▁where ▁Tor rance ▁is ▁located ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁T ong va ▁Native ▁American ▁hom eland . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁land ▁grant ▁for ▁Ran cho ▁San ▁Pedro , ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁Las ▁Cal if or ni as ▁Province ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ▁and ▁en comp ass ing ▁present - day ▁Tor rance , ▁was ▁issued ▁to ▁Juan ▁Jose ▁Dom ing uez ▁by ▁King ▁Carlos ▁III ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁divided ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁with ▁Governor ▁P ío ▁P ico ▁grant ing ▁Ran cho ▁de ▁los ▁Pal os ▁Ver des ▁to ▁José ▁Lor eto ▁and ▁Juan ▁Cap ist rano ▁Sep ul ved a ▁in ▁the ▁Al ta ▁California ▁territory ▁of ▁independent ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁real ▁estate ▁developer ▁J ared ▁Sid ney ▁Tor rance ▁and ▁other ▁invest ors ▁saw ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁creating ▁a ▁mixed ▁industrial - res ident ial ▁community ▁south ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁They ▁purchased ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁Spanish ▁land ▁grant ▁and ▁h ired ▁landscape ▁architect ▁Frederick ▁Law ▁Ol m sted ▁Jr . ▁to ▁design ▁a ▁planned ▁community . ▁The ▁resulting ▁town ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁and ▁named ▁after ▁Mr . ▁Tor rance . ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁Tor rance ▁was ▁formally ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁the ▁town site ▁initially ▁being ▁bounded ▁by ▁Western ▁Avenue ▁on ▁the ▁east , ▁Del ▁Am o ▁Bou lev ard ▁on ▁the ▁north