Valencia oranges or an orange very similar are believed to have been cultivated in China as far back as 2500 BC. Many believe the origin of today’s Valencia was either in Spain or Portugal but no one is sure. The earliest known plantings of Valencias in California date to about 1841, in the Los Angeles area. Gold rush hopefuls provided a ready trade for the oranges and by 1877 the first shipments were made to St. Louis on the newly completed trans-continental railroad.
