El Toro, the Early Years - 1879 to 1903 - Lake Forest, CA - Timelines on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "Arriving from Boston in 1884, Dwight Whiting began buying the foreclosed upon acreage of Rancho Cañada de los Alisos. He augmented the crops with dry- farmed orchards of olives and apricots and subdivided the land. Intent on establishing an English colony and attracting people to it, he built the church you see, St. George Episcopal Mission, in 1891.

Other visionaries influenced the development of Saddleback Valley as well. In 1877, Charles Bennett purchased land that included water rights from Aliso Creek. That water eventually found its way via pipeline to El Toro, ushering in the development of the rural town. The school you see, El Toro School, was built in 1890.

Around 1910, John Osterman introduced the water-thrifty black-eye bean to the valley farmers. Those beans, as well as barley, apricots, and walnuts dominated the valley landscape. While these crops fueled the local economy, the farmers' gut instincts fueled the practice of dry-farming. Until water supplies were secured, people would need to gamble with the weather.

Other Events

1879

Thomas Edison filed a U.S. Patent for an electric lamp.

1886

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated

1903

The Wright Brothers achieved the first flight of a powered aircraft."

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