Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Historically it was a center ofagriculture, notably groves of Valenciaoranges and othercitrus crops;petroleum extraction; transportation; and manufacturing. It is home to numerous higher educational institutions, particularlyCalifornia State University, Fullerton andFullerton College. From the mid-1940s through the late 1990s, Fullerton was home to a large industrial base made up ofaerospace contractors, canneries, paper products manufacturers, and is considered to be the birthplace of theelectric guitar, due in large part toLeo Fender. The headquarters ofVons, which is owned byAlbertsons, is located in Fullerton near the Fullerton–Anaheim line.
The area of the city was a part of the homelands of theTongva for thousands of years.[9] There was a large village in the area along theSanta Ana River that has since been identified as theHutuknga.[10][11] The village was one of the largest throughout all ofTovaangar, or the Tongva world. It was connected by marriage ties to other villages in the area, includingGenga.[12]Acorns and seeds from grasses andsages were regularly cultivated. Trade connections were established with villages on the coast and those further inland.[12]
Europeans first passed through the area in 1769 whenGaspar de Portolá led a Spanish expedition north toMonterey. From the description recorded in the diary of FatherJuan Crespi, the party camped onJuly 29 near present-day Laguna Lake, in the Sunny Hills area.[13]
In 1894,Charles Chapman purchased an orange orchard in eastern Fullerton. The Valencia variety of oranges he promoted from his Santa Ysabel Ranch, well suited to the local climate, proved a boon to producers; Fullerton boasted more orange groves than any other municipality in theUnited States. Cultivation ofwalnuts andavocados also flourished, and the Western railroad town became an agricultural center. Fullerton was incorporated in 1904,[14]
Drilling forpetroleum began in 1880 with the discovery of theBrea-Olinda Oil Field and fueled the first real boom, peaking in the 1920s. Construction reflected the vogue for Spanish Colonial andItalian Renaissance–inspired architecture, as in the historicFox Fullerton Theatre (erected 1925); theMuckenthaler House, designed by Frank K. Benchley (erected 1924); and the city's chief landmark, the Plummer Auditorium and clock tower (erected 1930).Fullerton College was established at its present location at Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street in 1913. Meanwhile, the city banned all overnight street parking in 1924 – a law enforced to the present day, unless an area is specifically exempted.[15]
In 1943, the Alex Bernal residence became the site of one of the first successful lawsuits against householdcovenant laws in the country after Alex and Esther Bernal purchased a home in a Fullerton neighborhood that barred purchases from "Mexicans." After ahome invasion that resulted in their belongings being thrown into the street and a petition signed by fifty neighborhood residents to have the Bernal's removed from the neighborhood, a lawsuit was issued against the Bernals on the basis that their presence caused "irreparable injury" to the neighborhood that could lead to "coming in contact with said other races, including Mexicans, in a social and neighborhood manner." Lawyer David C. Marcus represented the Bernals inDoss vs. Bernal and won the case, which received national attention.[16]
In 1949,Leo Fender developed and refined the world's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar, theFender Telecaster.
Although Fullerton, like other Southern California cities, had experienced an expansion of population due to housing development, this increased by an order of magnitude during the post war years. Fullerton's population soared afterWorld War II as American veterans migrated toCalifornia, bought housing in the land development which destroyed the surrounding farming and park areas, and in particular after the construction ofInterstate 5 and development in neighboringAnaheim.
Manufacturing growth leveled off as ever-soaring property prices, increasing environmental regulation, traffic, and other pressures increased. By the late 20th century the city had lost much of its rural character in favor ofsuburban housing tracts and shopping centers.
In the 1980s, Fullerton hosted a community of Punk and LGBTQ youth in the former Black Hole Apartments.[18][19]
In the 1990s, the downtown commercial district had become economically depressed, and was known mainly for being an area of sleepy antique stores and small shops. A symbol of downtown's problems was theFox Theatre, a local landmark which had fallen into disrepair partially due to a fire. As of November 2004, a fundraising drive had accumulated sufficient funds to buy the theater, but not yet enough money to restore it. By 2006, restoration was started. As of 2024 these renovations were still ongoing.
During this same period, downtown Fullerton (DTF), especially in the south of Commonwealth area (SOCO),[20] has become more of a busy entertainment district, described by theOC Weekly as "Bourbon Street West." In less than five years, some 30 businesses that sell alcohol have opened, making the downtown area much more active at night. In 2008, City Manager Chris Meyer called together department head and the finance department and reported to the city council that the Restaurant Overlay District (established December 2002) was costing the city $935,000 over and above the sales taxes collected.
The 293-acre (1.19 km2)Hughes Aircraft Company's Ground Systems Group campus in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a new residential and commercial district calledAmerige Heights, in between 2001 and 2004.[21]
Fullerton is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtownLos Angeles, and approximately 11 miles (18 km) north-northwest ofSanta Ana, thecounty seat. The city lies approximately 11 miles (18 km) northeast of the Pacific Ocean straight-line distance.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.4 square miles (58 km2), of which 22.4 square miles (58 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.026 km2), comprising 0.05%, is water.
West Coyote Hills is a ridge in northern Fullerton, including 510 acres (206 ha) owned by Pacific Coast Homes (a land development division of theChevron Corporation) that is the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in north Orange County.
Fullerton first appeared as a city in the1910 U.S. census.[30] Prior to that, the area was part of unincorporated Fullerton Township (pop 1,697 in 1900).[29]
Fullerton, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 97.5% of the population lived in households, 2.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.4% were institutionalized.[44]
There were 48,412 households, out of which 32.8% included children under the age of 18, 50.1% were married-couple households, 6.6% werecohabiting couple households, 25.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 20.4% of households were one person, and 8.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.89.[44] There were 33,984families (70.2% of all households).[45]
The age distribution was 20.5% under the age of 18, 12.3% aged 18 to 24, 27.8% aged 25 to 44, 25.1% aged 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.7years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males.[44]
There were 50,411 housing units at an average density of 2,248.6 units per square mile (868.2 units/km2), of which 48,412 (96.0%) were occupied. Of these, 50.1% were owner-occupied, and 49.9% were occupied by renters.[44]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 28.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 53.6% spoke only English at home, 25.2% spokeSpanish, 3.7% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 16.5% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.9% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 88.3% were high school graduates and 43.6% had a bachelor's degree.[46]
The median household income was $104,219, and theper capita income was $48,061. About 8.0% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[47]
The Census reported that 132,084 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 2,318 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 759 (0.6%) were institutionalized.
There were 45,391 households, out of which 16,155 (35.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 23,240 (51.2%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 5,502 (12.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,505 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,366 (5.2%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 290 (0.6%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,771 households (21.5%) were made up of individuals, and 3,342 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91. There were 31,247families (68.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.43.
The population was spread out, with 31,558 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 17,522 people (13.0%) aged 18 to 24, 37,764 people (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 32,465 people (24.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 15,852 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
There were 47,869 housing units at an average density of 2,140.5 per square mile (826.5/km2), of which 24,600 (54.2%) were owner-occupied, and 20,791 (45.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 73,127 people (54.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,957 people (43.6%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States census, Fullerton had a median household income of $67,617, with 14.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[51]
Fullerton is home to a vibrant music scene. In the early 1990s, the Historic Ice House, built in 1902 and restored in 1989 featured several venues showcasing bands such as Room to Roam and Trip the Spring. It was a center for theOrange County hardcore punk music scene, producing acts such asThe Adolescents,Agent Orange,Social Distortion,D.I., the "fathers of hardcore punk" The Middle Class,Gwen Stefani, lead vocalist of thealternative rock groupNo Doubt, was a student at CSUF and the group performed there regularly. The Ice House was subsequently forced to close for special events. Years later, other popular groups and musicians from the area includeLit, 80ssynthpop actsBerlin andStacey Q, andMike Ness. The popular singer-songwriterJackson Browne attended Sunny Hills High School in the city. Singer-songwriterTim Buckley also attendedFullerton College and dropped out after only a few weeks to focus on his music career.[54][55] Fullerton is also home to one of the signature cities in the Make Music Day Alliance. Make Music Day is a global annual music celebration occurring on the summer solstice (June 21) each year in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries across the globe.[56] Starting in 2015, The Day of Music Fullerton[57][58] began as a grass roots initiative by a team of volunteers to create a unique and free music festival in alliance with the internationally renownedFête de la Musique.[citation needed] Each year on June 21 Fullerton comes alive from morning to night with musicians of all ages and musical persuasions performing in musical venues, shops, bars, restaurants, plazas, churches, parks and parking lots. From high school bands to established musicians/bands, Day of Music Fullerton is open to anyone who wants to perform and enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend for free. Since its inception, Day of Music Fullerton has grown into a popular and critical success,[59][60][61] hosting over 150 performances in more than 40 venues around the city, including the Museum Plaza, Historic Fox Theatre, Hillcrest Park, Villa del Sol, and The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, among others.[62]
Contributing greatly to Fullerton's musical heritage was theFender musical instrument company, whose products such as theStratocaster andTelecasterelectric guitars,Precision Bassbass guitar, and Twin Reverbguitar amplifier revolutionized the music business and contributed greatly to the development ofrock and roll.Leo Fender sold the company toCBS in 1965; production continued in the Fullerton plant until 1985, when the company was sold to a group of private investors. In 1980, Leo Fender and his original partnerGeorge Fullerton (relation to the Fullerton founder of the same name unknown) reunited and started a new company,G&L (George and Leo) Guitars, which are built in what had been Leo Fender's CLF Research factory in Fullerton.[63][64]
TheMuckenthaler Cultural Center on Malvern Avenue near Euclid Avenue houses art galleries and a theater group. The former estate of the Muckenthaler family, it was donated to the city by Harold Muckenthaler in 1965.Fullerton Friends of Music, the oldest chamber music society in Orange County, perform five concerts a year atSunny Hills Performing Arts Center, a notable classical concert venue in the county.[65]
Fullerton is home to theFullerton Public Library. The Main Library is located on Commonwealth Avenue in Downtown Fullerton and adjacent to the City Hall. Formerly there was a branch library, called the Hunt Branch on Basque Avenue. The Hunt Branch was closed in 2013[66]
There are several storefront theaters, including the Maverick Theater and Stages Theater. The Maverick Theatre is the host for the "World Famous Skipper Stand Up Show." Held six times a year, The Skipper Stand Up Show has, since 2006, showcased former and current skippers fromDisneyland's famous attraction, theJungle Cruise.
Fullerton contains more than 50 city parks includingHillcrest Park, Chapman Park, Craig Regional Park andRalph B. Clark Regional Park. TheFullerton Arboretum comprises 26 acres (11 ha) of sculpted gardens. Approximately 200 acres (0.81 km2) of recreational land are located in the Brea Dam Recreational Area, including an equestrian center and trails, two golf courses, a sports complex and the Janet Evans swim Complex.[citation needed]
Fullerton is aGeneral-law municipality with acouncil-manager government system. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five non-partisan members who serve four-year staggered terms, who elect a chair who serves as mayor. Elections are held every two years and are consolidated with the statewide general elections held in November of even numbered years. The city manager is responsible for day-to-day operations.[68][69] Prior to 2016, all council seats were elected at large. In 2016 voters passed Measure II which changed at large representation to election for five districts.[70][71][72] The mayor is Fred Jung.[73]
The city of Fullerton is served by three elementary and junior high school districts, two unified school districts, and one high school exclusive school district:
Fullerton Union High School. The oldest high school in Orange County, it is the home of historic Plummer Auditorium and the Academy of the Arts magnet program.
Troy High School (which includes Troy Tech, a public magnet program).
Other public schooling in Fullerton is provided by theFullerton School District. There are three public junior high schools, enrolling grades 7-8: Ladera Vista, Nicolas, andD. Russell Parks Junior High School. Fullerton has only two public elementary K-8 schools: Beechwood and Robert C. Fisler. Fullerton has fifteen public elementary schools enrolling grades K-6: Acacia, Commonwealth, Fern Drive, Golden Hill, Hermosa Drive, Laguna Road, Maple, Orangethorpe, Pacific Drive, Raymond, Richman, Rolling Hills, Sunset Lane, Valencia Park, and Woodcrest.
California State University, Fullerton, commonly known asCal State Fullerton orCSUF, was first established in 1957 as Orange County State College. The twelfth member of theCalifornia State University system, it is currently composed of eight colleges, a community extended education program and several institutions and centers.[77] The main campus is located on 236 acres (0.96 km2) of former orange groves in northeast Fullerton nearState Route 57 and Nutwood Avenue. As of 2019, 39,868 students were enrolled in 55 undergraduate and 55 graduate degree programs (including doctorate in education and doctor in nursing practice programs), making it the largest university in the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California in terms of enrollment.[78][79]
Water in Fullerton is supplied by the City of Fullerton Water System Management, which sources its water from theMetropolitan Water District of Southern California, importing water from the State Water Project from Northern California, and the Colorado River Aqueduct. Additionally, groundwater is pumped by 8 wells that tap into natural underground reservoirs.[88]
^abKoerper, Henry; Mason, Roger; Peterson, Mark (2002).Catalysts to complexity : late Holocene societies of the California coast. Jon Erlandson, Terry L. Jones, Jeanne E. Arnold, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. pp. 64–66, 79.ISBN978-1-938770-67-8.OCLC745176510.
^Lewinnek, Elaine; Arellano, Gustavo; Vo Dang, Thuy (2022).A people's guide to Orange County. Oakland, California: University of California Press. pp. 77–78.ISBN978-0-520-97155-4.OCLC1226813397.
^Fullerton, George (1993). Guitar Legends, The evolution of the Guitar from Fender to G&L. Fullerton: CENTERSTREAM Publishing. pg. 88-98ISBN0-931759-69-2.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
