Whittier entered the 20th century as a thriving Quaker community. Located in the hills southeast of Los Angeles, the city officially incorporated in 1898. By 1900, the population reached 1,500 people. Agriculture drove the local economy. Large groves of Valencia oranges and lemons covered the landscape. Whittier earned a reputation as the walnut capital of the world. In 1904, the Whittier Walnut Growers Association formed to manage the massive harvests. Workers processed thousands of pounds of walnuts in local packing houses near the railroad tracks.
The discovery of oil transformed the Whittier Hills. The Central Oil Company began drilling in the late 1890s. By 1903, the hills were filled with wooden derricks and pumping equipment. The Murphy Oil Company owned a large portion of this land. These wells produced over a million barrels of oil annually during the first decade of the century. This industry brought new wealth and many new residents to the area.
Travel changed when the Pacific Electric Railway reached Whittier in 1904. The “Red Cars” connected the city to the center of Los Angeles. This allowed residents to commute for work or shopping easily. The line ran along Philadelphia Street and ended at a depot near Greenleaf Avenue. The arrival of the railroad made it easier for farmers to ship their fruit and nuts to distant markets.
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The downtown area centered on the intersection of Greenleaf Avenue and Philadelphia Street. The National Bank of Whittier and the Berryman Building served as the primary business hubs. Whittier College expanded during this time. It received its state charter in 1901. Students attended classes in Founders Hall, which sat on a hill overlooking the town. The city remained a “dry” town. Local laws strictly forbade the sale of alcohol.
Residents lived in Victorian and Craftsman-style homes. The Harvey Apartments opened in the early 1900s to provide modern housing. As the city grew, developers carved new streets out of former orchards. By 1920, the population grew to nearly 8,000 residents. This growth required the construction of new schools like Whittier Union High School, which opened its first permanent building in 1900. Public utilities also improved. The city established its own water system and added electric streetlights to the main thoroughfares.
