Granada Hills (CA) (Images of America)

The modern history of Granada Hills began in 1913 with the completion of the Los Angeles aqueduct and the arrival of abundant freshwater to the former land of Mission San Fernando. Citrus orchards

flourished on the Sunshine Ranch, acreage originally cultivated by former senator George K. Porter. In 1926, the community of Granada was formed as a rabbit-raising colony, promising residents country living and economic prosperity. Granada added "Hills" to its name in 1942 to avoid confusion with a similarly named Northern California town, and

thanks to the postwar baby boom, the population grew by 1,000 percent between 1950 and 1960. The community soon earned a reputation as "The San Fernando Valley's Most Neighborly Town" as residents came together to celebrate the hometown team's 1963 Little League World Series victory and the formation of the nation's first all-girl American Youth Soccer Organization league, and as neighbor helped neighbor

after the devastating 1971 and 1994 earthquakes.