The first published acknowledgement of the Rossmoor project were printed in the Enterprise August 19, 1955 issue. Cortese would option a number of properties to create this project. The first part was land north of Orangewood that was owned by Willis Tubeck, and the Irvine Ranch. They had purchased this parcel in 1951 from the Susannah Bixby Bryant estate. Then Cortese partnered with the Bixby Ranch Company – for the major chunk of land, north of Garden Grove Boulevard and east of the San Gabriel River. But the final location of the San Diego, San Gabriel River and Garden Grove Freeways would cut this project in half. The top map shows the 1956 rendition of the Los Angeles Regional Freeway system. (Of interest on the 1956 version is that it had the 605 continuing to a link up with the proposed Coast Freeway which was never built. The 1964 map of Southeast Long Beach (bottom) gives a better idea where the proposed freeways would finally end up.
19 AUG 1955 – The Enterprise reports that “rumors are hot on 7,000 homes in Los Alamitos.” Supervisor Willis Warner told the Los Al Chamber of Commerce a week ago that builders have been working with the county on the development, but it is being held up until the state can give an exact location of the freeway which will cut across some of the land. 1,464 homes are reportedly proposed for first unit, with a total of 7,200 homes when the project is completed.
9 SEP 1955 (Enterprise) — Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce President Jim Bell (father of current Rossmoor resident Jim Bell) said that land developer representatives had contacted him. They intimated they had control of almost 1,500 acres and definitely would subdivide it, including building a 50-acre shopping center. They wanted the land to be in a city. If Los Alamitos wouldn’t incorporate, then Buena Park.