Named by contractor Cyrus Willard (1830-1913) on his eponymous 1904 tract. This was just investment property: Willard himself lived in Los Angeles, where he was a pretty big deal even if his achievements are forgotten now. Born in Maine and educated in the building trade in Boston, Willard caught gold fever and came to San Francisco in 1850. He eventually found himself working for the federal government on various construction assignments, including San Pedro’s Point Fermin Lighthouse, erected in 1874 and still standing today. Willard permanently relocated to L.A. the following year – his 1873 divorce from his wife Priscilla (he accused her of “willful desertion”) no doubt influenced the move. Here he would tend to projects both private and public; it appears that brick and cement were his specialties. Willard was so popular that he was elected to L.A. City Council in 1885 and served for two years. His obituary also credited him with building DTLA’s landmark Bradbury Building in the 1890s. While I couldn’t substantiate this claim, it’s highly plausible that he was involved to some degree.
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