Montebello, California

Montebello, California, like most of America, was originally inhabited by a Native American tribe, in this instance, one called the Tongva. They were considered the most prominent of the region’s Uto-Aztecan indigenous tribes and often controlled and dominated trade amidst neighboring factions. Their settlements were mostly along the coastline of Los Angeles County, northwest Orange County, and surrounding islands.

When the Spanish came to this area in 1771, they established the San Gabriel Mission. Native Americans were converted and helped the Spanish by providing labor. The land was hearty, and many orchards provided for the Spanish crown until 1833, when California fell into Mexico’s control and gave the San Gabriel Mission land to individuals. 

In 1850, California became a state in the Union.

Together, Harris Newmark & Kaspare Cohn (Newmark’s uncle) bought 2,000 acres from the brother of Alessandro Repetto following the Italian immigrant’s death. A grand majority of these 2,000 acres came to form city land.

Newmark and Cohn set about turning Montebello into farming plots. Originally, the community was named Newmark but on the advice of William Mulholland, the moniker Montebello was adopted instead in 1920.

The small farming plots grew into a booming agricultural economy for early Montebello, with the city becoming especially renowned for its expansive fruit and flowers. Many were harvested by Japanese immigrants, although they were largely displaced via internment during World War II.

Another booming industry that developed was oil, discovered in Montebello in 1917. In the following decades, oil wells began to dominate the town’s landscape and usurped agriculture as the foremost local export.

Leading up to the 21st century, Montebello’s population makeup shifted from an Asian majority to a Hispanic one, as of the most recently available census data, nearly 80% of citizens identify as people of Latine descent. As a result, this demographic has been a vital and vibrant face of local cultures and businesses.