Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-01-01
EAST WHITTIER.
The Newest Candidate in
TOwnsites. 81
RIvAL TO THE BEST
Fine Views, Good Soil, Plenty Of
Fresh Water-LOvely Whit
tiers Twin Sitter.

In giving to the readers OF the
HERALD some facts concerning the
town OF East Whittier, and the i'm
pcrtant work OF water development
which is now being done by the prom
inent capitalists who have purchased
this town site and made extensive
improvements thereon, preparatory
to placing this valuable property or
the market, it will not be out Of
place to refer, somewhat in detail, te
the unprecedented growth and flatter'
ing prospects of the town Of Whittier
adjoining East Whittier on the west
WHITTIER OCCUPIES AN ELEVATED pLA.
On the mesa, on the southern slope oil
the Puente hills. about fourteen miles
southeast OF Los Angeles and about
four miles north of Norwalk, on the
Southern Pacific Railways branch
road to Santa Ana. AS late as last
May the site OF the town Of Whittier
was covered by waving barley, and
yielded a bountiful crop. In April
1887, the Pickering Land and Water
Company, composed of CAPT
talists from Los Angeles and
from several Eastern cities,
was organized, with a capital stock
Of $500, 900, with the ayowed purpose
of selecting and purchasing site fol
the permanent location Of colony OF
Orthodox Friends. From the number
Of places offered this company, tie
rite OF Whittier was selected, because
it combined, In the opinion Of the
managers Of this company, more adj
vantages than any other locality,
After one month well spent in prepar-
atory work, the TOWNSHIP was placed
on the market during the month
of May, at q time when
the crop of barley which had
just been harvested, had not all been
hauled away from the field that pro-
duced IL SO beautifully. Lots were
scheduled at $3.50 and 500, and with
in sixty days over 500 Of the 76S (the
original number) had found purchas-
ers, to say nothing Of all the acreage
property, which comprised about
1000 acres. divided into five and ten
acre tracts. Unlike many other new
towns, purchasers OF property in
Whittier Immediately went to work
TO improve it,sGit being literally
true that every day the sun dawned
on new house in this thriving viii
lage, and the barley field Of last May
is now a prosperous young city with q
of about 600 and buildings
numbering about LIS. So steady has
been the growth OF Whittier that lots
purchased at $3.50 and 5000
are changing hands at from $500 to
$500, and in some instances as
much as $1,000 has been refused for
certain choice business lots. This
rise in values is not con-
fined to town lots, for acreage prop
erty, originally scheduled at $500 per
acre has attained the price Of $1,000
and $500 per acre. The unprece-
dented activity in the affairs OF this
colony naturally attracted general at
tention, and business of every des-
crip,ion is booming. Hotels, Zone of
which alone was built at cost Of
$35 .00O), q bank, stores of various
kinds. shops, all do lively business
In supplying the wants of the COM
School and churches have
received their good share Of attention,
ant, taken as q whole, the town of
stands at the head OF all the
new towns of Southern California in
point Of rapid growth and flattering
EAST WHITTIER (FORMERLY RAMfREz),
as its name implies, joins Whittier on
the east, and is part and parcel Of the
same plateau on which the town of
Whittier is built. This property,
about 1000 acres Of as fer
til soil az Southern California affords,
was formerly the Ramirez rancho,
and was purchased by q syndicate
last summer. 1t has been divided in
to a town site and small tracts of acre
age. Streets have been graded, ten
acre park laid out, and certain lots re-
served for school and church pur-
poses. Its position, more elevated than
Whittier proper, affords grand view
Of the whole country, from Los An
geles to Santa Ana on the west and
east, and to the ocean on the south
The climate of this locality is well
known to thousands from every State
in the Union, to say nothing Of the
people of Southern California,
who have visited Fulton
Wells, now Santa Fe Springs.
Owing to its protection on
the north by Puente Hills, the win
ters are milder than in other localities
SWEPT by the north winds. Tho unin-
terrupted sea breezes from the ocean,
some fifteen miles distant, temper the
heat of summer days so that no more
equable climate the year round can
be found even in Southern California.
THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL
OF East Whittier will at once be con-
coded by those who are compe-
tent to judge. 1t is light,
sandy loan, requiring less
water than heavier soils. A bearing
vineyard of 65 acres on this property
which has produced very superior
article of grapes, has never needed
irrigation. No one need take any
thing for granted as to what this soil
will grow, for q drive over the sur
rounding country will show the most
thrifty orchards of all kinds OF citrus
as we'll as deciduous fruits. The wal
nut, which is one of the cleanest and
safest, US well as most productive, Of
crops, can be seen in its glory
throughout this section.
The phenomenal growth of Whit
tier has attracted the attention Of
various railways. The Santa F6's
main line to San Diego will have a
station in close proximity. The
Southern Pacific is now grading q
branch to Whittier from o point on
Its Santa Ana branch; and the Long
Beach, Whittier and Los Angeles
Railroad, recently Incorporated with
SIS 900 200 capital, will soon connect
Whittier by rail with the outside