As the city increased in size, the need for an organized society asserted itself. In 1923 the building department was created with one inspector working part time, his salary being the revenue derived from the building permits issued.

Our 1928 Police Department: (from left to right) Bill Deal, Vern Craig, B. Robertson, Jim Fones, and Councilman Joe Mackey.

Motorcycle police during the 1930s: (from left to right) Jack Baumgartner, unidentified officer, Bill Deal (Chief), Tommy Cummings, unidentified officer.

The Hawthorne Water Department was created in 1924 by the purchase of two privately owned water companies which operated in 1905, and the Consolidated Water Company, which had been serving a new subdivision known as the Bellview-Fairfax tract in the northern limits of the city. Source of the water supply during these first corporative years was deep wells. The engineering department was created in 1925 when the first city engineer, a Mr. Staley, was appointed. The Hawthorne Advertiser press published its first edition in 1922 from an office located on East Broadway.

Hawthorne's first bank, The First Exchange State Bank, opened its doors on the northeast corner of 126th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard in the building that still stands there. Due to unwise investments in stocks, the president and vice president of the bank received prison terms, and the bank failed in 1932. A number of suits were filed to recover monies deposited in the bank but most depositors received 35 cents or less on the dollar, except the post office and the City of Hawthorne; the Court declared that these two were preferred depositors and awarded them the full amount of their deposits. The Bank of Inglewood eventually located there and was later bought out by the Bank of America who operated there until they built their new building directly across the street at the northwest corner of 126th and Hawthorne Boulevard.