El Toro in the 1960s and 1970s

OCThen reader, Janet Kelsey-Berg, submits her memories of growing up in El Toro during the 1960s and 1970s. She recalls a time when El Toro was a safe neighborhood, where you could leave your garage door open all day, and playing in the large fountain by the I-5...

Great blog site idea! I too have fond memories of my growing up years in Orange County. I still live nearby (Chino)and go into the OC quite a bit.

My family moved us out to El Toro in 1969 where I attended Olivewood Elementary. We lived on the outer edge of the then new luxury homes of Lake Forest. I thought my parents were crazy to move us out there where we had no relatives, no friends, and no shopping malls!

My memories include the sweet smell of the Eucalyptus trees and being able to "roller skate" thru partially built homes. Playing "King of the Sewer Pipe" on land being graded for more homes. In that same area was a mountain of graded dirt about 2-3 stories high where we would open up and flatten out boxes and hold unto each other and slide down the very steep incline. Some of the boys would take their bikes and ride it down. I cant believe we didnt seriously injure ourselves.

Bus drivers would drop you off in front of your home, not at a bus stop. Taking the first mini-bus shuttle in the morning to the Laguna Beach and the last one back home, every day of the summer.

We lived across the street from "The Fountain" that bordered the 5 fwy. You could see this towering fountain for miles and knew you were close to home when you spotted it. Sometimes, kids would put suds in it and it was a sight to see! We would catch tadpoles at the fountain "marsh area" and bring them home to be frogs.

Not only did we not have a shopping mall, but no middle or high schools, so we were bussed to La Paz Jr Hi and Mission View High in Mission Viejo. We finally got our own high school in my sophmore year: El Toro High and I thought it was cool that we were the bicentennial graduates (1976). Our tassels were red/white/blue.

I remember many weekends for years at the "Skate Ranch" along the 5 fwy. I remember the Japanese Deer Park too!

I think for the most part we lived a very sheltered life there. Not much ethnic diversity there. There was almost NO CRIMES other than us high schools kids pulling pranks from 1968-1976. I remember my parents would leave the garage door open all day and not think much about it. They would leave the front door open all night so the air would filter through the screen door.

I dont know why I couldnt wait to leave that area. I remember being able to hear the El Toro Marine Station Jets from afar. Now my eldest daughter lives is Rancho Santa Margarita, just above Cooks Corner and O'Neil Park and thinks its the best place next to heaven! Go figure!

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El Toro Marine Corp Air Station to Become Housing Development

Last month Lennar Homes bought the land at the El Toro Marine Base. Looks like it's all going to become homes.

I suppose that's good for the area. I used to live near there, in Lake Forest. We moved in back when the town was still called "El Toro". When the town voted on incorporation, it also voted to change the name to Lake Forest.

Lake Forest was the name of a small housing development built around an artificial lake, located along Lake Forest boulevard. For whatever reason, the folks who lived there didn't want the stigma of having to live in "El Toro". The name "El Toro" conjured up images of military housing and military families. And God forbid, would any of the tight-wads in Lake Forest want to be associated with that.

You gotta remember, the El Toro cityhood movement started back in the 1980's, before the Persian Gulf War started, before the terrorist attacks on the USA, and before supporting our troops was fashionable.

And then folks in Newport Beach wanted to convert El Toro Marine Base into a commercial airport. They tried to convince us and everyone else that would it be in our best interest to build a commercial airhub in our backyard. But gee, folks in Newport Beach already have a commercial airhub in their backyard. Why would they want to build one in all the way out in El Toro? Hmmm.

However, I think it would be great if the County along with Lennar Homes could build a "Marine Corp Memorial" within the new development that preserves the memory of what was there. My wife's grandfather installed plumbing at the Marine Base. The construction of that entire Marine Base brought workers and their families from all over, and that started a new generation of native Californians. The memory of that ought to be preserved there, somewhere.

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Foothill Ranch

In 1988, my wife and I moved into a condominium in El Toro, off the corner of El Toro Road and Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway. At time, RSM Parkway ended at El Toro Road.

Beyond that, there was nothing. There was no Foothill Ranch. No WalMart, no Ralphs, no Mervyn's, not even a toll road. Just tumbleweeds and brush.

Of course, it's all changed now. Now, it's a piece of Heaven for any homeowner who happens to own a 5,000 sq ft. lot. And the traffic!

There was a time when the City of Lake Forest, had threatened to annex Foothill Ranch, because of the shopping centers there. I'd say it was good that they didn't. Since having moved out of Lake Forest since then, I've come to realize how political the city council of Lake Forest is. I'm not sure how much better the politics of Foothill Ranch is, but it can't be good for Lake Forest to expand its politics any bigger.

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