Histories Fountain Valley and Costca Mesa Through Vintage Images

COSTA MESA, Calif. - June 9, 2013 - PRLog -- Along the banks of the Santa Ana River, between the larger cities of Santa Ana to the east and Huntington Beach to the west, lies Fountain Valley. Formerly a portion of the Rancho Las Bolsas land grant of the late 1700s, the area was known for cattle grazing, agricultural productivity, and game hunting, as well as for fiery tent-revival sermons delivered by itinerant preachers. As agrarian lands became subdivisions in the 1950s, the farmers and ranchers saw the writing on the wall for future development. In 1957, Fountain Valley incorporated, becoming the 21st city in Orange County and the county’s first master-planned community.

Three emerging communities from the partitioned Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana formed the improbable start for a city that would eventually proclaim itself the “City of the Arts.” These farming communities—Fairview, Paularino, and Harper—attracted families and businesspeople. Community leaders then took pragmatic steps to meet local needs such as schools, churches, and a water supply. By 1920, Harper needed a broader identity and a local businessman proposed a naming contest, offering a $25 prize. “Costa Mesa,” recognizing the area’s heritage and geography, reaped the reward. Eight years later, voters handily defeated the City of Santa Ana’s annexation attempt by a margin of five to one. The Great Depression, the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, and the 1938 Santa Ana River flood then besieged the fledgling community. Undaunted, Costa Mesa continued to grow.

Author Daniel Aaron Gibb, a member of the Historical Society of Fountain Valley, grew up playing in the city’s vast fields.

The Costa Mesa Historical Society is an all-volunteer group formed in 1966. The society works closely with the City of Costa Mesa and other local groups to preserve and promote local history.

Join the authors for a signing:

Where:  Costo

17900 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley CA 92708

When:  June 15th, 2013; 12:00 —3:00 p.m.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888)-313-2665.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.