History & Facts
The neighborhood had been referred to as El Toro since 1863. José Serrano and his family lived on an 11,000-acre ranch that Dwight Whiting finally acquired in 1874 after being awarded it by the Mexican government. The Santa Fe train line's passage through the area is largely thanks to Whiting. [6] Juan B. Alvarado, Juan Avila, and their sister Conception—the widow of one Pedro Sánchez—were given ownership of Rancho Niguel. They gave it to other owners after which it was divided into portions, one of which was Yorba. The majority of it belonged to Cyrus B. Rawson in 1874. 1600 acres were also owned by Jonathan E. Bacon.
The name of the city, Lake Forest, is derived from two lakes. The man-made lakes include huge to tiny custom residences and condominiums lining their shores. Lakes are managed by neighborhood associations (Lake 1, known as the Lake Forest Beach and Tennis Club, and Lake 2, the Sun and Sail Club.) Tennis courts, gyms, basketball courts, pit barbecues, volleyball courts, several swimming pools, saunas, hot tubs, and club houses for social gatherings are all components of each complex.
Between Ridge Route, Jeronimo, Lake Forest, and Serrano roads is where the "forest" that bears the city's other name can be found. It primarily consists of eucalyptus trees. It was also man-made; in the early 1900s, local landowner Dwight Whiting planted 400 acres (1.6 km2) of Eucalyptus groves along Serrano Creek as part of a timber operation meant to spur growth in the region. [6] The Eucalyptus groves had expanded and become considerably more dense by the time the Occidental Petroleum company built a residential neighborhood there and nearby in the late 1960s.
The city of Lake Forest was incorporated on December 20, 1991. The neighborhood had previously been known as El Toro before incorporation. Lake Forest's city limits were increased in 2000 as a result of a decision to incorporate the master-planned communities of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills. The northeastern edge of the city received new residential areas and business hubs as a result of this expansion.