The valley in which Santa Ana is located was discovered in July 1769, during a Franciscan expedition led by Don Gaspar Portola. The explorers christened the valley Santa Ana in honor of Saint Anne, also giving the name Santa Ana to the river flowing through the valley. One of the members of the Portola party, Father Junipero Serra, later founded a chain of Franciscan missions that still can be seen today. The El Camino Real, the King's Highway, which linked the missions, passes through the Santa Ana Valley.
Another member of the Portola group, a soldier named Antonio Yorba, and his nephew, Juan Peralta, received a Spanish grant for land extending from the foothills of the Santa Ana Canyon to the ocean. They used the land for grazing cattle and later developed irrigation systems fed by water from the Santa Ana River. The land was thus quite fertile, and the area soon became an agricultural center, with several ranches established in the valley.
The 1849 California Gold Rush brought the region a population boom, which was followed by another major expansion during the Civil War. The valley's large ranches were subdivided and sold to the newcomers, many of whom later founded the cities of Santa Ana, Orange, and Tustin. Santa Ana's history began in 1869 when William H. Spurgeon purchased 70 acres from the Yorba heirs and drew up a town plan. Since the land had been part of the Santiago de Santa Ana ranch and since it was also near the Santa Ana River, the town was called Santa Ana.
Soon the new town became prosperous, boasting mail delivery twice a week and a number of stores and residences within its boundaries. Farms also were established throughout the valley; the rich soil and favorable climate permitted the cultivation of several crops. Santa Ana became a commercial center; because of its central location in the valley, it was a natural marketplace for crops produced in the surrounding region that is now Orange County. When rail transport arrived in the area in 1877, the town developed and population increased; in 1886 Santa Ana was incorporated. Three years later Orange County was separated from Los Angeles County and Santa Ana was named the county seat.
World War II brought further development as industry moved into the area. The population of Santa Ana increased from around 49,000 people in 1900 to nearly 210,000 residents in 1950. A city charter, providing for a council-manager form of government, was adopted in 1952. Since World War II, Santa Ana has become a financial and governmental center of Orange County.
Efforts began in the 1980s to restore and revitalize the city of Santa Ana, especially its downtown. As a result the city has become known for its historic downtown and Main Place shopping center, which created thousands of jobs in the heart of the city. Santa Ana residents of the twenty-first century enjoy cultural and ethnic diversity as well as continuing status as the financial and governmental center of Orange County.
Historical Information: Santa Ana Public Library, History Room, 26 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701; telephone (714)647-5267. Santa Ana Mountain Historical Society, 28192 Silverado Canyon Road (PO Box 301), Silverado, CA 92676; telephone (714)649-2216