Fountain Valley California is a charming
community of tree lined streets, peaceful residential homes and
well-planned recreational areas in the center of Orange County,
30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, and 90 miles northwest of San
Diego.
History of Fountain Valley: The history of Fountain
Valley began in the 18th Century when the King of Spain granted
the land to one of his Dons. Fountain Valley sits on a portion of
land which was part of the Las Bolsas Land Grant. This land was
later given to an ex-soldier, Manuel Nieto, in 1784 by the Spanish
Governor Pedro Fages.
Upon the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, the United States
Government officially recognized several of the old Spanish Land
Grants and reverted them to their original owners. At a public land
auction in the 1850's, Abel Stearns bought the land and renamed
it The Stearns Ranch Company. This area comprised portions of what
are now the cities of Huntington Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove
and all of Fountain Valley.
The name Fountain Valley is derived from the many artesian wells
and the abundant local water supply. In 1957 Fountain Valley was
incorporated as Orange County's twenty-first city and the present
total population is approximately 57,000. |
