Y'all, I thought I'd made a Raven Jake post about Devil's Gate some months back when I was talkin' about Suicide Bridge for Sam and Adam's project. Turns out, I was just thinkin' about it. So the opportunity came again yesterday when Skylaire Alfvegren and the Los Angeles branch of the League of Western Fortean Intermediatists had a little 'do over at the Cobb Estate and, of course, Devil's Gate.
Now Jane grew up in this 'hood, so she's got plenty to say about it; I just wanted to have a nice meander with some interesting folks. We both got our way. Now you might have a little trouble seeing the Devil's Head, so here's an enhanced pic, so you get the idea.
Now there are some interesting facts about the dam, and really the whole arroyo area - it's the ancesteral home of the Hahamonga Tongva, it really is a natural formation under all that gunnite, and it's been referred to as "Devil's Gate" way back into the 1800s.
The dam itself was built in 1920 as a flood control measure that also acted as a reservior for the growing city. More recently, sediment removal has been put on hold til next month when the toads finish breeding. Toads, take as much time as you need.
Down below is a pic of the Devil's Head formation before it got covered, and another undated one of the dam when it was full of water.
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