Brea

^{On July 29th, 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition came upon what we now know as Brea. They were the first Europeans to see the more inner parts of Alta California. A historical marker is placed near the area where they camped. It was near a large village and there was a small pool of clean water. The name Brea means “tar” or “pitch” in Spanish. The name was chosen because early settlers used to collect chunks of the earth which was oil soaked and used it as fuel. Before it was named Brea, the area was known as the village of Olinda and it was a hotspot for many entrepreneurs who were seeking “black gold”. The owner of the land was Abel Stearns and he sold 1,200 acres in the west part of Olinda to Union Oil Company of California in 1894. Shortly after, in 1898, commercial oil production began in the area.}

^{This brought an invasion of oil field workers. The Ontario Investment Company was then inspired to file for a subdivision in 1908 which was founded for the oil workers and their families. The new town would be called Randolph but it was refiled in 1911 and the name was changed to Brea. Eventually, oil production declined and the city leaned more toward lemon and orange groves. So much so that the Brea Chamber of Commerce gave the city this slogan: “Oil, Oranges, and Opportunity.”}

^{None of those held over the long haul and eventually the land gave way to industrial parks and residencies.}

^{When the Orange Freeway (57) and the Brea Mall opened in the 1970s, there was another growth spurt in Brea. And, over time, it became more of a retail hub showing with several prominent shopping malls to show for it.}

^{The median household income is $94,492 as of 2019.}

^{Population: Approximately 42,678 as of 2019}

^{Well Known Places in Brea}

^{Carbon Canyon Regional Park}

^{Brea Mall}

^{City of Brea Art Gallery}

^{Fact Sheet}

^{The city was incorporated on February 23rd, 1917.}

^{It’s the 8th official city of Orange County.}

^{Walter Johnson, the baseball legend, grew up in Olinda just as the 20th century was starting.}

^{Brea is 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.}