About Montebello

Montebello (Italian for beautiful mountain) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the southwestern area of the San Gabriel Valley on 8.4 sq mi (22 km2) 8 mi (13 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of theGateway Cities, and is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments. In the early 20th century, Montebello was a well-known source for oil reserves. At the 2010 census, the population was 62,500; according to the California Department of Finance, the estimated population of Montebello on January 1, 2011, was 62,789.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the area known today as Montebello, the land along the Rio Hondo River was populated by the Tongva (Gabrielino) portion of the Uto-Aztecan family of Native Americans. The Tongva occupied much of the Los Angeles basin and the Santa Catalina islands, San Nicolas, San Clemente and Santa Barbara; when Spanish explorer Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo arrived off the shores of Santa Catalina in 1542, he was met by the Tongva people. Because the language of the Tongva was different from the neighboring tribes it was called "Gabrielino" by the Spanish. As more non-natives arrived and settlements were established, illness and disease came with them. By 1870, the area had few remaining indigenous inhabitants as disease brought by the Europeans killed many of the Tongva.

An area of 200 acres (81 ha) adjacent to the tracks of what was formerly the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad was developed into a townsite called Newmark. The remainder of the land was subdivided into 5 acres (2.0 ha) lots suitable for small-scale agriculture. On Mulholland's suggestion, Montebello was adopted as the city's name, replacing the original name Newmark. The name, Montebello, means "beautiful mountain" in Spanish.

Montebello has a history of being home to a significant Japanese community. Prior to being sent to internment camps during World War II, the city's four plant nurseries were owned and operated by Japanese-Americans. Many of those sent to the camps found they had lost their land, homes, and businesses upon their return to Montebello. Montebello was also home to a significant Japanese community. The city's Japanese residents operated the four nurseries in town, but were sent to internment camps during World War II. Japanese-Peruvian and Japanese-Hawaiian communities later settled in the area after WWII. When the Japanese citizens returned from the internment camps after the war, most found they had lost their property. One of the nurseries had been taken over and cared for by a loyal employee, a young French-American, Fred Sarrazin. After the war, he returned the nursery to its rightful owner, George Mori. In turn, Mr. Mori gave Sarrazin employment at the nursery for his lifetime, and the Mori Nursery was able to continue under its original name. Today, the Japanese population in Montebello is over 11% of the total population.