For hundreds of years, the land where our city is today was wooded marsh where people came to hunt, or water their horses and cattle. Native Americans roamed here with Spanish settlers coming later. With time people came and went in this wooded marsh and, around the turn of the 20th century, the land was used agriculturally and sparsely populated.
For hundreds of years, the land where our city is today was wooded marsh where people came to hunt, or water their horses and cattle. Native Americans roamed here with Spanish settlers coming later. With time people came and went in this wooded marsh and, around the turn of the 20th century, the land was used agriculturally and sparsely populated.
During the 1940s, Hawaiian Gardens was a small, rural community of dairy and truck farms that was considered unincorporated part of Artesia. As the area grew, so did the residents’ awareness of being a separate community. On April 9, 1964, the city of Hawaiian Gardens was formally incorporated as a city. With less than a half square mile in area and an estimated population of 3,000, it was the smallest city in the State of California.
The name, Hawaiian Gardens, was borrowed from a bamboo shack refreshment stand that operated on Carson and Norwalk Blvd in 1927. The new city of Hawaiian Gardens grew quickly and within 5 years of incorporation all of the dirt streets had been paved, over 54 streetlights had been installed.
Hawaiian Gardens adopted the motto “Our Youth Our Future” and placed a high priority on community and social programs. By 1966 the City’s first park Lee Ware was opened. By 1977 the city developed its $2.5 million dollar recreation and administration building on Pioneer Blvd, which is now known as C. Robert Lee Activity Center and City Hall. In the 1980’s, the newly-created St. Peter Chanel was opened to the community and the early 1990’s brought struggle to our city, with the massive loss of manufacturing jobs in our working-class area.
By April 2001, the Hawaiian Gardens Casino opened their doors and the new revenue source provided the city with the opportunity to enhance community services and programs. Today, the city of Hawaiian Gardens is a thriving community with a growing population and flourishing budget.
Over the last five years it has constructed a new, state-of-the-art public safety center, library, sports complex and memorials built in honor of our veterans and public safety personnel. Most importantly, today it continues to be a small city with a big heart and bright future, focused on community services and our youth.
