The first settlers to carve the Pomona Valley out of the California wilderness were Ricardo Vejar and Ygnacio Palomares, who received land grants in 1837 for fighting for Mexicos independence. Nearly three decades after California was ceded to the United States, Southerners escaping the aftermath of the Civil War migrated to the area, and the city was incorporated in 1888. Pomonas landscape evolved from vast Mexican ranchos into prosperous vineyards and orchards, and later into one of Los Angeless major suburbs. Pomona today is home to the worlds largest county fair, the Los Angeles County...