A number of local land developers looked to California's romantic Spanish past for inspiration for street names. Back in the 1920s, Alfonso Bell developed the exclusive neighborhood north of Sunset known as Bel Air. J. Michael Walker says one of those Bel Air streets is called San Ysidro.

"It's named for 13th century saint San Ysidro Labrador who hired out to work in the lands of wealthy in order to support his family as a farmer and a worker of the land. If you go driving down San Ysidro Drive today in Bel Air, the only people you see on the street are not residents. But they're largely Mexican, certainly Latino, gardeners are living the life of present day San Ysidros."

J. Michael Walker's new book is called "All the Saints of the City of the Angels: Seeking the Soul of L.A. on Its Streets." An exhibition of his work just opened at the Autry Museum.

(Airdate: 3/2/08)