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El Monte (pronounced /ɛl ˈmɒnti/) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is a suburb of Los Angeles. The city's slogans are "the end of the Santa Fe Trail" and "Welcome to Friendly El Monte." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 115,965. As of 2002, El Monte is the 191st largest city in the United States. It was also the 44th largest city in California. El Monte Lies in the San Gabriel Valley region East of the city of Los Angeles.
Settlement began in 1849, though missionaries and Spanish soldiers passed through the area as early as the 1770s. The Old Spanish Trail, originating in Santa Fe, New Mexico passed through El Monte. During the 1930s, the city became an important site for the New Deal's federal Subsistence Homestead project, a Resettlement Administration program that helped supply single-family ranch houses to qualifying applicants. Celebrated photographer Dorothea Lange snapped several pictures of the housing units as part of her work for the Farm Security Administration.

The community of El Monte was the first in California founded by American Anglos. Once home to many settlers from the 1930s era Dust Bowl Migration, the city became increasingly Latino and is often viewed as a stronghold of Latinos.

El Monte was the birthplace of John Larkin, also known as (Scatman John) and briefly home to author James Ellroy until his mother Geneva was murdered there, Also home to Gregg Myers and to musician Joe McDonald, who performed in the 1960s with Country Joe & the Fish. Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong fame was a resident, as was Frank Zappa, who referenced El Monte Legion Stadium in his song "Dog Breath in the Year of the Plague" and his first song "Memories of El Monte". El Monte is also the home of local columnist and decathlete John Orona. Former Baseball Great Fred Lynn also lived in El Monte. A popular local attraction from 1925-1942 was Gay's Lion Farm. The famous live lion farm no longer exists, but a memorial statue can be seen next to the I-10 freeway on the SE corner of Valley Blvd. and Peck Road. Actor-filmmaker Timothy Carey filmed much of his celebrated underground feature "The World's Greatest Sinner" (1962) in El Monte. It is also credited with being the birth place of TV Variety Shows. El Monte is also famous for the American Legion dance hall (the 'it' place at the time). Some Famous singers who performed there include: Ritchie Valens, Rosie & The Originals, Brenton Wood, and Earth Wind & Fire. The stadium is also famous for making disk jockeys Art Laboe, and Huggy Boy famous.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Monte,_California