History

In 1784, the land we know today as Lakewood was

part of a rancho belonging to Manuel Nieto.  In 1897, the Bixby Investment Company sold nearly 7,000 acres of farmland in the center of the rancho to William Clark of Montana for $350,000.  In 1949, the Montana Land Company negotiated with the Lakewood Park Corporation to sell nearly 3,500 acres of the remaining land in Lakewood for close to $9 million dollars.  From that point Ben Weingart and Louis Boyar began work on a "dream city" that Boyar had been designing since the 1930s.  By 1950, they had begun building more than 17,000 houses in what is now Lakewood and portions of Long Beach.  Over 30,000 people stampeded one day for the sale of houses in Lakewood Park, the biggest U.S. housing project at that time.

As an unincorporated area of the county, Lakewood lacked local government.  The Lakewood City Council organized 600 neighborhood volunteers to collect signatures on an incorporation petition.  In only ten days, incorporation advocates collected twice as many signatures as needed.  On March 9, 1954 city hood was approved by the voters.  The vote became official in April, making Lakewood the first city in California to incorporate since 1939. 

Lakewood Today

Today, Lakewood still offers the qualities of life that make

life in Southern California enjoyable:  exceptionally strong law enforcement and fire protection services, a community-oriented city hall, outstanding sports facilities, and low-cost local government.

Lakewood's emphasis on the neighborhood quality of life shows in the city's continued investment in park development and library improvements.  The city's commitment to safe neighborhoods shows in Lakewood's low level of crime.  The city has an active Neighborhood Watch Program, Lakewood Park Watch, Lakewood Auto Watch, and a Volunteers on Patrol program. 

Lakewood Events

Lakewood offers residents many annual events that the public is invited to adding to the community feel that Lakewood provides.  Among them are:

                    Pan American Fiesta                        

            Summer Stampede Car Show

                   Summer Concerts in the Park

            Patriot Day Concerts

            Halloween Carnivals at local parks

            4th of July Block Party and Celebration

            Annual Craft Festival

            And, Much, Much More!!!

Recreation and Park Programs

Lakewood provides area residents and their children with a phenomenal recreation program.  In 2004, Lakewood was recognized by Sports Illustrated as being the #1 sports town in California. 

Lakewood's Recreation and Community Services Department offers a wide variety of programs and services for residents.  There are 10 parks in Lakewood spread throughout the city.  Eight of the parks offer supervised activities throughout the year, including after school programs for youth. 

The Lakewood Youth Center is the hub of Lakewood's teen programs, including the popular Totally Friday Night events.  Special programs, such as the Youth Job Fair, Teens in Lakewood Care, and Lakewood Teen Board, are among the many programs that foster community involvement and volunteerism among Lakewood teens.

For more information on the City of Lakewood please visit Lakewood Online

www.lakewoodcity.org