Walteria, Torrance facts for kids
Walteria is a neighborhood in the southern part of Torrance, California, a city in California, United States. It's surrounded by major roads like Hawthorne Boulevard to the east, Pacific Coast Highway to the south, Lomita Boulevard to the north, and Calle Mayor to the west. The local zip code is 90505.
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Discovering Walteria's Past
Early Days: The 1800s
The land that became Walteria was once part of a huge ranch called Rancho Palos Verdes. Imagine a time when this area was mostly open land!
Historians believe that a very old house, the José Dolores Sepúlveda Adobe, might have been built around 1818 in a spot near Walteria. You can still see old pepper trees in the area that might mark where it once stood.
In 1874, a man named Ben S. Weston bought a large piece of this ranch land. He paid $5,250 for about 3,000 acres. This huge property included what is now the Torrance Airport. Ben Weston's house, built way back in 1847, is still a home in Walteria today!
Walteria got its name from Captain A. Richard Walters. He moved to California in the 1880s and built a stop for stagecoaches. This stop was on an important road that connected the salt works in Redondo Beach to the harbor in San Pedro.
In 1888, people selling land started advertising Walteria. They said it had "pure air and delightful scenery." The name "Walteria" was chosen because it sounded nice, like other Spanish-inspired names for towns. However, Walteria was mostly a "paper town" – meaning it was planned on maps but not really built up. Many towns like this were planned during a big real estate boom in the 1880s, but then the boom ended. So, Walteria remained mostly farmland for a long time.
Growing Up: The 1900s
In 1924, oil was found on a local ranch, and eventually, 48 oil wells were drilled there. Walteria officially became part of the city of Torrance, California on March 12, 1928.
The Walteria branch of the Torrance library system first opened in 1937. Its first home was an old army building! During World War II, people in Walteria helped collect books for the library to honor the 111 local people serving in the military. The library moved several times before getting its own special building in 1962.
Students in Walteria attend Walteria Elementary School, Richardson Middle School, and South High School. The first Walteria School building was damaged by an earthquake in 1941.
Before World War II, many Japanese-American families lived and farmed in Walteria. Their children went to a separate "Japanese School." These families were very successful farmers. However, during World War II, many Japanese-American families were forced to leave their homes and farms. After the war, only a few of these families returned to Walteria.
Some farms and businesses in Walteria had to move when the Pacific Coast Highway was built.
Fun Places and Businesses in Walteria
In the middle of the 20th century, Walteria had some unique attractions. These included the Begonia Farm, the Bird Farm, strawberry farms, and the Smith Brothers Indian Village restaurant.
The Begonia Farm
The Palos Verdes Begonia Farm was a popular spot from 1941 to 1997. It was known for its beautiful flowers. After the farm closed, homes were built on the land, creating the Begonia Village neighborhood. There's even a small park in Torrance called Newton Triangle, which was originally named Begonia Park because the family who owned the farm donated the land to the city.
For a while, the Begonia Farm shared its space with the Smith Brothers Fish Shanty restaurant. This restaurant opened in 1948. It was later replaced by the Indian Village restaurant in 1963. The Indian Village restaurant had a fun theme, calling its drinks "firewater" and its prices "wampum." It closed in the 1970s, and the building later became a church.
The Palos Verdes Bird Farm
The Palos Verdes Bird Farm opened in Walteria in 1952. It was located on Pacific Coast Highway. This farm bought and sold many kinds of exotic birds. It also helped take care of lost pets and injured wild birds. In 1964, a fire at the farm sadly killed almost 1,000 birds, including a famous cockatoo named Tommy who had been in movies and TV shows.
One person remembered visiting the bird farm as a child, saying it had the biggest collection of birds in the city. They described rows of birdhouses filled with hundreds of colorful birds like painted finches, quail, and canaries. It felt like a trip to a faraway land! The bird farm closed in 1989 when its owners retired.
Other Notable Spots
The Dicalite mine, located in a Walteria valley, was a place where many Mexican-American men from nearby communities worked from the 1920s to the 1940s. They mined a material called diatomaceous earth.
A well-known preschool in Walteria, La Primera, was started in 1963 by a psychologist and author named Fitzhugh Dodson.
Walteria in Movies
Did you know that Walteria has even been in a movie? Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz filmed a scene for their movie The Long, Long Trailer in Walteria in 1953!
