Incorporated in 1922, the City of Hawthorne currently has a population of nearly 87,000 within a six square mile area. Ideally located near the Los Angeles International Airport, connected by rail to the Port of Los Angeles and downtown Los Angeles, and surrounded by the San Diego (I-405), Harbor (I-110), and Glenn M. Anderson (I-105) Freeways, the City of Hawthorne could easily be termed the "Hub of the South Bay." By virtue of its location, Hawthorne affords easy, quick access to all that Southern California offers; culture, sports, entertainment, mountains, and beaches. Temperatures in the area are always among the most pleasant in the Los Angeles basin.
The City of Hawthorne possesses a shared vision towards the future to create a great city and build an economy which supports the community's desire for a high quality of life.
In its early days Hawthorne had but one grocery store, and meat was brought by wagon from Inglewood three times a week. There was a furniture factory, an overall factory, a glove factory, and an art leather firm. A small building served as both church and school. The school had 16 pupils ranging from kindergarten to 18 years of age. Mail service began in October 1908.
By 1921 the population had reached 2,000, and Hawthorne was incorporated in July 1922. The area was largely settled by emigrants from the Oklahoma and Texas dustbowl.
The city has a council form of Government. The first city council consisted of Mayor C. C. Butler and Councilmen Lorig, Mason, Haylett, and Millhouse. W.B. Shaw served as City Clerk.
The first census was taken in 1930 and showed 6,595 residents. In 1939 Northrop Aircraft Inc. (later Northrop Corporation and even later Northrop Grumman Corporation) moved to Hawthorne with 50 people on the payroll. Dozens of firms moved to Hawthorne to acquire Northrop subcontracts. From that time on industrial and commercial development in Hawthorne proceeded at a steady pace. Northrop and Hawthorne enjoyed a long period of prosperity and cooperation. With the growth of the aviation industry and the subsequent aerospace industry, Hawthorne became known as the Cradle of Aviation and enjoyed a boom for many years in both jobs and real estate.
The City of Hawthorne has grown from a small, largely rural community to a well-rounded mixture of business, industries and homes.
Learn more about this city.
City of Hawthorne, CA official site
City of Hawthorne, CA Chamber of Commerce
City of Hawthorne, CA newspaper
County of Hawthorne, CA official site
State of California official site