Hawthorne

In its early days Hawthorne had one grocery store, and meat was brought by wagon from Inglewood three times a week. There was a furniture factory, an overall factory, a glove factory, and an art leather firm. Both the church and school shared the same space. The school had 16 students from kindergarten to 18 years of age. Mail service began in October 1908. By 1921 the population had reached 2,000, and Hawthorne was incorporated in July 1922.
The first census was taken in 1930 and showed 6,595 residents. In 1939 Northrop Aircraft Inc. moved to Hawthorne with 50 people on the payroll. Dozens of firms moved to Hawthorne to acquire Northrop subcontracts. From that time on industrial and commercial development in Hawthorne proceeded at a steady pace. Northrop and Hawthorne enjoyed a long period of prosperity and cooperation. With the growth of the aviation industry and the subsequent aerospace industry, Hawthorne became known as the Cradle of Aviation and enjoyed a boom for many years in both jobs and real estate.
The City of Hawthorne has grown from a small, largely rural community and today is a well-rounded mixture of business, industries and homes.