Paramount |
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Address
16400 Colorado Ave
Paramount, CA 90723
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Phone
(562) 220-2000 |
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Before Paramount became a city in 1957, the area was made up of two small communities called Hynes and Clearwater. The towns were home to a number of dairies, which in their heyday had 25,000 cows. By the early 1930's, in fact, Hynes boasted the largest hay market in the world, handling 135,837 tons in 1932 (Kansas City was second that year, with 111,943 tons). Each morning under the "Hay tree" (still to be found at Paramount Blvd. near Harrison St.), the day's price of hay was set, then quoted around the world.
Another landmark in the history of early Paramount was Iceland, an ice skating rink opened by Frank Zamboni in 1940. The facility has been a training ground for professional skaters throughout the years, from Sonia Henie to Dorothy Hamill to the youngsters who learn the sport there today. Zamboni also became well known for inventing the Zamboni Ice-Resurfacing machine, which is used in ice rinks around the world. The machines are still manufactured exclusively in Paramount.
As land uses in Los Angeles County changed, and the dairies left for other areas, Paramount met the challenges of an evolving urban city. For its efforts, Paramount was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League in 1988, and many of its innovative programs have attracted state and national recognition.
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