Editing El Monte, California (section)

===Pre-1800s===
[[File:Rancho La Puente.png|thumb|left|Modern-day El Monte sits on land that was originally part of [[Rancho La Puente]], a Mexican-era [[ranchos of California|rancho grant]].]]
[[File:Oldesthomein-El-Monte-1922.jpg|thumb|left|Oldest home in El Monte, built 1849 (photo 1922)]]

The area, beside the [[San Gabriel River (California)|San Gabriel River]], is part of the homeland of the [[Tongva people]] as it has been for thousands of years. The Spanish [[Portolá expedition]] of missionaries and soldiers passed through the area in 1769–1770.  [[Mission San Gabriel Arcángel]] was the center of colonial activities in the area.   The site was within the [[Ranchos of California|Mexican land grant]] [[Rancho La Puente]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gXO8DAEACAAJ&q=covina+images+of+america|title=El Monte|isbn=9781531628284 |last1=Barton |first1=Jorane King |date=October 18, 2006 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Library Editions }}</ref>