History of Newport Beach

For thousands of years, members of the Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño nations long inhabited this area. In 1542, Juan Cabrillo first sailed the coast of California for New Spain and in 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno mapped the coast for the Spanish Empire. Jose Antonio Yorba (1746–1825), known also as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was one of the important early settlers of Spanish California (then known as Alta California). Born in San Sadurni de Noya in the Spanish province of Catalonia, Yorba first came to the New World as an officer in the Gaspar de Portolà Expedition of 1769. For his service, Yorba was awarded with an enormous land grant from the Spanish Empire in 1801 that comprised a significant portion of today's Orange County in Southern California. Covering some 62,512 acres (252.98 km2), Yorba's great rancho included the lands where the cities of Olive, Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach stand today.

From this Spanish period, the Ranchos began trading hides with US merchants in Boston for goods from New England, sailing around South America. The Ranchos also traded with English and European merchants. This trade continued through the Mexican period (1823–1848) as immigrants were offered land if they converted to the Catholic religion and became Mexican citizens, which many did. Many Anglo immigrants married into Spanish families, becoming Californios inheriting and acquiring lands and ranchos.