Before Culver City became a legal city, an election was held to determine if Palms and/or Culver City wanted to become a part of the city of Los Angeles. Palms voted to go with L.A., but Culver City residents chose another option. In August 1917, the board of supervisors ordered a Sept. 8, 1917 election with a dual purpose — to determine if we would become a separate entity, and if so, to elect a board of trustees, city clerk and treasurer.

Culver City’s incorporation by resolution on Sept. 11, 1917 was filed on Sept. 20 with the secretary of state, which became our date of incorporation. Locals chose their first trustees (council) in the same election. They were R. P. Davidson, Dan F. Coombs, Walter Edwards, V.R. Day and B. J. Higuera; Charles E. Shillito became the city clerk, while C. N. Rosenthal assumed the office of city treasurer.

The new trustees began the city’s business by adopting resolutions, the first being the appointment of a city attorney. Resolution No. 4 authorized the city “to lease from Fannie A. Henderson, the upper floor — without the projection room,” which constituted renting “suitable quarters for carrying on business, in a building known as Culver Theatre.” The cost? $15 per month.

To prepare for the next election (April 8, 1918) on March 11, 1918 the trustees established the entire city as one voting precinct. This called for four election officers: Albert R. Hillerman, inspector; E.R. Higuera, judge; with Katherine Megary and Alice M. Stewart serving as clerks. Compensation was set at $4 for the entire service, and the polls were located in the -second-floor City Hall at Washington and Main (upstairs from the theatre). The next resolution amended that action since Megary became a candidate.

Note that Megary could not vote for herself until the 19th Amendment came into effect in 1920. Perusing the city records, I found that a Dec. 22, 1919 resolution appointed Megary as the city janitor as well, with a stipend of $25 a month.

The next city election boasted 37 votes cast on Monday, April 12, 1920. (Women could not vote until later that year.) Three trustees were elected: Coombs, Harry H. Culver and Clyde W. Slater. Megary ran unopposed for clerk, and Shillito was elected treasurer.

By 1922, plans for Harry Culver’s skyscraper hotel displaced the theatre and city offices moved. The police, fire and City Hall located nearby on Van Buren Place. The theatre became the Meralta Theatre down the street.

Have things changed? Mrs. V.R. Day finished her husband’s unexpired trustee term in the 1920s, and elected lady councilmembers Mary Lou Richardson, Jozelle Smith, Sandy Levin and Carol Gross paved the way along with a list of lady clerks and treasurers, although by charter amendment, clerk and treasurer are no longer elected positions. There have been many women elected to the local board of education, including myself … and we have a lot more than one voting precinct, don’t we?

Julie Lugo Cerra is the council-appointed city historian of Culver City and author of three books and hundreds of articles on local history.