John S. Todd Story - Part I: History of Lakewood 1949-1954 In 1969, City Attorney John S. Todd looked back at the momentous events of 1949-1954 and told the thrilling story of Lakewood’s struggle for independence. His account is the only history of Lakewood’s first years written by one who was there, in the thick of the fight, to make Lakewood a city.
Todd’s first-person history is an invaluable source of information about the making of Lakewood and the politics of cityhood. It’s also the story of one man’s vision for the future of a community that he helped to build. More...
Lakewood city officials also had a story to tell. In the pages of professional and popular magazines, they detailed the origins and development of the Lakewood Plan for local government contracting. More...
During this period of tremendous growth, an unincorporated area known as Lakewood was administered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, five men who were 25 miles and five million people away from the concerns of the new community. More...
