In 1905, West Adams Terrace was
platted in from what had been called the Bauer tract. The area on the north side of Adams Street (west of
Western Avenue) was under the control of the Mesa Land Company, a syndicate headed by William Miles, president, and Charles McKenzie, H.R. Callender, S.J. White and C.G. Andrews. Noted as "the last piece of available elevated land [with] a magnificent view of the valley and surrounding foothills", the land was divided into 235 lots with building restrictions ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. The earliest use of the name "West Adams Terrace" in the
Los Angeles Times was on July 16, 1905. The area was then described as a "beautiful residence subdivision" with lots being sold for $40,000. During the next few years, the
Times continued to report sales in the neighborhood. On March 6, 1910, the
Times announced that architect
A.B. Benton had completed plans for a residence for F.M. Vale on Eleventh Avenue in West Adams Terrace. In the 1950s, a Green Book property serving African-American tourists was located in the neighborhood. The name West Adams Terrace continued to be used for residential sales in both the
Los Angeles Times and the
Los Angeles Sentinel. ==Geography==