Ranchos of Orange County facts for kids

The County of Orange is a cool place in Southern California! It was officially created in 1889 by two important people, William Spurgeon and James McFadden. The city of Santa Ana became its main city, or "county seat," in the same year. Before Orange County became its own county, all this land was actually part of Los Angeles County.

But let's go back even further in time! Long ago, when California was under Spanish rule, the land was divided into large areas called "Ranchos." Think of them as huge farms or estates.

One of the very first ranchos in what is now Orange County was called Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. It was granted in 1810 to José Antonio Yorba and his nephew, Juan Pablo Peralta. This was the same year the Mexican War of Independence began. Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana is special because it was the only land grant in Orange County given while California was still under Spanish Rule.

After 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain, the Mexican government started granting more ranchos. Many modern cities in Orange County still have names that come from these old Mexican land grants. This was agreed upon in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War.

Orange County's Historic Ranchos

Here's a list of the important ranchos in Orange County, showing who received them and what modern areas they covered: