José Antonio Yorba first saw the area called Peralta Hills when he was a sergeant in the Portola Expedition in 1769. They camped along the Santa Ana River where Olive is now located. It was Portola and his men who named the river Rio de Santa Ana de Los Tremblores later shortened to the Santa Ana River. While they were making camp at this site on Saint Anne’s Day, July 26, 1805, there was a severe earthquake that prompted the naming. Upon his retirement in 1810 José Antonio Yorba was granted the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana by the King of Spain as a crown concession later on known as a grant.
Peralta Hills Park
Peralta Hills Palm Tree
José Antonio Yorba’s nephew Juan Peralta joined him and gave the Peralta name to the range of hills extending to the Newport Bay. Lucille Krueger a direct descendant of Yorba recalls how her ancestors sold an acre of land for 25 cents when the county’s tax was a dollar. A few of Yorba and Peralta descendants still live in the canyon areas. …An excerpt from the PHEIA Gazette June 1994… Historical Updates….
In 1915 Jonathan Bixby acquired Peralta hills. Hugh Thompson Bixby’s superintendent apportioned 350 acres for sale to Bixby’s friends and employees after realizing he needed water, The Bixby Family incorporated the Peralta hills water company. It was the primary source of water for the area until it was acquired by the city of Anaheim until 1986. …An excerpt from the PHEIA newsletter 1982-1983 & Historical Update in 1996 Gazette…
Peralta Hills grew at a slow pace between 1920 and 1950. During these years Peralta Hills was in its natural pristine state. Native oak trees, sage willows, and sycamores lined the riverbank and hills. Animals were plenty as Deer, cattle, pheasants, bobcats, and all of gods given creatures grazed on the hills. The El Rancho type roundups and fiestas continued. Then came the Richfield oil discovery and Bixby felt that the flow might extend south of the river. This was when the acres were subdivided and parcels ranged from one to twenty acres.
Somewhere in the fifties the face of Peralta Hills was changing and several families moved in. There were many new things that were happening. Peralta hills was still part of the county. There was a petition to develop approximately 17 acres to smaller lots. Roland Krueger along with s several residents organized a petition drive to retain one-acre parcels. At that time there were only 64 residences and almost every homeowner was represented at the hearing before the County Planning Commission. The residents prevailed and the one-acre lot restriction was retained. Some of the homeowners met to discuss the future of Peralta Hills. Roland Krueger, Clyde Schlund, James Nagamatsu, Ward Howland, Andy Graham and others worked out what they thought best for the area. They worked with the city on what they envisioned. After they obtained their goals and objectives, Peralta Hills annexed to the city of Anaheim in 1960. It was around this time that James Nagamatsu had his attorney file to incorporate Peralta Hills. If not for this small group and their diligence and perseverance, Peralta Hills would not exist the way it is today. They fought to keep businesses; churches, nursing homes, etc… out along Santa Ana Canyon Road. Their faces were well known now in city hall. In the meantime there were many meetings with the city of Anaheim to work out the details for a rural one-acre minimum zoning for our area. 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. Being an agricultural area provisions for up to four horses and wild stock per acre were allowed. Many battles were fought and some were lost. With all due respect to later presidents, this group pioneered and laid the foundation for the future of Peralta Hills. …An excerpt from PHEIA newsletter 1982, lyn Bell, secretary…
House
Peralta Hills Park
20 years later in the late ’70s Peralta Hills was undergoing a major transition. Some compared it to the California Gold Rush only in Peralta Hills it was land. Developers discovered this sanctum and overnight streets were named and homes were built. In the late seventies a great influx of young homeowners moved into Peralta Hills. To name a few: the Klein’s, Knohl, Aitken, Bann, Guichet, Mcnabb’s, Ashleigh’s, Jekums’, & Smiths, This group brought with them a different lifestyle and interests; all of who are still in residence. The first gated and most expensive enclave was Cobblestone Lane followed by Montgomery Drive and Villa Palotino, both gated enclaves. These homes were built where orange groves once stood. In the 80’s the proposal for the guard gated community spanned four presidential terms. …1978 PHEIA Gazette bio minutes from March 24, 1981 PHEIA meeting, Anaheim Hills news 1982 article status of gated community proposal minutes from the PHEIA meeting 1985…
In the 90’s there was a proposal for the sound wall. …See PHEIA Gazette issue from Dec 1998 to 2005…
The proposal for the underground utilities … Gazette issue from December 1998-2009…
In 2005 to the present another transition took place in Peralta Hills. A management center was employed to assist us with the important and mundane things that come with an ever-thriving community. Worthy to mention is the beautification of Peralta Hills and the gardeners who keep it that way. What a beautiful sight it is to see the improved landscape that has occurred in the area with the lovely flowers and trees all around us and the newly constructed sound wall and the almost done burial of the underground utilities.
Peralta Hills allure is its uniqueness and individuality with our long time and new residents who interact well with each other. They came to this oasis where privacy and anonymity prevails. Despite the changes that come with the times it is a place where one can still enjoy the simple things of long ago; the sweet smell of orange blossoms and the beauty of the stately palms. On a quiet starry nigh t you can hear the nocturnal sounds of the crickets and you might even see a bobcat or our old friends, the coyotes. There is a sense of wellbeing when you are in Peralta Hills and that all is well with the world. E2Reprinted from March 2001Gazette…
Peralta Hills is marching on with the times and embarking on an exciting venture. In this world of technology we can now click a button and at our fingertips trace the history of Peralta Hills, a marvel in itself. In 2009 we have added a website to help the residents stay up to date with all the happenings of Peralta Hills. New resident Ray Mize graciously offered to create and maintain the site for our wonderful neighborhood. The inception of www.peraltahillsassociation.com.
It’s possible that the Yorba’s and the Peralta’s, who gave us this Shangri-La, and our elder statesmen Rowland and all those who have gone before us specifically Ward and Mary Ruth are looking down with a smile and you can almost hear them say “well done”. And for the remaining early settlers who are still in the area the Schlund’s and the Krueger’s we honor and thank you for the legacy we now enjoy.