Lomita
Lomita, deriving its name from the Spanish meaning “Little Hill,” was founded in 1907. The “Friendly City” was incorporated on June 30, 1 964. From a simple ranch house and a few out-buildings on the Narbonne property, a sleepy narrow-gauge electric railroad stop on Western Avenue, and a handful of dirt roads named after trees and fruits, Lomita has grown into a small city and, in spite of that growth, managed to maintain its rustic, small-town flavor.
With five major parks, Lomita has award-winning recreation programs serving both children and adults. Lomita is the proud home of the Lomita Railroad Museum. The museum, opened in 1966 by Irene Lewis, is a small museum in Lomita devoted to the steam-engine period of railroading. Mrs. Lewis, along with her husband Martin, operated “Little Engines of Lomita”, which sold kits for live steam-engine locomotives. Complete authenticity is the hallmark of the Museum.