Editing Lynwood, California - Wikipedia

Lynwood's history began with a settlement colonized by Spanish aristocrats, or dons, and American pioneers who purchased, settled, and formed a small communal town in the area. It started with Don Antonio Maria Lugo. In 1810, Lugo was awarded 11 square leagues of land in California by the king of Spain for his military service during the establishment of the Francisco missions in the state. After Lugo received these tracts of land (29,514 acres), Lugo named the area Rancho San Antonio, possibly after birthplace at La Misión San Antonio de Padua, in Jolon, California. These tracts of land make up the bordering cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, Montebello, South Gate, Vernon, and Walnut Park today.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xdrs_1dQT6UC&q=images+of+america+California|title=Lynwood|isbn=9780738588896 |last1=Johnson |first1=Ilu |last2=Diaz |first2=Chris |date=November 5, 2023 |publisher=Arcadia }}</ref><ref>[https://www.lynwoodca.gov/258/History#:~:text=The%20PE%20Railway%20took%20up,suburban'%20home%20sites%20in%201913. History | Lynwood, CA]</ref>

Lynwood's history began with a settlement colonized by Spanish aristocrats, or dons, and American pioneers who purchased, settled, and formed a small communal town in the area. It started with Don Antonio Maria Lugo. In 1810, Lugo was awarded 11 square leagues of land in California by the king of Spain for his military service during the establishment of the Francisco missions in the state. After Lugo received these tracts of land (29,514 acres), Lugo named the area Rancho San Antonio, possibly after birthplace at La Misión San Antonio de Padua, in Jolon, California. These tracts of land make up the bordering cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, Montebello, South Gate, Vernon, and Walnut Park today.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xdrs_1dQT6UC&q=images+of+america+California|title=Lynwood|isbn=9780738588896 |last1=Johnson |first1=Ilu |last2=Diaz |first2=Chris |date=November 5, 2023 |publisher=Arcadia }}</ref><ref>[https://www.lynwoodca.gov/258/History#:~:text=The%20PE%20Railway%20took%20up,suburban'%20home%20sites%20in%201913. History | Lynwood, CA]</ref>

Once majority white non-Hispanic, Lynwood elected its first Black councilmember in 1983<ref name=Mitchell>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=John L. |title= Lynwood politics a stage for region's racial power shift|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927054/|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |date= June 5, 2007|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927054/ B1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927402/ B5] |accessdate= |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and in December 1985, elected its first Black mayor, [[Robert Henning]].<ref name=Lee>{{Cite news|first=Lee |last=Harris |authorlink= |title= Mayor Reflects Changing City : 1st Black to Lead Lynwood Once Fought Council |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date= January 2, 1986|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-02-hl-23729-story.html |accessdate=|quote=In 1983 he became Lynwood's first black council member. And last month Henning, 42, became the first black mayor of this predominantly minority city of 51,000.}}</ref> Into the 1990s, the political establishment remained in the control of the Black population which was gradually eroded by ascendent Latino population.<ref name=Mitchell/> After a succession of African American mayors ([[Evelyn Wells]], [[Paul Richards (California politician)|Paul Richards]]), Lynwood saw its first Latino mayor, Armando Rea, in 1997.

Once majority white non-Hispanic, Lynwood elected its first Black councilmember in 1983<ref name=Mitchell>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=John L. |title= Lynwood politics a stage for region's racial power shift|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927054/|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |date= June 5, 2007|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927054/ B1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/140927402/ B5] |accessdate= |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and in December 1985, elected its first Black mayor, [[Robert Henning]].<ref name=Lee>{{Cite news|first=Lee |last=Harris |authorlink= |title= Mayor Reflects Changing City : 1st Black to Lead Lynwood Once Fought Council |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date= January 2, 1986|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-02-hl-23729-story.html |accessdate=|quote=In 1983 he became Lynwood's first black council member. And last month Henning, 42, became the first black mayor of this predominantly minority city of 51,000.}}</ref> Into the 1990s, the political establishment remained in the control of the Black population which was gradually eroded by ascendent Latino population.<ref name=Mitchell/> After a succession of African American mayors ([[Evelyn Wells]], [[Paul Richards (California politician)|Paul Richards]]), Lynwood saw it first Latino mayor, Armando Rea, in 1997.

On March 20, 2006, Lynwood's longest serving former mayor [[Paul H. Richards II]] was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after being convicted in 2005 on numerous corruption charges that centered on his funneling of $6 million in city business — including exorbitant [[no-bid contract]]s — to a "consulting company" controlled by him and his family. Richards had served on the City Council from 1986 until he was recalled by voters in 2003; during that time he served seven terms as mayor.<ref>{{cite web|title= Former Mayor of Lynwood Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years in Prison for Conviction on Federal Corruption Charges |work= Campaign Legal Center Blog | publisher= FBI| via= losangeles.FBI.gov |url= http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/la032006usa.htm |access-date=July 19, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080407224749/http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/la032006usa.htm |archive-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

On March 20, 2006, Lynwood's longest serving former mayor [[Paul H. Richards II]] was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after being convicted in 2005 on numerous corruption charges that centered on his funneling of $6 million in city business — including exorbitant [[no-bid contract]]s — to a "consulting company" controlled by him and his family. Richards had served on the City Council from 1986 until he was recalled by voters in 2003; during that time he served seven terms as mayor.<ref>{{cite web|title= Former Mayor of Lynwood Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years in Prison for Conviction on Federal Corruption Charges |work= Campaign Legal Center Blog | publisher= FBI| via= losangeles.FBI.gov |url= http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/la032006usa.htm |access-date=July 19, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080407224749/http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/la032006usa.htm |archive-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status= dead }}</ref>