Suburban Saddleback - Lake Forest, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The sign says, "By the 1920s, orange trees dominated the valley's landscape and economy. Sleepy outposts became small towns anchored by general stores, community halls, and packing houses. Water supplies, though barley adequate, sustained life in town and field.

This changed by midcentury when the region tapped into the imported water supplied of Metropolitan Water District. With water now flowing from the Colorado River and California State Water Project, a different industry was about to take hold. Placed like Bennet ranch house became increasingly rare, icons from a distance era. Built in 1908 and originally standing at 2nd Street and Cherry Avenue, the building is significant as the only remaining turn-of-the-century ranch house in El Toro.

By the 1950s, housing tracts and subdivisions began replacing the citrus orchids. As quickly as the orange trees were bulldozed, places like Laguna Woods (Leisure World) and Mission Viejo sprang up. The century-old eucalyptus groves that shade Lake Forest (El Toro) are the legacy of Dwight Whiting. Like the buildings that stand at Heritage Hill Historical Park, they help link us to the past."

Group that erected the marker: OC Parks Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Lake Forest, CA, USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   05/13/2021 bluesnote visited it