Anaheim: Then and Now

By Frank McNeirney

Many history books tell us that Anaheim — the 10th largest city in California, the home of the world-famous Disneyland theme parks and the locale of AABB’s 2007 Annual Meeting & TXPO — was settled only 150 years ago.

Outdoor artworks in downtown Anaheim’s Center Street Promenade beg to differ. With titles like “The Sinking Canoe” and “Coyote Bench,” they remind us that the Tongva Indians were living here and paddling their boats up and down the nearby Santa Ana River many centuries before some 50 families of German descent relocated from northern California and founded the present-day city in 1857.

The aims of the German settlers, a hardworking bunch with socialist leanings, were to grow grapes and make wine in their new colony. The name they gave it was derived from the local river and “heim,” a German suffix meaning “home.”

Their winemaking efforts prospered. By 1883, 50 wineries were producing over a million gallons of wine from some 10,000 acres of grapes.

The following year, disaster struck. The vines began to be devastated by what was dubbed the “Anaheim disease.” (The malady, later found to be caused by a bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, is now called Pierce’s disease, and continues to vex California winemakers from time to time.)

But the Germans were resilient. They began growing oranges, along with other citrus fruits, walnuts and chili peppers — all of which thrived in a hilly terrain that protected the crops from the cold winds coming down from the mountains. When the railroad arrived in 1887 and provided access to markets in the East, the mighty orange became a permanent symbol of prosperity for Anaheim and its environs.

Well, almost permanent. Enter Walter Elias Disney, in the early 1950s. For years, Disney had dreamed of creating a family amusement facility. One day, he reportedly drove through downtown Anaheim and was struck by its resemblance to the small Missouri farm town he grew up in. Here is the spot, he decided, for what he envisioned as “the happiest place on earth.”

More than a half century later, that dream has evolved into a world-famous complex of theme parks and hotels. Even so, there’s more to Anaheim than Disney.

Things to See
For visitors who may want a temporary respite from the crowds and nonstop activity in and around the convention center and the Disney theme parks, Anaheim has a few other things to offer.

The city’s world-class sports teams and facilities help you both relax and have fun. Honda Center is home to the National Hockey League team, the Anaheim Ducks. During baseball season, Angel Stadium of Anaheim is the place to be. Some of the most picturesque and exciting golf courses in the world are here, including Coyote Hill, site of the National Blood Foundation’s 11th Annual Golf Tournament Friday.

Among the many cultural and historic attractions, the Anaheim Colony Historic District represents the area settled by the German winemakers 150 years ago. It’s bounded by North, South, East and West streets, and it contains the only structure remaining from the original town: the Mother Colony House, an 1857 building at 414 N. West St.

Next to it is the 1894 Queen-Anne-style Red Cross House, so named because it was used for many years as a service center of the American Red Cross of Orange County. It is now owned by the city of Anaheim, but it still contains an exhibit of Red Cross memorabilia.

The historic district also boasts more than 1,000 homes built in the first quarter of the 20th century in the Spanish colonial, craftsman bungalow, English Tudor and mission revival styles.

The Muzeo (formerly the Anaheim Museum), at 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., reopened this month after a yearlong renovation. Its featured exhibit is “Imperial Rome: Discovering the Ancient Civilization,” consisting of more than 450 antiquities such as sarcophagi, ceramics, jewelry, and bronze and marble statues.

For art enthusiasts whose tastes lean to the more contemporary, there’s the city’s Art in Public Places program, featuring outdoor works located along the aforementioned two-city-block-long Center Street Promenade, a mixed-use development with multi-dwelling units, retail shops and restaurants. The program’s sponsors describe the artworks as “fun, challenging, delightful, confusing, annoying, silly and wonderful.” Considering some of the titles — “Video Trees,” “Orange Crates,” “Hammer Clock,” “Anvil and Nails,” and “Knows to the Stone” — who’s to argue?


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