Our History
It all started with a $2 train ride...
During the building boom of the early 1900's, subdividing was rough, tough and risky. In 1905, Frank H. Ayres took a $2 train ride from Ohio to California with his wife and young son Donald to explore land development opportunities for his employer - an Ohio real estate firm.
In those pre-Hollywood days, climate and oranges were the main attractions bringing visitors to California. Many stayed, including Frank, who immediately bought eight small ranches in the mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles and was charged with overseeing the land's development after becoming a partner in the Ohio firm.
Eventually, Frank left his employer to form his own company, Frank H. Ayres & Son and continued to develop land throughout L.A. County. It was then that the Ayres' brand of high-quality property development made its mark on Southern California, and a bona fide tradition had begun.
With horse-drawn equipment, Frank Ayres carved Southern California's bean fields and pig farms into prosperous residential and commercial communities. The young company developed nine subdivisions in the Wilshire area from 1905-1910, and the dream was just beginning. To this day, all Ayres projects draw on the vast knowledge and experience of generations of its family business—scroll down to explore our history throughout the years.