Los Alamitos, California

City of Los Alamitos, California
City
Official seal of City of Los Alamitos, California Seal
Location of Los Alamitos within Orange County, California.
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Government
• Mayor	Kenneth Parker
Area
• Total	4.1 sq mi (4.9 km2)
• Land	4.0 sq mi (4.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	11,536
• Density	6,098/sq mi (2,354.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	90720-90721
Area code	562
FIPS code	06-43224
GNIS feature ID	1652748
Website	http://www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us/

City Hall

Los Alamitos ("The Little Cottonwoods" in Spanish) is a small city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,536 at the 2000 census. It is often mistakenly thought to include the adjacent but unincorporated community of Rossmoor (population just under 11,000) which uses Los Alamitos as its mailing address. Although Rossmoor is not part of Los Alamitos, it is speculated that it may be annexed to the city, or Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Los Alamitos will combine to form one city. [1]

The USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center, where the men's and women's US Olympic water polo teams train, is located on the US Military Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. The facility is also used for major water polo tournaments, swim classes and local swim teams. The Joint Forces Training Base includes the Los Alamitos Army Airfield.

History

The clusters of cottonwood trees Spanish explorers saw more than 200 years ago inspired Los Alamitos' name, but it is the sugar beet that figured most prominently in the area's later history. The history of the area during the Californio period and after U.S. annexation is detailed in the article on Rancho Los Alamitos.

The individual history of Los Alamitos separate from the rancho begins with the purchase by John Bixby of the Rancho Los Alamitos. John put together a consortium of himself, his cousins Lewellyn and Jotham (owners of Rancho Los Cerritos) and banker I.W. Hellman to finance the purchase of the Los Alamitos. Upon John's sudden death in 1888, the ranch was divided between the three owning families. The northern third -- the land roughly north of present Orangewood Ave. -- went to the Lewellyn-Jotham faction (which later became the Bixby Land Company). By the mid 1890s, after the crash following the land boom of the 1880s -- this group was relatively cash-poor and land rich. Having experimented in Northern California with sugar beets, the Bixbys agreed to provide the land, and contracted with Montana silver baron William A. Clark to provide the capital, and got E.A. Dyer to provide the expertise to build a new sugar beet factory on the Bixby's land. The community that grew up around this new sugar beet factory complex -- with its streets of company houses for workers and surrounding farms -- came to be called Los Alamitos. (As part of his arrangement to build and operate the sugar beet factory, William Clark and his brother H. Ross, who actually ran the Los Alamitos operation, also arranged to purchase significant area east of the factory as well as 8,000 acres (32 km²) of land north of the sugar plant -- most of the latter in the Rancho Los Cerritos boundaries -- that would eventually become the city of Lakewood. Also, Clark and Hellman were intricately involved with the machinations and corporate dealings of railroad tycoon E. H. Harriman and Henry Edwards Huntington and the destiny of the Southern Pacific in Southern California. In additions, some time after establishing Los Alamitos, the Clarks completed their railroad from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, establishing the desert stop of Las Vegas in the process.

Old photos tell the story of an emerging city. There are pictures of recreational facilities the company started for its workers. And there are pictures from the early 1900s of sugar beets being delivered to the factory by horse and wagon. Economics, combined with an insect infestation in 1921 caused sugar-beet crop to drop significantly and the eventual demise of the sugar beet industry in Los Alamitos. But the town that had sprung up continued to grow.

On the lands south of the factory (and current Orangewood Avenue), Fred Bixby, son of John Bixby and future member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, used the sugar beet lands as a finishing ranch to fatten cattle before sending them off to slaughter (he also managed Hellman's lands in present Seal Beach). Bixby, one of the more progressive ranchers of his time, allowed European immigrant, Mexican, and Japanese farmers to rent the land and grow crops. At the beginning of World War II, the Japanese farmers were rounded up and relocated to interment camps at Manzanar and elsewhere.

Just prior to and during early World War II, the area around Los Alamitos became a major center for the aircraft industry. The Clark heirs arranged for Donald Douglas to build a major plant adjacent to the airport in Lakewood and Long Beach. Soon after the Navy decided it wanted the level ground just south of Los Alamitos for its training field, which it moved from Terminal Island. The new base provided many jobs and spurred modest growth. In 1973, the base was designated an Armed Forces Reserve Center. Today, it is a reserve support center for units of the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines.

Many former military personnel chose to stay on in Los Alamitos after the war, living in such neighborhoods as Carrier Row, where streets are named for World War II aircraft carriers. Other than "the base" the area remained unchanged until 1956 when builder Ross Cortese purchased land to build the walled community of Rossmoor just southwest from the townsite of Los Alamitos. Rossmoor, still the largest single development in Orange County, was the first walled community in the United States and quickly became home to over 10,000 upper middle class professionals. Rossmoor's homes were designed initially by Earle G. Kaltenbach (who also designed Disneyland's original Tomorrowland) and then by Chris Choate, who achieved much fame as the frequent partner of Cliff May. Together the two men were among the most responsible for designing and popularizing the "ranch" style homes which dominated the suburban explosion of the 1950s.

Although Rossmoor never officially became part of Los Alamitos proper, it has become inextricably linked to the town. When Los Alamitos incorporated in 1960 its population was only about 3,400, while still-growing Rossmoor was nearing 10,000. Now they are fairly equal with Los Alamitos being slightly larger than 11,000, and Rossmoor just below that. Rossmoor, still an unincorporated part of Orange County, doesn't pay taxes to Los Alamitos, but the city virtually treats Rossmoor residents as if they were residents. In exchange, the city's many youth programs benefit from the overwhelming number of Rossmoor residents who volunteer for those programs, and homes in Los Alamitos get a significant increase in property values because of their proximity to Rossmoor.

The ambitious sugar-beet processor of today would be hard pressed to set up shop in Los Alamitos. Zoning laws keep out heavy manufacturing or industry, because nearly all the city land is developed. The Armed Forces Reserve Center takes up 48 percent of the city's 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²). The rest of the city is a snug fitting mix of homes, apartments, businesses and open space.

The small city has been the hometown for a number of noted athletes including Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby, and many major league baseball players, including Andy Messersmith, who challenged baseball's reserve clause and helped established free agency in professional sports . At one point in the late 1980s, six natives of Rossmoor and Los Alamitos were playing baseball in the major leagues -- Robb Nen, J.T. Snow, Greg Harris, Dennis Lamp, Greg Pirkl, and Mike Kelly. The area is also home to record holding long distance swimmer Lynne Cox. It was also home to California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas while he served on the Court, and to award-winning mystery writer Jan Burke.

Los Alamitos High School, which serves the communities of Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach, is a nationally recognized high school, whose reputation has been further enhanced by its success in sports. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, the football team was consistently nationally ranked and at one point went over 45 games without a loss. Its 2005 girls soccer team won the mythical national championship, and its tennis and volleyball teams have had extraordinary success - the latter having captured three state championships in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000,, there were 11,536 people, 4,246 households, and 3,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,110.7/km² (2,875.5/mi²). There were 4,329 housing units at an average density of 416.8/km² (1,079.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.97% White, 3.20% African American, 0.58% Native American, 9.49% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 5.37% from other races, and 4.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.02% of the population.

There were 4,246 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $55,286, and the median income for a family was $60,767. Males had a median income of $49,946 versus $36,002 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,014. About 4.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. Property prices in the city have increased dramatically over the past 20 years.

Business

• The first Claim Jumper restaurant opened in Los Alamitos, California in 1977. That restaurant no longer exists, and the closest Claim Jumper is in nearby Long Beach
• The Los Alamitos Race Course, has year round Quarter Horse, Arabian and Thoroughbred racing. It was once the only harness racing track in Southern California. Although the race course is often thought to be in Los Alamitos, it is actually in Cypress, California.
• Neverland Studios, a recording studio originally located in Los Alamitos that was often used by Christian Rock bands.

Famous Los Alamitos Residents

*Lynne Cox, long-distance swimmer *Taryn Manning, actress *Cathy Rigby, Olympic gymnist and actress *Jodie Sweetin, actress *Aaron Barrett, Musician *Scott Klopfenstein, Musician *Kami Cotler, actress *JONATHON BORSTEIN, SOCCER PLAYER IN USA NATIONAL TEAM AND CHIVAS USA

See also: Los Alamitos High School#Famous alumni

Schools

• Los Alamitos High School
• Laurel High School
• McAuliffe Middle School (formerly called Pine)
• Oak Middle School
• St. Hedwig School, K-8 Private School
• Hopkinson Elementary
• Lee Elementary
• Los Alamitos Elementary
• Rossmoor Elementary
• Weaver Elementary

External links

• City of Los Alamitos official website
• Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce: History
• US Olympic water polo team
• Los Alamitos Local Cable Station
• St. Hedwig School

McGaugh Elementary School is also part of the LAUSD