Nestled between the capital city of Sacramento and California's famous Sierra foothills, Orangevale continues as a semirural community in the ever-suburbanizing Sacramento Valley. Some of Sacramento's most prestigious captains of industry formed the Orange Vale Colonization Company in 1887 to sell off this agricultural "colony." With promises of a water system, modern infrastructure, and beautiful homes, these boosters advertised a pastoral paradise where colonists could grow prized crops, escape the buzz of the city, build a home, and raise a family in the country without sacrificing a short commute. Farming remained profitable until nature wreaked havoc during the Depression by freezing most of the harvest. While some crops and orchards survived, the construction of bridges, highways, and large business centers gradually transformed this simple town into a modern suburb, where residents still enjoy a rural, small-town feel.
