More about Anaheim California

The city of Anaheim is located in Orange County and is home to an estimated 348,467 residents as of 2009, making it the 10th largest city in the state and the 54th largest in the nation. The city estimates that the population will reach over 400,000 residents by 2014 due to the large development boom in its Platinum Triangle area, as well as Anaheim Hills. The city was originally founded by fifty German grape-farming families in 1857 coming to America from Franconia, Bavaria. The first settler to the area was Daniel Kraemer who came to the colony that was situated on 1,165 acres of land. The name city’s name was originally voted as Anaheim, meaning “home by the Santa Ana River” in German; the name was slightly changed later, dropping one “n”, and the name is a blend of “Ana” for the Santa Ana River and the German word “heim” meaning home. To the Spanish community in the area, the city was known as Campo Aleman meaning German Camp. The city was officially incorporated in February 1870, and soon after in the 1880s, the grape industry that had started the city had been destroyed by an insect problem. However, other crops such as lemons, walnuts, and oranges, soon flourished. Famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska made her home in Anaheim with her husband, and became good friends Clementine Langenberger; today the women have streets named after them, Helena Street and Clementine Street, situated adjacent to one another as a symbol of the strong bond these two women shared. Helena Modjeska also had Modjeska Canyon named for her after her death. The city is most well known for Disneyland, the family friendly amusement park created by cartoonist Walt Disney. Before the park opened, the city was rural and inhabited by mostly orange groves and the farmers who tended them. Disneyland started construction on July 16, 1954 and completed construction on July 17, 1955 and since its opening has become the city’s largest tourist attraction. The theme park later added California Adventure, which opened in 2001, and was the most expansive project in the park history. Anaheim is also famous for the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention auditorium on the West Coats, the Honda Center, formerly known as the “Pond”, where the NHL Anaheim Ducks play and Angels Stadium, home to he Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim major league baseball team.