G. J. Griffith: A Man and His Land

Exploration Agreement:G. Griffith & M. Mosqueira. Griffith Family, February 20, 1896. Image courtesy of UCLA Library Special Collections.

Across Los Angeles, many residents recognize the infamous observatory that is situated on top of the Santa Monica Mountains. Griffith Park, named after its donor, Griffith Jenkins Griffith, contains over four thousand acres of shrubland terrain, untouched by the rapid urbanization and industrialization of Los Angeles. As one of the most spacious urban parks in America, the land provides a habitat to over 150 wildlife species native to the Basin, such as deer, coyotes, and mountain lions. In addition to being a refuge for wild animals and plants, Griffith Park hosts recreational attractions where visitors can partake in activities such as camping, picnicking, and hiking. After Griffith’s death in 1919, the municipality used his bequest to construct the Greek Theater and the Griffith Observatory, or the Art Deco buildings that impress Los Angeles natives from the mountain tops. Several citizens, however, are not familiar with the park’s development and the motivations that Griffith had in purchasing the land.

On January 4, 1850, in Bettws, Glamorganshire, Wales, Griffith was born. Fifteen years later, he moved with his uncle to Ashland, Pennsylvania, before relocating to San Francisco, California, in 1873. While in San Francisco, Griffith became the mining correspondent for the Alta California, a major newspaper in the city. His position at the paper allowed him to gain extensive knowledge of the mining industry, and thus he was an asset to miners all throughout California and Nevada. There were many companies who hired him as a consultant for their own business adventures. It was through this practice that Colonel Griffith J. Griffith made his fortune.

In 1882, Griffith decided to take his wealth to Southern California. Upon arriving, Griffith bought roughly 4,000 acres of the Rancho Los Feliz, and created a successful ranch. By the 1890s, Griffith was known by most people in the city because of his wealth and the prosperity of his business. Then, in 1896, Griffith sold about 75 percent of his property to the city of Los Angeles, with the intent that it would be turned into a public park. The Los Angeles Times remarked, “Griffith J. Griffith, though not born in America, he nevertheless is thoroughly imbued with the liberal spirit which makes up the ideal American citizen.” Griffith’s mission in life was to make Los Angeles residents content with the city they lived in. His vision for the land was to be constructed into a site for family fun, relaxation, and a place for the city to call theirs. Unfortunately, G. J. Griffith passed away in 1919, and his requests for the land’s use did not exceed its full potential.

Luckily, Griffith’s will after his death was never forgotten, though competing public and private interests made for dispute. The Los Angeles Times of May 9, 1925, claimed that the land originally owned by Griffith was passed on to his heirs after his death in 1919. Although the estate was inherited by his close family, a part of the “interest in the estate was sold to William Mead” (City) as well as the Los Angeles City Bank. In other words, the rights for the use of all acres to Rancho Los Feliz was now split upon three separate parties. The purpose of the division was to simplify the construction process envisioned by G. J. Griffith before the 1920s. As stated in his will, Colonel Griffith requested that if his property were to be sold, at least “$750,000 of the sum realized must be used in the construction of the public buildings in the park” (City). For his will to begin, it required the effort of people who could execute the plan known as trustees. In this case, it was the bank that would seek the “construction of a Greek theater, observatory, hall of science” (City) and others. Essentially, the money to turn Rancho Los Feliz into Griffith Park, came from the total market value of the purchase between all buyers. After a few years of construction, the Griffith Park Observatory alongside other exhibit halls opened for the public on June 20, 1933.

The observatory was established as a free-admission, public facility and is surrounded by an urban metropolis of ten million people. With its purpose to “inspire everyone to observe, ponder, and understand the sky,” it has welcomed over 81 million visitors from across the world since its opening in 1935. Since then, the Griffith Park Observatory has been in the lead of public astronomy in Southern California and around the world. It was and still remains as a Los Angeles landmark and worldwide tourist destination with over a million visitors a year.

Works cited

1. “CITY WILL GET PARK FUND SOON: G. J. GRIFFITH BEQUEST OF $750,000 MADE AVAILABLE WITH SALE OF ESTATE.” Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), May 09, 1925, pp. 1) ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/161693610?accountid=14512. 2.“Griffith Park.” Griffith Park, www.laparks.org/griffithpark/griffith-park-home-page#attractions.
2. Meares, Hadley. “The Complex Life of Griffith J. Griffith.” KCET, 18 Oct. 2019, https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-complex-life-of-griffith-j-griffith.
3. “Unlocking History: LA’s Griffith Park, Observatory Bear Name of Early 1900s San Quentin Inmate.” Inside CDCR, 18 July 2019, www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2019/05/23/unlocking-history-las-griffith-park-observatory-bear-name-of-early-1900s-san-quentin-inmate/.

Cite this article

Heidi Hathorne, Taiyo Keilin, Joanna Nguyen, Samantha Perez. "G. J. Griffith: A Man and His Land." Los Angeles: The City and the Library. Colleen Jauretche, Editor. Fall 2019. /article/2019-12-20-f19-01