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South Gate, California
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South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County. In 2000 the city had a total population of 96,375 The "City of South Gate" was incorporated on 20 January 1923 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
In 1990, South Gate was one of ten U.S. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
History
The Early Years
In the summer of 1769, a group of Spanish explorers set out from the coast of San Diego to explore the uncharted territory between San Diego and the Bay of Monterey.
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Encyclopedia
South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County. In 2000 the city had a total population of 96,375 The "City of South Gate" was incorporated on 20 January 1923 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
In 1990, South Gate was one of ten U.S. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
History
The Early Years
In the summer of 1769, a group of Spanish explorers set out from the coast of San Diego to explore the uncharted territory between San Diego and the Bay of Monterey. With them was Father Juan Crespi, considered by historians to be one of the great diarists of the new world explorations. His daily entries were remarkably revealing of the country through which the caravan passed. They proceeded in the general direction of the San Gabriel Valley, across the Los Angeles River, which Crespi named "Porciuncula" on August 2, 1769.
There would be no history of South Gate without including the story of the Lugo Spanish Land Grant. That grant encompassed a great part of what is now the City of South Gate and is a vital and colorful part of this area's history.
Francisco Lugo was a cavalry corporal for the King of Spain and an important figure among the early Spanish settlers of the region. In 1810 the King of Spain granted eleven square leagues to Francisco's son, Don Antonio Maria Lugo, in appreciation for his father's service to the crown. This vast estate was known as the Rancho San Antonio land grant. It extended from the low range of hills which separated it from the San Gabriel Valley to the old Dominguez Ranch at its south, and from the eastern boundary of the pueblo of Los Angeles to the San Gabriel River.
A little more than 100 years after the establishment of the Lugo Land Grant, the area at the south gate of the ranch became the City of South Gate. As Don Lugo's family grew, he obtained San Bernardino Rancho and other grants in his children's names.
At various times, Don Antonio Maria Lugo was the Alcalde (Mayor) of Los Angeles, Juex del Campo (Judge of the Plains) and a member of the Pueblo Council. In 1846, at the age of 71, he rode 400 miles on horseback from his ranch to Monterey.
The future South Gate site and adjacent mesas presented a colorful spectacle when countless heads of cattle and horses were herded from all directions to a common point for the annual great spring rodeo. Lugo would direct the proceedings and settle disputes regarding ownership of contested animals as well as adjudicate agricultural disputes. In his saddle, he was the court and the plains his courtroom.
The Land Grant was handed down from generation to generation, dividing among offspring and eventually parceled and sold to people outside the Lugo family.
Don Antonio's son Vincente (1820-1889) built his adobe dwelling in the 1850s on five and one half acres. It is known as Lugo Ranch, and is situated on modern day Gage Avenue in the City of Bell Gardens.
Before the end of the 1870s, much of the original land grant had been replaced by 40 acre tracts. By 1880, cattle raising had been replaced by agriculture as the most important local industry. During the years between 1910 and 1940, most of the agricultural land was replaced by homes and factories. Today, with the land divided by freeways, it is not easy to imagine it as a vast plain stretching from the mountains to the sea as it was in those early years.
The Tweedy family, headed by R.D. Tweedy, has played an important part in South Gate's history. Mr. Tweedy was born in 1812 in Illinois, and came to California by ox-drawn cart in 1852. Mrs. Tweedy rode across the prairies perched on her rocking chair in the ox cart. The family was large, and several generations have lived in this city. The family members bought some 2,000 acres of the land on which much of South Gate was built. The "downtown business district" in South Gate was named after the family and is known as the Tweedy Mile.
South Gate Gardens
As far as the eye could see, Rancho San Antonio was covered with thousands of head of grazing cattle, sheep and horses, large fertile fruit orchards and fields of cauliflower, beets, barley, beans, as well as dairy farms with rich butter and cheese. But change was in the air. It was almost noon on September 23, 1917, when an important part of that change took place - the selling of land that would eventually be the foundation for the beautiful city of South Gate.
"Southgate Gardens-Gateway to the Sea" had been highly advertised from Santa Monica to Santa Ana. Realtor Charles B. Hooper had arranged for 12 buses to pick up people along routes through the various towns. Excursionists travelled in everything from the latest Model 'T' Fords to high-powered Packards. The buses traveled in a procession east from Long Beach Boulevard down a dirt road about a half-mile to the Cudahy Ranch House, located on present day Santa Ana Street. The house was surrounded on three sides by cauliflower fields, as far as the eye could see. Realtor Hooper sold 268 parcels, mostly in one-half acre lots, in a subdivision with no streets, no sewers, and no water system. Parallel furrows had been plowed 50 feet apart, to indicate streets of the future; amazingly, signs stuck in imaginary intersections bore the same names which many of the city streets carry today. Some $25,000 worth of land was sold on opening day.
By the end of 1918, 125 houses had been constructed. The population was estimated at 500. Shade trees and flowers had been planted along the parkways. The community of Southgate Gardens now extended east from Long Beach Boulevard to Otis and south from Santa Ana to Independence and was still growing. The streets of Post, State and Victoria were designated the "business district" and two large lots were reserved for a school and a church. The inhabitants had already begun to crystallize into an unincorporated town.
The first school, now known as State Street school, was established with 52 pupils, opening September 8, 1919. At that time it was called Southgate Gardens School and consisted of a small frame building located on Madison near Independence. It was later moved to a site at State and Santa Ana streets, where it has been ever since. To this day, according to "Ripley's Believe It or Not", it holds a unique position because of its location between three political jurisdictions. It is located at the junction of Huntington Park, Walnut Park and South Gate.
America's famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, learned to fly at Kinner Field, a dirt field located on Century Boulevard at Long Beach Boulevard. She was born in Kansas in 1897 and came to California with her parents in 1921. She attended an air show in Long Beach and was immediately drawn to the idea of flying a plane. She took flying lessons from pioneer aviatrix Anita "Neta" Snook. By 1922, she had acquired her pilot's license. In 1932, Ameila became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was awarded to her by the United States Congress. Amelia vanished without a trace in 1937 during an attempt to fly around the world.
In autumn of 1922, a petition for incorporating the town of South Gate was circulated by I.W. Lampman. The petition was signed by more than 50 qualified electors and presented to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. An election was held on January 2, 1923 to determine the will of the people. On January 20, 1923, the Board of Supervisors formally declared the incorporation of the "City of South Gate". The population at that time was 2,500 people.
The New City
The years following incorporation in 1923 were boom years. Families were finding contentment in this fertile suburb. Schools and churches were being established. City government, fire and police protection were good. Business and industry were close to home and social, fraternal, and civic outlets for families were soon to be established. A residential and industrial base was established and served as the cornerstone of South Gate, even today.
During the first year of incorporation, a City Hall was built at the intersection of Post and Victoria. This City Hall was replaced with a new City Hall in 1942, on California Avenue. The new City Hall is still in use today. In 1964, the old City Hall was demolished; the mosaic seen on the front of the building was removed and placed on a plaque in front of the new City Hall.
When South Gate became a sixth class city by state law, the title of President and Board of Trustees officially became Mayor and City Council. A.J. Schoby was elected the as the first Mayor on May 19, 1927.
Ordinance 14 established Fire District Number 1 on April 17, 1923. Soon the first piece of fire-fighting equipment, a second-hand truck, was acquired and in November, a volunteer fire department was organized, headed by Chief Edward McCormick.
In 1923 the City's own bus service was established. Mrs. Nina A. Murray drove an old Maxwell south on Seville Avenue to Liberty Boulevard, east on Liberty to Otis and returned by the same route. The service made a direct connection with the "J" streetcar line that ran from downtown Los Angeles to the corner of Seville and Santa Ana in South Gate. The fare was five cents on both the streetcar and bus. Soon after incorporation, the old Maxwell car was replaced with a municipal motorbus. However, municipal ownership of the bus system proved costly, and on July 31, 1933, the system was discontinued.
The cornerstone of South Gate High School was laid on January 25, 1930. Floyd Honn was the first principal. The school opened in September 1930 with 500 9th and 10th grade students and 27 faculty members. In 1932 it became a six year high school, with grades 7 through 12. It remained thus until 1941 when South Gate Junior High was constructed on Firestone at Otis Street.
As early as 1922, several small industrial plants had moved to South Gate. Families moved here and needed employment close to home; businesses, factories and industry soon followed.
One of the largest local industries was Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The factory was built on a 40-acre former bean field. Firestone's first tire rolled off the assembly line on June 15, 1928.
Some of the early businesses included the A.R. Maas Chemical Company, founded in 1922 on Ardine, near Independence, and Star Roofing Company, founded in 1934 (now U.S. Gypsum). Weiser Company foundry, formed in 1904, became one of the world's leading manufacturers of hardware by 1943, with South Gate as the sole manufacturing operation in the United States.
In 1936 the General Motors plant went into production in South Gate with 1,000 employees, which soon increased to 4,000. Three makes of cars were assembled, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick.
By the early thirties, the city was outgrowing its municipal buildings, so property for a civic center was acquired. The location was on California Avenue between Firestone and Ardmore Boulevards. The first building was a library, to be leased to the Los Angeles County Library for one of its branches. The building was built with labor provided by the Works Project Act. The work of W.P.A. artists is still in evidence on the interior walls where murals depict events in the history of writing. A beautiful mosaic graced the entrance.
When the new library on Tweedy Boulevard was built in 1973, a portion of the old building was given to the South Gate Art Association for a gallery. The building also housed a theater and South Gate museum. Today, as part of the refurbishment of the building, the City is working with the Getty Museum to restore the murals.
When the war began, the new City Hall was nearing completion. It was the second building in the Civic Center. The City Council first met in its beautiful new building on February 19, 1942.
When the war was over, the city, industry, business, and the people all looked forward to a period of growth and prosperity. In 1945, 20 businessmen organized a Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of promoting the economic welfare and happiness of the community, through the creation of jobs and increase in commercial development.
Geography
South Gate is located at (33.944264, -118.194903).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 km² (7.5 mi²). 19.1 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.60% water.
The Los Angeles River runs through the eastern part of South Gate.
Climate
South Gate, Ca. climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 84.80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 48.30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 19 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at South Gate is 15.07 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is February with an average rainfall of 3.75 Inches.
Demographics
The census of 2000 recorded 96, 375 people, 23,213 households, and 20, 063 families residing in the city, with a population density of 13,084.6/sq mi (5,052.0/km²). There are 24,269 housing units at an average density of 1,271.4/km² (3,294.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was the following:
There are 23,213 households out of which 58.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples living together, 18.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 13.6% are non-families. 10.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 4.15 and the average family size is 4.37.
In the city the population is spread out with 35.6% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,695, and the median income for a family is $35,789. Males have a median income of $25,350 versus $19,978 for females. The per capita income for the city is $10,602. 19.2% of the population and 17.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Religion
58.08% of the people in South Gate, CA are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 39.99% are Catholic; 6.75% are Protestant; 1.04% are LDS; 3.33% are another Christian faith; 5.93% in South Gate, CA are Jewish; 0.07% are an eastern faith; 0.98% affilite with Islam.
Demographics History
The South Gate area was inhabited by the Gabrielino/Tongva Indians before development by Spanish ranchers.
South Gate developed during the 1920s and 1930s as an industrial city (primarily in "metal-bashing" industries) and its blue-collar community was predominantly non-Hispanic white.
During the 1940s and 1950s, South Gate was one of the most fiercely segregationist cities in Southern California; gangs of white youths were known to prowl the streets looking for blacks who dared to cross over from neighboring Watts. One of the most infamous clubs of the area at that time was the Spook Hunters.
The population reached some 55,000 by 1964
The next year South Gate began to change. In August 1965, the Watts riots erupted. Watts was virtually 100 percent black, and South Gate, immediately to the east of Watts, was nearly 100 percent white. Although the rioters were mostly confined to black areas of south-central Los Angeles and did not cross the line into South Gate, younger whites in South Gate started to look elsewhere to buy their first houses. As the white population of South Gate began to decline, the Mexican population, which earlier had established a foothold, began to increase.
Since the 1970s, South Gate has had a large Hispanic community, which became dominant in the 1990s as working-class Hispanics and immigrant Latin American families filled the vacuum left by white flight.
Economy
The unemployment rate in South Gate, CA, is 5.80%, with job growth of 0.84%. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 17.77%.
South Gate's sales tax rate is 9.25%. Income tax is 6.00%.
The income per capita is $11,566, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $41,064.
South Gate's commercial activity is concentrated in the following zones:
- Tweedy Mile (On Tweedy Blvd. from State St. to Atlantic Ave.)
- Firestone Blvd. (from Long Beach Blvd. to Garfield Blvd.)
Government
City Council
- Gill Hurtados - Mayor
- Henry C. González - Vice Mayor
- María Dávila - Councilwoman
- Bill DeWit - Councilmember
- Greg Martínez - Councilmember
The City Council consists of five persons elected at large by the residents of South Gate. These Council members serve a four year term and establish the governing policies and procedures for the city. The Mayor is selected on an annual, rotating basis from among the Council members.
City Clerk
The City Clerk in South Gate is an elected position that serves a four-year term. As the official record keeper for the City, the City Clerk is responsible for maintaining all central and legal files, preparing City Council meeting agendas and minutes, conducting municipal elections and assisting the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder with voter registration.
City Treasurer
Political Party
63.10% of the people in South Gate, CA are registered as Democrats. 35.60% are registered Republican. Remaining are independent: 1.30%.
Scandal and corruption
From 2001 to 2003, then-city treasurer, Albert Robles, along with three accomplices on the city council, accepted bribes and in turn gave taxpayer dollars to friends and relatives to perform city contracts. The three accomplices formed a majority of the five member city council, so they could effectively run the city any way they wanted. For example, in 2002, Robles was arrested on felony threat charges but was appointed by the city council to the deputy city manager position and had his legal bills covered by the city. The city council gave themselves a 2000% pay raise, and cut the pay of city clerk Carmen Avalos by 90%, after she complained about corruption and election fraud in the city to the California State Secretary.
On 28 January 2003, voters recalled Robles along with his political allies, former Mayor Xochitl Ruvalcaba, former Vice Mayor Raul Moriel, and former city councilwoman Maria Benavides.
Robles was convicted of bribery in July 2005. In November 2006 he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, ordered to pay the city of South Gate $639,000 in restitution, and was immediately put into custody.
In March 2006, Rudy Navarro, who was elected to replace Albert Robles as city treasurer, was caught making a false statement on his biography as posted on the city's official web site. He claimed that he earned a degree from San Diego State University, when he actually had not completed all the requirements.
South Gate's recent political history has been characterized by political observers and editors as having elements of Third World Politics.
The most complete account of the South Gate corruption scandal can be found in journalist Sam Quinones' book, ANTONIO'S GUN AND DELFINO'S DREAM: True Tales of Mexican Migration (Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2007). See .
Finances
South Gate was $150 million in debt in 2005.
On June 5, 2007, the city reported that it is facing a severe financial crisis .
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Most of South Gate is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District public school system. A small section of South Gate is served by the Paramount Unified School District and Downey Unified School District.
Los Angeles Unified School District
LAUSD primary schools
- (Opened 1931)
- Independence Elementary School (Opened 1997)
- (Opened 1932)
- Madison Elementary School (Opened 2005)
- Montara Avenue Elementary School (Opened 1988)
- San Gabriel Avenue Elementary School (Opened 1920)
- (Opened 1989, partially a math and science magnet school)
- (1-5, Opened 1924)
- Stanford New Primary Center (K, Opened 2004)
- State Street Elementary School (Opened 1932)
- Tweedy Elementary School (Opened 2004)
- (Opened 1925)
LAUSD middle schools
LAUSD high schools
LAUSD middle and high schools
- International Studies Learning Center (opened in 2005)
Paramount Unified School District
- (K-8)
- Paramount High School
Part of South Gate is served by Downey Unified School District.
Private schools
Private primary schools
- Lollypop Lane Preschool and Kindergarten
- Redeemer Lutheran School
- Saint Helen Elementary School
Private high schools
- Academia Betel
- Faith Christian Academy
Continuation Schools
- Odyssey Continuation School
Colleges and Universities
Public libraries
County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Leland R. Weaver Library at 4035 Tweedy Boulevard and the Hollydale Library at 12000 South Garfield Avenue.
See also
External links
- - South Gate's official Site
- - South Gate High School's official website.
- - South East High School's official
- SGChamber.org") - South Gate Chamber of Commerce official website.
- -- website of journalist Sam Quinones
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