Most likely a misspelling of “Strathearn”, referring to the old Simi Valley ranch of Robert Perkins Strathearn (1853-1928). What’s the ranch’s relevance to the San Fernando Valley? Well, I’ll tell you. In 1916, a number of east-west streets in the newly-annexed SFV were renamed after Ventura County locales: 2nd Street, for instance, became Moorpark, 6th became Oxnard, 10th became Saticoy… and 11th became Strathern. It may seem a stretch, but Robert Strathearn, a native of Scotland, was then one of the largest landowners in Simi Valley; he and his wife Mary had purchased part of Rancho Simi in 1892 and their property spread out over 15,000 acres. For Los Angeles civil engineers combing Ventura County maps for place name ideas, the enormous Strathearn ranch would have stood out – and L.A. city planners had a fondness for Scottish monikers anyway. The ranch itself is now the Strathearn Historical Park and Museum.
Find it on the map:
