These days, the LA Times is struggling to put out a newspaper. But a century ago, the owners of the paper had big plans for Los Angeles: expand its borders to the San Fernando Valley.

It's hard to imagine today, but Bill Robertson says, a hundred years ago, the San Fernando Valley was quiet farmland.

"In 1900, there was still less than 3,000 people in the whole valley."

Robertson directs L.A.'s Bureau of Street Services.

He says, "It wasn't until 1909 that we really start to see things take off in the Valley when the owner of the LA Times, Harrison Gray Otis, and his son-in-law, Harry Chandler – we have an Otis Street and we have of course Chandler Boulevard – they bought over 47,000 acres in the Valley. They were the first ones. They didn't plan to be farmers. They planned to sell lots and build towns."

The Valley's population today is nearly 1.8 million, larger than every other U.S. city except New York, Chicago, Houston, and of course, the rest of Los Angeles.

(Airdate: 11/16/2008)