The herald., 1895-12-15

which run over the beach line of that road,
and riding distance of twelve miles
toward the ocean, and TO point about
nine miles from Long Beach.
The town is an outgrowth of the Califor-
MIA Cooperative Colony, a corporation es-
tablshed in Los Angeles in April 1887.
The corporation was composed OF zoo en-
terprsing men and women who, &c ling UNI
der charter from the state. engaged in
the work of buying, subdividing and either
selling or improving agricultural lands.
They purchased, OH an option. 7,340 acres
or the north half of the famous old Cerritos
ranch, then owned by the Bixby brothers.
1t is moist, level land, i'll an artesian belt,
and up to the time of the purchase it had
never been improved but was used only as
a stock ranch.
In due time the colony people, whose
business headquarters were in Los An
peles, subdivided the land, laid out town
one mile square and called it Clearwater.
The enterprise proved a success. but not
fortune maker for anybody. The subse-
quent flattening out of the real estate
boom checked the progress of this bond
scheme, as ii did of all others in Los An
geles county. and prevented its projectors
from accomplishing all that they had con-
templated.
But today Clearwater is a growing,
prosperous place, with excellent natural
advantages. and as intelligent, contented a
class OF residents as can De 1otlIlu any
where in this country.
Among the natural advantages of the
location are the great fertility of the soil,
the abundance of artesian water gushing
from the earth through the numerous wells
already sunk. and with indications of an
inexhaustible supply for all future use
the proximity of the town of Los Angeles,
and also to Long Beach, superb climatic
conditions, and picturesque scenery on all
sides. At the north end of the town is a
beautiful little lake, which is fed the year
round from wells and some unseen source.
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers
are al SO features of the tract.
Everything commonly raised in South
ern California can be produced in the Vi
cinity of Clearwater, except that it is not
considered first-class locality for citrus
fruits, though experiments in orange
growing there have been quite successful.
For sugar beet raising the soil is excel
lent.
Some of the corn crops raised there are
of almost fabulous magnitude.
Up to the fall of 1872 Clearwater had no
direct connection with Los Angeles, the
beach or any other place. Being located
only two and half miles east of Compton
and three miles south of Downey, however.
stage connections were established, be-
tween the colony town and those points
where trains en- the Southern Pacific road
were accessible. In 1858 postoftice was
applied for and established at Clearwater,
and Henry Harrison, one of the early
promoters OF the colony enterprise, was
the first postmaster appointed. Mr.. Harri-
son is now the Terminal Railroad station
agent at Long Beach, having charge of that
station and the one at Alamitos also.
Though receiving the appointment of post
master from the Harrison administration,
and serving in federal Office for several
years, Henry Harrison did not then nor
does he now claim any relationship to Ben
jamin Harrison. nor does he belong to the
same school of politics as his illustrious
namesake.
In February. 800, the beach division of
the Los Angeles Terminal railroad was
completed and opened for business. the
line running from this city through Clear
water and Long Beach to East San Pedro,
distance of . miles and fraction over.
This gave Clearwater fresh impetus, and
its growth since then, though not rapid,
has been continuous and substantial. The
railroad company erected a commodious
depot at convenient point, and a smaller
one at South Clearwater. so that everybody
living inside the town limits or near them
is accommodated. Clearwater is the most
important point on the road between this
city and the beach. and the travelling and
shipping facilities afforded by the Terminal
road are appreciated by all residents of
the place.
In 1881 the property owners OF the
school district decided to have new school
house, the small one first erected having
been outgrown. The..esult wa = he cree.
ton of a public school buildit- that s
scarcely excelled in any country district OF
this county. Even that building is now
taxed to its utmost capacity. The school
is ably conducted by C. ID. Tucker, assisted
by Miss Ella ID. Maxon. The school board
consists of NJ. T.. Menther, John A. Phil
bin and W. o. Houston. The school is one
of the most prosperous in the county.
A church edfice has recently been erect.