DID YOU KNOW?
Placentia’s story began in 1874, when Daniel Kraemer donated land, and William and Sarah McFadden helped build the community’s first schoolhouse, a small, one-room building that brought local families together. When the school district needed a name, Sarah suggested “Placentia,” the Latin word for Pleasant Place , a name that would one day define the City’s welcoming spirit. In the 1880s, farmer Richard Gilman planted Placentia’s first Valencia orange grove, sparking an agricultural boom that transformed the area into one of Southern California’s top citrus producers. During the 1890s, entrepreneur A.S. Bradford became a driving force for growth, helping to establish new businesses, a bank, and the town’s first newspaper. His vision laid the groundwork for what Placentia would become. Bradford’s influence continued into the next century when, in 1910, he persuaded the Santa Fe Railroad to route its line through Placentia. This decision connected local growers to national markets and turned downtown into a hub of commerce and packing houses. Soon after, the Chamber of Commerce (1911) was formed, advocating for streetlights, paved roads, and modern utilities to serve the growing town. By 1926, residents voted to incorporate and the young city quickly built its own fire and police services, infrastructure, and civic institutions.
Through the years, Placentia has celebrated milestones like being named an All-America City (1972), welcoming its first In-N-Out Burger (1984), and cheering hometown Olympian Janet Evans as she brought home three gold medals in 1988. Although the last orange grove was cleared in 1999, the City’s pioneering spirit remains strong. In 2020, Placentia launched its own Fire and Life Safety Department, marking a new chapter of independence and community pride - proof that this “Pleasant Place” continues to grow while honoring its rich past.
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