El Segundo - Hardcoverby Debra Brighton (Author) By 1885, Daniel Freeman owned a successful 25,000 acre ranch along the coastline in Southern California. That year, he sold parcels to J. S. Vosberg, and this became the site of the town of El Segundo. The Standard Oil Company of California purchased 840 acres of dunes in June 1911, and R. J. Hanna was hired to construct and manage the new refinery. His wife is credited with naming the town El Segundo ( the second ), as it