The land was christened Pomona: the ancient Roma goddess of fruit, owing to a winning entry of horticulturist Solomon Gates in a contest to name the city. As early as the 1880s, the arrival of railroads and the presence of the Coachella Valley constituted two fundamental factors necessary for the sprouting of a citrus growing region. On January 6, 1888, Pomona received its official incorporation as a city. The history of Pomona is intercalated with numerous milestones.
Lying in a land that was originally occupied by the Gabrielonos Indians, the valley that is descriptive of the city was known in the 1700s as Rancho San Jose. Later is become constituent of Mission San Gabriel grazing lands. Over the next fifty years the land was owned by two soldiers after a successful petitioning of the governor for been granted rights of ownership of the land. After these two soldiers Don Ingacio Palomares and Don Ricardo Vejar, Vejar’s potion then known as Rancho San Abajo was transferred to two Los Angeles merchants in 1863. Who sold the land to Louis Phillips in 1866. Phillips transferred 5,600 of the land to a group of speculators. It is after this transfer that the land was christened Pomona. By the 1880s the expanse flourished with vineyards which were later replaced with citrus orchards and olive groves in the 1890s(http://www.route66ca.org). It is through these innovative agricultural ventures that the economy of Pomona has flourished over the decades.
The population of Pomona has been on a gradual increase over the years. Records from the 1890 census show that the city had a population of just three thousand six hundred and thirty four people. By 1910 the population had tripled to ten thousand two hundred and seven. Recent census from 2000 record a population of 149, 473 people, 37, 855 households and a total of 29,791 families resident in the city.(5). As at the 2000 census, the population density was 2, 526. 8/km² (6,544.3/mi²). There were 39,598 housing units at an average density of 669.4/km² (1,733.7/mi²).
Geographically the city is located at 34°3?39?N 117°45?21?W / 34.06083°N 117.75583°W / 34.06083; -117.75583 (http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html). Data from the United States Census Bureau record that the city occupies a total area of 59.2 km² (22.8 mi²), all land. The city is bordered by Claremont and La Verne to the North, Chino and Montclair to the East, San Dimas to the North West, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar lie to the South of the city while the Industry and Jose Hills lie on the South West. The city’s southern and eastern boundaries are largely bordered by the Los Angeles/ San Bernardino county line.
Political the political structure of Pomona is descriptive of the state legislature situated in the 32nd Senate district and the 61st Assembly District. The 32nd Senate District is represented by a Democrat Negrete McLeod. The 32nd Senate District encompasses Pomona, Ontario, Montclair, Fontana, Colton, Rialto and San Bernadino. The Senate District also includes the communities of Muscoy and Bloomington. In the Senate the senator has been an active participator and chairs the Carlifonia Legislative Women’s Caucus, the Select Committee on the Alameda Corridor and Perchlorate Contamination and the Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. She also serves in the Governmental Organization, Health, Public Employment and Retirement and the Veterans Affairs Committees.
Pomona is also located in the 61st Assembly District which is represented by Democratic representative Nell Soto. The 61st Assembly District encompasses parts of San Bernardino and Los Angeles as well as the counties and cities of Pomona, Chino, Ontario and Montclair. Soto has had a considerably long political career serving in the 31st Senate District before being elected as the Democrat representative for the 61st Assembly district between the 2006-2008 before she passed away in February 26, 2009. She is credited with authoring the legislation that facilitated the expansion of the Nell Soto Teacher Involvement program, improving welfare work programs as well as improving foster care licensing.
The city is also classified under the California’s 38th Congressional District where it is represented by Grace Napolitano. Napolitano has been profoundly influential while serving on several committees, caucuses and task forces. Key of these is the Transportation Committee, Natural Resources Committee, Congressional Mental Health Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Health Task Force, and Manufacturing Task Forces.
Although agriculture continues to be the main economic activity since the incorporation of Pomona, other innovative businesses and industrial enterprises have sprouted, grew and prospered. The roots for some of these businesses can be traced to 1864. Notable of such a business are the Phillip’s and Cattle Company of 1864, the Law firms of Nichols, Stead, Boileau and Kostoff incorporated by Allen P. Nichols in 1886. From its nascence, entrepreneurial leadership and innovative ventures have been characteristic of the city. Innovations like the long distance transmission of electricity, the use of alternating current, the inception and popularization of the use of the semi-automatic switchboard west of Mississippi as well as direct distance dialing all draw their roots in Pomona. The Pomona Pump Company has been credited with revolutionizing deep well pumping through their water lubricated design.
These economic successes are not only concentrated to durations around the incorporation of the city but that they are acted as a stimulus to major economic categories that exist even today. These categories include retail sales, banking, and manufacturing. Products originating from the City of Pomona include electronic software, high quality optics, glass cosmetics, steel products, paper products and defense weapon systems. Due to highly advanced research in technology and development, the city is currently experiencing an increase in real estate developments to satisfy the growing demand of corporate offices.
Today the community is multiracial, multicultural and is composed of very progressive citizenry who are on the forefront in testing their limits of progress with the sole aim of providing a high quality of life for the Pomona residency. For instance, the 2000 census categorized the racial makeup as 41.76% White, 9.63% African American, 1.26% Native American, 7.20% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 34.93% from other races, and 5.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 64.47% of the population(http://factfinder.census.gov).
The community has always been rooted in religious institutions. The existence of deep rooting in religious beliefs explains the presence of more than one hundred and twenty churches that ideally represent almost all the worlds’ religious faiths. Just like any other city in the world, churches in Pomona have acted as key architectural focal points. For instance, the Pilgrim Congressional Church situated in North Garey Avenue presents as an astounding representation of European church designs. In addition, there are so many other churches that provide crucial glimpses on contemporary American architectural designs.
There are instances where the city of Pomona is best described as the place where the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is located. The university is situated in the site of the breakfast cereal magnate of W. K. Kellogs ranch that is located in the western corner of the city of Pomona. Currently the university has in excess of twenty one thousands students. With regard to its extensive geographical coverage; 1, 437 acres, it is the second largest land holding university in the whole of the California State University. Situationally, the university is in the south west of the junction of 10 and 57 freeways. The University is well known for architectural and engineering programs which are quire selective and are also nationally ranked(http://www.architectmagazine.com). Other higher education institutions located downtown are the Western University of Health Sciences formerly the College of Osteopathic medicine of the Pacific that offer nursing, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. As at 2010, the college is expected to offer programs in Optometry, Dentistry and Podiatry. The institution is located in the south of highway 10 off the Town Avenue. Contrary to popular expectation, the Pomona College; a liberal arts institution founded in 1887 is no longer in the city as its campus was moved to Claremont in 1889. In addition to these higher learning institutions, the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds are also located in the city. It also hosts the NHRA Powerade Winternationals Drag Racing venue.
A description of a city is never complete without an analysis of the local events and establishments as these are the facets that differentiate geographical locations since they have a profound effect modeling the social life of the populace. Some of the common restaurants and eating places that litter Pomona city are the Mix Bowl Cafe, Polios Kikiryki, Rumble Fish, Ten Ren’s Tea Time. Just like any city in modern world, fast food joints constitute the majority of food establishments, followed by Mexican restaurants, Latin American restaurants and American restaurants. However, just like churches represent the world’s faiths, the culinary experience in Pomona also transcends the boundaries of these small cities to corners far and wide.
For a leisurely rest, the number of parks in Pomona is so many. Some of these include Madison Park, Ralph Welch, Lincoln, Garfield, Ganesha, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial park, Weber Park, Philadelphia Park and Ted Green park among money others. As a strategy in building new schools for the older neighborhoods in Pomona it has been suggested that it would be more effective if these new schools are built in consideration of relevant public or private resources. There are suggestions that schools should be built in partnership with park districts so that the numerous parks can be used in the fulfillment of playground requirements.
Since the maintenance of security and the reduction of crime rates lies at the heart of any peaceful co-existence between members in the community, the police play an important role in meeting objectives that are supportive of a harmonious living. For this reason the city has quite a number of police stations such as Pomona Police department which provides detective services to the populace. The station is located in 490 W Mission Boulevard, Pomona, CA. The Pomona Police Code Compliance located in 375 S Main St has been instrumental in advancing crime control objectives. However, despite the presence of these police stations crime rates are still unacceptably high. Reiterating the words of the mayor Norma Terres, crime rates are unacceptable and more interventions need to be put in place to make improve community safety.
Pomona has been ravaged by violent crimes and gangs for a considerably long time. Families, neighborhood and businesses have been forced to brace themselves for the increasing rates of crime. Even though statistics from Los Angeles attests that despite the persistence of the gang problem in Pomona, murder rates are still comparatively low. However, an analysis of these figures with past crime rate figures show that there have been an increase in murders by 30%. This calls for accountability among the public officials as well as the development of more effective and sustainable methods for maintaining public safety. The mayor has been particularly instrumental in assisting the Police Department turn around the increasing crime rates(Torres 2007). Since gangs alter their criminal strategies continually, it is fundamental that crime control strategies should also change continually. There have also been recommendations to the effect that more police officers should be added into payroll.
With respect to the socioeconomic status and the lifestyles of the Pomona populace, it can be affirmed that the socioeconomic levels of these people is considerably successful owing to the innovativeness and the entrepreneurial enterprising that exists among the population. The fact that the community is multiracial allows for diversity in innovation. Their lifestyles can be characterized as light industrial which is concentrated in the urban populations. This major lifestyle is speckled with characteristics of the remote healthier lifestyles among the agricultural fraction of the community. All in all life in Pomona is ideally hassling free and minus the hustles and bustles that characterize the bustling metropolis.
References
Terres, N. (2007).Pomona must reduce high crime rate. Daily Bulletin.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7733129?source=sb-delicious?source=sb-digg. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.
American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.
Pomona, California: A Brief History of Pomona, CA. California Historic Route 66 Association.
http://www.route66ca.org/traveler/towns/25pomona/history.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.
The Top U.S. Architecture Schools . Architect Magazine – online version. http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1006&articleID=602885. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.
US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2009-03-11. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.
