Sepulveda Boulevard was originally called Military Avenue – no surprise, since it cuts through land managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was named thus in 1889, shortly after “Soldiers’ Home”, the progenitor to the VA Medical Center, was established. The street was renamed “100th Avenue” in 1923 during L.A.’s messy, protracted acquisition of the city of Sawtelle, but that ordinal moniker didn’t last: it became Sepulveda Blvd. just two years later. So Los Angeles had no Military, so to speak, until 1928, when a small portion of Camden Avenue, most of Luy Road, and the entirety of Harold Street were rechristened Military Avenue, bringing the name back to life. Apparently someone with the City was feeling nostalgic and/or patriotic, even if this “new” Military Ave. is more than a mile away from the VA campus.
Find it on the map:
