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Two thousand years ago, long before Laguna
Beach became one of the most desirable resorts on California's
coast, an Indian tribe named the Ute-Aztecs (later the Shoshones)
roamed the land. Lured by the temperate weather and the rich
coastal strip, the tribe inhabited the canyon formations directly
east of Main Beach. They named the area Lagonas, their word for
lakes, after two fresh water lagoons that decorated the canyon.
When the Spaniards arrived they applied the
name Canada de las Lagunas (Canyon of the Lakes). And in 1904, the
name of the area was officially changed from Lagonas to Laguna
Beach.
Laguna has always been a resort area - a place
for rest and relaxation. In the early days, people came from miles
around to enjoy its beauty and tranquility, pitching tents on the
beach, exploring the intimate coves and the rolling hills.
By the late 1800's, as the word spread, more
and more people flocked to the seaside settlement to plant
themselves permanently.
In 1903 Norman St. Claire (the first important
artist) came from San Francisco by train and stage to paint the
surf, the hillsides and the lagoons surrounding this seaside
village. His artist friends were so impressed with his paintings
and reports of a balmy year-round climate that they followed him
to Laguna Beach.
Many of this seminal group were known as plein-air
artists who painted in the style of Monet's French impressionists
and remain at the top of the Who's Who in California Art list. In
early 1918 artist Edgar Payne opened an art gallery and formed the
Laguna Beach Art Association (now the Laguna Art Museum). By the
late 1920's approximately 300 people moved to Laguna Beach
permanently. Nearly half of those residents were artists.
In 1932 the Festival of Arts opened with a
stage and booths at a location near the Hotel Laguna. Ten years
later the Irvine Bowl was dedicated and the festival grew to
become the world-renowned Pageant of the Masters.
 Following
the artists came the Hollywood film makers who found Laguna to be
every bit as appealing on the silver screen as it was painted on
canvas. Many of Hollywood's famous stars like Bette Davis, Mary
Pickford, Mary Miles Minter, Victor Mature, Judy Garland, Rudolph
Valentino, Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Rooney maintained homes in
Laguna Beach. These early Hollywood stars founded the Laguna
Playhouse in 1920. The Laguna Playhouse is the oldest continuously
operating theatre company on the west coast.
Over the decades the stars continued to flock
to Laguna Beach as did dignitaries like President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and writers like John Steinbeck who wrote Tortilla Flats
while living at 504 Park Avenue. They traveled to Laguna for
inspiration and relaxation, frequenting landmarks like the White
House and the Cabrillo Ballroom.
Laguna's universal allure is best expressed on
a famous gate built in 1935 (which still stands on the corner of
Forest and Park Avenues); it reads "This gate hangs well and
hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on."
vacationers and day travelers used to come to
Laguna in the summer to escape the inland heat. Eventually a small
village sprang up along the sea with a few permanent residents.
Laguna Beach and South Laguna, are unique
communities in Orange County for their dramatic landscape
including steep coastal mountains that plunge into the sea and
over thirty coves and beaches along an eight-and-a-half mile
coastline stretching from Three Arch Bay at it's southern tip to
Crystal Cove to the North.
Downtown Laguna and South Laguna were never
part of ether Spanish or Mexican land grant. They remained
government land available for homesteading. North Laguna once part
of the San Joaquin Rancho. migration to the Golden West was
encouraged through the timber-Culture Act of 1871. Families
started arriving to stake out their 160-acre claims and plant
their minimum requirement of ten acres of trees. Australian
eucalyptus trees were planted everywhere in Laguna. The groves
that were planted in the 1880s gave Laguna rich character provided
shade, however they were not much good as lumber trees. The groves
grew so fast, many had to be cut down in the1910s to make room for
new construction. |
Laguna
Beach, Southern California's most picturesque and sought after
beachside artist's haven with miles of sandy beach is an
attraction to those looking for homes of elegance, beauty, and/or
charm within a casual lifestyle. Elegant bluff top mansions to
quaint beach cottages nestled in subtropical gardens line the
bluffs above the many sandy coves and beaches. Located within
blocks from the "Main Beach" is the "village area" known for its
charm and renovated unique homes from earlier years. Further
inland, spacious ocean view homes dot the canyon ridges and
hillsides that rise up to hundreds of feet above the ocean. Other
interesting coastal communities in the South Orange County area
are Newport Beach,
world-renowned Pageant of the Masters. the ambiance of Laguna is
unlike any other place in the world. The moderate year-round
weather and awesome sunsets complete this alluring beach paradise.
Home values currently range from $2,795,000 to $4,495,000.
Festival
of Arts - Pageant of the Masters
Laguna Beach
is located right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. With
gorgeous views of the water, spectacular opportunities for
activities, Laguna Beach is the ideal beach community you want to
live in! 