This is a starting chronology, not a complete account. The dates mark selected changes in land, institutions, transport, and public life; they do not capture everyone’s experience.
Before the city
Local history begins before the rancho era. The Historical Society’s Rancho San José account identifies Tongva people among the area’s communities and workers. Develop this part of the story with Indigenous community sources and clearly identified perspectives.
Selected milestones
1837 — Rancho San José
The Historical Society’s account of Casa Primera places the land grant to Ricardo Vejar and Ygnacio Palomares in 1837.
1888 — City incorporation
Cal Poly Pomona’s local history guide gives January 6, 1888, as Pomona’s incorporation date.
1911 — A street railway connection
The same Cal Poly Pomona guide dates Pomona’s connection to the Pacific Electric network to 1911.
1916 — A historical society
The Historical Society of Pomona Valley traces its founding to 1916.
1931 — The Fox Theater
The National Register record identifies 1931 as a significant year for the Pomona Fox Theater.
1942 — Incarceration at the fairgrounds
Densho documents the Pomona detention facility at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, where Japanese Americans were confined from May 7 to August 24, 1942, before transfer to longer-term incarceration. This history belongs within the city’s main narrative.
2004 — Lincoln Park’s listing
California State Parks records the Lincoln Park Historic District’s National Register registration date as April 9, 2004.
Follow a question
Use the research guide to investigate what happened between these milestones. Maps, family accounts, business records, and newspapers can reveal changes that a citywide chronology leaves out.