Back to the Roots
History of Peralta Hills
Founding Father of Orange County, Don Juan Pablo Grijalva, was the first to occupy and petition for the first Rancho, “Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana,” which covered the lands that encompass present-day Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim Hills, El Modena, Tustin, Costa Mesa, and a part of Irvine, formerly known as Rancho Lomas de Santiago.
Lieutenant Don Juan Pablo Grijalva was a Spanish soldier who came to Alta California with the Anza Expedition in 1775.
In 1782, Grijalva’s daughter, Maria Josefa, married Spanish soldier, Don Jose Antonio Yorba.
Yorba was a corporal under Captain Gaspar de Portola, who came to California from Spain, on the Portola Expedition. In 1769, his troops passed through Orange County and camped along the river where Orange-Olive is now located. It was on July 26, 1769, St. Anne’s Day, that they named this area, Santa Ana, after St. Anne, the mother of Virgin Mary. The name became official in 1868.
In 1785, Grijalva’s younger daughter, Maria del Carmen, married Pedro Regaldo Peralta, who came to California as a child on the Anza Expedition. He became a corporal for the Spanish Empire, guarding the mission at Santa Cruz in 1797. Maria and Pedro Regaldo Peralta named their eldest son, Juan Pablo Peralta, after grandfather, Juan Pablo Grijalva.
Meanwhile, in 1797, Grijalva and son-in-law, Yorba, started grazing cattle on the rancho along the Santa Ana River. In 1801, Grijalva was informally giving grazing rights and the right to occupy the land from the Spanish Empire. It was that year, as the first official petitioner, Juan Pablo Grijalva, formally requested private ownership of the 63,000 acres of land. He died in 1806, before the grant was approved.
In 1804, Grijalva’s grandson and namesake, Juan Pablo Peralta, brought his family to the Santa Ana Valley, settling along the south side of the Santa Ana River. He built his settlement on a rise above the river, called Santa Ana Arriba. He and his uncle, Don Jose Antonio Yorba, were the first to construct an irrigation system using the water of the Santa Ana River. The families had gardens, vineyards, and fruit orchards for their own use, and most of their income came from raising cattle. The Peralta and Yorba families, along with the natives, dwelt upon the lands communally.
On July 1, 1810, the King of Spain granted a formal concession of the land, known as “Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana” to Grijalva’s survivor’s, Don José Antonio Yorba Sr. and Juan Pablo Peralta. This was the only land grant in present-day Orange County given under Spanish Rule.
There were four informal divisions of “Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana.” The Peralta’s occupied the upper canyon townsite, located north of the hills, near the Santa Ana River. Peralta Hills was named after Juan Pablo Peralta. The Yorba’s lived near Burruel Point at the mouth of Santiago Creek. Don Jose Antonio Yorba’s third son, Don Bernardo Antonio Yorba, born in 1801, helped develop Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. In 1835, he received his own 13,328-acre grant of land, north of the Santa Ana River, where the 91 Freeway and Santa Ana Canyon Road run parallel today. He built the finest Adobe home in California, in which he named San Antonio, after his favorite saint.
In 1848, following the Mexican American War, Mexico had to abide by the Peace Treaty of Hildalgo and honor previous land grants to the US. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852. In 1853, the land grant was patented to the survivors of Don Jose Antonio Yorba II, who then passed away on January 19, 1849.
In 1854, some of the legatees of Yorba sold interest in the rancho to a prosperous rancher, Don Jose Andres Sepulveda. Sepulveda eventually had to sell his vast holdings due to bankruptcy.
In 1864, a section of the land was acquired by Llewellyn Bixby and Thomas Flint of “Flint, Bixby & Company,” and silent partner, James Irvine.
In 1858, Don Bernardo Antonio Yorba, third son of late Don Jose Antonio Yorba Sr., died.
In 1875, his widow, Andrea Elizalde, sold her interest to John William Bixby for $3 an acre. This share of land was of the Peralta Hills. Bixby portioned 350-acre parcels and sold them to friends and employees of his land company, J.W. Bixby & Company. John William Bixby passed away in 1888.
In early 1870’s, the Bixby’s, along with other ranchers and stockholders, formed a water company, called Santa Ana Valley Irrigation. This was the primary source of water for Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, until it was acquired over a century later, by the City of Anaheim in 1986.
Between 1900 – 1950, large acre parcels were further subdivided, yet the rancho town grew at a slow pace in its natural and pristine state. Orange groves, native oak trees, sage willows, and sycamores lined the riverbank and hills. Deer, cattle, pheasants, bobcats, and other animals grazed on the land.
In the 1950s, several new families moved to Peralta Hills. There was a petition to develop approximately 17 acres to smaller lots. Resident Roland Krueger, descendant of Yorba, along with several neighbors, petitioned to retain one-acre parcels. At that time there were only 64 residences. The homeowners represented themselves at the hearing before the County Planning Commission. The one-acre lot restriction was retained.
Homeowners, Roland Krueger, Clyde Schlund, James Nagamatsu, Ward Howland, Andy Graham formed the Peralta Hills Estates Improvement Association to construct the foundation of Peralta Hills.
In 1960, Peralta Hills annexed to the city of Anaheim, and James Nagamatsu’s attorney registered PHEIA as a non-profit corporation of California. PHEIA fought to keep businesses, churches, and nursing homes out along Santa Ana Canyon Road. The City of Anaheim created a special RE zoning, preserving the one-acre lots with no streetlights, curbs or gutters. Included in the zoning preservation, was also ownership of the water company. This agricultural area had provisions for up to four horses and wild stock per acre.
The late Lucille Krueger, resident and past historian of PHEIA, recalled her ancestors sold an acre of land for 25 cents in the early 1960’s, when the government’s tax was a dollar.
In the 1970s, developers discovered this sanctum. An influx of young homeowners moved into Peralta Hills. Some of the families are Klein, Knohl, Aitken, Bann, Guichet, Mcnabb, Ashleigh, Jekums, McComber, & Smith. This group brought with them a different lifestyle and interests. Many are still in residence today, as well as the descendants of Ronald Krueger (Don Jose Antonio Yorba).
In 1980, the first gated and most expensive enclave was Cobblestone Lane, followed by Montgomery Drive, and Villa Palotino.
In 2005 a sound wall was completed to block the 91 freeway and Santa Ana Canyon Road.
In 2007, the unsightly and potentially hazardous utility lines we buried underground.
Peralta Hills remains a timeless retreat where residents can still savor the simplicity of days gone by, the sweet scent of orange blossoms drifting through the air and the graceful sway of stately palms. On a quiet, starry night, the soothing chorus of crickets fills the air, a gentle reminder of nature’s presence. In this unique Anaheim oasis, space and privacy continue to thrive, offering a rare sanctuary of tranquility amidst the bustling world beyond.
