Downey Industrial Site

Chronology

 

The property site in Downey California is located between Stewart and Grey Road on the north, Bellflower Blvd on the east, Imperial Highway on the south and Columbia Way ( Clark Ave. )\/ Lakewood Blvd. on the west. The site was originally an agricultural ranch. This chronology traces the industrial evolution of the site.

 

1929 – (Feb) The Hgynaun Ranch is purchased by E.M. Smith

             E.M. Smith President     

             (Aug ) EMSCO Aircraft Created                  

             EMSCO Airfield Built

            (Sep) Building 001 built                 

1932- Security National Aircraft Company            

1933- Vultee Aircraft Company 

1934- Rotunda Built                                                       

1935 Vultee Airfield Built                                                             

1936- Consolidated Aircrafft/Vultee Merger                                                                       

          Gerard Vultee President                                    1936-1938          

          Richard Millar President Vultee Aircraft       1938-1946                                                           

          Dutch Kindleberger President NAA                1943-1958           

1946-Consolidated Vultee moves to San Diego                   

          NAA Leases Downey  Site                           

1956- NATIV Program   

1957-AJ-Savage Program             

1958- X-10 Navaho Program       

          Lee Attwood NAA President        1958-1962           

          GAM 77 Program            

1960- Little Joe II Program           

          NAA gets Saturn SII Contract Program    

1961- NAA awarded NASA Apollo Contract                          

          J. G. Beerer NAA President             1962-1963           

         Harrison Storms NAA  President     1963-1967           

1966- NAA Rockwell Merger                      

         Bill Bergen President      1967-1970           

1967 Apollo 1 Fire ( Jan 29 )                                                        

         Joseph McNamara           1970-1975           

1972- Rockwell International Formed                     

          Space Shuttle     1972-2004                           

          George Jeffs President  1975-1977           

          George Merrick President 1977-1980      

          Charlie Feltz President   1980-1981           

          George Jeffs President  1981-1983           

          Rocco Petrone President   1983-1988

1986 - Challenger STS 51L Loss                  

           Sy Rubenstien President               1988-1989           

           Robert Minor President                1989-1994                                          

           Russ Turner President                  1994-1994                                          

           Rick Stephens President                1994-2001                                          

1996- Boeing Aquisition

​

DEC 31, 1999 -  Boeing Leaves Downey Site                                         

 

The site was deactivated in 2001 by GSA but was leased periodically to film companies through a consortium ( Downey Studios ) until 2005. The City of Downey began commercial development of the property.