Inhabited by members of the Tongya and Juaneno/Luiseno nations for thousands of years, the area that is now Newport Beach was not explored by Europeans until 1543. At this time, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed the coast of California for New Spain. It wasn?t until 1602, when Sebastian Vizcaino sailed for the Spanish Empire, that the California Coast was mapped. Years after completing an expedition to the area in 1769, Don Jose Antonio Yorba was awarded a enormous land grant from the Spanish Empire in 1810. The land covered more than 62,500 acres and included what is now known as Orange County.
Los ranchos dejan su huella
Durante este nuevo período español, Ranchos comenzó a intercambiar pieles con comerciantes estadounidenses en Boston por productos de Nueva Inglaterra. También comerciaron con los mercados inglés y europeo, y el comercio continuó durante el período mexicano, que tuvo lugar desde 1823 hasta 1848 después de que México se independizó de España y tomó posesión de California en 1821. Los ranchos mexicanos comenzaron a disminuir después de que Estados Unidos tomó posesión. de California, seis años después de los cuales se aprobó una ley que requería que cada ranchero demostrara la propiedad de su tierra. Pronto, todos los ranchos se vendieron.
Establecimiento de Newport
Después de que se vendieron los ranchos, algunos empresarios se sintieron atraídos por el área de Newport. Entre ellos se encontraban James Irvine y James McFadden. Si bien Irvine deseaba acumular una cantidad significativa de tierras de rancho, McFadden deseaba crear una ciudad dividiendo su tierra y vendiéndola a la mayor cantidad de personas posible. McFadden se convirtió en el primer promotor apasionado de Newport mientras trabajaba para convertirlo en un importante centro comercial.
In its early years, Newport had many different names. Among these were Bolsa de Gengara and Bolsa de San Joaquin. The name Newport was finally settled upon when Captain Samuel Summer Dunnels arrived with supplies for the settlement and proclaimed that he now had a ?new port? in 1870. Five years later, McFadden and his younger brother Robert acquired the landing that Dunnels had previously established. The brothers went on to operate a thriving commercial trade and shipping business from the landing for the next nineteen years.
Transformaciones de Newport
After receiving Federal funds for improvements in 1889, a harbor at San Pedro became Southern California?s major seaport. McFadden subsequently sold his Newport townsite and about half of the Peninsula to William S. Collins in 1902. Collins saw a new vision for Newport as he saw its resort and recreation potential. He went on to form partnerships and to acquire the Pacific Electric railway system, which he then used to promote new communities outside of Los Angeles. Four short years later, Newport Beach became a sourest destination. In August 1906 it was incorporated as a city.
En 1910, los McFadden vendieron Newport, Balboa Island y Lido por $35,000. Seis años después, Balboa Island fue anexada a la ciudad de Newport Beach. Corona del Mar fue anexada en 1923, con la Pacific Coast Highway construida a través de Newport Beach tres años después.