NAPLES
An Idea, a rough drawing on the back of an envelope, a water sketch, from these
evolved A. M. Parson's plan of Neapolitan Naples as it stands today with its
winding canals and high arched bridges. The above picture is a reproduction of
the original water color sketch made by Mr, Parsons in 1905. |
| In 1903, a company purchased and subdivided the Alamitos Bay
Peninsula into 500 lots. A. M. Parsons and A. C. Parsons, his son, joined the
sales force, and while selling lots from a canvas covered shack which they had
built on the bayshore, they became so interested in the area that they bought
50 to 60 of these lots on speculation.
To publicize the area they organized a club of Los Angeles
businessmen called the "Channel Club", and built a clubhouse on two bay-front
lots. This club was popular and a favorite resort with both young and old, and
the scene of many dances, swimming and boating parties.
During this time the Parsons looked out over the bay and
began to see the possibility of another land development in the marshes and
wastelands across the bay. A. M. Parsons drew an envelope from his pocket and
sketched his vision of how the marshes might be transformed. The sketch was
reproduced in watercolors, and formed the basis for the subdivision and canal
projects. |
This area was covered with water at high tide and would have to be
built up before it would be possible to build but A.M. Parsons saw the vision
of another Venice, Italy, a land of canals, gondolas, and white villas with red
tiled roofs. He hired a former city engineer, Frank A. Olmstead, to test the
area. After getting a favorable report he contacted The Alamitos Land Company,
and purchased the land where Naples now stands.
Parsons leased the corner of 6th and Main Street in Los
Angeles and proceeded to sell real estate in the new subidivison. A new
company, The Naples Company, was formed with H. E. Huntington as president.
Hunting-ton was also the man who built the Pacific Electric Railway System
which brought the "Big Red Cars" to Long Beach. The Newport Beach Branch Line
passed through Alamitos Bay, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach on its way to
Newport Beach, and because he was the president of The Naples Company it was
not too hard for the Parsons to persuade him to install a spur track from the
Newport Beach line to the new real estate subdivision. The spur line ran along
what is now Appian Way and Ravenna Drive and looped around the park in front of
the Hotel Napoli.
One of the selling promotions was a daily Big Red Car trip to
Naples; when the prospective customers reached the park at the end of the trip
they were given a picnic lunch and a sales talk and shown around the area. The
lots sold for $900 to $4,000 and sales were very encouraging. The sales
requirements were one-third down with the balance payable in six, twelve or
eighteen months at 6% interest.
The Parsons laid out and developed the Rivo Alto and Naples
Canals and Treasure Island. They also gave the streets their present names,
only at that time they were called "Way" rather than "Walk" or "Drive" as they
are now.
The first home, still standing at 4 Savona Walk, was built in
1906, and the Naples Hotel in 1909. Large numbers of trees were set out in 1909
also, and during this period of development a large construction camp was
established in Naples. Over 125 men worked on the project, putting in sidewalks
and the canal walls. |