![]() ![]() ![]() Cities also formed along the Nile River in Egypt, the Indus River Valley on the Indian subcontinent, and the Yellow (or Huang) River in China, as people began to cultivate crops and settle in communities. ![]() These cities were among the many communities between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers (the so-called Fertile Crescent). I appreciated the opportunity to learn something about Compton and its history.The first cities appeared thousands of years ago in areas where the land was fertile, such as the cities founded in the historic region known as Mesopotamia around 7500 B.C.E., which included Eridu, Uruk, and Ur. The book thus ends with the shope that Compton and its people will reinvent themselves and move forward yet again. The city has been the place of racial turmoil and urban flight, as well as the birthplace of gangster rap and now rebirth of a city. The laws and regulations, which led to better school construction after the 1933 earthquake, started in Compton. The first International Air Meet ever held in the United States occurred in Compton in 1910. The site was part of a famous battle during the Mexican-American War that denied American forces the retaking of Los Angeles. It was part of the second Spanish land grant awarded to a former Spanish soldier however, it was the first land grant to be developed. "Compton has always been at the forefront on important history. In his book, Johnson discusses this history and seems to assume some basic familiarity on behalf of his readers but does not dwell on it. Compton lost its economic base and soon through various exacerbating conditions became home to the drugs, murders, and gangs for which it is known. Many of the residents of Compton began to move, a trend that assumed panic proportions following the 1965 Watts riots. the Supreme Court invalidated racial covenants on the sale of property. Johnson describes the growth and changing character of Compton through the WW II years. ![]() The California legislature enacted new and successful building codes for schools to reduce the danger of earthquakes. Compton residents rebuilt their city, including the business district which the earthquake had destroyed. After the earthquake, the military, local groups, and many citizens worked to mitigate the disaster. Johnson shows how Compton rebuilt itself after each disaster. The photographs of the floods and earthquake are well-chosen and well-annotated. Then, in 1933, Compton suffered a devastating earthquake which destroyed many buildings and schools and claimed 15 lives within the city boundaries. Johnson devotes a chapter to the many floods the plagued Compton through the middle of the 20th century that in the earlier years often left the downtown under water. Compton gradually becomes more urban, and with the growth comes problems. It shows dusty western streets, old fashioned stores, early schools and churches, and a pioneering, hard-working community. The book has rare photographs of Compton from the early days. His book offers an informed pictorial history of Compton from its earliest days beginning in the mid-19th century when a hardy group of settlers moved to Compton from Stockton and found remarkably fertile farmland, enriched by the periodic flooding of the Los Angeles River over the years. He lectures on Compton history at a local community college. Johnson, a long time Compton resident, is chairman of the projects committee of the History Council at the California African American Museum and was co-coordinator of the Compton branch of the Black Panther Party. Robert Lee Johnson does so in his book "Compton" (2012), part of the series of photographic local American histories published by Images of America. It is valuable to step back to look at Compton's varied history to see the many sides of Compton and to think about where the city might go. The documentation of Compton could go on and on. And then, there is the popular 2015 movie, "Straight Outta Compton". Revealing video tours of the streets of Compton are accessible on media. An introduction might be the rap song and video "This is Compton" by the group Compton's Most Wanted. It isn't necessary to look far to discover these aspects of Compton. Located about ten miles from downtown Los Angeles, Compton has been a violent place, full of gangs, killings, and drug wars and to gangsta rap music. Every place in America has its own history and its many stories. ![]()
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