Ontario highlight
Historic citrus / irrigation colony heritage
Ontario's settlement by Canadian brothers George and William Chaffey in 1881 established innovative irrigation systems that transformed arid Southern California into productive agricultural land.
George and William Chaffey, Canadian entrepreneurs and engineers, founded Ontario in 1881, naming the settlement after their home province. The brothers brought revolutionary irrigation technology to the region, creating an irrigation system and establishing the distinctive wide-laned Euclid Avenue. Their vision transformed arid Southern California into productive land where citrus groves, olive orchards, and other crops flourished—agriculture that became the economic foundation of the region for generations.
George Chaffey's innovations extended beyond Ontario; he developed large parts of Southern California through irrigation engineering, including the communities of Etiwanda and Upland. His groundbreaking systems included hydroelectric power sourced from mountain water and mutual water companies that resolved water-sharing disputes among farmers. These technological advances so impressed Los Angeles officials that they hired Chaffey to install the city's first streetlights, eventually making him president of the Los Angeles Electric Company. Chaffey died in Ontario on March 1, 1932, leaving a legacy honored with monuments throughout Southern California.
The agricultural heritage the Chaffeys established reminds Ontario's families of the importance of stability and long-term planning. Just as the Chaffeys invested in infrastructure to build lasting prosperity, today's families invest in life insurance to protect their dependents' financial futures. Whether working in agriculture, commerce, transportation, or service industries, Ontario residents' commitment to their families' wellbeing reflects that same pioneering spirit.