Loretta Barnett

Fallbrook (Ca) (Images of America) Loretta Barnett

Pioneers trickled into the areas of Rainbow, Fallbrook, and DeLuz in the mid-1800s, attracted by the mild climate and the promising soil, which rewarded their efforts with bountiful harvests of honey, olives, and fruit. Railways transported new settlers and commerce to the quiet countryside and shipped produce out, bringing prosperity to "the Friendly Village" and to the surrounding areas. Each of the towns, hidden by mountains and just far enough away from main roads, stayed small for a long time. The eventual construction of schools and post offices testified to the permanence of the settlements and to the growing community spirit. DeLuz, once the largest of the towns, declined after floods destroyed the rail connection to San Diego and Colton. The railway between Fallbrook and Oceanside brought growth to Fallbrook, while in Rainbow time stood still. Today nursery plants from Rainbow, avocados from Fallbrook, and DeLuz gourds find their way to Hawaii and across America, and the towns remain quiet and friendly places to live.