Lake Forest 'Jeopardy' Answer Cheers Residents, Sparks Memories

LAKE FOREST, CA —Lake Forest lovers of the game show "Jeopardy" saw a familiar question that sparked a great deal of civic pride Monday night. The game show host read the blue screen filled with the question:

"Lake Forest, Calif. was once known as 'El' this for the bulls of a nearby ranch; a Marine air base in the area had the same name"

The answer (as if we had to tell you) was "What is Toro?"

Almost simultaneously, Facebook groups devoted to their hometown erupted with excitement.

Residents who had moved away chimed in with memories and excitement about their town that once had a different name before incorporation.

Several former military families said they recalled being stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro with pride. That base was famously mentioned in the Will Smith feature film "Independence Day."

Those new to the area may not have realized that their stomping grounds once had a different name.

In 1991, the residents of the area formerly known as "greater El Toro" had a decision to make: whether to change the name for the city's incorporation. During the election that year, voters were asked to select a name preference: El Toro, Lake Forest or Rancho Canada, resident Jennifer Connolly said on the city's Facebook page.

Lake Forest won the name change by a margin of 31 votes, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters office. It was enough, and the civic rebranding began.

Though the nearby high school still bears its name, the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro closed in August 1999.

During the Monday "Jeopardy" segment, two participants attempted to answer.

One contestant offered the incorrect answer, "What is Segundo?" alluding to El Segundo, a town in Los Angeles County. The next contestant got it right.

"What is Toro?" was the correct response, shouted across Lake Forest by residents who already knew the answer.

Ron Lybrook, a resident, chimed in over Facebook that he recalled the name change vote vividly.

"Moving here for work from the mid west in 1990, seeing a city change its name was a bit of an eye opener," Lybrook wrote. "My recollection was the logic was Lake Forest was more aesthetically pleasing and would increase property values. What a bunch of bull."

What name do you prefer? Let us know in the comments!