THE BEGINNING OF BUENA PARK

In 1885, James A. Whitaker, who had been a successful wholesale grocer in Chicago, bought 690 acres of Stearns Rancho land. This lay north of Orangethorpe Avenue between the recorded but unbuilt towns of Savanna and Centralia. Because they were only planned, they became known as "paper towns."

To help create development along its new route, the Santa Fe Railroad asked Whitaker to develop a town. He agreed, although he had intended to have a cattle ranch. This was also in spite of the fact that the Southern Pacific Railroad had brought farmers but not townspeople to that same area.

But the town that Whitaker planned began at once. He filed a map of two-thirds of his land he called "Buena Park" in June 1887 in Los Angeles County, as Orange County had not yet been formed. In August, 'he filed the rest in what he named the "Whitaker Addition." While the first lay between Western and Eastern Avenues, north to about Franklin Street, the second extended west to Knott Avenue and north for half of the distance. Eastern is now Stanton Avenue.

The town was designed to center at the Santa Fe depot where the tracks crossed Grand Avenue at about Holt Street. The fountain shown on the plan was actuaIly built. The water flow was an artesian well.

NORTH ON GRAND FROM ORANGETHORPE IN 1890

Three years after the filing of the Plot plan of the town, a picture taken looking north on Grand Avenue from Orangethorpe, shows the Coyote Hills and part of the early town development. The Stage Hotel shows on the left edge with the Southern Pacific depot peeking out on the angle of the line.

The creamery is across from it. The house with the cross drawn over it is that of Andrew W. Whitaker, brother of James A. Whitaker and father of J. Harry who became the town's first postmaster. This is the "Whitaker-Jaynes House" owned by the city and refurbished as a museum. The large home to the right is that of George Wilcox, engineer of the creamery. The Civic Center is built on the six acres that was his land.

The house on the right edge was that of John Wright. In March, 1889, a group of women meeting there to do some sewing, developed into the Buena Park Women's Club. It is the second oldest women's club in the State of California.