Slauson Boulevard runs from Whittier to the beach. It's one of the oldest streets in southern California. Matt Roths says, "Slauson Boulevard was named for J.S. Slauson, who was one of the empire builders of late 19th, early 20th century Los Angeles."

Roth is historian for the Automobile Club of Southern California. He says the Santa Fe Railroad built tracks along Slauson leading to Redondo Beach.

"Now why were they sending the railroad to Redondo Beach? There was an oil terminal there and there was a lot of money to be made shipping oil."

The railroad also attracted the Goodyear Tire Company, which built its plant in 1919 near Slauson and Central. The railroad even renamed its station at that corner "Wingfoot" after the Goodyear logo, eagerly anticipating the money that would be made from all the tires it would ship from that manufacturing plant.

(Airdate: 01/25/08)