HAWTHORNE FACTS & FIGURES

HISTORY

  • Founded by Benjamin Harding and Harry Lombard in 1905
  • Named after author Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Advertised as “the town between the city and the sea, directly on the Redondo Electric Car Line, 30 minutes ride from the heart of Los Angeles and right in line of rapid growth toward the harbor”
  • Grew to a thriving little town of over 100 homes by 1907
  • In its early days had one grocery store. Meat was brought three times a week by wagon from Inglewood
  • The first school had 16 pupils ranging in age from kindergarten to 18
  • Mail service began in 1908
  • Incorporated in July 1922 with a population just over 2,000
  • Largely settled by emigrants from the Oklahoma and Texas dustbowl
  • The first Mayor was C. C. Butler
  • The first census was taken in 1930 and showed 6,595 residents
  • In 1939 Northrop Aircraft Inc. (later Northrop Grumman Corp.) moved to Hawthorne with 50 employees. Industrial and commercial development then proceeded at a steady pace and Hawthorne became known as the Cradle of Aviation

    CITY GOVERNMENT

  • The city of Hawthorne is a general law city administered by a Council-Manager form of government. The city council consists of five members who are local citizens elected at large. The Mayor is elected by the citizens to a two-year term and the Council members are elected to four-year terms on a staggered basis, with an election held every two years in odd-numbered years. While the Mayor is elected by the citizens, the Mayor Pro Tem is selected by the members of the City Council. The City Clerk and City Treasurer are also elected by the citizens and serve four-year terms.
  • The City Manager and City Attorney are hired by the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.
  • The City Council adopts laws by which the city is governed and sets policy to be administered by the City Manager.
  • Current Elected Officials: Mayor: Larry Guidi, Mayor Pro Tem: Ginny Lambert, Councilmembers: Pablo Catano, Gary Parsons, and Daniel Juarez City Clerk: Angie English, City Treasurer: Thierry Lubenec,
  • Current City Manager is Jag Pathirana, and City Attorney is Glen Shishido
  • Quick Facts: Hawthorne land area; 5.89 square miles. Population (approx.) 87,000. For more information, see the City of Hawthorne website www.cityofhawthorne.com

    Revised 1/2008