[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18147]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF RIALTO'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 18, 2011

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress to join me in 
celebrating the City of Rialto's 100th Birthday. Rialto has a long, 
rich history, and has grown into a city that is home to over 100,000 
people. I have been fortunate enough to raise my family in Rialto. I am 
proud to live in this city, represent these people, and join them in 
celebrating this momentous event.
   Ancient artifacts and traces of a village indicate that Native 
Americans inhabited this area between 1500 AD and 1800 AD. What 
happened to these people and settlements still remains a mystery. In 
1769, the King of Spain awarded areas of Rialto as land grants to 
Spanish Dons. Following the cession of California to the United States, 
Mormons became the next wave of settlers in the San Bernardino valley. 
By 1854 some of these early pioneers settled in Rialto, constructing 
ranches and farms in their wake. This period gave birth to the 
international distribution of Muscat Grapes and the building of the 
oldest structure in Rialto.
   The Semi Tropic Land and Water Company purchased 25,000 acres of 
land in 1887. The company helped develop and christen the town site. 
Hattie Merrill, daughter of the former Governor of Iowa, Samuel 
Merrill, named the town site after the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy. 
Within the same year, a railroad connector line was constructed in 
Rialto. Towns were located every 2,600 yards along the line, connecting 
Rialto to towns from San Bernardino to Pasadena. That year alone over 
25 new towns were built. During the same year, a group of Methodists 
settled in Rialto. They originally came to build a college, but soon 
began to grow citrus in the beautiful climate of Rialto. Their farms 
quickly expanded to acres of citrus groves. In 1888, the Brooke School 
was built to educate the growing population. Many credit this group of 
Methodists for developing the Town of Rialto.
   By the late 1800s, Rialto became home to a blacksmith, lumber yard, 
and a cement pipe manufacturing company. The first citrus association 
was established, and the first citrus packing house was built. Rialto's 
reputation for beautiful homes with shaded drives began to grow, and so 
did the population. In 1891, the Rialto School District was formed, and 
in 1907 the Chamber of Commerce was established. Over the next four 
years, the population grew to the point that the town supported 40 
businesses and a newspaper. In 1911, Rialto was officially incorporated 
as a City.
   For many years thereafter, the City of Rialto continued to grow, 
shipping citrus to every area in the country. Today those train tracks 
still run through the City, but are used on a much smaller scale--the 
area has matured and modernized. Throughout these changes, Rialto 
remains a great place to raise a family. My children grew up attending 
school and playing sports in the area. I am honored to have had the 
opportunity to serve this community both at the local and national 
level. My son, Joe Baca, Jr. still lives in Rialto and has the 
opportunity to serve our community as a City Council Member. On behalf 
of my wife, Barbara, and my children, Councilman Joe Baca, Jr., Jeremy, 
Natalie, and Jennifer, we would like to join our neighbors in 
celebrating Rialto's 100th birthday.

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