It’s doubtful that any prayers were said on Cemetery Ravine’s behalf when earthmovers filled in and paved over the gully to create part of the Dodger Stadium parking lot.
Early maps of Los Angeles show Cemetery Ravine as one of several canyons draining the Elysian Hills just north of the city’s center. Though typically bone-dry, occasional stormy weather sent raging torrents down the ravines. One took its name from a body of water—Reservoir Ravine. Another bore the name of a landowner and leading citizen—Chavez Ravine.
Cemetery Ravine was named for a Catholic burial ground.
Keep reading the full post on Los Angeles Magazine's City Think blog.