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Grove was founded by Alonzo Cook in 1874. A school district
and Methodist church were organized that year. It remained
a small rural crossroads until the arrival of the railroad
in 1905.
The rail connection helped the town prosper with crops
of orange, walnuts, chili peppers and later strawberries.
In 1933, much of the town's central business district
was destroyed by the Long Beach earthquake, and one person
was killed.
The post-World War II boom led to rapid development, and
Garden Grove was incorporated as a city in 1956 with about
44,000 residents.
By 1960, population had grown to 85,000; by 1970 it was
120,000. In the late 1970s and 1980s a significant Asian
population (primarily Vietnamese and Korean) began to
locate in the area.
In recent years, Harbor Boulevard has become a booming
entertainment and tourism area, served by nine high-rise
hotels.
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