"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Huntington Park and its more than 64,000 residents on the occasion of the city's 100th year anniversary.

I am proud to have this great city as part of my 34th Congressional District of California.

With a long and distinguished history and a vibrant community, the City of Huntington Park has evolved from a small community of 526 residents in 1906 to a bustling retail center for the Los Angeles County region in 2006. 

In the latter part of the 18th century, the land which would eventually become the City of Huntington Park was a vast, unexplored, territory.  The first European of record to arrive to the area was Francisco Salvatore Lugo, a soldier-explorer and personal friend of the King of Spain.  For almost a hundred years, the early history of the area was the history of the prosperous Lugo Family.

In the early 20th century, ownership of the land was passed from the Lugo Family to the farmers, developers, and settlers who were preparing the way for the birth of the city of Huntington Park.  Among the prominent names in the city's history was a pair of land developers named A.L. Burbank and E.V. Baker who arrived in the area in 1899.  By 1901, these two developers controlled a 100-acre tract of land, which they named "La Park."  Burbank and Baker were prominent names in the area, but they themselves had no intention of founding a city.  Their vision of La Park was for a commercial center and way station for all transport of goods between Los Angeles and San Diego.  In 1902, prominent industrialist Henry Huntington extended a line of his Pacific Electric Railway to La Park, and changed the name to "Huntington Park".

A group of early residents became the city founders.  They were George A. Garlow, Dr. Louis Weber, Dr. Clinton W. Hubbard, A. E. Walters, O.G. Jones, A.A. Weber, D.B. Lyons, William Linsey, and Frank Tate.  These men of true pioneer spirit and foresight formed the Huntington Park Improvement Association and things began to happen.  On September 1, 1906, with 526 residents, the area was officially established and recognized as the City of Huntington Park.

Today, Huntington Park, "The City of Perfect Balance," is a dynamic city with exceptional recreation and social service programs.  The city provides superior-quality public safety, transportation, and community development services to its residents and businesses while cultivating a unique small town ambiance.  The stretch of Pacific Boulevard in downtown Huntington Park is a major, thriving commercial district serving as a major retail center for the largely, working-class communities of southeastern Los Angeles County.

The City of Huntington Park's year-long 100th anniversary celebration includes the centennial celebration at the city's civic center and special recognitions from local organizations including the Huntington Park Police Department and the Greater Huntington Park Area Chamber of Commerce.

The 100 year anniversary of the City of Huntington Park is another milestone in the rich history of the city, as well as in the history of the state of California and the United States.  I am honored to represent this thriving community in Congress, and I join the Huntington Park community in celebrating this wonderful anniversary."
 

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