Los Angeles Common Council

The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles City Council, which serves the city of Los Angeles, California, today.

The Common Council was formed in 1850 under state law and existed until 1889, when a city charter was put into effect.

Contents 1 July 3, 1850, to May 7, 1851 2 May 7, 1851, to May 4, 1852 3 May 4, 1852, to May 3, 1853 4 May 3,1853, to May 4, 1854 5 May 4, 1854, to May 9, 1855 6 May 7, 1856, to May 6, 1957 7 May 6, 1857, to May 10, 1858 8 References and notes

July 3, 1850, to May 7, 1851

Election July 1, 1850

• David W. Alexander, president
• Cristobal Aguilar (resigned 8/30/1850)
  • Wilson W. Jones (special election 9/9/1850)
• Alexander Bell (resigned 9/26/1850)
  • Alexander W. Hope (special election 10/7/1850; resigned 1/4/1851)
    • John Ozias Wheeler (special election 1/15/1851)
• Julian Chavez (resigned 8/30/1850)
  • Benjamin Davis Wilson (special election 9/9/1850)
• Morris L. Goodman (resigned 12/18/1850)
  • Jose Vicente Guerrero (special election 12/30/1850)
• Manuel Requena
• Jonathan Temple (resigned 12/18/1850)
  • Stephen C. Foster (special election 12/30/1850)

May 7, 1851, to May 4, 1852

Election May 5, 1851

• David W. Alexander, president to 9/25/1851 (resigned 9/25/1851)
  • Joseph Lancaster Grant (special election 10/17/1851)
• Manuel Requena, president from 10/17/1851
• Ygnacio Coronel
• Stephen C. Foster
• Agustin Olvera
• Tomas A. Sanchez
• John Ozias Wheeler

May 4, 1852, to May 3, 1853

Election May 3, 1852

• Manuel Requena, president
• John Gately Downey
• Myron Norton
• Mathew Keller
• Ygnacio Coronel
• Ygnacio del Valle
• Narciso Botillo

May 3,1853, to May 4, 1854

Election May 1, 1853

• Manuel Requena, president
• John F. Jones (removed 9/6/1853
  • Henry R. Myles (special election 9/6/1853)
• William T.B. Sanford^[1]
• Arnold Jacobi (resigned 8/23/1853)
  • Ezra Brown (special election 9/6/1853)
• Pio Pico (did not assume office)
  • Juan Maria Sepulveda (special election 8/9/1853)
• William R. Rand (removed 9/6/1853)
  • Collins Wadhams (special election 9/6/1853)
• Jose Maria Doporto

May 4, 1854, to May 9, 1855

Election May 1, 1854

• Francis Mellus, president to 12/8/1854 (resigned 12/8/1854
  • Obed Macy (special election 1/5/1855
• Lewis Granger (resigned 7/28/1854
  • Alexander W. Hope (special election 8/16/1854)
• Solomon Lazard (resigned 7/28/1854)
  • Ezra Brown (special election 8/16/1854)
• Collins Wadhams
• Antonio Franco Coronel (resigned 1/19/1855)
  • No successor appointed.
• Manuel Requena, president from 12/8/1854

"At Councilman Lewis Granger's proposal at the May 4 session, the minutes of the Common Council were for the first time written in both Spanish and English, on alternate pages."^[2]

"At Councilman Sanford's proposal[,] an invitation was extended to the two printers [in the city] to send a reporter each to their council meetings for the purpose of bringing any matter of general interest to the public through their newspapers."^[2]

May 7, 1856, to May 6, 1957

• Manuel Requena, president
• Ygnacio del Valle (resigned 12/15/1856)
  • Myron Norton (special election 12/27/1856)
• John Gately Downey (resigned 12/15/1856)
  • George Carson (special election 12/27/1856)
• Nehemiah A. Potter
• August Ulyard
• Ezra Brown
• Ira Gilchrist

May 6, 1857, to May 10, 1858

• Antonio Franco Coronel, president
• August Ulyard (resigned 6/22/1857)
  • George N. Whitman (special election 9/30/1857)
• Joseph Mullaly
• John Frohling
• Hiram McLaughlin
• John Barre
• George Carson (Removed 1/19/1858)
  • David M. Porter (special election 1/19/1858)

References and notes

All data is from Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials,1850-1938, compiled under direction of Municipal Reference Library, City Hall, Los Angeles (March 1938, reprinted 1966). "Prepared ... as a report on Project No. SA 3123-5703-6077-8121-9900 conducted under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration."