Bunker Hill

Bunker Hill is a historic prominence that traditionally separated Downtown Los Angeles, California, from the rest of the city to the west before the hill was tunneled through at Second Street. In the late 20th century, the hill was lowered in elevation through the removal of tons of dirt from its top, and the entire area was redeveloped to supplant old frame and concrete buildings with modern high-rises and other structures for residences, commerce, entertainment and education and with a Roman Catholic cathedral. In 1867, a wealthy developer, Prudent Beaudry, purchased a majority of the hill's land. Because of the hill's excellent views of the Los Angeles Basin and the then-attractive Los Angeles River, he knew that it would make for an...