Los Angeles County’s History and Why We’re Proud to Serve the Los Angeles County Community
For thousands of years the Los Angeles basin was home to the Tongva (Gabrielino) and other Indigenous peoples. They lived in villages along rivers and near the coast and were first encountered by Europeans when the Portolá expedition crossed the region in 1769. Father Juan Crespí recorded the name “El Río de Nuestra Señora La Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula” for the river and noted friendly villages of natives along its banks.
Spanish colonization quickly followed. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded at modern‑day Montebello in 1771, and in 1781 Governor Felipe de Neve organized 44 settlers of mixed Spanish, Indigenous and African descent to establish El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula. Mission San Fernando Rey de España was added in 1797, and ranchos were granted to retired soldiers beginning in 1784.
The county grew dramatically after California became part of the United States. Oil discoveries in the 1890s, including Edward Doheny’s successful Los Angeles City oil field strike in 1892, fueled industry. The Los Angeles Aqueduct, completed in 1913, brought water from the Owens Valley and enabled annexation and suburban development throughout the San Fernando Valley.
Today Los Angeles County covers 4,084 square miles and is the most populous county in the United States, home to more than 10 million residents. It includes diverse cities, coastline and mountains and is a global center for entertainment, manufacturing, aerospace, technology and tourism. Fast Plumbing & Drain is proud to serve the households and businesses throughout this dynamic county.