FAQ

Columbus Tustin from Petaluma, California, along with a partner, purchased about 1300 acres of the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana in 1868 when the old Spanish land grant was being partitioned. Between 1868 and 1872, Tustin set about to establish “Tustin City” on his share of the parcel. At the time, most of the land was open land covered with wild mustard plants and sycamore trees.

There were some Native Americans in the area prior to the settling of the city. They were mainly nomadic and seemed to live closer to the northern Red Hill area of town. Spanish explorers led the next wave of residents with the Mission and Rancho Periods.

After founding the city, Columbus Tustin initially offered lots free to anyone who would build a home. Most of the early residents of “European-descent” were people and families searching for a better life in a new western territory. Additionally, some wealthy people bought larger parcels to create agricultural businesses (groves and farms). 

Visit Tustin's Earliest Settlers for more information.

There were some Native Americans in the area prior to the settling of the city. They were mainly nomadic and seemed to live closer to the northern Red Hill area of town. Most of the early residents of “European-descent” were people and families searching for a better life in a new western territory. Initially Tustin offered lots free to anyone who would build a home. Additionally, some wealthy people bought larger parcels to create agricultural businesses (groves and farms).

Agriculture was the main source of revenue for most Tustin residents for many years (into at least the 1920s and 1930s). Tustin had acres of orchards and fields growing crops such as oranges and lemons and even apricots and walnuts in the earliest days. There were a few early groceries, blacksmiths, and other stores in the late 1800s but as Tustin grew, so did industry and commercial businesses.

Yes. While originally Santa Ana “won” the southern terminus (end) of the Southern Pacific Railroad, a branch line into Tustin was built in the late 1880s coming into town from the North. A train depot was built on Newport Ave., south of Main St. In addition to allowing for passenger traffic to Los Angeles, the Southern Pacific rail spur allowed produce grown in Tustin to be directly loaded and shipped toward buyers east of California. Another railroad company – the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe had a spur from their main line near Edinger Ave. through parts of Tustin from the South, ending near Irvine Blvd. The depot was eventually torn down and the tracks removed in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Yes. Chinese workers came to Southern California to help with projects like building the railroads and water systems, as well as worked to pick produce in some of the fields. In time, some settled in various towns, including Tustin near the area of Main and Prospect and around the train depot. For many years, they ran a laundry on El Camino Real (then D Street) and sold produce delivered on horse-drawn wagons to residents.

With a population at the time of about 900, the voters of Tustin elected to incorporate their city in 1927.

Yes, there are several. Historians Carol Jordan wrote the definitive Tustin: An Illustrated History, Juanita Lovret wrote Tustin As It Once Was and Remember When, and Guy Ball has written Images of America: Tustin and City Walk: All About Tustin in 1895. All of these books are available at the Tustin Area Museum and through our online Store .

During World War II, the U.S. Navy constructed a lighter-than-air base to house blimp operations for anti-submarine defense. Originally called the Naval Air Station Santa Ana because of its construction in unincorporated land, the station name was renamed as the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin for helicopter operations. Visit History of the Blimp Hangars for more info and photos about the base.

Yes, we have quite a large collection. A good number have been posted on this website and many, many others can be seen by visiting the Tustin Area Museum.

The area known as North Tustin is technically an unincorporated area of Orange County, adjacent to the City of Tustin on its northern end. It has a Santa Ana postal address because of the unincorporation but is closely aligned with the City of Tustin. The County government is the official government entity controlling the North Tustin/unincorporated area.