[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 151 (Friday, October 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2079-E2080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 4, 2007

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city 
of Bellflower and ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating its 
residents on the city's 50th anniversary. I am proud to represent this 
unique city as part of my 34th Congressional District of California.
  And while we honor 50 years of official incorporation, Bellflower's 
roots date back to 1784, when a Spanish leatherjacket soldier named 
Manuel Nieto received a 300,000-acre land grant on which to graze 
livestock. After Nieto passed away in 1804, his land was divided into 
five smaller ranchos that were distributed to his heirs in 1832. His 
daughter, Manuela Cota, received a 27,000-acre plot known as Rancho Los 
Cerritos. After several changes in ownership, the rancho was eventually 
purchased by Lewellyn Bixby during the 1860s. Bixby's brother, Jotham, 
who was selected to manage the ranch, divided the land into several 
sections, including a 4,000-acre area called Somerset Ranch. This is 
the land on which much of Bellflower as we now know it would eventually 
sit.
  During the late 1800s, a settlement began to sprout up along the 
banks of the San Gabriel River, but the community remained small and 
the population numbered less than 100 through the early part of the 
20th century. The completion of a Pacific Electric Railway line through 
Somerset Ranch in 1905, and the vision of founders Emil Firth and Frank 
E. Woodruff to subdivide large ranches into town-sized lots provided a 
catalyst for growth. By 1912, Bellflower's population numbered more 
than 1,200.
  Bellflower remained a rural community for many years and became known 
for its dairy and poultry farming. Many Dutch, Portuguese, Hispanic and 
Japanese immigrants settled in

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the area to take advantage of the community's thriving agriculture 
industry, and by the late 1940s, Bellflower's population boomed to more 
than 44,000. As the town's population continued to grow, the community 
began to consider incorporation. And on September 3, 1957, the proud 
community was granted a certificate of city incorporation and became 
California's 348th city.
  Fifty years later, Bellflower has blossomed into a dynamic and 
diverse community of more than 77,000 people. The city has left its 
rural roots behind, and is now focused on attracting new, quality 
businesses to a community that houses more than 3,000 merchants. 
Bellflower also remains committed to community development and has 
several projects in the works that will help beautify an already 
attractive city, including the opening of Pirate Park--a pirate-themed 
play area--the restoration of the historic Pacific Electric Railway 
Depot and the development of the three-acre Palm Street Linear Park, 
which will feature bike and walking trails.
  Bellflower will mark its 50th anniversary in mid-October with a week 
of exciting events, including its annual Liberty Day Parade, a 
fireworks show, a cow-milking contest and several concerts. I'm honored 
to recognize this historic milestone in this city's rich history.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating 
Bellflower's first 50 years as this thriving community continues to 
live by its motto of ``Growing Together'' and works toward a prosperous 
future.

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