San Bernardino County history: Ontario – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Many of our upcoming county history stories will come from the County Archives, which are managed by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. Today’s story, from the County Archives, takes a look at one of the county’s largest cities, Ontario.

Located in southwestern San Bernardino County, the city of Ontario is known for its scenic parks, expansive shopping centers and cultural and historical landmarks. It’s also home to the Ontario International Airport, one of the busiest airports in Southern California.

Photo: The Ontario Land Office served as the location where people bought land from the Chaffey brothers.

The history of Ontario dates back to 1881, when two brothers, George and William Chaffey, purchased 6,216 acres of land in the region, along with significant water rights from San Antonio Creek for $60,000. Additional purchases increased the size of the land to over 8,000 acres. They called their venture the Ontario Model Colony, named after their home province of Ontario, Canada.

The Ontario Model Colony master plan included methods of distributing water over the region to each farm lot through cement pipes. Each holder would share the water proportionately to their holding

regardless of distance from the source. To ensure the success of the irrigation plan and to appeal to potential land buyers, the Chaffey brothers founded a mutual water company with each landowner becoming a stockholder.

In another venture, the Chaffey brothers laid the foundation for what would become the Chaffey College School of Agriculture in 1883. By establishing the school, the Chaffey brothers sought to provide a quality education to citrus farmers in the region. During that time, citrus farming was a leading industry until the 1950s.

Euclid Avenue, Ontario ca 1885. — Euclid Avenue, Ontario ca 1885

Another significant part of Ontario’s history includes Euclid Avenue, which can be described as twin driveways separated by a parkway, surrounded by grass and lined with pepper trees. The street was named after the Greek mathematician, Euclid, who is known as the father of geometry. George was inspired by Euclid’s book, Elements of Geometry, which was his favorite subject. A segment of Euclid Avenue from Philadelphia Street in north Ontario to 24th Street in Upland was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that an estimated 187,457 people call Ontario home, making it one of the most populous cities in San Bernardino County. In addition to providing good jobs, housing, educational and recreational opportunities, Ontario continues to be a major leader in our region’s economy.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office and County Archives, managed by Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Chris Wilhite.