City of Upland History

City of Upland History. . A trolley line in the broad, tree-lined median of Euclid Avenue connected Upland to Ontario. The trolley was pulled by a mule, which then climbed aboard an attached trailer for the ride back down. The mule drawn street-cars were a hit and the citrus industry was bringing wealth and families to the area in droves. The population was growing, and families were starting to settle not only in Ontario, but in North Ontario as well. Citrus was a growing industry in both areas, but the residents of North Ontario wanted to find a way to differentiate between the fruit of the two areas. One resident, Charles D. Adams, owner of the Ontario Fruit Exchange, proposed creating a new citrus association called the Upland Citrus Association. He chose the name Upland knowing that "fruit produced at higher altitudes was usually of better quality". Hence, fruit grown "up land" would pass on that connotation. When business efforts started to fail in the late 1880's and the Magnolia Villa was forced to close, residents hung onto the Upland name. North Ontario was successfully renamed Upland in 1902., Upland originally was an irrigation colony established by George and William Chaffey. When founded, it was a small rural town based on agriculture, specifically citrus fruits. . This historical marker is in Upland in San Bernardino County California