A Brief History

The Development of Fair Oaks began in 1895 as an agricultural colony. Before the area was settled by the Maidu Native Americans who had been there upwards of 10,000 years. Approximately fifty years before Fair Oak's beginning, the area was inhabited by miners in search of Northern California's Gold Rush. Thereafter, a few families settled into surrounding areas we now call Citurs Heights, Carmichael, Orangevale, and Fair Oaks.

Fair Oaks, California had its beginnings, as did many California towns, as a speculative promotion whose eastern promoters had one thing in mind: profit. Eastern and Mid-Western families soon read in the various newspapers, magazines, and advertising brochures that Fair Oaks was a demi-paradise just waiting for both the serious farmer and the gentlemen farmer to enter Eden and nearly effortlessly to make a good living or to retire without worry. The soil was fertile, the climate moderate, water was plentiful, an electric railroad was planned, and success awaited those who would step up and take a chance.

But just about this time, Fair Oaks began to bloom. As mentioned earlier, a real school had been built. A business block with first rate architecture was completed. A lumber yard and other stores were opened. An agricultural cooperative was established. Several first rate homes were built. A bank was started. Dredging for gold in the American River had begun on a major scale. And a rock crushing plant thrived from the tailings of the gold dredges.

Fair Oaks seemed to be holding its own, even thriving well past the turn of the century. Then in 1932 nature dealt the agricultural community a hard blow: a devastating freeze. Not only were many of the orchardists and merchants struggling in the early stages of the Great Depression, but the freeze wiped out many of their dreams of making a commercial success of farming. While a few struggled on, many had to find other things to do. With the improvement of transportation, many could commute to other places to work. The development of air bases in nearby Rancho Cordova and North Highlands, along with the later boom in the aerospace industry, brought in residents of a new breed, many of whom made their livings by working for concerns outside the community.