The orange holds a special place in the history of southern California. Sometime between the fading echoes of the rancheros and the wake of bustling urbanization, the orange industry blossomed in California. While citrus trees had been planted at the California Missions as early as the 1760s, they weren't grown for production until the late 1800s when local California farmers discovered how easy it was to grow oranges in the warm Mediterranean-like climate. With the timely completion of America's transcontinental railroad in the late 1800s, trains could transport oranges to every region of the United States, which helped boost the demand for oranges and the profits of the citrus growers. Soon, southern California was covered with citrus groves. As Sid Hudgens said in the film L.A. Confidential set in the 1950s, "Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright.....and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see."
The population of California grew rapidly in the 1900s, which led to an increased demand for new homes and larger communities. Sadly, this urbanization resulted in the loss of acres of lovely citrus groves. However, many still survive and some counties have enacted laws to protect agriculture from urban sprawl such as Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) and the Ventura Land Trust in Ventura County. One of the oldest citrus groves in Riverside County is preserved as the California Citrus State Historic Park which has a museum that displays exhibits on the history and significance of the citrus industry in California. The park includes historic buildings, guided tours, and wonderful walking paths through the aromatic citrus groves.
On a happy note, the citrus industry is still a very vibrant and significant part of California. Citrus production generates billions of dollars in revenue annually and creates thousands of local jobs. And most of the oranges produced in America are still grown in California!🍊
