More about Brea California

The city of Brea is home to an estimated 35,410 residents as of 2000, making it the 25th largest city in Orange County. The city began as a crude oil center, then morphed in to a citrus producing area and finally in to the important retail center it is today because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redesigned Downtown area. The area was first visited by Gaspar de Portola in 1769; today a historical marker stands just north of town in Brea Canyon where he came to the area. When de Portola first visited the area he noted the Native Americans as being “dirty”, little did he realize they were using the crude oil bubbling up in the canyon as topical medicine. The first village in the area of Olinda, was established in what is now Carbon Canyon because many people were coming to the area in search of “black gold”. A few years later, in 1908, the village of Randolph was founded south of Brea Canyon for the oil workers in the area. The two villages grew and eventually merged and in 1911, the town’s map was filed under the name Brea, the Spanish word meaning tar. When the city’s population reached 752 in 1917, it was officially incorporated, becoming the eighth city in Orange County. The city is most well known for its public arts program which began in 1975. Since its inception, the public arts program has grown and today has over 140 artworks in its collection that are placed throughout the city. The public arts program is so well done that it is used as a model for public arts programs all over the country. The city is also known for the fact that Sunset Magazine has named the city one of the five best places to live in the Western United States.