City Of Lynwood: Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

Press release from the City of Lynwood:

September 13, 2021

Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week (September 15-October 15). As the City of Lynwood celebrates its Centennial year, we also celebrate our origin story.

In 1810, Don Antonio Maria Lugo, was awarded 11 square leagues of land in California by the king of Spain (California was under Spanish rule at that time). Lugo named those tracts of land (29,514 acres) Rancho San Antonio – that land currently makes up most of the Southeast LA cities, including Lynwood. Lugo maintained a home in the Pueblo de Los Angeles, near the plaza across from a church (now Olvera Street) and was one of the largest landowners in California – owning land from San Diego to Sonoma. He was also the alcalde (mayor) of Los Angeles from 1816-1819.

Upon Lugo’s death in 1860, the ranch was divided among his children. His daughter, Guadalupe Lugo inherited Rancho San Antonio and later deeded it to a Los Angeles banker. The land changed hands several times over the years with a portion of it ending up with Charles H. Sessions, who ran the Lynwood Dairy and Creamery (remember, his wife was Lynne Wood).

You can read more about the history of Lynwood and order the book at: http://lynwood.ca.us/history-2/

#WeAreLynwood

#StrengthThroughCommunity

This press release was produced by the City of Lynwood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.