary Etta and/or Alfred’s mother was Mary.) Here’s what I do know: Alfred Harter was born in Colorado to British parents. A mechanical engineer, he made a career constructing ice factories and cold storage facilities. It appears he married a teenager named Dottie Fish in 1893, brought her to Los Angeles in 1909, and parted ways with her a few years later. Etta Boyer, an Illinoisan by birth, was in L.A. with her first husband Charles Hyde and their son Charles by 1912. Hyde died four years later and Etta married Alfred by 1920. That was the year Alfred established the California Ice Plant in Culver City. The Harters then relocated to Culver but were back in L.A. when Alfred was felled by a coronary thrombosis. Etta went on to marry a third time.
Find it on the map:
