Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana facts for kids
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a very large piece of land, about 63,414 acres (257 square kilometers), given by the Spanish government in 1810. This land is now part of Orange County, California. It was given to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta. The rancho stretched from the Santa Ana River all the way to the Santa Ana Mountains, covering more than 22 miles (35 km).
Today, this historic land includes many cities you might know, such as Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim Hills, El Modena, Tustin, Costa Mesa, and part of Irvine.
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History of the Rancho
The idea for Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana first came from Juan Pablo Grijalva, a Spanish soldier. He traveled to California with the De Anza expedition. However, he passed away before the land was officially granted. So, the land went to his son-in-law, José Antonio Yorba, and his grandson, Juan Pablo Peralta.
On July 1, 1810, Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga officially granted the land to José Antonio Yorba and Pablo Peralta. This was a special event because it was the only land grant in what is now Orange County given under Spanish rule. This happened just a few months before Mexico started its fight for independence from Spain. Most other large land grants in the area were given by the Mexican government after Mexico became independent in 1821.
Native American Villages on the Land
Long before the Spanish arrived, Native American villages were located on these lands. One such village was called Puhú, shared by the Tongva, Acjachemen, Payómkawichum, and Serrano peoples. Sadly, in 1832, the people of Puhú faced violence from fur trappers.
The Yorba Family Home
José Antonio Yorba built a large adobe house called El Refugio, which means "the Refuge." It was located near where First and Sullivan Streets are today in western Santa Ana.
Changes Under U.S. Rule
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the existing land grants, like Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, would still be honored. In 1852, a claim for the rancho was filed with the U.S. government. The land was officially given to Bernardo, Teodoro, and Ramón Yorba in 1883.
Selling Off the Rancho
In 1854, the Yorba family sold Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana to José Antonio Andrés Sepúlveda. However, Sepúlveda later lost the land because of money problems from fighting legal battles over his land claims.
In 1869, William Spurgeon and Ward Bradford bought about 74 acres (0.3 square kilometers) of the rancho. They used this land to start the city of Santa Ana. Santa Ana later became the main city for Orange County in 1889. The rancho continued to be divided and sold, with parts bought by people like James Irvine and James McFadden.
The Santiago Name Today
The name "Santiago" from the old rancho is still used in many places today, showing its lasting history.
- Casa de Santiago (a neighborhood in Santa Ana)
- Rancho Santiago Community College District (in Santa Ana)
- Santiago Park (in Santa Ana)
- Santiago Street (in Santa Ana)
- Santiago Canyon (near Silverado, California)
- Santiago Canyon College (in Orange)
- Santiago Canyon Trail (between Orange and Corona, California)
- Santiago Creek (flows through Orange and Santa Ana)
- Santiago High School (in Garden Grove, California)
- Santiago Hills (a neighborhood in Orange)
- Santiago Hills Elementary (in Irvine, California)
- Santiago Hills Park (in Orange)
- Santiago Oaks Regional Park (in Orange)
- Santiago Peak (a mountain in the Santa Ana Mountains)
Historic Sites
Modern Cities on the Rancho Land
Besides Santa Ana, many other cities and communities were built on the land that was once Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. These include El Modena, Santa Ana Heights, Orange, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and Olive.
The Rancho Santiago Community College District is located in Santa Ana. It includes Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College in Orange.
Related Links
- City of Santa Ana Public Library
- Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society
- City of Santa Ana
- Don Juan Pablo Grijalva: Anza expedition to what is now Orange County
See also
In Spanish: Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana para niños
