History :

Inglewood's rich history begins with the Centinela Adobe, situated on Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela, which was built in 1834 by Ygnacio Machado, son of one of the soldiers protecting the first settlers of Los Angeles on their way from Mexico. After several additions and owners, two land grants-Rancho Aguaje de Centinela and Rancho Sausal Ranando were bought by Sir Robert Burnett of Scotland, leased by and later sold to Daniel Freeman from Canada.

Influenced by Charles Nordhoff's "California for Health, Pleasure and Residence: A Book for Travelers and Settlers," Freeman settled in Centinela Ranch, where he felt the cool sea breeze would benefit his wife's poor health. There he built a vast empire through dry farming, shipping millions of bushels of barley from his wharf at Playa del Rey.

Inglewood was the first settlement to be carved out of the 25,000 acre Centinela Ranch in 1888 shortly after a railroad station had been built in the area. The new town of 300 residents opened the first day of school, May 21, of that same year, enrolling 33 children in a new livery stable until the school building could be erected. Town politics also began in 1888 when F.B. Mitchell was appointed deputy county clerk and A.M. Rollins was sworn in as deputy sheriff after the town's ornamental cannon had been blown to bits in a prank.

In 1905, Inglewood recovered from a nationwide financial crash after establishing a Poultry Colony in the present North Inglewood. Inglewood Park Cemetery was developed and the street car line brought both coffins and mourners.