Santa Ana California History

Santa Ana fought diligently to become the heart of government of the newly formed county of Orange over 100 years ago. It has become the area’s political power base. It was an impressive victory for a city that began in 1869 with under 5000 people.

Originally a mustard field, it became a town when founder William H. Spurgeon. Santa Ana has as its’ center an impressive stone courthouse with a tower rising higher than any building. The restored courthouse sits on the same cite today.

Santa Ana began its boom after the Southern Pacific Railroad built a line to the area in 1877. Nine years later, Santa Ana became a city. The city experienced another boom immediately after World War II. Industry grew, creating jobs and thousands of new residents arrived in Santa Ana.