Rio Vista, California

History

The present location of Rio Vista town center is several miles south of the original settlement. Colonel Nathan H. Davis founded "Brazos del Rio" near the entrance of Cache Slough at the Sacramento River, on the Rancho Los Ulpinos Mexican land grant, in 1858. The settlement changed its name to "Vista del Rio" (View of the river), and a third time within a year, to "Rio Vista" on the suggestion of the wife of the postmaster, Mrs Charles A. Kirkpatrick in 1858. The city's name combined the Spanish words for "river" and "view". The town was known as New Rio Vista briefly after it moved to its present location on higher ground following a series of floods in 1861 and 1862. The postal authorities established office in 1858. The community was officially incorporated as Rio Vista on December 30, 1893. During the internment of Japanese Americans, most of Rio Vista's Japanese citizens were sent to Gila River or Tule Lake. Rio Vista was the first city in California to fluoridate its water on October 25, 1951. The town removed their fluoridation equipment in 1956 following a city referendum organized by a chiropractor. The Rio Vista PTA petitioned the town to vote on water fluoridation in June 1970, and in April 1972 voted to not fluoridate. Rio Vista is home to the largest American producer of Belgian endive in the United States.

From the History section of Rio Vista, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.