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Garden Grove History, California

Garden grove, CA US - History: Fastest growing city of the 50s

Garden Grove has its history dating back to 1769, when it was visited by Gaspar de Portola. However, Dr. Alonzo Cook is considered the founder of this city. He bought 160 acres of land from Abel Stearns way back in 1874, which later came to be known as ‘Garden Grove’.

Garden Grove is the 17th largest city in California and the largest in Orange County. It is a thriving city and has a very dynamic community. The root of the same is based on a colorful history. A Methodist church and a school were organized in the same year. Dr. Cook, then, donated the Garden Grove Boulevard and a part of the land to the north of Main Street to build a school and a post office. The tree plantations he had done, at that time, added to the beauty of the city. Low prices and available land also caused a building boom in the region.

In 1933, due to Beach earthquake, most parts of the central district were destroyed. However, there was rapid development seen in the town during the post world war-II period. In 1950s, Garden Grove became the fastest growing city in the United States. Garden Grove was formally and officially incorporated on June 18 1956.

At the time of incorporation, the population of the town was 44,000. In spite of the growth of the city in both size and population, its landscape has been beautifully preserved. It has over 160 acres of parks and recreational areas and is more than a tourist hub.

Since the place is centrally located, it is easily accessible to San Diego, Los Angeles, Inland Empire and the Long Beach. Rail road came into existence in 1905. Before that, the town was no more than a rural crossroads. The railways have helped the town to prosper with crops of walnuts, oranges, straw berries and chili peppers. Harbor Boulevard has fast become a tourism and entertainment area.

The population of Garden Grove touched 85,000 by 1960 and 120,000 by 1970. However, in the late 70s, there was immigration by some Asian communities, especially from Vietnam and Korea. Over the years, the city has maintained a rising graph. There are nine high-rise hotels. The list of Garden Grove residents is very media centric including adventurer Steve Fossett, actor Steve Martin and baseball stars Lenny Dykstra.