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Bell, California

Bell is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County, California, near the center of the former San Antonio Township (abolished after 1960). Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles. At 2.5 sqmi, Bell is the thirteenth-smallest city in the United States with a population of at least 25,000.

In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Bell's land area at 1245 out of 1257 cities (defined as incorporated areas) and two unincorporated areas that had a population of at least 25,000 in year 2000. Ten cities in the list of 1267 cities had no land area data (e.g., Goleta, California).

City residents voted to become a charter city in a special municipal election on November 29, 2005. Fewer than 400 voters turned out for that special election. More than half of those votes were dubiously obtained absentee votes. Being a charter city meant that city officials were exempt from state salary caps. A scandal ensued, in which several city officials were indicted for giving themselves extraordinarily high salaries.

Early history
The area comprising the present-day City of Bell has a Native American history dating back thousands of years. The Gabrieliño Indians migrated to the place now called Bell in 500 B.C. Spaniards have been living in this area of California since the mid-18th century. Among the early Spanish settlers was one of California's first families, the Lugos.

While stationed at Mission San Antonio de Padua near Salinas, California, Francisco Lugo's first California son, Antonio María Lugo was born in 1775, who would become Don Antonio María Lugo, Spanish aristocrat and soldier, who settled on 30,000 acres of land that encompasses the present-day City of Bell. In 1810, the king of Spain formally granted the land to Lugo as a reward for his military service and the acreage became known as Rancho San Antonio.

The grant was confirmed by the Mexican governor in 1838. By 1865, the Lugo family's fortune had dwindled and most of the Rancho was sold for less than a dollar per acre. The Lugo family did manage to retain its home, built about 1810, which is the now oldest house in Los Angeles County. The original adobe house was on Gage Avenue.

Between 1870 and 1890, settlers arrived to the area and among those was the city's founder. In 1876, the pioneer residents for whom the city is named, James George Bell and his wife Susan Abia Hollenbeck Bell, and their two children, Maude Elizabeth and Alphonzo Sr. moved from Los Angeles where they lived for a short period with Susan's brother, John Hollenbeck, in their Victorian style home – the Bell House, now a historic landmark located at 4401 East Gage Avenue. On April 6, 2000, the Bell House was dedicated as a California State Historical Resource.

They acquired about 360 acres (145.7 ha) of land and in the next decade, helped in its development as a small farming and cattle raising community. The Bell Family lived at the Hollenbeck's "Town House" on 4th and Breed Street until they moved into the "ranch" Bell House in 1876. The Bell House was an early Victorian style farm house. In 1898, the town's name was changed from Rancho San Antonio to Bell, in honor of its pioneer founders.

Between 1920 and 1935, an explosive growth in population occurred in the Bell area. Old and new residents built new businesses, established schools, and founded community organizations, such as the Bell Chamber of Commerce and the Woman's Club. An area-wide sanitation district was formed in 1923 to provide sewer facilities.

In 1924, George O. Wheeler founded the Industrial Post, the local newspaper. By the early 1960s, the Bell Industrial Post had become the Bell-Maywood-Cudahy Industrial Post. It was later renamed the Community News, and became part of the Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group. In 1998 it was sold again. The Community News disappeared not long after, facilitating a chain of corrupt practiced that ultimately led to criminal convictions for city administrator Robert Rizzo, who had been hired around 1998, and six other Bell city officials.

In 1925, the Alcazar Theater to show "talking pictures", was opened. It has since been demolished.

In 1925, Bell High School was opened.

Cityhood
Bell was incorporated as a city in 1927. Since its incorporation, the city of Bell has acquired land for public parks and the recreational program. The city also has constructed an adequate sewer system, widened all major streets, built a city hall, and provided fire department buildings, with the cooperation of the city of Maywood and the County of Los Angeles, the city of Bell constructed an indoor public swimming pool at Bell High School.

The city's Chamber of Commerce is located at the historic James George Bell House, which serves as a meeting place and in addition, a museum showcasing artifacts from the city's founding family and period furniture. The house is open to the general public with free admission.

In March 2007, the city of Bell held its first contested election for city council in almost a decade. The next election for City Council was held in March 2011, and included the recall of all the city council members save one, who was not re-elected.

Oscar controversy
In March 2000, Bell gained worldwide publicity, as the media announced that a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen from a trucking company loading dock in Bell. In addition to the Los Angeles and Bell police departments, FBI art theft experts investigated. It was the second Oscar mishap within a short period, as earlier that month 4,000 Oscar ballots were misrouted. Coincidentally, the missing Oscar ballots were found by the post office in a Bell processing center. AMPAS Executive Director Bruce Davis was quoted as jokingly warning Billy Crystal, host of that year's Oscar ceremony, not to go near Bell because it "seems to be a Bermuda Triangle for Oscar things".

2010 city official corruption scandal
In July 2010, when two Los Angeles Times reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, were investigating possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood, it was revealed that Bell city officials were receiving unusually large salaries, perhaps the highest in the United States. The salaries came into the public eye after the newspaper's investigation, based on California Public Records Act requests, showed that the city payroll was swollen with six- to seven-figure salaries. Robert Rizzo, the City manager, received $787,637 a year, almost double the salary of the President of the United States. Including benefits, he had received $1.5 million in the last year. Rizzo's assistant, Angela Spaccia, was earning $376,288 a year, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County. The police chief, Randy Adams, was paid $457,000, 33% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. All three resigned following news reports and public outcry. All but one of the members of the city council were receiving $100,000 for their part-time work, salaries which were authorized by a sparsely attended special election, giving the city "Charter" status. By comparison, council members in cities similar to Bell in size make an average of $4,800 a year, prosecutors have noted.

In September 2010, the California Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against eight former and current City of Bell employees, requesting the return of what the suit calls "excessive salaries" as well a reduction in pension benefits accrued as a result of those higher salaries. Allegations about irregularities in the 2009 election also were examined by the FBI and California Secretary of State office. The city's high property taxes are also being investigated.

On September 21, 2010, former city manager Robert Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of public funds. The mayor and council members all either resigned or were recalled. Of the eight, only Luis Artiga was found not guilty. The revelations about the salary amounts paid to city officials in Bell led media inquires into salaries paid in other cities. After a review, the L.A. Times found frequent failures in audits of public agencies in other municipalities in California.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, of which 2.5 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi is water.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Bell had a population of 35,477. The population density was 13545.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Bell was 19,098 (53.8%) White (4.9% Non-Hispanic White), 337 (0.9%) African American, 315 (0.9%) Native American, 259 (0.7%) Asian, 8 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 13,899 (39.2%) from other races, and 1,561 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33,028 persons (93.1%).

The census reported that 34,898 people (98.4% of the population) lived in households, 490 (1.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 89 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 8,870 households, of which 5,327 (60.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,659 (52.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,879 (21.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,019 (11.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 857 (9.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 31 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 967 households (10.9%) were made up of individuals, and 388 (4.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.93. There were 7,557 families (85.2% of all households); the average family size was 4.15.

11,363 people (32.0% of the population) were under the age of 18, 4,124 people (11.6%) aged 18 to 24, 10,783 people (30.4%) aged 25 to 44, 6,811 people (19.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,396 people (6.8%) 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

There were 9,217 housing units at an average density of 3519.2 /sqmi, of which 2,570 (29.0%) were owner-occupied, and 6,300 (71.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%. 11,333 people (31.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 23,565 people (66.4%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census, there were 36,664 people, 8,918 households and 7,615 families residing in the city. The population density was 14802.5 PD/sqmi. There were 9,215 housing units at an average density of 3720.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 48.45% White, 1.28% Black or African American, 1.28% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 43.09% from other races, and 4.78% from two or more races. Bell also has a small Lebanese community. 90.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,918 households, out of which 57.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.05 and the average family size was 4.27.

35.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 12.9% were from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3males.

The median household income was $29,946 and the median family income was $30,504.

Income data
During 2009–2013, Bell had a median household income of $35,985, with 30.2% of its residents living below the federal poverty line.

Economy
Bell is in a financial crisis due to the above-referenced public embezzlement scandals. Due to the actions of the former city's manager (Robert Rizzo) and the council in squandering the taxes of their constituents for their own benefit, there is a deficit of several million dollars in the general fund. An audit by the Los Angeles County auditor-controller concluded that the city must significantly downsize its budget, including the possibility of disbanding its police department and contracting with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Government and infrastructure
The City of Bell has a City Council-City Manager form of local government. City Council is composed of five council members who serve four-year terms, and the Mayor is elected every year by its fellow council members. The City of Bell contracts with Los Angeles County for Fire protection services, along with Animal control services.

The city has the following departments:

 * City Manager's Office: Oversees the implementation of City Council policy and prepare's the City Manager's draft budget.
 * City Clerks's Office- Official Record keeper of City, staff support to the City Council, and administers City Elections.
 * Finance Department- Administers the city's finances including the Budget, accounts payable, accounts receivable and oversees business license renewals. The department also manages various contracts related to managing the CIty's finances.
 * Community Development Department- Oversees the Building and Planning Division, Economic Development, and Public Works and Engineering.
 * Community Services Department- Oversees the city's Parks and Recreations programs and Special events.
 * Police Department-Provides public safety services, traffic enforcement, and parking enforcement services.

The City of Bell has 75 full-time employees across all City departments.

Fire protection in Bell is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The LACFD operates Station No. 163 at 6320 Pine Avenue in Bell as a part of Battalion 3.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Bell and surrounding areas.

The United States Postal Service operates the Bell Post Office at 6327 Otis Avenue and the Bandini Station Post Office at 5555 Bandini Boulevard.

State and federal representation
In the California State Legislature, Bell is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bell is in California's 42nd congressional district and its represented by Democrat Robert Julio Garcia

City government
After a special election in March 2011, lifelong Bell resident Ali Saleh was named mayor by his fellow council members. Danny Harber, a retired baker and 40-year resident of Bell, was elected vice mayor. Saleh vowed to remake the city whose name had become synonymous with municipal corruption into a model of good government.

Public schools
Bell is served by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

A portion of Bell lies within the limits of the Montebello Unified School District, but it has no residents.

Kindergarten schools:
 * Martha Escutia Primary Center (opened in 2005) (Bell)

Elementary schools:
 * Corona Avenue Elementary School, K-5
 * Nueva Vista Elementary School, K-5
 * Woodlawn Avenue Elementary School, K-5
 * Ellen Ochoa Learning Center, K-5

Middle schools: Orchard Academy Middle Schools K-8 schools:
 * Chester W. Nimitz Middle School (Huntington Park)
 * Ellen Ochoa Learning Center (Cudahy)

High schools: All residents are zoned to Bell High School in Bell. The high school population is 98% Hispanic, .02% Black, and a small population of Lebanese, and Asian and Pacific Islanders. The Mission of Bell High School is to: educate all students to the highest degree of their abilities socially, academically, and technologically so that they become contributing members of society. It is the home of the "Mighty Eagles".

Any student who lives in the Bell or Huntington Park zones may apply to Maywood Academy High School, which opened in 2005 and moved into its permanent campus in 2006. Maywood does not have its own attendance boundary because it lacks American football, track and field, and tennis facilities.

South Region Middle School 2 opened in Bell in 2010.

Private schools
Al-Hadi School is located in Bell.

Public libraries
The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Bell Library at 4411 East Gage Avenue.

Parks and recreation
The city of Bell has several recreational facilities. The Bell Community Center hosts many events such as anniversaries, baptisms, birthdays, conferences, company parties, receptions, and seminars. Treder Park, located at the community center, has a gazebo, a pavilion with barbecues, and picnic tables. Camp Little Bear Park and Lodge is a park designed for children 12 and under. The park includes a three-in-one area for junior players with basketball, handball, and four square courts. The park also has an outdoor amphitheater for films, a miniature golf course, an indoor lodge with classrooms and computers, picnic pavilions, play equipment, rock climbing, and a small soccer (football) turf field.

Ernest Debs Park has a synthetic turf soccer field and a shaded outdoor fitness area with cardio, resistance, and strengthening equipment. The park also has one full and two half basketball courts, benches, pavilions, picnic tables, and table games. Veterans Memorial Park has one junior (half) and two full-court basketball courts, batting cages, a baseball diamond with stadium seating and scoreboards, tree-shaded benches, a clubhouse with computer access, large picnic pavilions, tree-shaded picnic tables, a playground for ages 2 through 12, a rose garden in honor of U.S. soldiers, and a snack bar.

The city also has a joint-use agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) for the use of the Nueva Vista Elementary Soccer Field during after-school hours to facilitate youth and adult soccer programs. The Bell Futsal Park (opened in 2018) is a repurposed skate park that features one main court that can be split into 3 smaller courts.

title: Bell, California


text:
Bell Gardens, California

Bell Gardens is a city in the U.S. state of California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Located in Los Angeles County, the city's population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census. Bell Gardens is part of the Gateway Cities Region, a largely urbanized region located in southeastern Los Angeles County.

Bell Gardens is notable for being one of only six Los Angeles County cities (out of 88 total) to permit casino gambling and for being home of the oldest building in Los Angeles County.

Bell Gardens is named after James George Bell, an American businessman. The “Gardens” in its name derives from the many Japanese who, early in Bell Gardens’ existence, established vegetable gardens and rice fields. The adjacent city of Bell is also named after James George Bell.

Tongva
The area of Bell Gardens has a history dating back thousands of years. The Tongva established settlements in the area, including the village of Chokishgna. The village prospered until the arrival of the Spanish, after which it came under the influence of Mission San Gabriel in 1771.

Spanish and Mexican period
In the late 18th century, when the area was associated with a large amount of land situated along the lower basin of the Rio Hondo area in Los Angeles County, Bell Gardens was once a bustling agricultural center for Californios during the Spanish Empire, 1509–1823, the Mexican government, 1823–1848, and the United States, after the Mexican-American War concluded in 1848.

Among those early Spanish settlers was one of California's first families, the Lugos. While stationed at Mission San Antonio de Padua near Salinas, California, Francisco Lugo's son Antonio Maria Lugo was born in 1783. In 1810 Antonio Lugo, a 35-year-old corporal in the Spanish army, was given the 29514 acre Rancho San Antonio land grant. The land grant was a reward for his military service during the establishment of the Franciscan Missions in California while being the attendant of colonization for the area. Today, the grant includes the cities of Bell Gardens, Bell, Maywood, Vernon, Huntington Park, Walnut Park, Cudahy, South Gate, Lynwood and Commerce.

Antonio Lugo built several adobe homes within the boundaries of the Rancho San Antonio grant, and raised cattle. One of the adobe houses, built in 1795, is the oldest house in Los Angeles County and is still standing at 7000 Gage Avenue. Lugo was given a term as Mayor of Los Angeles. According to Dr. Roy Whitehead in his book Lugo, "Don Antonio Maria Lugo…rode around Los Angeles and his Rancho San Antonio in great splendor. He never adopted American dress, culture or language and still spoke only Spanish. He rode magnificent horses, sitting in his $1,500 silver trimmed saddle erect and stately, with his sword strapped to the saddle beneath his left leg…People knew him far and wide, and even the Indians sometimes named their children after him, as he was one Spanish Don that they admired." Antonio María Lugo died at the age of 85 in 1860.

American period
One of his nine children, Vicente Lugo, married and built a two-story adobe home in 1850, located at 6360 Gage Avenue. A daughter of Antonio Lugo married Stephen C. Foster, Mayor of Los Angeles in 1854, and lived in an adobe house just east of 6820 Foster Bridge Road, now a parking lot. A granddaughter of Antonio Lugo married Wallace Woodworth, an early-day merchant and civic leader in Los Angeles. Their eldest son, Joseph Woodworth, built a two-story colonial style house at 6820 Foster Bridge Road in 1924. The land's original adobe dwelling was built in 1795 and named Casa de Rancho San Antonio by Lugo. When Henry T. Gage, a lawyer who married Antonia Lugo's granddaughter Frances V. Rains, occupied the residence, he added two wings and redwood siding, installed bronze fireplaces, and imported expensive fabric wallpaper from France to serve as background for the Gage coat of arms, which enjoys a place of prominence in every room.

The Bell Gardens’ school system began in 1867 when the San Antonio School was built where Bell Gardens Elementary stands today. Area farmers sent their children to the San Antonio School, which was one of the earliest educational institutions in the County of Los Angeles.

Because of the rich soil, many Japanese immigrants are part of Bell Gardens’ early history. Japanese gardeners leased land and farmed to produce quality vegetables for the marketplace. Rice fields also mushroomed within the city limits of Bell Gardens. With some of the richest agricultural land in the country, Bell Gardens remained a farming community until the 1930s.

Beginning in the 1930s, cheap homes were constructed, filled largely by defense plant workers. In 1927, Firestone Tire Company bought some of the land at $7,000 an acre. By 1900, Bell Gardens was divided into tracts of 40 to 100 acre. The land adjoining the City of Bell became known as Bell Gardens. Both Bell Gardens and Bell are named for James George Bell. In 1930, O.C. Beck purchased property and begins to build affordable homes for those suffering through the depression era. It was during this period that the area was known as 'Billy Goat Acres'. To this day, Bell Gardens is affectionately known by this moniker.

World War I and World War II brought defense plants to the area that helped build the economic stability and the population, which led to construction of new homes, more schools, and a prosperous business climate.

This land used to be floodplains, farmlands split into long, narrow plots by depression-era developers. Tiny houses were sold and rented to Okies and Native Americans, forced from their homes by the Dust Bowl. By the 1980s, high-wage factories had left, taking with them virtually all of the whites and many of the blacks. In their places—coming from the Mexican states of Michoacan, Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas— were large families of immigrants. Latinos moved here for work and some brought their small businesses. Thousands of Central Americans fleeing civil wars in the 1980s also came to the region and created small businesses and worked in the same service industry jobs.

By the 1990s, Colmar Elementary changed its name to Cesar E. Chavez Elementary and 85 percent of the residents of Bell Gardens were Hispanic.

By 2013, approximately 122,000 homeowners in the southeast were Latina/o; a region where, prior to 1965, families of color could not live due to restrictive covenants.

On September 30, 2014, Bell Gardens mayor Daniel Crespo was shot dead at his home. Police took Crespo's wife into custody. Daniel Crespo's brother, William Crespo, filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Crespo's wife, Lyvette 'Levette' Crespo.

Gage Mansion

The oldest remaining house in Los Angeles City is the Avila Adobe located on Olvera Street (built in 1818). It is not, however, the oldest remaining house in Los Angeles County. Shane Kimbler, a Bell Gardens history enthusiast, wrote that early colonist Francisco Salvador Lugo and son Antonio María Lugo began construction in 1795 on what is now known as Casa de Rancho San Antonio or the Henry Gage Mansion. The house is located at 7000 East Gage Avenue in Bell Gardens. It was built to qualify the younger Lugo, a former Spanish colonial soldier, for a land grant from the Spanish crown. In 1810, Antonio María Lugo completed the house and received the grant, naming his new grant Rancho San Antonio. The ranch eventually grew to encompass 29513 acre, including what are now the cities of Bell Gardens, Commerce, and parts of Bell, Cudahy, Lynwood, Montebello, South Gate, Vernon and East Los Angeles. When California became part of the U.S. in 1850, Lugo, as did all recipients of Spanish/Mexican land grants, began losing portions of his land to the growing population of Anglo newcomers. The ranch adobe, however, continued to be owned and used by the Lugo family.

By 1865, most of the Lugo ranch, divided among five sons and three daughters, had been sold off for as little as a dollar per acre. The original adobe ranch home, however, remained in the family. In 1880, attorney Henry Tifft Gage, a transplant from Michigan, married one of Lugo's great granddaughters, Francis "Fanny" Rains. The original adobe ranch home was gifted to Gage as a wedding dowry and it became known as the Gage Mansion. When Gage acquired the mansion he worked very extensively to restore the heritage farmhouse of early Los Angeles. In 1898, Gage was elected to become the 20th governor of California. He served in that office from 1899 to 1903. In 1910, he was appointed by President William Howard Taft to serve as U.S. Minister to Portugal. He resigned after only one year due to his wife's health problems. Gage lived in the abode ranch house until his death in 1924.

Bell Gardens maintains only a small portion of the original Lugo land grant, which is located at the site of the Casa Mobile home Park at 7000 Gage Ave. In 1991, the park's tenants, who own the land as well as Lugo's original dwelling, were successful in their efforts to have Casa de San Antonio named State Historical Monument No. 984. Their effort ensures that Don Antonio Maria Lugo's name and his historic home will be preserved for future generations of Bell Gardens residents and Californians.

A century later, the Gage Mansion was all that remained of the once great Rancho San Antonio. In 1983, the Casa Mobile Home Park, a cooperative of mobile home owners renting lots on the property, purchased the land and the house from their ailing landlord. Although they were aware of the historical significance of the old house, they had no means of maintaining it. In 1987, then Bell Gardens City Councilwoman Letha Viles began working to get the house listed on the state historical registry, making it eligible for maintenance grants. It is now listed as California Historical Site Number 984.

Indian Revival Church
In 1956, Assemblies of God evangelist Arthur Stoneking recognized this demographic shift and pioneered Indian Revival Center (now Indian Revival Church ), a congregation for Native Americans in Bell Gardens. Stoneking, a member of the Winnebago tribe, had remarkable success in bringing together people from various tribes. Started as a home bible study, the congregation soon became the largest Native American congregation in Los Angeles. In 1990, there were 889 American Native Indian people living in Bell Gardens.

Miss Bell Gardens
An official annual city beauty pageant held in the city from 1947 ending in 2015. Successfully returning in 2020 and ending again in 2021.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 sqmi, over 99% of it land.

Bell Gardens is bordered by Bell and Cudahy on the west, Commerce on the north and northeast, Downey on the southeast, and South Gate on the southwest.

The city is about 10 mi southeast of Downtown Los Angeles.

Demographics
In Bell Gardens, there are six elementary schools, two intermediate schools, one high school, and two adult schools. Bell Gardens has a relatively young population with a median age of 28 years old. The city is largely Hispanic with 2016 demographics being: 95.8% Hispanic, 3% White Non-Hispanic, 0.8% Asian, 0.5% Black Non-Hispanic, and 0.1% American Indian.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Bell Gardens had a population of 42,072. The population density was 17,081.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Bell Gardens was 20,824 (49.5%) White (2.7% Non-Hispanic White), 377 (0.9%) African American, 476 (1.1%) Native American, 261 (0.6%) Asian, 37 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18,787 (44.7%) from other races, and 1,310 (3.1%) from two or more races. There were 40,271 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (95.7%).

The Census reported that 41,648 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 125 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 299 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 9,655 households, out of which 6,349 (65.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,298 (54.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,146 (22.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,128 (11.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,017 (10.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 49 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 750 households (7.8%) were made up of individuals, and 262 (2.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.31. There were 8,572 families (88.8% of all households); the average family size was 4.40.

The population was spread out, with 14,308 people (34.0%) under the age of 18, 5,234 people (12.4%) aged 18 to 24, 12,692 people (30.2%) aged 25 to 44, 7,637 people (18.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,201 people (5.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

There were 9,986 housing units at an average density of 4,054.4 /sqmi, of which 2,318 (24.0%) were owner-occupied, and 7,337 (76.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.6%. 10,534 people (25.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 31,114 people (74.0%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Bell Gardens had a median household income of $38,170, with 27.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
According to the census of 2000, there were 44,054 people, 9,466 households, and 8,509 families residing in the city. The population density was 17,721.3 PD/sqmi. There were 9,788 housing units at an average density of 3,937.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 48.08% White, 0.97% Black or African American, 1.66% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 43.88% from other races, and 4.70% from two or more races. 93.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,466 households, out of which 67.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.1% were non-families. 7.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.61 and the average family size was 4.69.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 39.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 12.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,597, and the median income for a family was $30,419. Males had a median income of $21,151 versus $16,461 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,415. About 25.3% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and entertainment
The Bicycle Hotel & Casino is located in Bell Gardens. It is one of the largest poker casinos in the world.

DEL Records, a Latin independent entertainment company, is located in Bell Gardens.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Bell Gardens is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bell Gardens is in.

Education
Bell Gardens residents are served primarily by the Montebello Unified School District, including Bell Gardens High School.

Every public school in Bell Gardens has an urban farm run by members of the Environmental Garden Club, an after-school program.

Infrastructure
Fire protection in Bell Gardens is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The LACFD operates Station #39 in Bell Gardens as a part of Battalion 3. The Bell Gardens Police Department provides law enforcement.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Bell Gardens.

The United States Postal Service Bell Gardens Post Office is located on Garfield Ave. The Postal Service also operates a Network Distribution Center on Bandini Boulevard north of Bell Gardens, in the City of Commerce.

There are 8 parks and one golf course in the city limits.

Notable people

 * Tim Buckley, American musician
 * Eddie Cochran, American musician
 * John Force, NHRA Funny Car Driver / Champion
 * Ricardo Lara, 8th Insurance Commissioner of California
 * Cristina Garcia, California State Assembly from the 58th district

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bell Gardens, California


text:
Bellflower, California

Bellflower is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1906 and incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 79,190, up from 76,616 at the 2010 census. This made it the 65th most densely populated city in the United States, of cities over 50,000 residents (and the 8th most densely populated city in California).

History
The original title to the Bellflower area dates back to 1784 with one of the first Spanish land grants in California. The Bellflower area was a hunting and fishing spot due to an abundance of wild game, ducks and geese, carp and perch. The area was also used for cattle and grazing dairy cows but settlers moved away. Willow, bamboo, and underbrush, wild grape, blackberry, and rose bushes were grown along the river the name of The Willows and The Wilderness.

The site was formerly rich farmland watered by artesian wells and floodwaters of the now-contained San Gabriel River. In 1906, F.E. Woodruff, a local real estate investor, founded the first municipality on the site, which was named Somerset in 1909 when a post office was established there. However, the proponents of the name 'Bellflower' claimed that the US Post Office Department rejected the name 'Somerset' to prevent confusion with Somerset, Colorado. The present name is derived from the bellflower apple, which was grown in local orchards during the early 1900s.

Originally settled by dairy farmers of Dutch, Japanese, and Portuguese descent, Bellflower and neighboring Paramount served first as the apple and later the milk production centers for Southern California, until soaring post-World War II property values forced most of the farmers to move several miles east to the Dairy Valley/Dairyland/Dairy City area (now the cities of Cerritos, La Palma, and Cypress). These farms were in turn converted into large housing subdivisions for Los Angeles's growing population that worked in the region's skilled industrial and service sectors. As a result, amongst the highly diverse backgrounds in Bellflower, there remains today a notable number of residents of Dutch descent; Bellflower is one of the only cities in the US to boast multiple Dutch grocery stores.

After Bellflower was incorporated in 1957, its gradual metamorphosis from agricultural center to residential suburb continued. From the 1950s through the late 1960s, Bellflower Boulevard, the city's main thoroughfare, was a thriving commercial strip for shopping. Numerous retail and franchise restaurant firms began on this street, which also featured middle- and high-end boutiques, arts and crafts shops, and other small shopkeeps alongside larger department stores and banks. Today, Bellflower is an urban community within greater Southeast Los Angeles, and ranks amongst the most densely populated cities in the United States. It is a sister city with Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Geography
Bellflower is located at 33.88817°N, -118.1276°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 sqmi. 6.1 sqmi of it is land and 0.1 sqmi of it (0.86%) is water.

Bellflower is bordered by Downey on the north and northwest, Norwalk and Cerritos on the east, Lakewood on the south, Long Beach on the southwest, and Paramount on the west. Bellflower is part of Southeast Los Angeles County and the "Gateway Cities Council of Governments" (GCOG).

2010
At the 2010 census Bellflower had a population of 76,616. The population density was 12,416.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Bellflower was 32,337 (42.2%) White (19.5% Non-Hispanic White), 10,760 (14.0%) African American, 731 (1.0%) Native American, 8,865 (11.6%) Asian, 615 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 19,732 (25.8%) from other races, and 3,576 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,085 persons (52.3%).

The census reported that 75,877 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 399 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 340 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 23,651 households, 11,029 (46.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,992 (46.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,812 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,965 (8.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,666 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 170 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,618 households (19.5%) were one person and 1,540 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.21. There were 17,769 families (75.1% of households); the average family size was 3.67.

The age distribution was 21,749 people (28.4%) under the age of 18, 8,493 people (11.1%) aged 18 to 24, 22,418 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 17,339 people (22.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,617 people (8.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

There were 24,897 housing units at an average density of 4,034.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 9,459 (40.0%) were owner-occupied and 14,192 (60.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 31,897 people (41.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 43,980 people (57.4%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Bellflower had a median household income of $49,637, with 17.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 72,878 people in 23,367 households, including 17,128 families, in the city. The population density was 11,999.5 PD/sqmi. There were 24,247 housing units at an average density of 3,992.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 22.37% White American, 33.09% Black or African American, 0.92% Native American, 9.69% Asian, 0.70% Pacific Islander, 24.38% from other races, and 5.13% from two or more races. 43.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 23,367 households 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.1% of households were one person and 7.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.59.

The age distribution was 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median household income was $39,362 and the median family income was $42,822. Males had a median income of $32,658 versus $28,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,982 and was below the "poverty rate". About 12.8% of per capita family households and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. Mexico and the Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000.

Top employers
According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Government
In the California State Legislature, Bellflower is in. In the California State Assembly, it is in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bellflower is split between 38th and 40th congressional districts, which are represented by and, respectively.

Infrastructure
Fire protection in Bellflower is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department from stations 23 and 98. Ambulance transport is provided by Care Ambulance Service.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Lakewood Station in Lakewood, serving Bellflower. In addition the sheriff's department operates the Bellflower Substation in Bellflower.

The United States Postal Service Bellflower Post Office is located at 9835 Flower Street. Los Cerritos Community News serves the city.

Transportation
The Artesia Freeway (State Route 91) passes east–west through the southern portion of Bellflower, the San Gabriel River Freeway (Interstate 605) runs north–south just east of the city, and the Century Freeway (Interstate 105) runs east–west just north of the city.

Bellflower is served by bus service from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Long Beach Transit. The city also operates Bellflower Bus, a fixed-route local bus.

Education

Most of Bellflower is within the Bellflower Unified School District. Some of Bellflower is in the Downey Unified School District and some of it is in the Paramount Unified School District. BUSD has two secondary schools in Bellflower: Bellflower High School and Somerset High School.

St. John Bosco High School, and Valley Christian Elementary both privately run, are also in Bellflower.

The Clifton M. Brakensiek Library is a branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library.

Notable people

 * Anthony Brown (born 1992), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Chris Carter, television and film producer, director and writer, creator of The X-Files
 * Misty Copeland, principal ballet dancer from American Ballet Theatre
 * Ronnie Correy, motorcycle speedway rider
 * Savannah DeMelo, soccer player for Racing Louisville and the United States national team
 * Aaron Embry, songwriter and record producer
 * Kirk Fletcher, electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, was born in Bellflower in 1975.
 * Nomar Garciaparra, Major League Baseball shortstop, 6-time All-Star, 2-time batting champion, TV commentator; attended St. John Bosco High School
 * A.J. Gass, former Canadian Football League player
 * Anthony Gose, Major League Baseball outfielder, currently in Detroit Tigers organization
 * Shauna Grant (1963–1984), screen name of pornographic actress Colleen Applegate, was born here
 * Don Hahn, producer of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King"
 * Trevor Hoffman, Major League Baseball relief pitcher, 7-time All-Star, born in Bellflower
 * Jeff Kent, Major League Baseball second baseman, 5-time All-Star, 2000 National League MVP; born in Bellflower
 * Malcolm David Kelley American rapper and Singer songwriter
 * Vanessa Lam, figure skater, 2012 Junior Grand Prix finalist
 * Darryll Lewis, former National Football League player
 * Adam Liberatore, Major League Baseball relief pitcher with Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Evan Longoria, Major League Baseball third baseman, 3-time All-Star graduated from St. John Bosco High School in 2003
 * Kimberly McCullough, actress, General Hospital
 * Wendi McLendon-Covey, actress, appeared in film Bridesmaids, was born in Bellflower
 * Valentino Pascucci, professional baseball player, 2004–11
 * Jerry Quarry, heavyweight boxer, former #1 ranked contender
 * Carlos Quentin, Major League Baseball outfielder, 2-time All-Star
 * Sergio Santos, Major League Baseball relief pitcher 2010-15
 * Brandon Sermons, professional football player
 * Anneliese van der Pol, actress; attended Ramona Elementary School and Bellflower High School
 * Derrick Williams, professional basketball player with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague; formerly with five NBA teams, 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year
 * Ron Yary, professional football player in College and Pro Football Hall of Fame; graduated Bellflower High School in 1964
 * Bob Meusel, an MLB baseball player that played for the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds.
 * Matt Welch, blogger and journalist

title: Bellflower, California


text:
Bradbury, California

Bradbury is a city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west and south, and Duarte to the south and east. The population was 1,048 at the 2010 census, up from 855 at the 2000 census. The city has three distinct areas—the Bradbury Estates, which is a gated community consisting of 5 acre minimum estates; Woodlyn Lane, which is also a gated community with minimum 2 acre lots; and the balance of the city, which is not gated, which has lots generally ranging in size from 7500 sqft to 1 acre. A significant portion of the properties in Bradbury Estates and Woodlyn Lane are zoned for horses, and several horse ranches still exist within these communities today.

History
Bradbury was founded by Lewis Leonard Bradbury on the homestead of Rancho Azusa de Duarte in 1881. In 1912 the Bradburys' daughter, Minerva, married Isaac Polk and built a grand mansion on the property which they named Chateau Bradbury. After years of annexation attempts by the city of Monrovia, Bradbury incorporated in 1957. The paperwork for incorporation arrived in a rush to prevent the area from becoming part of the new city of Duarte, which also incorporated on the same day, August 22, 1957. Still, many ties between the two communities remain in that they both form the Duarte Unified School District; they both share the same post office and the 91008 ZIP code; and they both share combined public services such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, over 99% of it land.

2010
At the 2010 census Bradbury had a population of 1,048. The population density was 535.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Bradbury was 652 (62.2%) White (49.0% Non-Hispanic White), 22 (2.1%) African American, 4 (0.4%) Native American, 276 (26.3%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 59 (5.6%) from other races, and 35 (3.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 218 people (20.8%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 354 households, 92 (26.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 231 (65.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 27 (7.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 15 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 18 (5.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 61 households (17.2%) were one person and 24 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.96. There were 273 families (77.1% of households); the average family size was 3.27.

The age distribution was 173 people (16.5%) under the age of 18, 84 people (8.0%) aged 18 to 24, 196 people (18.7%) aged 25 to 44, 386 people (36.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 209 people (19.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 49.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

There were 400 housing units at an average density of 204.2 per square mile, of the occupied units 307 (86.7%) were owner-occupied and 47 (13.3%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%. 934 people (89.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 114 people (10.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 855 people in 284 households, including 239 families, in the city. The population density was 447.3 PD/sqmi. There were 311 housing units at an average density of 162.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 70.53% White, 1.75% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 19.53% Asian, 5.61% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. 13.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 284 households 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.5% were non-families. 12.0% of households were one person and 3.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median household income was $100,454 and the median family income was $106,736. Males had a median income of $56,250 versus $40,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $57,717. None of the families and 2.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Bradbury is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bradbury is in.

Bradbury had voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election for president since at least 1964 in which there was a verifiable vote total. In 1992, 100 of the 105 votes for third-party candidates were cast for independent candidate Ross Perot In 2016, Bradbury was one of only five cities in Los Angeles County that voted for Donald J. Trump over Hillary Rodham Clinton In 2020, however, the city voted for Joe Biden, marking the first time it voted for a Democrat for president since its incorporation.

Education
Bradbury and Duarte are both served by the Duarte Unified School District.

Public safety
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) serves Bradbury through the operation of the Duarte satellite substation as well as the Temple Station in Temple City.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides fire protection services, their services assigned to Station 44 in Duarte with backup paramedic assistance from Stations 29 in Baldwin Park and 32 in Azusa, as well as the Monrovia Fire Department.

Notable people

 * Danny Bakewell, civil rights activist and businessman
 * Gale Banks, race car driver and founder of Gale Banks Engineering
 * Adrián Beltré (former), baseball player, former member of the Texas Rangers
 * Babe Dahlgren (deceased), baseball player
 * Kent Desormeaux (former), jockey, member of racing hall of fame
 * Lap Shun Hui, tech entrepreneur; co-founder of eMachines and former owner of Packard Bell
 * Zhang Jizhong, prominent Chinese film producer
 * Adam Kolawa (deceased), software developer and co-founder of Parasoft
 * Richard E. Mandella (former), horse trainer, member of racing hall of fame
 * Corey Nakatani (former), jockey
 * Peter Popoff, televangelist
 * Yang Rong, billionaire Chinese automotive tycoon
 * Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (deceased), Saudi Arabian prince
 * Alex Solis (former), jockey
 * Mickey Thompson (deceased), race car driver, murdered at his home in Bradbury.
 * Lynsi Snyder, former resident, owner of and heiress to In-N-Out Burger
 * R. Stanley Williams (former), nanotechnologist

title: Bradbury, California