Timeline

1784

Manuel Nieto

Manuel Nieto, a retired captain who served in the Portola Expedition, was granted 300,000 plus acres by the King of Spain, stretching from the hills north of Whittier to the sea, and from the Santa Ana River to the San Gabriel River.

1835

Juan Crispin Perez

Juan Crispin Perez received the grant for the Rancho Paso de Bartolo land that was initially property of the San Gabriel Mission.

1850

California statehood

California statehood

California became the 31st state

Pio Pico

Pio Pico

Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California, purchased the Perez Grant in five parcels. Pico built his home east of the San Gabriel River and south of Whittier Blvd, now the Pio Pico State Historic Park.

Click here to learn more about Pio Pico

1867

Harriet Russell Strong

Harriet Russell Strong

Harriet Russell Strong and her husband Charles purchased their ranch from Pio Pico.

Click here to learn more about Harriet Russell Strong

Click here to learn more about Pio Pico

1868

Bailey House Land

Jacob F. Gerkens, a German immigrant, paid $234 for public land on the southern slope of Puente Hills. These lands were not surveyed as a part of the Rancho Paso de Bartolo. The small house he built would later become known as the Bailey House.

1879

Bailey House Land

R.M. Town lost the land, which he had purchased in 1870 from Gerkens, in a foreclosure.

1884

Lou Henry Hoover

Lou Henry Hoover’s family moved to Whittier when she was 10.

Click here to learn more about Lou Henry Hoover

1885

Evergreen School

The Evergreen School was built and opened the following year on the corner of Painter and County Road (Whittier Blvd).

1887

Depression

Whittier experienced its first depression due to lack of water and lack of commerce, which would last until 1894.

Whittier naming

The Pickering Land & Water Co. purchased 1,259 acres of land for $69,890 from J. Mill Boal. Whittier was named by Aquila Pickering and other Friends after the well-known Quaker poet, John Greenleaf Whittier.

Baileys move in

Baileys move in

Jonathan and Rebecca Bailey, Whittier ‘s first settlers, moved into what is now known as the Bailey House.

Newspaper

The first Whittier Newspaper was started by Whittier pioneers.

1888

Southern Pacific Railroad

The Southern Pacific Railroad completed its first line to Whittier.

Greenleaf Hotel

Whittier pioneers built the Greenleaf Hotel.

1889

Alva Starbuck

Alva Starbuck was appointed Whittier’s first postmaster.

1890

Whittier Reform School

The cornerstone for the administration building of the “Reform School for Juvenile Offenders” was laid on February 12, 1890, an event attended by 10,000 people. The school opened on July 1, 1891 and provided work for many in the community.

1891

Whittier College

The Whittier Academy (later known as Whittier College) was officially established. Several unsuccessful attempts had been made in prior years.

Lights Turned on at Whittier Reform School

On Oct. 21, 1891, The Whittier Reform School was the first building in Whittier to have electric lights. The dynamos and turbines used to generate electricity were housed onsite in the powerhouse building. The Los Angeles Times reported on Oct. 22, 1891, “Last evening the machinery for the power in Trades building, the steam heating and the electric lighting at the State Reform School at Whittier was completed and the power turned on. The lights could be seen plainly from this city [Los Angeles]. Quite a number of visitors went out from the city and were entertained by the superintendent. There are now seventy-three children in the school.”

1892

Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy hired A.L. Reed to build the flume that carried water to East Whittier and the Whittier Colony.

1894

Founder’s Day

The first Founder’s Day Celebration was held on May 11 in Central Park.

Pio Pico Dies

Pio Pico died on September 11, 1894 at the home of his daughter Joaquina Moreno in Los Angeles.

Click here to learn more about Pio Pico

1898

Incorporation

Whittier was incorporated as a sixth-class city.

1900

Sunset Telephone & Telegraph

The Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Company was established in Whittier.

Water bonds

Municipal water bonds were sold to build a water plant.

Board of Trade

The Whittier Board of Trade was organized.

1902

Auto manufacturing

Manufacturing of automobiles began in Whittier by Al Bowe, a blacksmith, and H. H. Hooper, a jeweler, who made two types of cars.

1903

Whittier Branch

Whittier granted a 50-year franchise to the Pacific Electric Company. Southern Pacific’s second railroad line, known as the “Whittier Branch,” was built by the Pacific Electric.

1904

Home Telephone Company

Permanent telephone service was installed by Home Telephone Co., located on the corner of Bright Avenue and Philadelphia Street, servicing 80 homes.

Red cars

The first “Red Car” comes to Whittier. Lines were on Whittier Blvd., Philadelphia St., and Greenleaf Ave.

1905

Auto agents

The first automobile agents were established in Whittier: Saunders Brothers and Charlie Gordon.

Whittier High

Residents voted to build Union High School (now Whittier High School) on Philadelphia Street.

1906

Oil

Whittier’s output of oil was 96,000 barrels a month. Approximately 80 men were employed in the oil industry.

1907

Whittier Blvd

The City of Whittier began paving Whittier Boulevard.

Carnegie library

Carnegie library

The Carnegie Library opened at the corner of Greenleaf Avenue and Bailey Street with a $12,500 grant from Andrew Carnegie, but it was later torn down in the 1950s.

1910

Concerts

City band concerts were held in Central Park.

1912

Elections

Whittier organized election precincts and polling places.

1914

Pio Pico Mansion

The Pio Pico Mansion was donated to the state. The property was administered as California ‘s first historic state park.

Click here to learn more about Pio Pico

Whittier Police

The Whittier Police Department was organized.

1915

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison visited Whittier.

1921

Santa Fe Springs oil

Santa Fe Springs oil fields were discovered.

Murphy Hospital

The Murphy Memorial Hospital site was donated by Colonel Simon J. Murphy, Jr. in honor of his parents, and opened its doors on May 21st at 7:00 am.

1922

John Muir School

The first junior high school, John Muir School, was built on Hadley Street and Whittier Avenue.

Nixon moves to Whittier

Richard Milhous Nixon and his family move to Whittier from Yorba Linda.

Click here to learn more about Nixon.

1926

Harriet Russell Strong Dies

On a trip back to her ranch in September of 1926, Harriet Russell Strong was involved in a fatal car accident.

Click here to learn more about Harriet Russell Strong

1930

Sunset Club

The Sunset Club was established as a social “keep acquainted” organization for older citizens in Whittier.

1932

Whittier Symphony

The Whittier Symphony was founded.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein spoke for Whittier College in the Whittier High School Auditorium.

1936

Post Office

A Federal Building was built to house the Whittier Post Office. Construction was facilitated by President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Post Office and other buildings around the country were built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

1937

Golden Jubilee

Whittier celebrated its Golden Jubilee.

1946

Nixon’s first political office

Richard Milhous Nixon was elected to his first political office for California’s 12th district in the House of Representatives.

Click here to learn more about Nixon.

1949

Government

The City adopted a Charter form of government.

Snow

Snow was seen for the first time in Whittier since 1932, when the temperature dipped below 27 degrees.

1955

City Hall

The new City Hall was dedicated.

1957

Whittier Hospital

Whittier Hospital opened.

1958

Salih Car Wins Indy 500

The Belond-AP Special, built by George Salih in the garage of his Whittier home, wins the Indy 500 race.

Click here to learn more about George Salih

1959

Library

The new Whittier City Library on Washington Ave and Mar Vista St was built as part of the Civic Center.

PIH

The Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital opened.

1961

East Whittier

A portion of East Whittier was annexed to Whittier, adding 28,000 people to the population, which now totaled 67,487.

1963

Uptown

Redevelopment planning for uptown was started.

Murphy Hospital

Murphy Memorial Hospital closed its doors. It was completely demolished 20 years later.

1964

Rio Hondo Symphony

The Rio Hondo Symphony was established from the existing Whittier Symphony.

1968

Founder’s Park

Founder’s Park was created from the Broadway and Mt Olive (Clark) Cemeteries.

Founder’s Hall

Founder’s Hall burned down (Located on the hill at Whittier College) on Friday, December 13th.

Nixon elected President

Whittier’s own Richard Milhous Nixon was elected as the 37th President of the United States.

Click here to learn more about Richard Milhous Nixon

1970

Population

Whittier ‘s population surpassed 73,000.

1973

Redevelopment Agency

The Whittier Redevelopment Agency was formed. They adopted a village concept for Whittier in 1977.

1976

Bicentennial Fountains

A Bicentennial Memorial Dedication of Fountains was held at Beverly and Norwalk Streets in honor of the United States Bicentennial. The fountains honor First Ladies Lou Henry Hoover and Pat Nixon.

1978

Vic Lopez

Vic Lopez, Whittier’s first Latino councilman, was elected to the City Council three times, serving between 1978 and 1990. The Whittier High School auditorium is named after him.

1979

William Penn Hotel

The William Penn Hotel was destroyed by fire.

1981

Whittier Museum

The Whittier Museum was acquired for $250,000.00 at Newlin and Philadelphia Streets. It opened to the public in 1983.

1984

Central Park Concerts

Band Concerts in Central Park were resumed for the first time in 30 years.

1987

Shake & Bake

A 5.9 earthquake hit the city of Whittier, originating from the Whittier-Narrows fault.

Centennial

Whittier celebrated its 100th Anniversary with festivities and parades throughout the year.

Cultural Arts Commission

The Cultural Arts Commission of Whittier was formed.

1994

Nixon Dies

Richard Milhous Nixon dies of a stroke on April 18th.

Click here to learn more about Nixon.

2000

Whittier High Centennial

Whittier High School celebrated its centennial.

Train Depot

A 110 year old historic Train Depot was moved from Philadelphia St to Greenleaf Ave.

2004

Nelles Closure

Fred C. Nelles youth correctional facility closes.

2006

Museum Mural

Museum Mural

The Whittier Museum’s mural was painted in 2006 by Dennis McGonagle.

Click here to learn more about McGonagle and his work

2018

Nelles Groundbreaking

Brookfield Residential Inc broke ground on the redevelopment of the Fred C Nelles site on April 4, 2018.