Editing Pomona, California (section)

===1880–present===
By the 1880s, the arrival of [[Coachella Valley]] water, together with railroad access, made it the western anchor of the [[citrus]]-growing region. Pomona was officially incorporated on January 6, 1888.<ref name="collier"/>

In the 1920s Pomona was known as the "Queen of the Citrus Belt", with one of the highest per-capita levels of income in the United States.  In the 1940s it was used as a movie-previewing location for major motion picture studios to see how their films would play to modally middle-class audiences around the country (for which Pomona was at that time viewed as an idealized example).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.route66ca.org/pomona/|title=Pomona&nbsp;– California Historic Route 66 Association&nbsp;– Helping you get your kicks in California!|accessdate=December 20, 2023}}</ref>

Religious institutions are deeply embedded in the history of Pomona. There are now more than 120 churches, representing most religions in today's society. The historical architectural styles of these churches provide glimpses of European church design and architecture from other eras.<ref name="History"/>

[[Pomona Mall]] was a downtown pedestrian mall, recognized by the [[Los Angeles Conservancy]] as an outstanding example of [[Mid-century modern]] and [[modern architecture]] and design. It was completed in 1962, one element in a larger plan of civic improvements covering the whole city.<ref name="lac">{{cite web |title=Pomona Mall |url=https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/pomona-mall |publisher=Los Angeles Conservancy |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> The eastern end is now part of the [[Western University of Health Sciences]] campus, while the western end now houses numerous art galleries, art studios and restaurants.<ref>{{cite news |last1=López |first1=Ricardo |title=Booming medical school brings life to downtown Pomona |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-apr-06-la-fi-western-osteopathy-20120406-story.html |access-date=May 6, 2019 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 6, 2012}}</ref><ref name=lac/>

In 2005, Pomona citizens elected [[Norma Torres]], the first woman of Guatemalan heritage to be elected to a mayoral post outside of [[Guatemala]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/pomona-mayor.html |title=Norma Torres&nbsp;– Mayor of Pomona, California |publisher=City Mayors |date=March 10, 2008 |access-date=August 21, 2012}}</ref> Later, she would become a U.S. congresswoman representing [[California's 35th congressional district]] in 2015.