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The vote was 177 to 10 election day April 25, 1892 when local people went to the polls to decide whether or not the Redondo
Beach Company's 400 acres along the Pacific Ocean would become a town.
The City's history shows that the first inhabitants were the California coastal natives who took advantage of the climate,
the abundant harvest from the ocean and the salt from a lake near the current border of Hermosa Beach. Modern history dates
to when Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered the sweeping Santa Monica Bay in 1542. However, the area remained mostly
undeveloped until the late 1880s. At that time, Congress appropriated money for the harbor in San Pedro and lumber began
arriving from the Pacific Northwest.
The area's heritage is closely tied to the Dominguez family, dating back to 1784 when Juan Jose Dominguez was given the
enormous Rancho San Pedro, which includes most of today's South Bay. For the next 100 years, his heirs sold parcels of the
land, which still reflect family names such as Carson and Del Amo. Even Redondo Beach's street names such as Elena, Francisca,
Gertruda and Guadalupe honored the Dominguez sisters and daughters.
Early Redondo Beach was a seaside mecca for those who came by rail or steamship to enjoy the resort. Standing on the bluff
where Veterans Park is today, Hotel Redondo had 225 rooms and boasted a bathroom on every floor. Built in 1889, each room had
sunlight and the exterior was a mélange of chimneys and spires. An orchestra played at dinner and the grand ballroom was alive
with weekly festivities. Unfortunately, Prohibition killed the hotel's appeal and in 1926 its remains were sold for scrap.
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