Orange County California real estate

Orange County website

The colorful human history in Orange County began at some point in the distant past when Shoshone Indians came to dwell along the coast and in the lower canyons of the mountains. They lived off of the abundance of the land.

In 1769, Gaspar de Portola, was appointed governor of Lower California. He commanded an expedition traveling northward into the unmapped and territory of Alta California. His assignment was to seek out the legendary Bay of Monterey. He was also to secure the Spanish claim to his vast frontier against any invasion from Russian trappers or British colonizers. Portola called upon Father Junipero Serra to assist in this monumental undertaking.  It was in July in 1769 when this first party of European explorers reached the boundaries of present-day Orange County. Members of the expedition named the region "The Valley of Saint Anne". It was to this valley that Father Serra returned six years later, where he proceeded with the work of establishing the Church and converting the local people.

Cattle became a major industry in the area in 1834, though a severe drought brought an eventual end to the cattle industry. Pioneers, such as James Irvine, capitalized on the downfall of the ranchos. Irvine, established a 110,000-acre sheep ranch that is today one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in America.

Orange County was formally organized as a separate area from the County of Los Angeles in 1889. A year-round harvest of Valencia oranges, lemons, avocados, and walnuts made agriculture the single most important industry in the county. And with orange groves beginning to proliferate throughout the area, the new county was named for the fruit.

The twentieth century brought with it many industrious individuals such as Walter Knott, a farmer turned entrepreneur, who founded the Knott legacy in Buena Park. Other huge industries include the filming of many Hollywood Classics in the Newport area, the discovery of oil on Huntington Beach, and the birth of the aerospace industry. Perhaps the biggest attraction in Orange County is the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney opened his Kingdom in Anaheim.