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Local settlers referred to the area as “Plaza Buena” which means “good park” in Spanish. The mix of the Spanish and English languages to name Buena Park reflects the major historical influences in the area.
James A. Whitaker founded Buena Park in 1887 when he bought 690 acres of land from Abel Stearns. Whitaker opened a general merchandise store, helped found a church, and began cultivating economic development aided by the transcontinental railroad’s initial arrival in southern Los Angeles County.
In 1889 Whitaker got the Pacific Creamery Company, which canned condensed milk under the Lily Cream label, to build a factory in Buena Park. This was the first industry established in Orange County.
The City of Buena Park was incorporated in 1953. On January 27, 1953, Orange County clerk B.J Smith swore in the first city council of the new City of Buena Park. The new city council elected Grady Travis as the first mayor of the City of Buena Park. Buena Park’s now grown in to a city with a population of over 80,000 residents.