A Brief History of Norco

Legendhas it that Rex Clark won fifteen square miles of failed farms, rutted roadsand broken water mains in a poker game. Using his wife’s newspaper fortune,Clark tried orchards and then poultry. Local hot springs inspired Clark'screation of a giant recreational resort. U.S. presidents and Hollywood royaltysojourned at the fabulous Norconian until the Great Depression hit. The spa wasconverted to U.S. Naval Hospital #1 during World War II and then a top Cold Warmissile lab. Norco became a horse-raising enclave while staving off annexationfrom nearby southwestern Riverside County cities. Today, the city is knownnationwide as HorseTown, USA. Join former mayor Kevin Bash and his coauthordaughter Angelique Bash for this engaging trail ride through Norco’s colorfulpast.