Downey, California

Coordinates: 33°56′17″N 118°07′51″W / 33.93806°N 118.13083°W / 33.93806; -118.13083
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Downey, California
City
The Downey City Hall in 2006
The Downey City Hall in 2006
FIPS code
06-19766
GNIS feature IDs1652698, 2410352
Websitewww.downeyca.org

Downey is a city located in Southeast

Apollo space program. It is also the home of the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant
in the world. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,355.

History

18th century to World War II

See also: Spanish missions in California

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was initially founded on September 8, 1771, near settlements of the Tongva people. It was located in the Whittier Narrows on a bluff overlooking the Rio Hondo, near the intersection of today's San Gabriel Blvd and Lincoln Avenue.[6] After five years, flooding forced the relocation of the mission to its present site in San Gabriel.[7]

In 1784, Governor

Mission San Gabriel on whose lands it infringed. The Spanish concessions, of which 25 were made in California, were unlike the later Mexican land grants in that title was not transferred but were similar to grazing permits with the title remaining with the Spanish crown.[8]

The

California Gold Rush farther north.[citation needed
]

Governor Downey by William F. Cogswell

Dairy was a major industry in Downey. The Central Milk Agency marketed the milk for "seven hundred dairymen whose dairy herds range from thirty to two thousand head" with the value of the products marketed in excess of $1,000,000 per month.[10]

Some of Downey's settlers came from

Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1873.[citation needed
]

Gallatin

Two small settlements were established along the Rio Hondo River - College Settlement and Gallatin, near where today, Paramount Boulevard and Florence Avenue cross. In the late 1860s, the Gallatin residents built a small school known as the "Little Red Gallatin School House". By 1871, it was not large enough and a two-story school was built. Gallatin School moved in 1893 to its present site. Later, Alameda School and Downey School were built. By 1883, College Settlement, Gallatin and Downey joined together and with the help of Governor Downey convinced the Southern Pacific Railroad to route through and stop in Downey. The new center of activity migrated to the depot area and this became the center of a new larger Downey, uniting the three previous settlements.[12]

After World War II

Workers in Downey building Vultee Vengeance bombers for the Royal Air Force in 1943[13]

Farmers in the area grew grain, corn,

castor beans, and fruit, and by 1935 Downey was characterized as an "orange-grove town".[14]
Downey was incorporated in 1956 and instituted a charter form of government in 1964. Suburban homes and factories replaced the farms after World War II.

Aerospace

North American Rockwell, then Rockwell International which was then bought by the Boeing company) whose facilities were the birthplace of the systems for the Apollo Space Program as well as the Space Shuttle. For over 70 years, Downey's Rockwell NASA
plant produced and tested many of the 20th century's greatest aviation, missile, and space endeavors.

By the early 1970s, the facilities encompassed some 1,700,000 square feet (160,000 m2) of enclosed area over more than 200 acres (81 ha). But, by the post-

movie studio site of Downey Studios), a Kaiser Permanente
hospital, and a city recreation fields park.

Other landmarks

Near the center of the city lies what was in the 1960s one of the busiest intersections in California, the intersection of Lakewood Boulevard (

Pueblo de Los Angeles to San Diego
.

In the 1960s, the town's Downey Records achieved some notoriety with recordings such as The Chantays' surfing instrumental "Pipeline"; nearly two decades later, Downey local music scene led to the founding of The Blasters and Dark Angel.

Downey is home to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center which is the main public rehabilitation hospital for Los Angeles County. Rancho Los Amigos is renowned worldwide for its innovative contributions to the care of spinal cord injuries and post-polio syndrome.[17]

Downey was featured in the 2008 American action-comedy film Pineapple Express. Many of the buildings along Florence Avenue are seen in a driving sequence early in the film.[18]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (33 km2). 12.4 square miles (32 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it is water.

The cities of South Gate and Bell Gardens are adjacent to the west and northwest, Pico Rivera lies to the northeast, Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk to the east, and Paramount and Bellflower are to the south.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification system, Downey has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated BSk on climate maps.[19]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
196082,505—
197088,5737.4%
198082,602−6.7%
199091,44410.7%
2000107,32317.4%
2010111,7724.1%
2020114,3552.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]

2010

The

Salvadoran, 2.0% Cuban
, 2.0% Guatemalan, 1.1% Peruvian, and 1.0% Nicaraguan ancestry.

The Census reported that 111,089 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 122 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 561 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 33,936 households, out of which 15,697 (46.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17,405 (51.3%) were

families
(78.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.68.

The population was spread out, with 29,972 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 12,108 people (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 33,056 people (29.6%) aged 25 to 44, 25,057 people (22.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,579 people (10.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

There were 35,601 housing units at an average density of 2,832.7 per square mile (1,093.7/km2), of which 17,135 (50.5%) were owner-occupied, and 16,801 (49.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 59,555 people (53.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 51,534 people (46.1%) lived in rental housing units. Approximately 30–40 homeless reside in the area.[23]

According to the 2010 United States Census, Downey had a median household income of $60,939, with 11.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[22]

Homes in Downey

2000

As of the

Latino
of any race.

Out of 33,989 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. Collectively, 19.1% of these households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.55.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,000 and the median income for a family was $50,017. Males had a median income of $35,991 versus $28,768 for females. The

poverty line
, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Mexican and German were the most common ancestries in Downey. Mexico and Korea were the most common foreign places of birth.[25]

Homelessness

In 2022, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count counted 218 homeless individuals in Downey.[26]

Homeless population
YearPop.±%
2016 200—    
2017 124−38.0%
2018 180+45.2%
2019 174−3.3%
2020 258+48.3%
2022 218−15.5%
Source: Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

Crime

While reports of robberies, aggravated assaults, and petty thefts in Downey dropped in 2008, auto thefts reached a 10-year high. In 2008, 1,231 vehicles were reported stolen in Downey. Other crimes recorded by the FBI Crime Index for the year 2008 include 252 robberies, 172 aggravated assaults, 24 rapes, 711 burglaries, and 2,038 acts of larceny/thefts.[27]

Anti-gang activities

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Downey saw an increase in gang activity. Today there is still gang activity going in the south area of Downey. In response, Downey formed GOOD (Gangs Out Of Downey), a community-based organization that helps encourage young people between the ages of 10–20 to stay away from gangs.[28] GOOD is also responsible for organizing many community events and programs such as various sports, after-school care, scholarship programs for at-risk students looking to attend college, and counseling for both young people and their parents. GOOD has kept a close partnership with the Downey Police Department.[29]

Economy

Most Business-Friendly Award

In 2017, the City of Downey was recognized as L.A. County's "Most Business-Friendly City" by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for cities with a population greater than 68,000.[30]

Largest employers

Downtown Downey

According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[31] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Kaiser Permanente 5,400
2 Stonewood Center 2,000
3 Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center 1,600
4
PIH Health Hospital - Downey
 1,500
5 Office of Education, County of Los Angeles 1,425
6 Downey Unified School District 1,354
7 Coca-Cola Refreshments 800
8 Internal Service Department, County of Los Angeles 712
9 City of Downey 700
10 Lakewood Health Center 450

Government

In the

the 30th Senate District, represented by Democrat Bob Archuleta, and in the 58th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sabrina Cervantes.[32]

In the United States House of Representatives, Downey is in California's 42nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Robert Garcia.[33]

Culture

The author Tom Wolfe wrote about Downey. His article "The Hair Boys" was about Harvey's Drive-in and the fashions that the hair boys wore. He claimed that Harvey's was one of the great unacknowledged centers of fashion in the world. The essay appears in his 1968 book "The Pump House Gang." His drawing of one of the hair boys appears in his book "In Our Time."

In 1955, Downey was featured in newspapers worldwide when truck driver George Di Peso lived at 7739 Alderdale Street and had a gopher problem. He tried to solve it by putting a hose down a gopher hole and turning on the water to drown it, but could not get the hose out afterwards. He then noticed that the hose was slowly being pulled down the hole. Wire services found out about this, and the mysterious phenomenon was reported in newspapers worldwide. According to a July 3, 1955 front-page article in the Los Angeles Times ("Tokyo Awaits Arrival of Downey Hose"), "A message received from Tokyo at the United Press office here read 'Tell Di Peso in Downey the other end of his hose has not turned up here, but we're all still looking.'" There was a great deal of speculation about the cause of the disappearing hose. Eventually the hose vanished completely. The most likely explanation was that there was an underground river that pulled at the hose.

In the early 1960s, it was widely reported that the Downey City Library had banned Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books because Tarzan was not married to Jane when they conceived Boy. Evidence for the rumor's staying power is in articles in the Los Angeles Times that were published in the 1970s (for example, "Downey Sends L.A. Back to the Bush League," Jack Smith, May 8, 1970). The rumor about Tarzan was, however, an exaggeration. According to "Zane Grey Also Safe: Tarzan’s Marital Status No Issue as Downey School Ban Is Denied" (Los Angeles Times December 28, 1961), a rumor spread that one of Downey's elementary schools had removed Edgar Rice Burroughs and Zane Grey books from its library because "1—There was no indication that Tarzan and his mate, Jane, were ever married before they took up housekeeping in the treetops," and "2—Grey was known to put such expletives as 'damn!’ and 'hell' in the mouths of his western cowhands." It turns out that there was no "ban." What happened was that in one elementary school, a parent had put two Zane Grey books "out of site in a desk drawer." No Tarzan books were involved. The Zane Grey books were put back on the shelves.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Catholic parish church in Downey

Most of Downey is within the

Governor John G. Downey and Governor and US Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren
.

Downey has three public high schools: Downey, Warren, and Columbus High School. Other public schools include:

  • Stauffer Middle School (formerly West Middle School)
  • Doty Middle School (formerly East Middle School)
  • Griffiths Middle School (formerly North Middle School) It was named after a revered principal, Gordon Griffiths.
  • Sussman Middle School (formerly South Middle School)
  • Alameda Elementary School
  • Carpenter Elementary School
  • Gallatin Elementary School
  • Gauldin Elementary School
  • Imperial Elementary School
  • Lewis Elementary School
  • Old River Elementary School
  • Price Elementary School
  • Rio Hondo Elementary School
  • Rio San Gabriel Elementary School
  • Unsworth Elementary School
  • Ward Elementary School
  • Williams Elementary School

Small sections are within the

Little Lake City Elementary School District and Whittier Union High School District.[34]

Private schools include:

Roman Catholic schools are under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Public libraries

The Downey City Library serves the city. The first library in Downey was established in 1901 by a women's social club that was founded in 1898. The

County of Los Angeles Public Library opened a branch in Downey in September 1915. The county branch moved several times; its final location was in the County Civic Center. In 1958 the Downey City Council voted to establish its own library and withdraw from the county system. The city library services were originally provided out of the back of a bookstore. The city library opened in the former cafeteria of the former Downey Elementary School, then being used as the city hall and police station, on July 1, 1958. A permanent library building was built on December 7, 1959. It had almost 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) and it was built for $186,200, costing $11.97 per square foot. It was dedicated on December 17 and opened on December 18. In February 1984 an addition of almost 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) was completed and dedicated.[38]

In March 2019, the city announced that it would be using Measure S funds to begin remodeling on the city library. The remodeling was initially supposed to last 15 months, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the project. The remodeled city library opened on May 3, 2021 with notable updates including mobile app support for checkouts and a multi-use community space.[39]

In addition, the headquarters of the County of Los Angeles Public Library are located in Downey.[40]

Infrastructure

Health care

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Downey.[41]

Post office

The United States Postal Service operates the Downey Post Office at 8111 Firestone Boulevard,[42] the North Downey Post Office at 10409 Lakewood Boulevard,[43] and the South Downey Post Office at 7911 Imperial Highway.[44]

Transportation

Any of four freeways can conveniently reach the city:

I-710
passes just west of the city.

DowneyLINK
.

Notable people

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in California

Downey's

sister cities are:[55][56]

Media

The Downey Patriot is a weekly community newspaper serving the Downey community. The Los Angeles Times and the Press-Telegram are the daily newspapers that provide daily local coverage in Los Angeles County and the Gateway Cities region.

References

  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "City Manager". City of Downey. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ^ "Mayor & City Council". City of Downey. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  4. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Downey". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  6. ^ Kyle, Douglas E. (1990). Historic Spots in California, 4th ed. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  7. ^ "Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (CA Mission #4)". Clio. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Beck, Warren A., Haase, Ynez D. (1974). Historical Atlas of California. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
  9. ^ Quinn, Charles Russell (1973). The History of Downey, California Published by Elena Quinn; copyright by City of Downey, California.
  10. ^ Morrison, Easter Bangle (1939). History of Downey and Vicinity. p. 118.
  11. ^ a b "John's Irish History". Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  12. ^ Pierce, Eric (January 8, 2010). "Looking back on Gallatin Elementary School". Downey Patriot.
  13. ^
    ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4
    .
  14. ^ Romance & History of California Ranchos. Myrtle Garrison. 1935. page 11. Harr Wagner Publishing Company, San Francisco, CA.
  15. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4
    .
  16. ^ "Columbia Memorial Space Center -". Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  17. ^ "Official Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center website". Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  18. ^ "Pineapple Express (2008)". IMDb. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  19. ^ "Downey, California Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  20. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Downey city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  22. ^ a b "Downey city California QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Archived from the original on January 1, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  23. ^ City of Downey, 3685.pdf;[not specific enough to verify] Sec. 3, Consolidated Plan 2010-2015
  24. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  25. ^ "Downey".
  26. ^ "Homeless Count by City/Community". LAHSA. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  27. ^ Auto theft climbs to 10 year high Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from The Downey Patriot
  28. ^ "GANGS OUT OF DOWNEY (GOOD)". Points of Light. Points of Light. July 11, 2002. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  29. ^ "Daily Points of Light" (PDF). 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  30. ^ "Cities of Downey, Arcadia Recognized as LA County's "Most Business Friendly" at Eddy Awards - Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation". Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. November 9, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  31. ^ "Annual Comprehensive Financial Report". City of Downey, California. June 30, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  32. ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  33. ^ "California's 42nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
  34. ^
    U.S. Census Bureau
    . p. 10 (PDF p. 11/19). Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  35. ^ "District Map" (Archive). Montebello Unified School District. Retrieved on January 3, 2017.
  36. ^ About Us Archived September 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at cccsdowney.org
  37. ^ "OLPH School". OLPH School.
  38. ^ "About the Library Archived January 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Downey Public Library. Retrieved on March 5, 2010.
  39. ^ "After 2-year closure, Downey Library reopens". The Downey Patriot. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  40. County of Los Angeles Public Library
    . Retrieved on March 5, 2010.
  41. ^ "Whittier Health Center" (PDF). Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2010.
  42. ^ "Post Office Location - DOWNEY." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  43. ^ "Post Office Location - NORTH DOWNEY." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  44. ^ "Post Office Location - SOUTH DOWNEY." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  45. ^ Linton, Joe (October 3, 2020). "Metro Plans to Take Out 200+ Downey Homes to Widen 5 and 605 Freeways". Streetsblog Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  46. ^ "Carpenters Fans Ask- Richard Answers, May 2005". Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  47. ^ "Kevin Gross Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  48. ^ "Leon Hooten Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  49. ^ "Evan Longoria Stats, Fantasy & News". San Francisco Giants.
  50. ^ Inc., Baseball Almanac. "1923 New York Yankees Roster by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved October 18, 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  51. ^ "Bob Meusel | Society for American Baseball Research". sabr.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  52. ^ "Tom Nieto Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  53. ^ "EMI Music Publishing Wins Big At The Grammys! - EMI Music Publishing". Emimusicpub.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  54. ^ "Dennis Eugene Sproul". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  55. ^ "Downey, Irish county are sister cities". thedowneypatriot.com. The Downey Patriot. February 28, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  56. ^ "Efrat, Israel is Downey's newest sister city". thedowneypatriot.com. The Downey Patriot. September 17, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2021.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Downey.
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