ROOTED HERE
The history of Fontana
From farm tracts to steelmaking and a growing Inland Empire city, Fontana’s story runs through Sierra Avenue, local neighborhoods and the Jurupa foothills.
People who shaped Fontana
Fontana’s history includes agricultural workers, steelworkers and families who built their lives around these changing industries. Read the city planning history and local historical collections to explore beyond the landmark dates.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Fontana California Hen Derby 1954 archival newsreel footage
A local history film shared by PublicDomainFootage.
Watch on YouTube ↗Famous people born in Fontana
See all 48 famous people
- Before Fontana
Ranchos and rural settlements
The area’s history includes Indigenous communities, ranchos and small settlements that preceded the modern townsite.
Chaffey College cultural assessment ↗ - 1905
Agricultural development
A. B. Miller acquired land and developed orchards and farms. Irrigation and small agricultural holdings shaped the emerging community.
City historical background ↗ - 1913
A town called Fontana
The townsite was formally founded in 1913 as agriculture expanded around it.
Chaffey College cultural assessment ↗ - 1942
The steel era
Kaiser Steel’s wartime mill transformed the area’s economy and drew workers and families to the growing community.
City historical background ↗ - 1952
Fontana incorporates
Fontana became an incorporated city in 1952, during the period of industrial growth.
City of Fontana ↗ - Today
A changing downtown
The city’s Forge District initiative includes renewed arts and downtown spaces. The historic Center Stage Theater now operates as Stage Red.
City of Fontana ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk Sierra Avenue downtown to the 1937 Fontana Theatre, now the Center Stage Theater performing arts venue. Check current opening hours before visiting Pepper Street House.
For deeper research, the Fontana library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.