Thanks to Martha Langford Green for this effort.

Bell Gardens-Before Incorporation

The beginning of Bell Gardens history starts with the Lugo family and its impressive San Antonio Rancho Land Grant received by the first Lugo in California. Francesco Salvador Lugo, from King Carlos V of Spain amounting to 29,514 acres in 1771, as recompense for his military services during the establishment of the Franciscan Missions in California and the attendant colonization for the area.

While stationed at San Antionio de Padua Mission near Salinas, California, his most famous child Don Antonio Maria Lugo, was born in 1783; one of nine children born to the couple. Under Don Antonio Maria's stewardship the Rancho prospered. Cattle were numbered by the thousands.

Two of his sons received Land Grants in San Bernardino County. Several adobe homes were built by him in the grant; one he erected before 1810 is still standing at 7000 Gage, Bell Gardens, now known as the Gage Mansion.

One of his nine children, who married familiar well-known names in the county, Vicente, built the 2-story adobe home in 1850 at 6360 East Gage; still occupied by his descendants. A daughter of Don Antonio Maria married Stephan C. Foster who served as Mayor of Los Angeles in 1854 and 1856, who allegedly lived in an adobe house just east of 6820 Foster Bridge Road, now marked by a parking lot.

A granddaughter of Antonio Maria Lugo, married Wallace Woodworth, early day merchant and civic leader, in Los Angeles, whose eldest son, Joseph, built in 1924 the imposing 2-story colonial style house at 6820 Foster Bridge Road, now the residence of the Bazil Sugden family.

Visitors of Bell Gardens, viewing the supermarkets, the availability of everything for the homeowner, a "Home" Bank and a Branch of the largest Bank in the world, modern medical facilities, successful attorneys, adequate library lending system, two local newspapers a week, plus out-of-town newspapers, two fine parks, Boys Club, freeway encirclement, commercial district, churches, laundromats and a compentent city government, find it hard to believe that a century ago it was all a pasture for cattle, owned by the original spanish Land Grantees, the Lugo family.

Americans who migrated here from the East after the 1840's, and intermarried with the Lugo family are counted in all the big family groups in Southern California.

The school system began in 1867 when the San Antonio School was built where the Bell Gardens Elementary now stands. (San Antonio School house was torn down around 1907 and the lumber was used for a barn on Garfield). Ranchers sent their children there and some came from Bell and South Gate, for it was one of the earliest educational institutions in the country. Constant flooding of the presises rendered it unfit for the pupils. It housed students until demolition in 1953.

In 1934 the Bell Gardens Elementary was built for subdivision children. Then construction of the Junior High in 1937, the High School in 1947, and Grammar Schools in between have proved immensely compentent to complete educational requisites.

A 16,000,000 School Bond in 1966 has enabled the Montebello Unified School Board funds to use a portion thereof to purchase land for additional school construction, and Bell Gardens will indeed be fully adequate for instruction of its most valuable crop.

Bell Gardens most illustrious citizen would be Henry Tifft Gage, Governor of California from 1898-1903. He married Issac Williams' daughter, Francesca, in 1880, and became owner and occupant of Lugo Mansion, now Gage Mansion at 7000 East Gage, until his death in 1924.

The growth occurred after Otto C. (O.C.) Beck subdivided ranches belonging to the Spechts, Waltons, Reichs, Peschkes, Dimmits, Barberenas, Perrys, Ranishes, Harpers, Mendias, Glasscocks, Solomons, etc.

Starting in 1933 with the Dimmitt ranches at Clara and Eastern and Priory Streets. Mr Beck, a truly competent builder, not only sold land, he brought in financial backing for loans to people, obtained roads, storm drain systems, utility services, reasonable insurance rates; likewise forstalled efforts of undesirable industries such as rendering plants, heavy, smoky, noisy industries, rubbish dumps, and smelly plants, to locate.

In 1927 Firestone Tire Company bought acreage at $7,000 an acre. By 1900, Bell Gardens was divided into tracts of 40 to 100 acres. Some of the families living there were two Dimmitt brothers, Clarance and Earl, Gephart, Barberenas, Waltons, Spechts, Reichs, some descendants of Lugo, and a Danish family called Peterson who had an old homestead on Perry Road at Garfield School.

Some of these people leased their land to Japanese. The land adjoining the city of Bell became known as Bell Gardens. In 1930 O.C. Beck contracted with owners of lands and subdivided. Many good people who had lost out economically in other parts of the country, came to Bell Gardens via the migrant trail. They were no longer homeless Americans driven by the dust and Depression; no longer building castles in the air, but were taking root in Bell Gardens and building real homes.

Many of these folks actually did build their little homes from packing cases, plywood, on put-up studs wrapped in heavy wrapping paper over frame. Some lived in tents or built a house trailer. Shacks didn't remain shacks, as on Saturdays and Sundays men were hammering, painting, using shovels.

When World War II came, Bell Gardens boomed. Relatives came out and lived in chicken coops. Garages turned into apartments. A one room school stood where Bell Gardens Elementary now stands. Later it was moved to Cudahy for a barn. For awhile Bell Gardens classes where conducted in a barn and then Laguna School was built. It was the only school when Bell Gardens Elementary was built in 1937.

Although research by Charles Spaulding, a Sociology Major of U.S.C. among early arrivals in 1939, proved that a notable number of Califorians purchased small farms for $10 or $20 down, and $10 a month, legend has persisted that it was Midwesterners who settled here but their invasion caused by the violent dust storms of 1935 show they were in the minority arriving two years after subdiving commenced.

The Great Depression of 1933-38 caught the ranchers short, money was scarce, taxes were hard to pay and a ruinous Mattoon Act placing financial burden on the frontage property owners for a storm drain down Jaboneria Road instead of the entire county, forced the sale of land previously used for sugar beets, corn, barley, alfalfa, dairy products, vegetables, fruit and other crops.

World War II from 1941 to 1945, with its high defense need to armaments, aircraft, ships, brought in factories and industries to Los Angeles County, and utilized the local labor force of the community. Workers with steady salaries--often paid high premium wages--were able to buy land, build their own homes and become solvent citizens. Some enterprising residents were able to buy real estate, improve it, and now are wealthy.

After the war was over in 1945, Bell Gardens settled down to a steady growth to make up for the lost time in the lapse of residential, commerical, and business development hitherto relegated to an unimportant position by a total defense effort to win the war.

Some vigorous organizations marked the unimproved potions of this community by circulation petitions, presenting them to the Board of Supervisiors in Los Angeles County, and gaining all reasonable and pertinent improvements with the efficient help of Supervisor John Anson Ford. When political aspirants began talking about incorporation and running for office, several attempts were defeated by the voters. Residents said, "We have all we need now."

After annexation forays by surrounding communities chewed away at our boundaries, the last one in 1962, alarmed inhabitants were glad to vote for incorporation of Bell Gardens in 1961.

In the book, "How The Cities Grew. A Century Of Municipal Independence And Expansionism In Metropolitan Los Angeles," by Richard Bigger and James D. Kitchen. (Published by the Haynes Foundation, Los Angeles, 1952)

Southern California's "climate" was sold to the frostbitten Easterners. The visions of orange blossoms and bathing beauties in December proved irrestible, and they came by the hundreds of thousands to bask in the sun. This dream persisted through rainy winters and through a post war period of eye-stinging smog. Some of the disillusioned returned home, but one icy Eastern winter frequently restored their faith in Southern California. Added to the attraction of climate was a variety of topographny, deserts, mountains, seacoasts, and plains where fallow ground for the promoters of health and pleasure resorts.

Bell Gardens, an East Los Angeles community, was the third scene of the incorporation drama since WWII. It is a low-income residential region with a few shopping centers, and is peopled to a large extent by "dust bowl" refugees of the 1930's and recent immigrants who came to work in wartime industries. The area proposed for incorporation, as finally amended by the Board of Supervisors, included some twenty-seven thousand residents.

The movement began in 1946, when one of the local water companies raised its rates. A group in the community organized a taxpayers'association in protest and agitated for incorporation. A petition, finally presented to the board in early 1949, was denied because it did not have the requiste number of signers. A second petition was filled in January 1950 and hearings began.

Main arguments for incorporation concerned procurement of better services, particulary with respect to streets, fire protection, garbage collection, and transportation. The possibility of attracting new business was also advanced. Proponents felt that the area was not getting services from the county in proportion to the amount of county taxes it paid.

Opponents of incorporation were alarmed about possible high municipal taxes, and declred that county services were adequate. There were also rumors that the petitioners might bring legalized gambling into Bell Gardens. This element was important enough to move the local ministerial association to back its own set of proposed city officials at the time of election, althought it did not oppose incorporation per se.

Proponents accused the Board of Supervisors of attempting to defeat incorporation, although the board insisted that it was neutral. Apparently some county employees, firemen from the local fire district, spoke against the movement and passed out pamphlets. Indeed, the board did not seem satisfied with the incorporation proposal nor did the majority of the residents. In May 1950, the voters went to the polls and defeated it.

Dissatisfaction with the way the Board of Supervisors handles proceedings is also not a new complaint of petitioners. Even the treat of evil (gambling, in Bell Gardens) raised the moral banners which have been flaunted on one side or another in most such campaigns, and with some effect. Satisfaction with county and special destrict services, which are better than they were twenty years ago, with a fear of an increased tax leavy seems to have been strongest appeal of opponents, as it has been for almost a century. An argument against incorporation and self-government was that the present public services in Bell Gardens satisfactory. Amidst applause of property owners, one of the protestants of the plan stated to the Board of Supervisors, "We are satisfied with the best sheriff's office and the best fire protection district in the state."

In 1961, the residents of Bell Gardens were told if they did not vote for incorporation, Bell Gardens would be annexed in equal sections to the surrounding communities of Downey, Bell, and South Gate. The only choice the voters had was to vote to become a City and reamin known as Bell Gardens, or to become a member of the nearest city. They no longer had the choice to reamin unincorporated County land. The threat of Bell Gardens becoming a "sewer farm" was more devastating than the feared rumor of legalized gambling. And Bell Gardens was incorporated.

Legalized gambling began in Bell Gardens when the "Bicycle Club", a card betting house, opened for business in the mid 1970's. It is believed gambling could not be legalized in County Land, only in incorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

"Historical sites and sites of old houses, buildings, in Bell Gardens Area". By Madeline Barberena, 1967.

"Casa de Rancho San Antonio. Native Sons and Daughters of Golden West Plaque affixed in 1946. Built by Don Antonio Maria Lugo in 1810 as an adobe house on Spanish Land Grant on 29,514 acres.

"Lugo Adobe House at 6360 Gage Avenue." Built by Vincte Lugo, a son of Antonio Maria Lugo, in 1850; presently occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Carter (Dora Lugo) and owned by descendants. Probably longest single ownership by one family in California, and continuous occupancy by one family.

"Barretto House at 7623 Perry Road." Originally built by Frank Barretto at 5918 Clara Street about early 1870's; moved to present site about early 1900's.

"Site of Setphen C. Foster Adobe House." Mayor of Los Angeles 1854-55-56. Due east of 6820 Foster Bridge Boulevard. Torn down after 1956. Married Lugo.

"Foster Bridge Boulevard and Perry Road Southwest Corner of Perez Adobe House Site." Another daughter of Antonio Maria Lugo home; torn down in 1930's.

"Site of First Store in Bell Gardens." Built in 1890's for travellers by Frenchman Duco at intersection of Gage, Garfield, Foster Bridge, east side (later known as Bonnham's Market). Directly across street another store, a liquor establishment and meeting place for young men of the community.

"Site of Mendia House at Southwest Corner of Gage and Perry Road." Purchased by the Mendia family in 1883; continuously occupied by family unitl Antonio, last member, moved to San Jose in 1965. House torn down in 1967. "Barberna House." Built in 1880's. Purchased by family in April 1888 and still owned and occupied by family.

"William Specht House at 6128 Gage." Built in 1893; birthplace of Specht daughters moved to 6410 El Selinda in 1939 for construction of present 10 room Mediterranean-style house.

"Thordore Specht House at 6150 Gage." Built in 1893; now occupied by Mr. Hurst, father of Pauline Manzerol, secretary to the Specht family.

"Site of San Antonio School." Built around 1866 on extreme southern part of 10 acres of land donated by Isaac Heyman. Floods closed up school and building torn down around 1907.

"House at 6742 Foster Bridge Boulevard." At one time occupied by Mrs. John Rains, mother-in-law of Governor Gage.

"George Peterson House." Built by him in 1906 and continuoulsy occupied by son, Clarance Peterson and wife Ellen. Only Windmill in Bell Gardens.

"Joe Woodworth House at 6820 Foster Bridge Boulevard." Built by him in 1924 for his bride, Adele Conway Wordworth, who sold to Bazil Sugden family in 1956. Joe was eldest son of Wallace Woodworth who came to Los Angeles in early 1850's; married a Lugo; entered mercantile field; construction industry; and politics.

"Site of Laguna Schoolhouse." Built in 1908 and used as Grammar School until torn down in 1953.

This is the history of Bell Gardens as written by the experts. It makes a foundation for our personal history, which has much more meaning to our family and friends. Write it down for the next generation!