HISTORY

Don Gaspár de Portolá, a Spanish expedition party leader, discovered a picturesque valley and river in Southern California which he christened Santa Ana, in honor of Saint Anne, on July 26, 1769. José Antonio Yorba, a youthful expedition soldier, and Juan Peralta, his nephew, were given a Spanish land grant for the area. They developed the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana for cattle grazing and productive farmland. In 1869, William H. Spurgeon purchased 70 acres from the Yorba family and plotted a townsite. The new town was given the name Santa Ana. In 1886, Santa Ana was incorporated as a city. Orange County was separated from Los Angeles County in 1889 and Santa Ana was made the County seat. Today, Santa Ana has become the financial and governmental center of Orange County and a major city in the State.

LARGEST PRIVATE EMPLOYERS

Ingram Micro Incorporated, The Orange County Register, ISS Servi System, ITT Cannon, Western Medical Center, Express Manufacturing, Diversified Maintenance Services, the Los Angeles Times, Xerox Corporation, Aluminum Precision Products Incorporated (The City of Santa Ana, Enterprise Zone, 2/2/00)