Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, , was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate. As of the census , the city had a total population of 95, The Tongva inhabited the Los Angeles Basin. The tree that marked the original northern boundary of the rancho still stands at the corner of Poppy and Short streets. In , Griffith Dickenson Compton led a group of 30 pioneers to the area. These families had traveled by wagon train south from Stockton, California , in search of ways to earn a living other than the rapid exhaustion of gold fields.
Originally named Gibsonville, after one of the tract owners, it was later called Comptonville. However, to avoid confusion with the Camptonville located in Yuba County , the name was shortened to Compton. The weather continued to be harsh, rainy and cold, and fuel was difficult to find. To gather firewood it was necessary to travel to mountains close to Pasadena. The round trip took almost a week. Many in the Compton party wanted to relocate to a friendlier climate and settle down, but as there were two general stores within traveling distanceβone in the pueblo of Los Angeles , the other in Wilmington βthey eventually decided to stay put.
By , the settlers realized it was time to make improvements to the local government. A series of town meetings were held to discuss incorporation of their little town. Griffith D. Compton donated his land to incorporate and create the city of Compton in , but he did stipulate that a certain acreage be zoned solely for agriculture and named Richland Farms. On May 11, , the city of Compton was incorporated with a population of people.
The first City Council meeting was held on May 14, In , a series of votes were held by the residents of Compton, with the aim of shedding significant portions of the city.
By the end of the year, Compton was down to only eighty acres of land, with five remaining voters residing within that territory. Due to the limited number of people able to fill positions within the city government, Compton effectively ceased to exist as a functioning city.
