Larchmont Chronicle Story Archive

Larchmont Chronicle Neighborhood newspaper representing Hancock Park, Larchmont Village
Miracle Mile, Park La Brea Fremont Place in the Wilshire center area of Los Angeles. Local News and
stories about the local Los Angeles Scene. Historical informattion regarding the Larchmont Chronicle and
Hancock Park area. Founded in 1963 on Larchmont Bouelvard, Los Angeles, CA, California

April 30, 2010

HISTORY TOLD OF RIMPAU BLVD.

Jane Gilman

The following is another in our series on the history of neighborhood street names.

THEODORE RIMPAU

BOULEVARD’S namesake’s sons subdivided Rancho Las Cienegas and developed more than 700 lots.

Rimpau Blvd.’s history is traced back to the lure of gold and a profitable marriage.

Theodore Rimpau, the patriarch of the family, was born in Hamburg, Germany, and was lured to California by the gold rush in 1849. But the gold discovery had run its course, and he moved to Los Angeles where he went into the mercantile business and became active in civic life.

He married the daughter of Francisco Jose Avila, a mayor of Los Angeles and owner of the Rancho Las Cienegas land grant which stretched from Wilshire Blvd. to Baldwin Hills.

Francisca and Theodore Rimpau and their nine children lived in the Avila adobe from 1855 to 1868 until they moved to Anaheim where Theodore served as the first mayor.

Their sons Benjamin, Adolf and Fred formed the Rimpau Bros. Realty located on Pico Blvd. Together they subdivided part of the Rancho Las Cienegas area and also developed over 700 lots between Olympic and Pico boulevards. Rimpau Boulevard was named after Benjamin’s other brother, Theodore, Jr.

The street was named by the Board of Education because it connected Olympic and Wilshire boulevards and ran through the Rimpau brothers' subdivision.

Edward Rimpau was instrumental in working with A. W. Ross in developing Miracle Mile.

Rimpau Blvd. begins at Third St. and travels south to Pico Blvd. Noted institutions bordering the street include Farmers Insurance Company and Los Angeles High School.

Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman

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Information about the Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Park LaBrea areas of Los Angeles, california. The larchmont Chronicle provides information, news stories, local events, advertising, real estate information, real estate listing advertisings, Los Angeles area demographics and other neighborhood news.