Jared Sidney Torrance facts for kids
Jared Sidney Torrance (born August 3, 1853 – died March 29, 1921) was an American real estate developer. He is most famous for founding the city of Torrance. This city is located in southwest Los Angeles County, California.
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Jared Torrance's Life in California
Jared Torrance was born in Gowanda, New York in 1853. Around 1887, he moved to Southern California. He first settled in Pasadena. There, he started working in real estate. He bought and sold land and buildings.
He even briefly owned the Mount Lowe Railway. This was a special mountain railway. It was located above Pasadena in the San Gabriel Mountains. He owned it around the year 1900.
Founding the City of Torrance
In the early 1900s, Jared Torrance had a big idea. He and other investors saw a great opportunity. They wanted to create a new community south of Los Angeles. This community would have both factories and homes.
They bought a large piece of land. This land was part of an old Spanish land grant called Rancho San Pedro. They then hired famous experts to help. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was a landscape architect. He designed the layout of the new city. Architect Irving Gill designed many of its main buildings.
The new city was founded in 1911. It was named Torrance, California after Jared Torrance himself.
Torrance Memorial Hospital
In 1920, Jared Torrance wanted to build a hospital in his new city. He formed the Torrance Hospital Association. Sadly, he passed away before the hospital could be built.
His wife, Helena Childs Torrance, made sure his dream came true. In 1925, the Jared Sidney Torrance Memorial Hospital opened. Today, it is known as the Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Family History Enthusiast
Jared Torrance was also very interested in his family's history. He was an amateur genealogist. This means he researched his family roots and ancestors. He spent a lot of time on this hobby.
He wrote a book called The Descendants of Lewis Hart and Anne Elliott. His wife published the book in 1923, after he had passed away.
Jared Sidney Torrance died in 1921.
