Sylmar • What's in a Name?

• "Silva": Latin for "forest".
• "Mare": Latin for "sea".
• "Sea of Trees": The combination was chosen to describe the vast number of olive trees that once covered the area. 

• Indigenous Inhabitants: The area was originally inhabited by the native Tongva and Chumash people.
• Mission Era: In the late 18th century, the Spanish founded the San Fernando Mission and planted the first olive trees in the area.
• Renaming and Olive Industry: Originally known as Morningside in 1874, the settlement was renamed "Sylmar" in 1893, a name derived from the Latin words silva (forest or trees) and mare (sea), meaning "Sea of Trees". This name reflected the vast olive orchards that covered the landscape.
• World's Largest Olive Grove: By 1906, the property of the Los Angeles Olive Growers Association had expanded to become the largest olive grove in the world, with a packing plant that employed hundreds of workers during the harvest season. 

• Los Angeles Aqueduct: A major turning point came with the 1913 completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which terminates in Sylmar at the Cascades, a California Historical Landmark. The promise of water from the aqueduct was a key factor in Sylmar's annexation by the city of Los Angeles in 1915.
• Suburban Growth: The construction of major freeways in the 1960s and 1980s, including the Golden State, San Diego, Foothill, and 118 Freeways, made the community more accessible, leading to a population boom and the conversion of agricultural land into suburban housing tracts. 

• 1971 San Fernando Earthquake: Sylmar was the epicenter of a major earthquake on February 9, 1971, which caused widespread damage and resulted in 65 deaths, including the collapse of a wing at the Veterans Hospital and severe damage to the new Olive View Medical Center.
• 1971 Methane Explosion: Just four months after the earthquake, a methane gas explosion in a water tunnel being drilled beneath Sylmar killed 17 workers, the worst tunneling disaster in California history, and led to the state adopting tough occupational safety regulations.
• Wildfires: The area has also been impacted by severe wildfires, notably the 2008 Sayre Fire, which was the worst loss of homes due to fire in Los Angeles's history.