GUASTI, CA
Located within sight of Ontario International Airport, this famous winery village is being overtaken by development.
Guasti, founded in 1904, was once a self-sufficient community complete with a company store, bakery, fire station, hotel, post office and the world's largest contiguous vineyard, encompassing over 5000 acres.
Guasti: the town with almost as many names as residents. Originally known as South Cucamonga, the little community was to embrace the names of Zucker (After its postmaster Fred Zucker), Union and Guasti.
As with other communities in the area, South Cucamonga was a result of the great "land boom" of the 1880s. South Cucamonga's history through the eighties and nineties then was one of great land speculation with a few dwellings (including a hotel) being built here and there.
AIn 1901, however, the face of the township was to change. In that year Secondo Guasti purchased about 2000 acres of land (at 75¢ per acre according to information read by the editor) near where Chaffey College is now located. He also bought 4000 acres around South Cucamonga. .
After acquiring the land, he began planting grapevines. He brought in cuttings from Italy and France. This vineyard eventually grew to be over 5000 acres in size.
Guasti then established the Italian Vineyard Company and in 1904 he began construction on the winery and houses for the workers. The houses lined both sides of the railroad tracks and were said to be very fine buildings.
Guasti built two or three rooming houses for the unmarried men and an inn where the operator, a man named Pertussati, offered good food, drink and warm hospitality. There was also a company store which is still intact and in operation today.
Secundo Guasti also made sure that the educational and physical needs of the families were take care of. He established a school for the children and made arrangements for a doctor to visit the company town about every two weeks.
A railroad station was in use when the winery was in full operation. The station-master was Pasqual Ortiz.
After Guasti built his company town he decided that a church was needed and thus began construction in 1924. He called it Secundo d'Asti after his beloved church in Asti, Italy.
Today the area is under development with a 50 acre project. It is hoped that all the buildings will be saved and used.
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