Bellflower, California

BELLFLOWER, CALIFORNIA The Friendly City O ccupying 6.1 square miles in southeast Los Angeles County, the City of Bellflower, California lies in one of the most densely populated areas in the U.S. On September 3, 1957, Bellflower was officially awarded status as California’s 348th city; interestingly, at the time of its incorporation, it was already a 51-year old community, fully matured in all areas except city government. From its beginnings as a sparse and isolated settlement of farms at the turn of the 19th century, today, Bellflower is a bustling city of close to 78,000 residents that takes an innovative approach to enhancing services and generating revenues in this growing community. Largely regarded as “The Friendly City,” the origin of the name Bellflower is somewhat of a mystery. For a short time, the community was called Firth, then, in 1909, residents of the area petitioned for a post office under the name of Somerset. The postal authorities granted the post office but rejected the name to avoid confusion with AT A GLANCE BELLFLOWER, CALIFORNIA WHAT: Suburb of Los Angeles; population 78,000 WHERE: Southeast Los Angeles County WEBSITE: www.bellflower.org