Woody Guthrie Square Plaque

Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Guthrie (1912-1967) composer of "This Land is your Land," arrived in Los Angeles in 1937 along with thousands of other migrant workers and families from the "Dust Bowl" region. Guthrie hosted a popular radio show on KFVD and became the voice of migrant workers and labor unions. He wrote hundreds of songs and often preformed them at rallies, house parties, and street corners on Main street between 4th and 5th streets. In 1940, Guthrie left Los Angeles for New York where he continued to write songs and as well as advocate for the working man and celebrate the fundamental ideas of America.