Lake Forest: Then and Now
The Timeline of Lake Forest
The Beginning Years
In 1846, Don Jose Serrano received the Rancho Canada de Los Alisos land grant. Serrano and his family raised longhorn cattle and bulls on his property later naming his land "El Toro."
When California became part of the United States of America in 1850, the federal government began requiring landowners to provide titles to their land which proved to be costly. As a result, Serrano and other land grantees were forced to sell portions of their land.
Moving buildings from old El Toro to Heritage Hill Historic Park, 1978
To preserve its past, the City established Heritage Hill Historic Park, where Serrano's Adobe still stands today.
1884
Dwight Whiting, a settler from Boston, purchased the majority of the Rancho Canada de Los Alisos property.
Dwight Whiting
Whiting established an English colony on his ranch, with a schoolhouse and Episcopalian church, and advertised the possibilities residing in the area could offer to English settlers.
Whiting planted an abundance of eucalyptus trees as a solution to an ongoing lumber shortage. Later, the eucalyptus forest would provide inspiration for naming the City.
1888
Shortly after the establishment of the post office in 1888, the Santa Fe Railroad constructed a railway depot, making it easier for farmers to sell surplus goods and for immigrants to arrive to the area nearby.
El Toro flourished as an agricultural community through the beginning of the 20th century. The use of wells and practice of dry farming made crops such as beans, apricots, grapes, olives, and citrus profitable in the area.
A New Era Rises from the Bean Fields
In 1942, the United States Marines Corps built the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in the middle of James Irvine’s 28,000-acre lima bean field eight months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
In January 1943, five asphalt runways & over 27 miles of paved highways were laid in five months. From then, the Marine Base served as a launch point for three major wars.
The introduction of the Marine Base opened the door for a new wave of immigration to El Toro, consisting largely of service men and their families.
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, 1960's
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, 1960's
In 1993, the Marine Base was designated for closure, and its runways went silent for good in 1999. Since then, most of the grounds have been transformed into Orange County Great Park, a massive system of trails, sports fields and recreation.
The Community We Know Today
By 1960, El Toro found itself in the middle of a suburban housing boom. Developer Occidental Petroleum created a master-planned community around the abundant trees and man-made lakes. During the peak of activity at the Marine Base, the need for new homes and support services increased.
Aliso Creek looking upstream from Muirlands, 1974
Lake Forest becomes Orange County's 31st City
The City incorporated on December 20, 1991 under the name "Lake Forest" in reverence to the eucalyptus forests and the community’s man-made lakes.
Helen Wilson was inducted as the first mayor of Lake Forest on March 5, 1991. As Lake Forest continued to blossom, the City added Montbury, Pittsford, Rimgate and Rancho Serrano to the list of parks in 1993.
As Lake Forests' population continued to grow, new developments and subdivisions were added. In 2000, Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills officially become part of the City of Lake Forest.
In 2002, Orange County voters rejected plans for an international airport at the former Marine base that closed in 1999, clearing the way for landowners to request permission to build homes.
The resulting development agreements produced development fees which paid for the $80 million Sports Park and Recreation Center in 2014 and the $80 million Civic Center in 2019.
The City's first City Hall was off 23778 Mercury Road and shortly after moved to 23161 Lake Center Drive.
In 2003, Lake Forest City Hall moved to Commercentre Drive. The new City Hall location included community facilities such as a Senior Center and Teen Lounge for 16 years before the new Civic Center construction was complete.
Shortly after City Hall's big move to Commercentre Drive, the Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest, the largest public skatepark in the nation, made its debut on December 13, 2003. To this day, it remains one of the most highly regarded and most visited facilities on the West Coast.
Ariel photo of Etnies Skatepark
In 2006, the City celebrated the completion of its largest capital improvement projects to date, the El Toro Road Traffic and Landscape Improvement Project and the Arbors at El Toro.
Construction of the Arbors at El Toro.
In 2008, planning for the Lake Forest Sports Park began with a series of community workshops. A Consensus Plan, developed from input gathered at the workshops, was presented at a July 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting and approved by the City Council on August 18, 2009.
In 2014, the Lake Forest Sports Park opened to the public. Today, it remains one of the largest sports parks in Orange County.
The crowning achievement of the last 30 years came in December 2019 with the completion of the Civic Center. Like the Sports Park, the $80 million project was built without debt. The vision and negotiations for the transaction of the Civic Center took over 20 years to accomplish.
Coined the City's 100-Year Home, the Civic Center is home to a Senior Center, Community Center, Performing Arts/Council Chamber, and City Hall.
