The first residents of the area known a Rancho
Santa Margarita were Shoshonean Native Americans
called Acagchemen. This area was purchased in
1843 by Juan Forster who renamed it "La Victoria."
In 1864 Forster added Rancho
Santa Margarita to his already vast land holdings.
The cost of managing so much land left Forster
in debt, and when he died, his heirs sold much
of the land that he had worked so hard to acquire.
The land was sold to James C.
Flood and Richard O'Neill, Sr. After aquiring
all the property 'on a handshake', O'Neill deeded
his land holdings to his son, Jerome, under whose
leadership the ranch grew to 230,000 acres and
spanned three counties. These holdings were incorporated
under the name of Rancho Santa Margarity Company.
After O'Neill's death in 1926, the land was left
to heirs who incorporated the land into developed
communities, including Mission Viejo and Rancho
Santa Margarita.
Planned to be an "Urban
Village," Rancho Santa Margarita offers the
best of two worlds: all of the elements and advantages
of a small city plus the quality of life of a
small village. In 1996 the Celebrating the Vision
Committee developed Rancho Santa Margarita's Vision
Statement: "A Small City with the Soul of
a Small Village."
Located along the foothills
of the Santa Ana Mountains, the city incorporated
on January 1, 2000, and became the 33rd city in
the County of Orange. The City has a population
of over 48,000.
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