In 1919, a popular young woman who worked for the real estate corporation developing a 2,300-acre ranch into home tracts near Los Angeles agreed to lend her name to both property and posterity. At a spot located only a few miles southwest of the new city's downtown, Miss May Wood's moment arrived when about 300 people turned out to see Maywood's dedication. Thousands more helped the community grow as Los Angeles sprawled throughout the 20th century, and Maywood has been a thriving little square-mile-plus ever since. It has flourished while facing such challenges as a bitter effort to dissolve the city in 1924, a "sweep-out" of gamblers in the early 1930s, and various infrastructure improvements over the years.