Editing Rancho Cucamonga, California (section)

===Grapeland===
The former community of Grapeland, first settled in 1869, lay roughly between today's Victoria Groves Park and Central Park. There was a schoolhouse which also doubled as a church. In 1890 an irrigation district was formed and $200,000 in bonds were sold to pay for improvements. The Sierra Vista reservoir was built in 1886–87 by J.L. Scofield as the focal point of a network of irrigation pipes.  The system was unused, however, because the bond issue was declared illegal. "Orchards and vineyards began to die," ''[[The Daily Report]]'' newspaper reported in a retrospective. "Residents moved out. The post office closed in 1905. Homes, buildings were destroyed or abandoned." The reservoir remained unused until 1956, when the Fontana Union Water Company filled it with {{Convert|5|e6USgal|e6L|abbr=unit}} of water. The local school district was merged with the [[Etiwanda School District|Etiwanda district]] in 1901. In 1957 the settlement was practically deserted, but there were still rabbit-proof stone walls marking boundaries of previous citrus orchards.<ref>"Rubble Remains of a Community That Was — Grapeland," ''The Daily Report,'' July 13, 1957, page 3 / FONTANA–

<blockquote>Between Fontana and Etiwanda lie the dry, dusty remains of a community that died for lack of water. The name of the town was Grapeland. A few people still live in the original tpwnsite, but the brilliant future that was predicted for it in the 1880s never came to pass. Unpaved dirt roads, still graded by San Bernardino County, run spasmodically through the area. Grapevines still cover much of the parched land; but gone are the citrus groves, the fruit trees, the early pioneer settlers.... The first settlers came to Grapeland in 1869. Later, more and more arrived, until in 1890 the need for adequate water became imperative. An irrigation district was formed and $200,000 in bonds were sold. With this money, the Sierra Vista Reservoir was built as the focal point of a network of irrigation pipes. It was to remain unused for 66 years, for the entire bond issue was declared illegal. Orchards and vineyards began to die. Residents moved out. The post office was closed in 1905. Homes, buildings were destroyed or abandoned. Today, the hot sun parches the empty fields of Grapeland—the community that died of thirst. / Still in fairly good shape along Grapeland's ghost roads are rabbit-proof stone walls around long-gone ciitrus orchards. / CONSTRUCTED 1886–1887, J.L. Scofield, Engineer and Builder is the legend proclaimed by this plaque in the Sierra Vista Reservoir, which proved a delusion to settlers. It remained dry until 1956, when the Fontana Union Water Co. plastered its colorful pebbly exterior and filled it with 5,000,000 gallons of water.</blockquote></ref>