Alonzo Cook - Garden Grove Founded

Garden Grove Founded

In 1874, the Cooks bought 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land that was sold secondhand from the once-dominant Able Stearns Ranch. The land covered what is now the area of Lampson Street to Garden Grove Boulevard and from Euclid/Main Street to Nutwood Street. There were only a few hundred people living on farms around the area at the time.

After their house was completed in 1874, Cook commenced the establishment of a civic center, the start of commerce, and a school district for the area. Cook donated all the land needed for these facilities, which were the first semblances of a village he named "Garden Grove". The local citizens did not like this name because it consisted of open fields.

By 1877, the village had a church, a blacksmith, a post office and a general store. By 1881, the Cook family moved on to pursue interests in other states and other enterprises.

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