"Founded in 1887 and located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Lordsburg was poised to grow with the railroads and prosper with the citrus industry. Although some cities faded into obscurity when the Southern California land boom went bust, Lordsburg survived largely due to the intervention of four members of the German Baptist Brethern Church who bought the unoccupied Lordsburg Hotel and surrounding land. They established an academy that eventually became the University of La Verne. In 1917, Lordsburg was officially renamed La Verne."--Back cover.