James Whitworth (1820-1896) once owned 125 acres of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas: the future Beverly Hills. He was born in Lancashire County, England, probably in the village of Whitworth itself, and was reportedly related to Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803-1887), whose Whitworth rifle was used by Confederate sharpshooters in the American Civil War. Whitworth emigrated to the U.S. in 1853 and settled in Utah, but by 1858 he was in San Bernardino and by 1866 he was farming his 125 acres near Pico–Robertson, where Whitworth Drive started out in 1923. Old newspapers suggest that James Whitworth, who ultimately lived in Santa Monica, served as justice of the peace in the old Ballona district. His kids amassed much more land – well over 2,500 acres – after his death.
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