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Lost LA
Semi-Tropical L.A.: How the Sunny Southland Sold Itself
When the transcontinental railroad reached Southern California in 1876, it connected Los Angeles with the population centers and markets of the eastern U.S., fueling a boom that transformed a remote cowtown into a city. It also fueled a powerful promotional machine that promised more about Southern California – and its “semi-tropical” climate – than reality could support. Los Angeles has been struggling under the weight of its own mythology ever since.
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Dig deep into Southern California’s past to reveal lessons for our climate-changed future.