
Enjoying wine af family gathering,
Anaheim, circa 1860
Many
people credit Walt Disney with putting Anaheim
on the map by establishing Disneyland in 1955.
But a group of German immigrants marked the city's
first claim to fame more than 100 years ago with
wine grapes.
Founded
in 1857, the Anaheim colony was situated on 1,165
acres. Settlers voted to call the community Annaheim,
the "anna" referring to the Santa Ana River and
"heim" meaning home in German. The name later
was changed slightly, to Anaheim.
According to "The Orange County Experience,' by
Louis Reichman and Gary Cardinale, the community
quickly grew into what was then the state's wine
capital,
Within
10 years, the German colony had 47 wineries and
scores of vineyards. Unfortunately, a rash of
plant viruses in the 1880s killed off most of
the grapes, and residents began growing oranges.
Farmers
initially hired Yaqui Indians from Mexico to dig
ditches, then brought in Chinese laborers to work
the crops. The Chinese carved out their own community
near what is now downtown Anaheim, and set up
businesses as merchants, tailors, barbers and
laundry operators, according to Her Pruett, Anaheim
Museum director.
Anaheim
was content with citrus crops until 1955, when
the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway and Disneyland opened.
City leaders immediately invested in tourism.
Today,
the city spans 46 square miles and has over 311,000
residents, making it the largest and most populated
city in Orange County.
It
is also the wealthiest, with more than $1 billion
in city assets.
The
city-owned Anaheim Convention center has just
completed a three year expansion and renovation,
this new jewel has quickly become known as a regional
architectural landmark. The newly renovated Edison
International Field draws more than 3.9 million
visitors annually to the Angel's baseball games,
events and concerts. Anaheim is a leading manufacturing
center in the county, with more than 1,000 firms.
Historical
Sites:
Anaheim
Ramon Peralta Adobe Historic Site
6398 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd.
Anaheim 92807
(714) 973-3190
Ramon Peralta Adobe is one of the last remaining
structure of the Peralta settlement in Santa Ana
Canyon. This site was home to the pioneering families
of Orange County in the mid 1800's.
More
Info
The
Mother Colony House - 414 N. West St., Anaheim
Once the home of George Hansen, founder of Anaheim,
the house is now a museum.
Phone: (714) 765-1850
North
Gate of the City of Anaheim - Anaheim Blvd.
& North St.
The original town site of Anaheim was surrounded
by a living fence of willow trees to keep out
livestock. This gate was one of four and allowed
travel to and from the north. The gate no longer
exists.
more info
Saint
Michael's Episcopal Church - 311 W. South
St.
Built in 1876, in English-country style, the church
originally was at Emily and Adele streets in Anaheim.
It was moved in 1955 to its present location.
The church is still in use. image from: Anaheim
Public Library
Phone: (714) 535-4654
Site
of San Pedro Gate - Center St & Lincoln
Ave West
This is the site of another of the four gates
in the living willow fence that surrounded the
original Anaheim townsite. The San Pedro Gate
allowed travel to and from San Pedro. The gate
no longer exists.
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