Duarte’s citrus industry rose in the 1880s when farmers and ranchers in the frost-free foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains discovered that the old Mexican Rancho de Azusa de Duarte had ideal soil and climate for growing citrus fruit that was larger, better formed, juicier, and sweeter than elsewhere in California. In 1890, Duarte Washington Navel oranges won first prize at the State Citrus Fair, and several packing houses were built as the nearby Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroads helped ship fruit across the country. Growers such as J.A. Maddock and A.C. Thomson prospered, and in the 1890s Thomson developed the Thomson Improved Navel Orange, a seedless, medium-sized orange hardy for transportation that became a standard variety for years. William Hagen, manager of the Newhall Ranch in Duarte, identified an exceptionally bright Washington Navel orange with unusually high sugar content, and buds from it were grafted onto mature trees on the Newhall Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley, where they continued to flourish. Duarte marketed its fruit under many brand names, including Smilax, Jackrabbit, St. Patrick, Deer, Primrose, Duarte’s Beauties, Young America, Sweet Violet, Jasmine, and O How Good. After nearly 75 years, the local citrus era declined gradually as Florida’s growth hurt western producers, striking foothill communities especially hard because many depended heavily on citrus for their livelihood. World War II brought a temporary reprieve as Florida and California supplied most citrus needs for the armed forces, but after the war the demand for housing for returning veterans led to the subdivision of large orchard properties and the approaching end of Duarte’s citrus industry. The Duarte-Monrovia Packing House once stood at the corner of Oak Avenue and Third Street.