Nine Random Facts About Lomita

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND NARBONNE AVENUE - A couple miles west off The Harbor Freeway going westbound along P.C.H. you find yourself driving across a city tucked between the city of Los Angeles' Harbor City (or is it Harbor Gateway), The South Bay and The Palos Verdes Peninsula called, Lomita.


The train depot at The Lomita Railroad Museum. Has this train depot always been in Lomita? Read more to find out. Used under a GNU Free Documentation License.

Like many places across Southern California at first glance Lomita may seem like your typical Southern California suburb, but, like many places throughout Southern California, Lomita, this city of a little over 20,000 residents, has some interesting history and unique connections to some famous people.

If you woke up today thinking, "One day I would really like to know more about Lomita," well, your day has finally arrived, because it is with great pleasure to present you with nine interesting facts about Lomita, otherwise known as, "The Friendly City."

1 - Where Does The Name Come From?

The name itself, Lomita, derives from Spanish, meaning, little hills. Now, just who first officially named the area Lomita is up for debate, and makes for great debates at the Lomita Historical Society. According to Lomita resident and Lomita Historical Society member Brian C. Keith, 

One source claims Lomita was named by the early promoters of the district as they surveyed it from a hillside in Rancho Palos Verdes. Another source claims that "Lomita del Toro", or "little hills of the bull," appears on an early surveyor's map of Rancho San Pedro, just a few miles east of the present day city, implying that Lomita inherited its name from the local fauna.

2 - Torrance Is Kind Of To Blame For Lomita Becoming A City

If there is blame to be assigned how and why Lomita became a city then much of that blame is on the hands of the big South Bay city, Torrance. Lomita originally spanned about seven square miles in unincorporated Los Angeles County, but as Torrance was growing they incorporated more and more of what was considered Lomita. After the end of World War II much of Southern California saw a housing building boom, and Torrance wanted more incorporated city for its growing city. In what remained of then unincorporated Lomita there were plans to build dense housing and high-rise apartments. Lomita's then current residents really did not like this idea, because most of them preferred the "small town" feel and many Lomita residents associated large apartments with the "swinging" lifestyle. After a couple set backs, and fending off Torrance eating up the remains of Lomita, and perhaps using the nearby "Lakewood Plan" as a template on how to become a successful city, on June 30, 1964, Lomita became an incorporated city.

3 - Little Lomita Was Once A Big Farming Town

A little bit before World War II during the 1930s the little town of Lomita was a major supplier of vegetables in the late 1920s and throughout much of the 1930s. At one point Lomita had the unofficial name of, "Celery Capital of the World." At the time most residents of Lomita worked in farming related industries.

4 - Narbonne Avenue Is Named After...

Narbonne Ave. and Narbonne High School in Lomita is named after, Nathaniel A. Narbonne. A sheep rancher who came south from Sacramento in 1852 after trying his luck in "Gold Rush country" Mr. Narbonne acquired about 3,500 acres in 1882 in what is mostly modern day Lomita. Lomita was just a small part of the of Rancho San Pedro, which was granted by the Spanish Empire to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III of Spain in 1784. The Spanish land-grants by 1860 were facing many problems, including drought, too much rain (both of those seem to be a reoccurring theme in California) and tax issues, among other problems. What were the rancheros problems became Mr. Narbonne's gain.

Available records show Mr. Narbonne did not have much luck in the mountains outside Sacramento striking gold, as was the case with many people hoping for quick riches in The Golden State, but Mr. Narbonne did have luck with sheep and wheat. Coming into Southern California Mr. Narbonne worked with and soon teamed up General Phineas Banning in Wilmington growing wheat and raising sheep on Santa Catalina Island (which is not really "26 miles across the sea" as the song sings, but that story is for another time). With fortunes made in wheat and sheep across the sea Mr. Narbonne bought the land in 1882 that would many decades later become the city of Lomita.

5 - What Does Lomita Have To Do With Japan?

Established as a sister city in October 1981, Lomita became a sister city to Takaishi, Osaka, Japan.

6 - The Gumm Sisters Performed At The Lomita Theater

Located on Narbonne Ave. near 243rd Street was The Lomita Theater, and in 1935 a vaudevillian named Frank A. Gumm rented out theater to showcase the talent of his daughters, Mary Jane, Dorothy Virginia, and Judy. Judy Gumm would soon change her name to, Judy Garland.

7 - From Old Glamorous Hollywood To Old School Punk Rock

Lomita is generally considered to be apart of the South Bay, and a lot of punk rock bands came out of The South Bay, probably the most notable was Black Flag. There was another famous famous punk rock band to come out of the South Bay, and one of those bands came out of Lomita, which was, The Descendants. Lead singer Milo Aukerman was from Lomita, and him and his band-mates spent many days, and many nights, at his Lomita house practicing. Lomita's Mr. Aukerman soon went to college, and earned his doctorate in biology from University of California at San Diego.

8 - There Is A Train Museum In Lomita

It has been there since 1967, but it seems like a good many people do not know that there is a train Museum in Lomita, The Lomita Railroad Museum. Yes, there are a couple train museums in Southern California, The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, and Travel Town at Griffith Park in L.A., but what makes this museum unique is it is purely, "dedicated to the proud era of the steam engine," according to the museum. The colorful replica depot and piped in sounds of the old steam engines give it a Disneyland sort of feel, but there is much to learn and explore. Future museum expansion plans are in the works, which would also be home to the Lomita Historical Society.

At first glance the train depot at the museum may look like a nicely restored train station that once served Lomita, but, prior to the museum being built, there never was a train depot in Lomita. You would be forgiven for mistaking Lomita had its own restored train depot as there are several similar restored and kept up train depots around Southern California. What looks like the old Lomita train depot was really a replica of the Boston & Maine's Greenwood Station in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and that depot in Wakefield was built before the turn of the century. Museum founder Irene Lewis, whose husband Martin Lewis developed and invented Little Engines, which are those little trains you can ride at Griffith Park on Sundays, was looking for authenticity when developing the museum and spent some time and research to figure out just the right building for the museum.

You should go to the museum, and when you decide to visit The Lomita Railroad Museum do know that it is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

9 - The Lomita Railroad Museum Is Still Looking For "The E Ticket"

The Little Engines developed by Martin Lewis became a good, successful business for the Lewis family, and one person Mr. Lewis sold some of his Little Engines to was one big rail fan, Walt Disney. Mr. Lewis and his Little Engines found their way onto Mr. Disney's Holmby Hills backyard. The man behind the Mouse soon became good friends with the Lewis family. Mr. Lewis past away in 1949, but Irene Lewis kept the Little Engines business going. Being such good friends with the Lewis family Mr. Disney gave Ms. Lewis a ticket to the opening day of Disneyland on, July 17, 1955.

The Lomita Railroad Museum is still looking for that ticket. If you have any information please contact the museum.

Know Your Faults: The Whittier Fault

(This is an occasional series exploring the many earthquake fault lines in and around Southern California. This series is not intended to be a scholarly, scientific review of earthquake faults throughout Southern California, but hopefully will be a jumping off point for you to understand and further explore the fault lines that cross Southern California. )

BREA - Standing in the parking lot of the Brea Mall turning your head from the southeast to the north and slowly to the northwest you see vivid brown hills dotted with trees and homes lining the landscape. These hills provide a natural border between Orange County and the Inland Empire, and Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Like many of the hills and mountains that provide a majestic backdrop for Southern California there is a hidden danger in the hills, which resulted in the creation of these hills.

As geologists and seismologists have pointed out, anytime you see a hill or mountain in California chances are very good you are looking at an earthquake fault. If you are in Orange County looking at the hills above Brea, Yorba Linda and La Habra, or in the San Gabriel Valley checking out the hills that sort of parallel State Route 60, you are looking at the work of the Whittier Fault.

How Often Do Big Quakes Happen?

Like many earthquake faults in Southern California there are some things known about the Whittier Fault, but a lot that is not known about the fault. One of the most important things not known about this fault is the interval between major ruptures. What is known are United States Geological Survey studies showing the Whittier Fault is capable of producing an earthquake between 6 to 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale. 

What all that means is this, the USGS currently has no data on how often the Whittier Fault produces a major earthquake, and that is rather unfortunate, because that would give seismologists a rough forecast of when the next major quake may strike. 

About the only thing USGS knows about the last major earthquake on the Whittier Fault is that it occurred sometime in the last 10,000 years, otherwise known as the current Holocene era. As well, the slip rate is about 2.5 and 3.0 millimeters per year, according to USGS.

Where Is The Whittier Fault?

The fault line is a branch of the quiet giant Elsinore Fault, and going east-to west the fault begins just north of SR 91, up and above Gypsum Canyon Road at Bryant Ranch Park near Bryant Ranch Elementary School in Yorba Linda. Going in a west-northwest direction the Whittier Fault runs on the southwest section of Chino Hills State Park, crossing through Carbon Canyon Regional Park and crossing Carbon Canyon Road/Lambert Road. The fault continues to run in a northwest direction in the hills above Lambert Road and crossing very close to Brea Olinda High School, then crossing SR 57, crossing into the Humble Reservoir, crossing Brea Boulevard, and going in a more northwest direction into the hills above La Habra, crossing Harbor Blvd just south of Vantage Pointe Drive.

From that point the fault continues to run in a gentle northwest direction crossing "E" Road north of the Hacienda Golf Club into La Habra Heights, crossing Hacienda Road at about Skyline Drive going into Arroyo Pescadero Trail and then crossing Colima Road just south of Casino Drive. The Whittier Fault makes a more sudden northwest turn into Turnbull Canyon, crossing Turnbull Canyon Road/Beverly Blvd. and ending at Hellman Wilderness Park in the hills above Whittier.

Just How Bad Could A Big Quake Be?

A major rupture on the Whittier Fault could end up being a historic American disaster.

A scenario by USGS predicts that if a M6.8 occurred at 5 p.m. on the Whittier Fault there would be 9.450 injuries and fatalities, and predictions of building damage to be nearly $20 billion.


USGS Whittier Fault earthquake scenario map. Shown for educational and informational purposes only; no copyright infringement intended.

It is important to understand that anytime you get at or above a magnitude 6 that occurs in an urbanized area you begin to see structural damage, even in a place like Southern California, which is suppose to be "built" to withstand a major earthquake.

Also, remember that the Whittier Fault runs near several of Southern California's older neighborhoods and old downtown areas, such as Fullerton, Orange and Whittier, and a major event on the Whittier Fault could severely impact those places and older neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley. Depending on the dynamics of a major earthquake on the Whittier Fault it is certainly possible the old downtown areas of Pomona, Claremont and Ontario could see structural damage.

Again, depending of the dynamics of a major rupture on the Whittier Fault, it is very possible that even L.A. proper could see structural damage. 

What it comes down to is the Whittier Fault has the potential to cause major damage in the four county L.A. metro area.

Possible Major Freeway Damage

Let us not forget if there is a major rupture on the Whittier Fault that breaks on the surface the 57 freeway could see major damage. You add major damage on the Orange Freeway, along with possible major damage on the streets that connect L.A. and Orange Counties through the hills, and perhaps possible damage on the Riverside Freeway, you have the makings of a major commuter nightmare that could result in more economic losses. 

The 60 freeway, which seems to be the choice of truckers shipping goods from the Port of L.A. and Long Beach to the Inland Empire and points east, could also be structurally impacted by a major Whittier Fault event. It is not far fetch to say damage on the Pomona Freeway could reverberate throughout the nation.

Not At Fault

If you grew up in Southern California you probably remember the 1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake, but it is worthy to note that earthquake was not on the Whittier Fault, but rather ruptured a small and previously unidentified, gently north-dipping,west-striking thrust fault, according to USGS. Seismologists originally thought this earthquake was caused by the Elysian Park Fault. 

Furthermore the somewhat recent 2008 Chino Hills Earthquake, which was the last magnitude 5-plus to occur in the L.A. basin, is not believed to be the work of the Whittier Fault nor Chino Fault.

What Can You Do?

All you can do is prepare. Prepare for the next major earthquake on whatever known or unknown fault it occurs on in Southern California.

No One Knows When!

At this time, and unfortunately probably for many years to come, there is no accurate way to predict when any earthquake is going to strike. The only earthquakes that can be predicted are aftershocks, and sometimes those can take geologists and seismologists by surprise.

Despite what any person or any group claims about predicting earthquakes at this time, quite frankly, there have been no proven concrete methods to accurately predict earthquakes.

The bottom line, you just need to prepare.