Rancho Santa Margarita Tutors

About Rancho Santa Margarita

The history of Rancho Santa Margarita is similar to many of the other cities in Orange County, finding its roots in the days of Spaniards and giant working ranches. If you’ve been meeting with your Rancho Santa Margarita tutor then you know before California was owned by Mexico, Native Americans lived among the plains, and Spaniards embarked on great expeditions to explore this new world.

Captain Gaspar de Portola of Spain took his men on an expedition to this untamed country, and camped near what is now the Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Rancho Santa Margarita. The terrain proved unfriendly, with streams and swamps hindering their movement. In an effort to get around these obstacles they decided to move inland, in hope of finding drier ground more easy to traverse. They came across a large plateau on the eastern side of what is now called Trabuco Creek, where they decided to make camp. They hoped this location would serve them better than other locations they had come across thus far.

During the night when they were camping, a soldier somehow misplaced his musket, or Trabuco as it was also known. Though he searched long and hard for it he could not locate it, which was quite a travesty for a soldier, and not something simply brushed off. After this incident occurred, Captain Gaspar de Portola decided to name the creek after this event, and the name stuck. Trabuco has become associated with the mesa, the canyon, and indeed all of the surrounding area since then.

Not long after a mission was established by the Spaniards known as Mission San Juan Capistrano, and the area remained under their control until Mexico came into possession of it. Three large ranches were created out of the valley, Rancho Mission Viejo, Rancho Trabuco, and Rancho Santa Margarita. Two partners, James L. Flood and Jerome O’Neill purchased all three ranches in the late 1880’s and operated them as a large working farm.

As time passed properties were sold, housing developments went up, and progress was made. Though no longer a working ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita held on to its small-town vibe while embracing the commodities of a regular city. They were incorporated into Orange county in 2000, and share a similar history with their neighboring counter parts. If you look at the history of your own city it can help you to grasp some more difficult concepts that you may be going over with your Rancho Santa Margarita tutor.