Placentia, California
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Placentia, California | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 06-57526 | | |
GNIS feature IDs | 1661237, 2411432 | |
Website | www |
Placentia (
In 1971, Placentia was honored with the prestigious "All America City" award, given out annually by the National Civic League[9] to 10 cities in the United States.[10]
History
In 1837, the Mexican government granted the area that is now Placentia to Juan Pacifico Ontiveros as part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana land grant.[13]
In 1865, American pioneer Daniel Kraemer arrived and purchased 3,900 acres (1,600 ha). Many other American pioneers soon followed, and the community developed.[13]
The local school district was originally named the Cajon School District. In 1878, the school district's name was changed to Placentia School District by Sarah Jane McFadden, Placentia being derived from a Latin word meaning "pleasant place to live". She was the wife of William McFadden, who was the second White settler to arrive in Placentia.[14] The town eventually took its own name after the school district.[13]
The first commercial orange grove was established in 1880, worked by mostly Mexican and Anglo laborers.[11]
20th century
From a handful of scattered ranches, the core of the town was developed around 1910. It functioned as a major railroad stop along the
Oil was found in 1919, which led to the development of numerous oil wells in eastern and northern Placentia. The town of Richfield, which later became Atwood, was built to house oil workers. Mexican laborers formed the majority of the labor force in the oil industry. The neighboring town of La Jolla, Placentia was constructed for a similar reason as a segregated colonia.[11]
Several schools were constructed in Placentia from the 1910s to the 1930s that were
The predominately Mexican areas of Placentia were heavily hit by the Santa Ana River flood of 1938, which destroyed everything in the area but "the La Jolla School Building and three brick structures." The flood left 3,700 refugees and 1,500 homes uninhabitable, and "caused more than 50 deaths, most from the Atwood area."[16]
Mexican-American
The Mexican-American community in Placentia developed its own political power base in the 1950s. This resulted in the election of Aguirre to Placentia's city council from 1958 to 1962 and the registration of hundreds of Chicano voters in the city.[17]
In July 2020, Placentia organized and established its own fire department, Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department, leaving the Orange County Fire Authority as the first city to ever disband from the OCFA.[13]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17 km2), of which 0.22% is covered by water. State Route 57 (the Orange Freeway) runs through the southwest section of Placentia. State Route 91 (the Riverside Freeway) passes directly south of the city. Districts in Placentia include the neighborhood of La Jolla and the formerly unincorporated community of Atwood.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Placentia has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, Csa on climate maps.[18]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 1,606 | — | |
1940 | 1,472 | −8.3% | |
1950 | 1,682 | 14.3% | |
1960 | 5,861 | 248.5% | |
1970 | 21,948 | 274.5% | |
1980 | 35,041 | 59.7% | |
1990 | 41,259 | 17.7% | |
2000 | 46,488 | 12.7% | |
2010 | 50,533 | 8.7% | |
2019 (est.) | 51,233 | [19] | 1.4% |
U.S. Decennial Census[20] |
2010
The
- 31,373 (62.1%) White (44.7% Non-Hispanic White)[22]
- 914 (1.8%) African American
- 386 (0.8%) Native American
- 7,531 (14.9%) Asian
- 74 (0.1%) Pacific Islander
- 8,247 (16.3%) from other races
- 2,008 (4.0%) from two or more races
- 18,416 persons (36.4%) were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
The census reported that 50,196 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 253 (0.5%) lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and 84 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
Of the 16,365 households, 38.6% had children under 18 living in them, 57.4% were opposite-sex married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 4.6% were
In the city, the age distribution was 24.6% under 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% were 65 or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The 16,872 housing units had an average density of 2,563.2 per square mile (989.7/km2), of which 10,681 (65.3%) were owner-occupied and 5,684 (34.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%. About 62.9% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 36.5% lived in rental housing units.
The
2000
At the 2000 census,[23] there were 46,488 people, 15,037 households and 11,683 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,051.3 per square mile (2,722.5/km2). The 15,326 housing units had an average density of 2,324.6 per square mile (897.5/km2). The racial makeup was 67.76% White, 1.77% African American, 0.83% Native American, 11.16% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, and 13.58% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31.10% of the population.
Of the 15,037 households, 37.9% had children under 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 50.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were not families. About 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.07, and the average family size was 3.42.
The age distribution was 27.0% under 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median household income was $62,803 and the median family income was $68,976. These figures had risen to $77,496 and $83,674, respectively, in a 2007 estimate.
Economy
Placentia has a $20 million
Top employers
According to Placentia's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:,[28] the top employers in the city are:
Number | Employer | Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District | 2,500 |
2 | Placentia-Linda Hospital
|
390 |
3 | Hartwell | 300 |
4 | Premedia | 305 |
5 | City of Placentia | 215 |
Arts and culture
The George Key Ranch Historic District is a historic citrus ranch and Victorian ranch house in Placentia. It is now within the 2-acre (0.81 ha) George Key Ranch Historic Park, with the historic house museum, outdoor displays, and a citrus grove. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Placentia-Santa Fe District is in the southwest or downtown area. The town is home to the A. S. Bradford House, a historic house museum. It is also home to the 100-year-old Berkenstock Mansion.[10]
In 1973, Chicano Park's "founding lead artist" Guillermo Aranda and "founding apprentice artist" Ernesto "Neto" Paul (San Diego natives) collaborated with the art students of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in painting a mural (about 8 x 36 ft) on the walls of the Tlatepaque Restaurant. Aranda was invited by a professor at UCI. The following year, the chairman of Toltecas en Aztlan, and the board director of the Centro Cultural De La Raza, Guillermo Aranda, also invited these same Orange County artists referred to as the "Santa Ana muralists/Santa Ana artists", to come to Chicano Park and paint on one of the first pillars (second painted pillar) of Chicano Park.
Government and politics
Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties
|
---|---|---|---|
2020[29] | 51.81% 13,616 | 46.17% 12,135 | 2.02% 531 |
2016[30] | 46.49% 9,828 | 46.43% 9,814 | 7.08% 1,497 |
2012[31] | 42.08% 8,581 | 55.66% 11,348 | 2.26% 461 |
2008[32] | 43.41% 9,022 | 54.51% 11,329 | 2.07% 431 |
2004[33] | 35.82% 7,028 | 63.15% 12,390 | 1.03% 203 |
2000[34] | 37.29% 6,674 | 59.12% 10,580 | 3.59% 643 |
1996[35] | 35.94% 5,673 | 54.58% 8,615 | 9.48% 1,497 |
1992[36] | 29.26% 5,097 | 48.01% 8,364 | 22.73% 3,959 |
1988[37] | 28.62% 4,612 | 70.31% 11,328 | 1.07% 172 |
1984[38] | 22.81% 3,396 | 76.39% 11,375 | 0.80% 119 |
1980[39] | 22.06% 3,142 | 69.17% 9,853 | 8.78% 1,250 |
Local
Placentia is a charter city with elected city council members, city clerk, and city treasurer, and professional city manager.
- Elected officials
- Mayor Ward Smith[3]
- Mayor pro tem Jeremy B.Yamaguchi[3]
- Council Member Kevin Kirwin[3]
- Council Member Rhonda Shader[3]
- Council Member Chad P. Wanke[3]
- City Clerk Robert S. McKinnell[40]
- City Treasurer Kevin A. Larson[4]
- Appointed officials
- City Administrator Damien R. Arrula[5]
- City Attorney Christian L. Bettenhausen
- Mayors since 1989
Unless otherwise noted, mayoral terms begin and end in December.
Mayor | Term(s) |
---|---|
Norman Z. Eckenrode | 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–98 |
Arthur G. Newton | 1990–91 |
John O. Tynes | 1991–92 |
Maria Moreno | 1992–93 |
Michael Maertzweiler | 1994–95, 1999–2000 |
Carol Downey | 1995–96 |
Constance Underhill | 1998–99, 2006–07 |
Chris Lowe | 2000–02 |
Scott P. Brady | 2002–03, 2004–06 |
Judy Dickinson | 2003–04 |
Gregory Sowards | 2008–09 |
Joseph Aguirre | 2009–10 |
Scott W. Nelson | 2007–08, 2010–11, 2012–14 |
Jeremy Yamaguchi | 2011–12, 2015–16 |
Chad Wanke | 2014–15, 2017–18 |
Craig Green | 2016–17 |
Rhonda Shader | 2018–19 |
The voters of Placentia also elect the boards of the Placentia Library District and the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.
State and federal representation
In the
In the United States House of Representatives, Placentia is in California's 45th congressional district, represented by Republican Michelle Steel.[42]
According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Placentia has 27,328 registered voters. Of those, 10,285 (37.64%) are registered Republicans, 8,510 (31.14%) are registered Democrats, and 7,400 (27.08%) have no political party preference or are independent.[43]
Education
Placentia Library District
Placentia is home to one of the 13
Today, the Placentia Library District has over 330,000 visitors annually, with over 42,000 library cards issued. The library holds over 102,000 materials. In September 2018, the Placentia Library began a major $2.3 million renovation/modernization project as part of the library’s centennial anniversary. The project was completed on September 14, 2019.[45][46]
Public schools
Placentia is a part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD). The three high schools in the city are:
- El Dorado High School.
- international baccalaureateprogram and a technology track known as ValTech.
- El Camino Real High School was named a "Model Continuation High School" by the California State Department of Education.
In addition, Placentia supports: Kraemer Middle School, Valadez Middle School Academy, and
Independent schools
The Parkview School provides an independent study kindergarten-grade 12 school for students who are "homeschoolers, student actors, junior athletes, chronically ill, or in various other situations for which an alternative to classroom-based instruction is desirable."[47]
Transportation
The
In 2007, the city became the first city to implement a quiet zone[49] for the cargo-carrying trains that pass through the city daily, using locomotive grade-crossing predictors and intercrossing ground-based radio communications to effect a corridor where crossing gate arms become actuated prior to the train's approach, enabling trains to not be required to announce their approach by sounding the Morse code letter "Q" on their whistles, which is otherwise mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration. The city's Quiet-Zone-Update web pages offer information on the zone's scope and any temporary or long-term alterations to the quiet zone.
The city is served by the Orange County Transportation Authority, with:
- Route 153 running along Placentia Avenue
- Route 129 running also Kraemer Blvd
- Route 71 running along Rose Drive
- Route 26 running along Yorba Linda Blvd
- Route 123 running along Chapman Avenue
- Route 30 running along Orangethorpe Avenue[50]
The 2002 Placentia train collision occurred on April 23, 2002, when a BNSF Railway freight train collided head-on with a Metrolink train in Placentia, near the Atwood Junction, at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Van Buren Street. Two people died in the crash and 22 were seriously injured.[51][52]
Notable people
- Agent Orange, a punk rock band, formed in Orange County in 1979.
- Kevin Blankenship,[53] is a professional baseball player from Placentia and an El Dorado High School class of 1981 graduate.
- Michael Chang, professional tennis player, French Open champion, member of Hall of Fame
- Peter Daut, a news presenter at KESQ-TV, grew up in Placentia and graduated from El Dorado High School.[54]
- Chris Draft, NFL professional football player
- Janet Evans, Olympic swimmer, four-time gold medalist[55]
- Jackie Francois, musician
- Josh Freese, musician[56]
- Michele Granger, softball pitcher, was born in Placentia.
- Courtney Hicks, figure skater, was born in Placentia.
- Kottonmouth Kings, hip hop group
- Kingspade, hip hop group
- Phil Nevin, baseball player[57]
- So You Think You Can Dance contestant, Pussycat Doll
- Shawn Ray, bodybuilder
- Johnny Richter, rapper
- Equanimeous St. Brown, NFL professional football player
- Holocaustsurvivor and rescuer in the Dutch underground during World War II, and author, emigrated to Placentia in 1977 and died there in 1983.
- Brett Tomko, a Major League Baseball player, attended El Dorado High School.
- Bret Boone, a Major League Baseball player, attended El Dorado High School.
References
- ^ "City of Placentia California Website". City of Placentia California Website. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mayor / City Council". City of Placentia. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ a b "City Treasurer". City of Placentia. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ a b "Administration". City of Placentia. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ "Placentia". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
- ^ "Placentia (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
- ^ All America City Award
- ^ a b Schrader, Esther (September 30, 1997). "Placentia Looking Up in Quest for Landmarks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780738547282.
- OCLC 745176510.
- ^ a b c d "History of Placentia | Placentia, CA - Official Website".
- ^ "The McFadden Letters | Placentia Library". www.placentialibrary.org. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ISBN 9780252063886.
- ^ "From the Placentia History Room Archives: 1938 Flood, 75 years later". Orange County Register. March 28, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 9780816532445.
- ^ Climate Summary for Placentia, California
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA – Placentia city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ a b "Census Data". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Fact Sheet: Placentia city, California: 2006–2008". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
- ^ Langhorne, Daniel (June 18, 2014). "Officials change tracks to fund Metrolink station in Placentia". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- Orange County Register
- ^ Weikel, Dan (June 17, 2014) "Former Placentia official given deadline to repay salary" Los Angeles Times
- ^ "City of Placentia CAFR". Archived from the original on November 28, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ "Precinct results" (PDF). www.ocvote.com. 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/live/gen2016/sov.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/live/gen2012/sov-for-web.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sov/gen2008/sov.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sov/e13/sov1.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sov/gen2000/gen2000-SOV.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ California. Secretary of State (March 30, 1968). "Statement of vote". Sacramento, Calif. : The Secretary – via Internet Archive.
- ^ California. Secretary of State (March 30, 1968). "Statement of vote". Sacramento, Calif. : The Secretary – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Statement of the Vote. Sacramento, Calif. : The Secretary. 1968.
- ^ Statement of the Vote. Sacramento, Calif. : The Secretary. 1968.
- ^ Statement of the Vote. Sacramento, Calif. : The Secretary. 1968.
- ^ "City Clerk". City of Placentia. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "California Districts". UC Regents. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ "California's 45th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
- ^ "CA Secretary of State – Report of Registration – February 10, 2019" (PDF). ca.gov. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Carpenter, Virginia L. (1977). Placentia, A Pleasant Place. Santa Ana, CA: Friis-Pioneer Press.
- ^ McRea, Heather (September 14, 2018). "$2.3 million renovation to Placentia library is expected to take a year". Orange County Register. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ Truong, Hanh (September 17, 2019). "Community explores Placentia Library after year-long overhaul". Orange County Register. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ "Homeschooling through Parkview School". Retrieved October 12, 2008.
- ^ Lenberg, Tatum (January 6, 2020). "Murals, construction are revitalizing Placentia's downtown and historic area". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Reyes, David (June 29, 2007). "Placentia likes the sound of quiet zone designation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "OCTA North Orange County System Map" (PDF). Orange County Transportation Authority. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ "Metrolink/BNSF Collision". TrainWeb. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ National Transportation Safety Board (October 7, 2003). "Collision of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Freight Train With Metrolink Passenger Train". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ "Kevin Blankenship". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ Dolan, Casey (February 27, 2002). "Peter Daut joins KESQ as anchor / reporter". Cactus Hugs. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ "Janet EVANS - Olympic Swimming | United States of America". International Olympic Committee. February 2, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- Orange County Register. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ "Phil Nevin Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
External links
- Official website
- City-Data.com Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Placentia