Where The Streets Have Yo’ Name

We here at I Heart Costa Mesa love our mesa. We want to see it all and know it all.

But what’s in a name?

Have you ever driven down Paularino and wondered, “Who or what is a paularino?” Or cruised down Harbor Boulevard thinking, “Where’s the harbor?”  (Hint: There never was one, but a harbor is fairly close.)

Well, we did some digging to answer these roadworthy questions and discover the story behind some of Costa Mesa’s street names.

(Big thanks to the hard-working folks behind Costa Mesa’s Historical Preservation Committee and their ONLINE MAP all about this topic. More information can also be found in the Costa Mesa Historical Society book, “Early Costa Mesa.”)

Harbor Boulevard (above) is one of Costa Mesa’s major streets, starting in the city and going about 25 miles north to La Habra. It doesn’t quite go through to Newport Harbor, but it gets close.

Fairview Road, pictured here (above) near the Segerstrom family ranch house, is named after the 1800s-era boom town of Fairview.

So let’s start with a big one: Harbor Boulevard.

Harbor Boulevard is roughly 25 miles and goes from downtown Costa Mesa all the way north to La Habra. It was originally known as Fairview Road and connected the village of Fairview – an early settlement within modern-day Costa Mesa – to Santa Ana. It got renamed Harbor Boulevard in 1935. It takes its name from Newport Harbor, just down the hill a few miles.

Fairview Road: As we mentioned, there was a village called Fairview. This is where Fairview Road got its name. The village was established around 1887 near present-day Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue. But historians tell us the boomtown went bust two years later. Still, the name Fairview lives on throughout Costa Mesa today, with Fairview Park, the Fairview Developmental Center, Fairview Community Church and the Fairview Village condominium complex, to name a few.

Baker Street (above) is named after the Baker family who once had a farm in Costa Mesa.

Bristol Street: Costa Mesa has a slice of this busy street that mostly runs through Santa Ana. It got its name from a Santa Ana family that owned a drug store.

Adams Avenue: This busy thoroughfare is named after William L. Adams, who bought Costa Mesa land in 1901.

Meyer Place: This Westside street is named after an early Westside farmer, Henry D. Meyer.

Wilson Street: This was named for President Woodrow Wilson. Although ironically, Wilson Park – which is on Wilson Street – was named for Costa Mesa Mayor Robert Wilson.

Harper Way: Another settlement that emerged within today’s Costa Mesa was the village of Harper. It was named after rancher Gregory Harper in 1891. Harper village was aided by railroad transportation, which helped the farmers here. Harper Park in the Eastside is also named after Harper. Although historians say there were occasional mix-ups back then with Harper and another area called Harperville.

Then and now: Paularino Avenue is named after the early agricultural community of Paularino, a name itself derived from rancher Eduardo Polloreno’s last name.

Plumer Street: Speaking of Harperville, in 1920 Harper needed a new name to get rid of the confusion. Some local associations created a contest to come up with something else. Former schoolteacher Alice Plumer won. She submitted “Costa Mesa,” Spanish for coastal tableland. Plumer Street, a small thoroughfare near Lions Park, is named after her.

Gisler Avenue: This is named after Samuel Gisler, a Swiss man who came to Fairview in 1903. He had a farm of beets, barley, alfalfa and, at one point, 11 dairy cows.

Baker Street: A family whose last name was Baker is why this street has its name. The Baker family farm was where Bristol and Baker streets are today.

Church Street: This little Eastside byway got its name because it had a church there since the 1920s. The building at 1950 Church St. was built in 1928. Today, that property is used by the Baha’i faith. A few years back, though, that land was for sale because the Costa Mesa Community of Christ church congregation was dwindling. Some worried about new development on the lot, which would be allowed to contain two housing units under city zoning code. The houses never ended up happening, though one Church Street resident summed everything up nicely in a quote printed by the Daily Pilot: “It wouldn’t make sense to have a Church Street without a church.”

Harla Avenue (above) near the Vons at Adams Avenue and Harbor Boulevard, used to be called Orange Street. It was renamed after the daughter of a city planning commissioner so it wouldn’t be confused with Orange Avenue in the Eastside.

Fair Drive (above) gets its name from the adjacent Orange County Fair & Event Center property.

Paularino Avenue: This street and Paularino Park are named after another early Costa Mesa settlement, the Paularino agricultural colony, which was established in the area along today’s Baker Street between Newport Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard. The name was likely an Anglicized butchering of early rancher Eduardo Polloreno’s name. In 2005, things got interesting with Paularino. Timothy Miguel, a man claiming to be a descendent of Polloreno, asked for Paularino Park to be renamed to what he said was the original spelling of Polloreno: “Poyorena.” We’re not sure what happened to Miguel’s request, though Paularino Park is still named as such.

Wakeham Place: This street either straddles the Costa Mesa-Santa Ana border or barely squeezes into the Costa Mesa limits, but we’ll take credit for it. It’s named after Hubert H. Wakeham, a prominent farmer whose plot was south of Sunflower Avenue between Fairview Road and Bear Street. Wakeham died in 1888. Wakeham Park – which is most definitely in Costa Mesa – is also named after him.

Bear Street: This was not named after bears. Rather, it was after a family whose last name was Bear.

Harla Avenue: This little street off Adams Avenue is near the Vons. It was originally known as Orange Street. But in 1968, planning commissioners looked to rename it so it wouldn’t be confused with Orange Avenue in the Eastside. During the meeting, the city attorney suggested renaming the street after Harla Wood, whose father was on the commission. The panel agreed. Harla got to see the vote happen too, as she was in the audience.

Merrimac Way and Monitor Way: These two streets by Orange Coast College don’t have local historical significance, but they’re named after two Civil War-era vessels: the USS Merrimack, a frigate, and USS Monitor, an iron-hulled steamship. The intrigue here goes deeper: the Merrimack was used by the Confederacy. So that’s why Merrimac Way is south of Monitor Way. And, for good measure in keeping up with the Civil War references, nearby Arlington Drive is named after Arlington National Cemetery, established during the Civil War.

Anderson Lane (above) – located off Tustin Avenue in the Eastside near the Boys & Girls Club – is named after the Anderson family that owned the property where the East Haven tract is now. They kept their large plot for several decades despite developer requests to buy it off them.

Fair Drive: This one is easy. This street is next to the Orange County Fair & Event Center, aka the Fairgrounds. That property was established for that use following the decommission of the Santa Ana Army Air Base. The O.C. Fairgrounds has hosted the fair since 1949, though the fair event itself dates to 1890.

Anderson Lane: This is one of our favorite stories. Anderson Lane is tiny street off Tustin Avenue in the Eastside. It runs into the East Haven community tract, which is next to Jordan Park and the Boys & Girls Club branch. In 2012, the land where East Haven sits today was bought by developer Matt White Custom Homes. It was a 1.24-acre plot that had belonged to the Anderson family since the 1940s and contained two houses. Even as the tracts around them got more intensely developed and subdivided, the Anderson compound remained their own. Orby Anderson wanted to sell the property, but his wife, Margaret, a native Texan, didn’t.

After Orby died, Margaret and their daughter, Kathy, remained living there. Margaret, an early employee of Estancia High School, used to tend her large Costa Mesa land riding a mower. But once Margaret died, Kathy didn’t want to stay there anymore. She didn’t end up leaving her hometown Costa Mesa, though. She was able to use her portion of the sale money to buy a home in the Westside. Matt White Custom Homes named the East Haven street in honor of the Anderson family. Now, 14 homes are there on the old Anderson family plot, where new families are making memories like the Andersons once did. ♥ 

We hope we’ve inspired you to hit the pavement in your own neighborhood and grow your Costa Mesa street smarts. Our city has a long, rich history well worth exploring.

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