California note · History and culture
La Verne began as Lordsburg, a railroad land-sale town
La Verne's early story starts with Lordsburg, the Santa Fe Railroad, a big 1887 land sale, and a hotel that became a college building.
La Verne started with a boom-town idea and a railroad bet. In 1887, Isaac Wilson Lord pushed for the Santa Fe Railroad to reach land he owned, then hosted a huge land sale for the new town of Lordsburg.
The promotion worked at first. Bands were sent through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to invite people for a free ride to the new town. Thousands came, lots were sold, and building started quickly. A large hotel with more than 60 rooms went up as one of the main projects.
Then the land boom cooled. The hotel waited for guests who did not really come. A few years later, the building found a better use when a Church of the Brethren college opened there in 1891. That college became part of the city’s long identity.
That backstory gives La Verne a warmer shape. It is a foothill city with small-town charm, but underneath that is a railroad, land-sale, hotel, and college story.
Where to see it
Old Town La Verne and the University of La Verne area.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 1, 2026
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Where it fits on the map
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