The cultivation of Costa Mesa

Deirdre Newman

Costa Mesa’s history can best be described as a tale of two cities.

Early on, the town served as the center of a largely agricultural

area, earning the moniker “Goat Hill.” Later, as the plowshares gave

way to shopping malls, it evolved into a world-class retail

destination.

Its history was not without adversity. The towns that predate

Costa Mesa struggled with natural and economic disasters, but bounced

back each time, illustrating the residents’ resilience.

Since its incorporation 50 years ago, the city has maintained a

strong economic base, allowing it to prosper. It has also attracted a

variety of people, which adds to the rich tapestry of life.

“None of us are really rich, but we do make a decent living, so we

all have the same problems and work together and help people,” said

the city’s de facto historian, Bob Wilson.

EARLY HISTORY

A small portion of Costa Mesa started out as Fairview in the late

1830s. A schoolhouse and church sprang up in the late 1800s at the

intersection of Adams Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.

In 1888, the area entered the industrial age when the Santa Ana

Valley and Pacific Railroad Co. was incorporated, connecting Santa

Ana to Fairview along Harbor Boulevard. But a mere nine months later,

a storm eroded some of the track, which was never rebuilt, ending the

train’s run and Fairview’s progression into the modern age. It soon

went back to its farming roots.

In 1890, the Fairview Development Co. faced bankruptcy, sounding

the death knell for the town of Fairview.

Another small community named Harper had already been established

around a siding of the railroad. On May 11, 1920, Harper officially

changed its name to Costa Mesa, which means “coastal tableland.”

The city was experiencing growth from building and oil drilling

industries when the Great Depression hit Southern California. The

financial doldrums sent the area into a tailspin, with industries

collapsing and the local bank closing.

An earthquake in 1933 added to the misery, damaging businesses and

the main school. Fortunately, the school was rebuilt and is now used

for administrative purposes as part of the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District.

The Santa Ana Army Air Base opened on April 7, 1942, covering a swath that is now the Orange County Fairgrounds, Orange Coast College

and the Civic Center, bringing an influx of people to the area. When

World War II ended, many of the airmen who had trained at the base

returned to the area with their families, starting a population boom.

On June 29, 1953, the burgeoning city with an area of 3.5 square

miles and a population of 16,840 was incorporated.

LANDMARK PROPERTIES

The first City Hall was erected at the corner of 20th Street and

Newport Boulevard in 1953. When the city’s administration outgrew the

premises, a new City Hall opened in 1957 at 19th Street and Pomona

Avenue, where the Senior Center is now. But within two years, the new

City Hall could not accommodate the rapid growth, so plans to upgrade

began again, this time for a five-story building on Fair Drive. The

third and current City Hall on Fair Drive was dedicated on the city’s

anniversary in 1967.

This one was built with room to grow. The top two floors were

initially leased out to Orange County, City Manager Allan Roeder

said.

“Overall, the building was a really good investment for the city

at that time and really suited our needs,” Roeder said. “I think,

longer term, I certainly don’t see anything on the horizon that would

be suggesting a need to relocate from this site.”

TRANSITION TO BUSTLING RETAIL MECCA

The transition from an agricultural pit stop to a renowned retail

destination was midwifed by the Segerstrom family, a dynasty that

successfully straddled Costa Mesa’s two phases and put the city on

the map.

The Segerstroms, who had immigrated from Sweden, were dairy

farmers and bean growers who owned a substantial part of land in and

around Costa Mesa. They were also visionaries who recognized where

Costa Mesa was headed and invested in it.

This future involved a different commodity -- one that was found

indoors in stores like the May Co. and Sears Roebuck. This shift was

unusual for Orange County farming families at the time, since most

just sold their properties so they could stake a claim on a bigger

piece of farmland in the Central Valley, said Hank Panian, a former

history professor at Orange Coast College.

The Segerstroms’ first retail forays in the late 1950s and early

‘60s were just a warm-up for their piece de resistance -- South Coast

Plaza, which officially opened in 1967 as the first enclosed regional

shopping center in the county.

City leaders enticed the Segerstroms, who were initially reluctant

because of their close ties to Santa Ana, to annex the land that

would eventually become South Coast Plaza to the city. It just took

plain, old-fashioned accommodation, Wilson said.

“We gave them just about anything they wanted, whatever they

needed,” Wilson said. “They needed a wider street, we gave it to

them. Anything to get them here, because we saw all the money it

would bring to Costa Mesa, and it has.”

FREEWAYS

The Segerstroms were so ahead of the curve that they opened South

Coast Plaza before the section of the San Diego Freeway through the

city was finished. That didn’t happen until 1968. In 1992, the city

was distinguished enough to earn its own freeway when the Costa Mesa

Freeway was extended into the heart of downtown Costa Mesa.

FAIRVIEW PARK

Wilson drew upon his salesmanship to help the city jointly

purchase the property that eventually became Fairview Park in 1970.

In the 1980s, when a joint-use plan was being evaluated, Costa Mesa

residents strongly objected to it. So in 1985, the city bought 210

acres out of the 300-acre parkland. The county still owns the

remaining 90 acres, which is Talbert Nature Preserve. Fairview Park

is the start of a large open space corridor throughout the city that

also includes TeWinkle Park. Panian says this open space is one of

the biggest perks of living in Costa Mesa.

“I’m no geologist or meteorologist, but when the ocean air flows

this way, it flows through the open space, rather than be hindered by

tall buildings,” Panian said. “That’s a bonus.”

EDUCATION

When the Santa Ana Army Air Base was decommissioned in 1946, a

large chunk of the property changed from training airmen to training

students when Orange Coast College sprung up on part of the former

base.

Although the college opened its doors in 1948, Costa Mesa didn’t

annex it until 1955. In those years, the city was still a “service

center for an agricultural hinterland,” and the college tailored some

of its programs accordingly, with a large agricultural division,

Panian said.

“One of the nicest things in those days was the fact that the

college had steers on about 50 acres -- that was always a big joke.

Every evening we could hear them bawling,” Panian said. “And then the

trains used to come into about where Baker is now and you could hear

their whistle. ... That was kind of nostalgic.”

In 1966, Costa Mesa schools joined with Newport Beach schools to

form a unified school district, which was beneficial for both cities,

Panian said.

“Both the Newport Elementary and Costa Mesa Elementary school

districts each had their own problems, and with unification, they

came under a central board of governors,” Panian said. “And it

guaranteed our children a uniform, consistent policy and practice so

when they got to Orange Coast [College] or any four-year school, they

would have a common background and didn’t need to be brought up to

par.”

NEIGHBORHOODS

The various neighborhoods in the city evolved based on the

properties they belonged to in the past. Mesa del Mar used to be part

of the Army air base and was established in the 1960s when that part

of the base was converted into homes.

College Park and Mesa Verde were once part of the sprawling

Segerstrom bean fields.

Since the 1950s, the Westside has served as the industrial hub of

the city. Its claim to fame at that time was serving as a major

center for pleasure-boat building and supplies in the country, Roeder

said.

“When I first graduated from high school, my job was working for a

little paint store in downtown Santa Ana, and one day a week, we

would drive down and supply paint supplies to all the various boat

building places in the Westside industrial areas as well as the auto

dealerships that had begun locating on Harbor Boulevard,” Roeder

said.

As that industry began to shrink, others moved in, turning the

Westside into a diverse industrial and residential area.

While the early settlers were farmers and shopkeepers who served

them, the city saw a huge population boom after World War II. Many

airmen who had trained at the air base returned to a place that was

familiar to them. The mild weather also served as a siren song,

calling back those who had strayed.

“Costa Mesa means ‘tableland on the coast,’ so the weather has

always been perfect [in] Costa Mesa,” Wilson said. “It always brings

people back. It is a wonderful place.”

Over the decades, city leaders managed to maintain a healthy mix

of housing, Roeder said. In the last decade especially, the city has

made it a priority to keep affordable housing in Costa Mesa.”I think

the council has very much recognized that there’s need for an

affordable housing component within the city,” Roeder said. “I think

what has been difficult is kind of translating that for the most part

into affordable owner-occupied housing as opposed to having as high a

percentage of rental property as the city has.”

CITY’S DIVERSITY

The city has evolved since the early days of incorporation when

the City Councils were all male. Women and minorities have been

represented on the council and continue to be.

The diversity of Costa Mesa is representative of the entire

county, Roeder said.

“I think Costa Mesa represents Orange County as a whole in our

16-plus square miles probably as well as any place in the county and

I think that’s a testament to many things -- its vibrancy ... but

also some of the continuing conflicts we have,” Roeder said. “When

you get that many people in 16 square miles rubbing shoulder to

shoulder, you’re going to have some conflicts. A certain amount of

that adds to the vitality of the community.”