Tourism guide to California, including the interesting history and the cities of the state that have developed its unique character.
Many people think of California in terms of the traits of southern California, but that gives a distorted perception of the character of the other cities and regions. The differences between the north and south are so great, that a suggestion to split California into two distinct states has been given serious consideration at various times in the state history.
Mountain Cities
The state of California has diverse geography that includes the Coast, Peninsular and Transverse Ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. It is also the home to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. This geography has shaped the positions of cities throughout the state. Until the recent housing boom of the last twenty years, the mountain cities and rural areas of California saw limited development. As housing prices have become some of the highest in the country, the less expensive housing in some of the rural areas has become attractive and the areas have seen major construction projects.
Northern Towns and Gold Rush Cities
More than 100 native groups lived in California before the Europeans arrived. The snow and extreme climate in the northern part of the state meant that the majority of the tribes lived along the coast and in the more southern region of what would become California. The greatest influx of population came with a series of gold and silver rushes in the 1820s-1850s.
While some Gold Rush villages became ghost towns, other towns had an established downtown and other industries and businesses unrelated to gold. Oroville incorporated in 1906, Petaluma in 1858, Placerville in 1854, and Redwood City in 1867. Ross, an original site of a fort, became a city in 1908. Susanville incorporated 1900, Ukiah in 1876, and Watsonville in 1868. Sutter Creek, the location of the famed gold discovery, officially became a city in 1913.
Monterey is one of the original mission cities, but it also was home to a large fishing industry that local John Steinbeck popularized in his novels Cannery Row and In Dubious Battle. His home and museum are located in area. The wharf and cannery area have been restored and make fine subjects for photographs. Tours are offered of both Steinbeck Country and the cannery region.
Berkeley, incorporated in 1878, is an 18 square mile city located 12 miles from San Francisco. The main branch of the University of California is located within the city boundaries. The city is known for a history of the counterculture and was in the news during the Vietnam War as the site of frequent protests. It is still a location of liberal thought, as the city boundaries are a designated nuclear free zone. Bookstores, restaurants, coffee houses and small shops in the university area are a great place to chat or enjoy the park-like ambiance.
Mission Cities
The Spanish explorers and early settlers determined the settlement pattern for California. Sir Francis Drake arrived in the San Francisco area in 1579 and the Spanish Franciscan missionaries began to establish 21 coastal missions in 1769. Although San Juan Capistrano had a village with a small group of residents since the time of the mission, it was only as incorporated as a city in 1961. Monterey was incorporated in 1890 and San Gabriel in 1913. San Fernando Mission located in the valley near Los Angeles incorporated in 1911. San Juan Bautista was a later incorporation in 1895. The coastal mission at San Luis Obispo incorporated as a city in 1856. San Jacinto incorporated in 1888. Not all of the cities developed directly around the missions. Some towns used the name of the mission for identification, but are actually located a few miles from the original mission site. Mission San Juan Capistrano is unique in that the mission is located in the center of the city. California missions are often located in part of the city designated as "Old Town," which may be a few miles from the modern city center. Old Town San Diego and Sacramento today are historic parks that celebrate the early history of the town and incorporate parts of the original downtown into organized setting for tourist visits.
Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego are probably the best known mission cities and they were all incorporated as cities in 1850. San Jose, Benicia, Stockton, also applied and were granted the title of city when the state was admitted to the United States.
San Francisco first developed as a harbor town, but exploded with growth during the Gold Rush in 1849. Tragedy struck the city with the turn of the century earthquake. Wooden houses and businesses were destroyed by fires that broke out after the quake, but there are parts of the city that escaped the fires. Nob Hill is the section of city that features Queen Anne, Victorian and Stick style architecture. Huge hills are an experience for drivers to the area. The downtown square has fine examples of architecture and is an example of a thriving historic downtown.
Santa Barbara was a mission city, but grew to be a center of commerce and early tourist attraction due to the even climate and beautiful beach setting. The downtown has vintage architecture that dates to the 1870s. Much of downtown Santa Barbara is constructed in Mission-style, and related styles of Mission Revival and Colonial Revival, architecture. The University of California campus at Santa Barbara is located on the Isle La Vista section of the city.
Beach Cities
While Santa Cruz and Santa Monica were both mission cities and were incorporated in 1886, they are also beach cities.
Balboa Island, Balboa, and Corona del Mar are all part of greater Newport Beach which was created by dredging sand to fill in the swampy peninsula. The large railroad companies owned many lots, and much of the land in Newport Heights is still leased from large corporations. Many lots in nearby Huntington Beach were also commercial ventures.
Land Grant Cities
The independent country of Mexico was established in 1821 and land grants were given to Mexican landowners. The lands given as part of these haciendas encouraged more settlement with the creation of cattle ranches and farming in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
The city of Irvine was created by the Irvine Company, who purchased land sold from the Mexican land grant owners. It was operated by the Irvine Family for many years before a corporation began developing the land into housing tracks and commercial operations. In 1971, the city was incorporated with a 55 acre master plan, making it the largest planned community in the country. The center piece of the community is the University of California, Irvine built on land donated to the state by the Irvine Company.
Cities of Industry and Commerce
There is a city of Industry, located in the San Gabriel Valley in southern California, but there are other cities created as a result of an industry. The City of Industry is home to Mattel Toys established in 1963. The city also boasted the largest company manufacturing construction equipment and the largest carpet mill west of the Mississippi River when it was incorporated in 1957. The residents and government had high expectations for industrial development in their city.
The cities in California are as unique as their history. When traveling, take some time to sample the local history, it will enhance the understanding of each of the cities in the Golden State.
