| Fairfield California is located in northwest California, | | | | the Second World War, Sparks exploded with |
| forty miles from Sacramento and San Francisco. The | | | | housing developments and subdivisions which spread |
| first Europeans to arrive here came in 1810, when | | | | out from Reno over what had earlier been grazing |
| the Spanish army came to subdue the Suisin Indian | | | | land northeast of the town. By the 1970's Sparks |
| tribe. The government of Mexico granted the land to | | | | grew as family farms south of town were gobbled |
| a leader of the Indians in 1837. This grant eventually | | | | up by low-rise warehouses, manufacturing concerns, |
| came into the possession of a ship's captain from the | | | | and light industry, all connected by a grid of asphalt |
| state of Connecticut. The city of Fairfield was | | | | streets. Today Sparks is on the move again, with its |
| incorporated in 1903. Its present population is 77,666 | | | | first skyscraper. The old Victorian business buildings |
| souls with a median age of 31 years old; and the city | | | | have been restored as luxury residences. As the |
| sprawls over 38 square miles. About half the | | | | fourth largest city in Nevada it offers many travelers' |
| population is white, with sizable Hispanic and black | | | | services. John Ascuaga's world-renowned Nugget |
| minorities. There is a notable Filipino population | | | | with its Sparks precast concrete high rise casino was |
| represented in the city as well. With six high schools | | | | completed in 1984. |
| serving Fairfield, as well as eight colleges nearby, it is | | | | Fontana California is another city on the go. Its |
| not surprising that this city on the go has 85% of its | | | | earliest settler was Don Antonio Maria Lugo, whose |
| population at least high school graduates; another | | | | land grant dates from 1813. He obtained another |
| 20% have bachelor's degrees, and 6% have | | | | grant for his sons of land which was known as |
| graduate degrees or professional degrees. About 7% | | | | Rancho de San Bernadino. The sons of Lugo sold |
| of the population is unemployed. Fairfield is a | | | | some of their land in 1851 to Mormon settlers, who |
| bedroom community for both San Francisco and | | | | eventually left to go back to Salt Lake. The land title |
| Sacramento, since the forty minute commute is not | | | | passed to the Semi Tropical Land and Water |
| difficult, and life is cheaper and quieter in Fairfield | | | | Company. Then in the early twentieth century the |
| precast concrete than in either of the bigger cities. | | | | Fontana Development Company obtained the Rancho |
| Before 1902, what is now Sparks Nevada was | | | | and started the community of Rosena. In 1913 the |
| nothing but ranches and swampland, 4 miles east of | | | | name was changed to Fontana. As in the other |
| the city of Reno. Then Southern Pacific Railway Co. | | | | towns, the Second World War brought a population |
| succeeded the Central Pacific Railway as the new | | | | explosion when Fontana was chosen to be the site |
| owner of the main railroad line through northern | | | | of a new steel mill. The City of Fontana was |
| Nevada. The decision was made to straighten the line | | | | accordingly incorporated in 1952, at which time it had |
| and lessen the distance bypassing Wadsworth - for | | | | a population of fourteen thousand, and it quickly |
| forty years, the site of Central Pacific's maintenance | | | | became the leading producer of steel in Southern |
| shops and roundhouse. The railroad offered its | | | | California. Steel dominated Fontana's economy until |
| Wadsworth employees cheap land in the new town | | | | the Kaiser Steel plant began to cut its production and |
| to move to, and thus in 1903 Sparks became a | | | | employees during the late 1970's. The steel mill was |
| custom made city, tailor-ordered by Southern Pacific | | | | closed down in 1984. The rolling mill and plate steel |
| Railway Co., which built maintenance shops and a | | | | plant was bought by the California Steel Co., which is |
| switch yard there. The town was originally called | | | | still in production. Present-day Fontana is a railroad |
| "Harriman", after the railroad president Edward | | | | and trucking center, and is home to medium to |
| Harriman, but was renamed in honor of Nevada | | | | heavy industry facilities like Fontana precast concrete. |
| Governor John T. Sparks, who was a nearby ranch | | | | It also has a number of warehouse and distribution |
| owner. A solid company town, Sparks remained a | | | | centers since it is conveniently located and possesses |
| small, quiet railroad center for half a century. After | | | | a first-rate transportation network. |