http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/3942
On This Day in Orange County History: El Toro Post Office is Founded
By Don Juan Ortega, on May 29th, 2014
On May 29, 1888, the El Toro Post Office is established in modern day Lake Forest – although old timers like Don Juan still think of it as El Toro!
Shortly after the Post Office, Rod’s Liquor opened at the corner of present day El Toro Rd and Rockfield, completing the town.
Rod’s lasted until 2005, when it was done-in by redevelopment. Until it was torn down to make way for a bank, the store sat on that corner — at a strange crooked angle, as a reminder that El Toro Rd was once a sleepy two lane county road with a very different alignment compared to today. Until the early 90′s, there wasn’t even a curb — you could just roll on into Rod’s.
If you ventured into South OC in the 1960′s or 70′s, you always stopped at Rod’s. It was the last business with food, ice and beer along the freeway until you got to San Juan (which was beyond the end of the freeway), and it was the last business for those venturing out to ONeill Park via El Toro Rd. There were still horses in the area.
http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2009/11/old-el-toro-and-photographer-ed-cochems.html