A LOOK BACK: THE EARLY DAYS
The arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1910 was a turning point, connecting local growers to national markets and fueling growth. Packing houses, shops, and neighborhoods quickly followed, creating a true town center. By the 1920s, paved roads, a library, and public utilities were in place, and the community’s dream of self-governance grew stronger. That dream became reality on December 2, 1926, when Placentia was officially incorporated as Orange County’s newest city. Known then as the “baby city,” with just 800 residents and 117 acres, Placentia’s early leaders laid the groundwork for the thriving, close-knit community we enjoy today.
As we prepare to celebrate Placentia’s 100th anniversary, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how our “Pleasant Place to Live” came to be. Long before incorporation, this land was home to the Tongva people, whose village, Hutuknga, thrived for generations. In 1837, Juan Pacifico Ontiveros received a vast Mexican land grant known as Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, covering much of what is now northern Orange County. In the decades that followed, settlers such as Daniel Kraemer, William and Sarah McFadden, and Charles Wagner transformed the area into a thriving agricultural community. The citrus boom of the late 1800s brought prosperity and identity, with Valencia oranges becoming Placentia’s signature crop. Visionary leaders such as A.S. Bradford and Charles Chapman helped modernize farming, attract businesses, and lay out the early townsite along what is now Old Town Placentia.
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