|
THE
HISTORY
One hundred years ago, a scrappy little town of
about 4,900 people fought off its Anaheim neighbors
to become the seat of government of the newly
formed county of Orange.
It
was 1889, and area residents, dissatisfied with
the quality of public services provided by Los
Angeles County, had just voted to form their own
county.
After
some heavy lobbying in Sacramento, Santa Ana won
the county-seat designation and became the area's
political power base. It was an impressive victory
for a city that began in 1869 as little more than
an isolated mustard field in the middle of nowhere.
The
mustard field became a town when founder William
H. Spurgeon bought 74 acres from the Yorba estate
and began to lay out a 24-block village.
Spurgeon
set aside an entire city block for construction
of an impressive stone courthouse with a tower
that rose higher than any building in town. The
courthouse still stands and has been restored.
Santa
Ana began to boom after the Southern Pacific Railroad
built a line to the area in 1877. Nine years later,
Santa Ana became a city.
It
experienced another boom immediately after World
War II as industry sprang up, creating jobs and
drawing thousands of new residents. But
by the 1960s, the city's image had tarnished as
business stagnated and some neighborhoods deteriorated.
In
the 1980s, civic leaders have been working revitalize
the city and restore its image. Santa
Ana has aggressively pursued redevelopment, luring
major hotels, retailers and industry. One of the
more visible results is the MainPlace shopping
center downtown. The mall, which opened in 1987,
has created 2,000 jobs and added considerably
to the city's revenue.
Today,
Santa Ana is seen as a city making a comeback.
Many residents boast that it is Orange County's
only true urban area, and they say they enjoy
Santa Ana's ethnic and cultural diversity.
Historical
Sites:
Red Hill - 11911 Red Hill Road
In early descriptions it was known as Cerrito
de las Ranas, meaning the Hill of the Frogs. In
the 1890s this hill became the scene of mining
excitement. Its soil composition, very red in
color, had caused early American settlers to name
it Red Hill. Location: Church of the Covenant
Elementary School,
Orange
County's Original Courthouse - 211
W Santa Ana Blvd at Broadway
Built in 1900 of Arizona red sandstone, this is
the
ol dest
existing county courthouse in Southern California.
Significant and far-reaching court decisions were
handed down here, including the 'Whipstock' case
dealing with slant oil drilling, interpretation
of farm labor law, and the Overell trial which
resulted in law regulating explosives.
Episcopal
Church of the Messiah - 614 Bush St
This is Santa Ana's oldest church in continuos
use, completed in 1888.
|
