Westchester Real Estate > Westchester Community Info

About a century ago, the area now known as Westchester was a ranching community largely owned by the Bennett brothers, Frank, Andrew and Tom. Westchester would undergo major transformations as a result of the establishment of air travel, the motion picture industry setting up shop in Hollywood, and World War II.

When the motion picture industry moved from New York City to Hollywood in the early 20th century, Los Angeles experienced unprecedented growth and city development. During this time, railway and streetcar systems connected the Westchester and coast of Playa del Ray to the rest of Los Angeles. Recreation brought many tourists to the area.

Air travel brought further changes to the area. In fact, the Bennett farmland was eventually chosen as the site for the Los Angeles Airport. The land also became the manufacturing home for Douglas Aircraft Co., Northrop Corp., and related industries such as Air Research Manufacturing.

World War II brought a huge demand for defense-related manufacturing. Westchester companies were producing war-related aircraft and components, which created hundreds of thousands of jobs. The workers needed places to live and the new major residential community of Westchester was created.