Placentia, California
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Placentia is a city in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 46,488.
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History
In 1837, the Mexican Governor in charge of what is now Southern California granted a huge swath of land to Juan Ontiveros called El Rancho San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana, comprising the modern cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda.
In 1865, Daniel Kramer was the first Anglo pioneer to come to the area. He purchased 3,900 acres (16 km²). In 1868, William McFadden and Sarah Ann McFadden bought 100 acres (400,000 m²). The town was named "Placentia" by Sarah Ann McFadden in 1876. The word comes from a Latin word meaning "a pleasant place to live."
In 1910, A. S. Bradford convinced the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to re-route a track through Placentia on its way to Los Angeles. The railroad station, combined with the city’s growing agricultural industry (citrus, walnuts, avocados and grapes), put Placentia on the map. Bradford was also the person who laid out the city streets.
By 1926, there were 500 residents and they voted for incorporation. By 1960, Placentia's population had increased to only 5,000, but as Orange County suburbanized in the following decade, it swelled to 25,000. Currently, Placentia boasts 45,000 residents.
By the 1990s, Placentia's downtown had become somewhat run-down in comparison to those of its neighbors; city officials pinned much of the blame on the railroad tracks that had once brought the town so much prosperity, but were now largely occupied by trains barrelling through town on their way to the Midwest from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Inspired by the Alameda Corridor project in southern Los Angeles, Placentia created a project, OnTrac, that called for the tracks to be rerouted through a concrete-lined ditch approximately ten feet below grade level, reducing noise and increasing safety via the elimination of grade crossings. However, fiscal mismanagement and the withdrawal of promised federal funds resulted instead in the project nearly bankrupting the city, which was forced to drastically curtail services. As of 2004, the controversy over OnTrac continues, and it is unclear if the project will ever be completed.
Geography
Placentia is located at 33°52'57" North, 117°51'18" West (33.882364, -117.855130)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.1 km² (6.6 mi²). 17.1 km² (6.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.15% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 46,488 people, 15,037 households, and 11,683 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,723.7/km² (7,051.3/mi²). There are 15,326 housing units at an average density of 897.9/km² (2,324.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 67.76% White, 1.77% African American, 0.83% Native American, 11.16% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 14.72% from other races, and 3.58% from two or more races. 31.10% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 15,037 households out of which 37.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% are married couples living together, 11.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% are non-families. 16.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.07 and the average family size is 3.42.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $62,803, and the median income for a family is $68,976. Males have a median income of $46,956 versus $34,184 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,843. 8.7% of the population and 5.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Notable Placentians
- Michael Chang, professional tennis player
- Janet Evans, Olympic swimmer
- Charles Edward Fuller, theologian
- Michelle Granger, Olympic softball player
- Daryl F. Mallett, author & actor
- Tim McNutt, musician (Kottonmouth Kings)
- Dustin (D-Loc) Miller, musician (Kottonmouth Kings)
- John Mykkanen, Olympic swimmer
- Ray Pallares, football player
- Tiger Woods, professional golfer
External links
- City of Placentia (http://www.placentia.org/) official site
Template:Cities of Orange County, Californiade:Placentia (Kalifornien)