Located in what is today’s northernmost corner of Orange County, La Habra was founded in 1896. It struggled with drought and periodic flooding until irrigation from the San Gabriel Mountains was established around the turn of the century. This steady supply of water was what the area needed to sustain agriculture. Standard Oil built a pipeline in the area in 1912 and by 1913, La Habra was a tent city of agricultural and oil workers.

Interestingly, The Haas Avocado mother tree was planted in La Habra in 1920. Although the mother tree perished in 2002, her offspring account for 95% of the avocados grown in California.