Pershing Square Formally Renamed in Honor of Biddy Mason
Los Angeles, CA · September 8, 2026
Muggy, overcast air greets the morning, but the real test is the climb toward 98 degrees later this afternoon. Tackle any strenuous outdoor chores before midday, and keep water close at hand.
The Lead
Downtown's central five-acre plaza is officially getting a new identity. The City Council voted unanimously to rename Pershing Square as Biddy Mason Park, honoring the 19th-century nurse, philanthropist, and community builder. Born into slavery in Georgia, Mason walked over 2,000 miles to California behind a wagon train, won her freedom in an 1856 local court ruling, and invested her savings into downtown parcels, eventually co-founding the First African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The square between Olive and Hill streets was first dedicated in 1866 as La Plaza Abaja before being renamed in 1918 to honor World War I General John J. Pershing. With the council vote directing departments to coordinate new park signage and public notices, attention now turns to regional transit officials, who must decide whether to update the plaza's underlying subway station.
Local Pulse
Overnight 405 Closures Begin Across Sepulveda Pass Crews begin repaving tonight, closing up to four northbound lanes between Wilshire and Skirball Center Drive until 6 a.m.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard Begins Nighttime Flagging Work Guardrail repairs starting at 10 p.m. will reduce traffic to one alternating lane between Entrado Drive and the coast.
Overnight Pavement Project Restricts Key Surface Streets Caltrans begins curb repairs tonight, closing lanes and parking along Santa Monica and Glendale boulevards through 6 a.m.
Today's Outlook
- High 98°F · Low 73°F — Overcast
- Stay hydrated and limit strenuous outdoor workouts as heavy overcast traps the daytime heat.
What's On Around Town
Star Trek 60th Anniversary Outdoor Screening Autry Museum of the American West (4700 Western Heritage Way), 6:00 PM Free historic pilot episode screening alongside food trucks and themed giveaways.
Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 7:10 PM Late-season baseball under the stadium lights as a fresh homestand begins.
Stand-Up on the Spot The Comedy Store (8433 Sunset Blvd), 7:30 PM Jeremiah Watkins leads an unscripted night of improvised stand-up comedy.
Los Angeles Ballet at the Bowl Hollywood Bowl, 8:00 PM A landmark collaboration of ballet and symphonic classics under the stars.
Santa Monica: An Evening with Jared Diamond The Ann and Jerry Moss Theater (3131 Olympic Blvd), 8:00 PM The Pulitzer Prize-winning author discusses ecology, history, and human civilization.
Spotlight & Story
- Franklin Canyon Park
- Tucked in the hills above Beverly Hills, this 605-acre canyon preserves a 1914 reservoir built by William Mulholland. Just northeast of the main parking lot sits an unassuming brass benchmark marking the calculated geographic center of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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