Originally Posted By: Faldage
Seems like there should be some cities in the southwest that would be older but I don't really know a good way to find out without a lot of guessing. I did check Los Angeles and, although the first Europeans were there in 1542 no settlement was started until 1769.


According to a number of books I have read, Los Angeles began as a sailing "station" where cattle hides were cured so that they could be transported to other parts of the world to be made into leather products. A semi-permanent village grew up around the "industry" as workers brought to the station by the sailing vessels remained ashore to process the hides. A couple of Louis L'Amour novels also substantiate this info. Ha!