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Junipero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana
After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portola our of Mexico City, then capitol of New Spain, Junipero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana. -
Mission San Juan Capistrano was established within this valley
This Sana Ana Valley comprised most of what is now called Orange County. -
Year of the commencement of the war of Mexican Independence
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1810-1821, Jose Antonio Yorba, a sargeant of the Spanish army, was granted land that he called Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Yorba´s rancho included lands where the cities of Olive, Orange, Irvine, Yorba Linda, Villa¨Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa, El Modena and Santa Ana Heights are today. -
After the Mexican-American war ended and Alta California became part of the Unites States
American settlers arrived to this area -
William H Spurgeon claimed the land obtained from the descendents of Jose Antonio Yorba
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Santa Ana was incorporated as a city with a population of 2000
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Santa Ana became the seat of the newly formed Orange County
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The Pacific Electric Railway from Los Angeles was extended to Santa Ana
The "red cars" made travel to Los Angeles easier and helped continue Santa Ana´s population boom. Due to declining leadership, the route was abandoned by the 1950´s and the tracks were removed along with much of the rest of the Pacific Electric system. -
During World War II, the Santa Ana Army Air Base was built as a training center for the United States Army Air Forces
The base was responsible for continued population growth in Santa Ana and the rest of Orange County as many veterans moved to the area to raise families after the end of the war. -
Santa Ana is named a Charter City
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The Santa Ana Freeway was opened
This increased the ease of travel by automobile. -
Since the 1980´s Santa Ana has been categorized by an effort to revitalize the downtown area
The Santa Ana Artist´s Village was created around Cal State Fullerton´s Grand Central Art Center to attract artists and young professionals to live-work lofts and new businesses. -
Westfield Main Place was opened
Before it was called MainPlace Mall, it opened north of downtown and became a major retail center for the area. -
The citizens of Santa Ana amended the Charter
It was amended to provide for the direct election of the Mayor who until that point had been an apointee of the Council. -
Reopening of the historic Yost Theater
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Current Mayor of Santa Ana is Miguel A. Pulido
Miguel A. Pulido, is the first mayor of Latino descent in the city´s history and in fact, the first Mayor directly elected by the voters.
