The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River.
Reseda originated as a farm town named “Marian” (or “Rancho Marian”) that appeared in 1912. Its namesake, Marian Otis Chandler, was the daughter of Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis, a director of the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company.