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| THE COLONY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2023 | 11 As you go around our beautiful community and enjoy its many activities, do you ever wonder how The Colony came to be? Before the 1970s, these rolling hills were covered with wheat fields and was home to grazing cattle. The Colony lands were once part of a Spanish land grant, Rancho Santa Rosa. It passed through several owners, including the pioneer families of John Dear, Walter Vail, Harvey Blackmore, and John McElroy, then was acquired by Kaiser Industries in 1964. The '60s and '70s saw a movement among builders to create master- planned developments. Kaiser and Macco Realty conceptualized Rancho California developments in Temecula. In 1985, Kulberg Ltd. acquired 2,005 acres from Kaiser and planned California Oaks developments in the "golden triangle" of Murrieta, between I-15, Clinton Keith and Los Alamos. There were 15 developments in the master-planned California Oaks community. Two became part of The Colony. Kulberg did grading and infrastructure for these and sold land to builders in 1987. Bob Peterson of Pueblo Properties represented Colony builders, and Crowell-David began construction in June 1988 in the "Miraflores" area (Via Amapola, Via Francisco, Corte Lorca). In March 1989, Brock Homes began construction near the Golf Course and Clubhouse (Via Malagas, Via Primavera, Via Estrada, Corte Cordoba). The 18-hole golf course construction began in May 1989 with the planting of fairways and greens. A pro shop, indoor driving range, and an upper level deck with snack bar as well as tennis and shuffleboard courts were planned. The 25,000 sq. ft. Clubhouse was built with rooms for many activities and flanked by a large swimming pool. By 1991, Brock had built homes near Via Calidad and Via Ambiente and the 300th house escrow closed. In 1992, Colony sales were soaring, and a market survey found its homes had the most value within a 150-mile radius, which was attributed to the community's beauty, security, leisure activities, congeniality, talent and camaraderie. So Cal Homes for Sale, August 1989 e Californian, June 16, 1988 How the Colony Came to Be By Lennie Martin

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