Ontario Adjustable Beds

Ontario, CA Tidbits

Ontario, California is located just 56 kilometers from the city of Los Angeles. It is situated within the San Bernardino County and had 163,924 residents during the 2010 census. The city began as a 6,218-acre town purchased for $60,000 from a ranch land with water rights. This was the model for a new settlement, which expanded to include the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the south side of the San Antonio lands. On the north side of the land, a ranch at the San Antonio Canyon was also included and this became a very important water source.

The land that contained the Ontario settlement was put up for sale in late 1882 after being surveyed. The area's centerpiece was Euclid Avenue, which was some 200-feet-wide and eight miles long. A parkway separated the two paths which lined with pepper trees and seeded in grass. The avenue was named after a Greek mathematician.

Before the land could be used, the main requirement was that water had to be located and provided to the community. To this end, miles of pipe was laid in order to meet this requirement. Then, a tunnel was dug into the head of the canyon to get water from the underground flow. The development of the city's power company was the result of the need for electric power to lift water from the deep wells.

The provision that allowed the buyers of land to automatically receive shares in the water company was another innovation in the community of Ontario. This would ensure that the buyers of land would have a share of water that was proportional to their acreage. Many problems that faced pioneers elsewhere was that the water rights and land rights were separated.

Under the Constitution of California, the year 1891 brought the incorporation of Ontario as a city of the sixth class. The newly incorporated city adopted a City Council-City Manager form of government. The mayor was first known as the President of the Board and was chosen by the Board of Trustees or the Council. The law was subsequently changed to permit the people to directly elect the mayor.

Ontario was an agricultural community that primarily consisted of citrus crops. Some of the beautiful Victorian grove houses are still standing as relics of the city's early days. The Chaffey College was established in Ontario and it emphasized originally agricultural subjects. It was at the college that the Babcock peach was created. It was made to adapt to the mild winters in California. The college was then relocated to Rancho Cucamonga. However, Chaffey High School is still located at its original joint campus.

Although the citrus groves no longer exist in West End, Ontario is still close to the agricultural industry. The production of grapes, lemons, walnuts, and peaches in addition to oranges are also important to the growth of Ontario and the adjoining city of Upland.

A few airplane enthusiasts established an airfield in 1923. From then on, the community became a major center for the aviation industry. As the result of urban growth, the field was pushed to the east and later on became known as the Ontario International Airport.

Ontario has become an increasingly more diversified city after the busy 1940s. People were attracted to Ontario because of an average rainfall of 18.4 inches and a mean temperature of 61 degrees. The size of the city has increased to nearly 50 square miles from 0.38 square miles. The economy currently has a manufacturing and industrial base. Some 10,000 acres are currently zoned for industrial use. The proximity of Ontario to Los Angeles, as well as its major transportation resources, ensures that Ontario will continue to expand in future years.