The Rea Household & Katella Ranch

The favored road often known as “Katella” has been round nearly so long as Anaheim itself. 
However, how did the road get it is identify? Properly, that may be a story all by itself. Earlier than I get to that, first let me take you again, means again to the start, so you may know all the historical past of this stunning identify.

 The Rea Household

Rea Dwelling, El Cajon, CA

Born in 1848, John Rea, was raised in his native nation of Canada. Having contracted Tuberculosis in his early twenties, the climate in Canada appeared to worsen his situation making John yearn for a dryer local weather. By 1873, John selected to depart his homeland and head south, to the USA. John selected to first settle in San Francisco, however quickly he realized that had been a poor alternative.

His subsequent enterprise to search out the suitable local weather for his well being was when he boarded a Steamer headed for Southern California. Arriving in Los Angeles, he had grown so in poor health that he needed to be hospitalized for his circumstances. A problem of the Orange Coast Journal (1989) states that whereas John was hospitalized, he was requested by his nurse what he wish to eat. He requested for one thing he had solely dreamed of at his prior homeland, strawberries and cream. It was mentioned that when he had eaten the scrumptious deal with, he realized that tough work and outside residing can be the most effective factor for him. This epiphany of types, was mentioned to have prompted him to hitch his brother in San Diego.

Rea Household

It was in San Diego, in an easterly city often known as El Cajon, the place John turned a bee-keeper and later went again to Canada to marry his spouse Margaret, and transfer her right down to El Cajon to his farm. Their daughters had been born of their small dwelling in El Cajon. Kate, being born in 1876 and Ella in 1881. The household lived of their small home for a few years, utilizing no matter means they might to supply a residing to the family.

Being that the house was located close to a stage coach line, many occasions they’d provide meals to hungry vacationers. This turned a profitable enterprise transfer as a result of it allowed them to avoid wasting to buy the very first grocery retailer within the metropolis of El Cajon. In actual fact, there’s a road named after John Rea proper on the town, Rea Road (additionally, the Rea Arts District is called after John Rea).

Katella Ranch

Rea Dwelling (224 E. Broadway)

By the late Nineties, John selected to promote his property in El Cajon and transfer as much as Anaheim. The economic system had turn into crippled after the horrible illness to the vineyards, and John took the chance to buy land at a great worth. After shifting the household to Anaheim, he selected to begin a walnut orchard. Eager to be inventive and have have a memorable identify for his ranch, John mixed the 2 names of his daughters, Kate and Ella, thus creating “Katella.” Not solely the ranch was recognized for this identify, but in addition the filth path that crossed the property as much as the college home took the identify as properly.
Though his ranch was situated at current day Katella Ave., John Rea selected to maneuver his household to a house nearer on the town, at 224 E. Broadway in Anaheim.

Rea Sisters

By the point the household had moved to Anaheim, his daughters had been already youngsters, in order that they lived in Anaheim only some years earlier than each the ladies and their mom moved to Northern California to attend school on the College of Berkeley.  Whereas there, Kate earned her grasp’s diploma in training, and later got here again to Anaheim to be a college instructor on the first Anaheim Excessive Faculty.

Kate taught at Anaheim Excessive Faculty from 1901-1904 and Fullerton Junior School till she retired in 1921, after her father died. She was very concerned on the Carnegie Constructing when the Anaheim Public Library was opened. She additionally served as the primary chairwoman on the Library Board and remained on the Board for 45 years. She was a member of the Ebell Membership and different numerous teams and charities, and likewise helped begin Anaheim’s first PTA. Her sister Ella, married William Wallop on Might 19, 1909. Not like her sister, Kate by no means married, however as an alternative threw her life into her work and taking good care of her mom till she handed away in 1931.

What I discovered attention-grabbing is that the archives state that the house John Rea constructed at 224 E. Broadway was bought in 1919 to a former Anaheim mayor, Louis Miller. The house was then moved in 1922 to 125 W. Elm Road. Then in 2007, the identical dwelling was moved as soon as once more, now to the situation at 129 W. Stueckle Ave.  The odd half about this, is that Ella Rea Wallop’s obituary states that Kate (who was nonetheless alive) was residing at 224 E. Broadway.  Does that imply that Kate moved again to the spot the place her household dwelling as soon as stood? Fascinating thought.

Many individuals are unaware of when Kate died, and the place she is buried. Her sister Ella was buried at
Loma Vista Memorial, in Fullerton within the Mausoleum. Nevertheless, Kate was buried at Forest Garden Cemetery in Glendale underneath her authorized identify “Ellen Kate Rea”– (Born: March 21, 1876- Died: February 24, 1972) Why her actual identify may be very hardly ever talked about, any info on her dying and why she was buried so removed from Anaheim, I assume is a thriller for us all. Hopefully, someday I can discover out and you may guess I’ll write about it right here.

E. Kate Rea, 1970

The  subsequent time you drive round Anaheim and also you see the road signal “Katella,” please take a second and do not forget that it as soon as was recognized for the walnut ranch owned by Mr. Rea and his household. Keep in mind that the road was as soon as only a small filth path that crossed the property as much as the old fashioned home.  Don’t forget that its humble beginnings began within the thoughts of an keen man who got here to California to begin life anew and lived the American dream to the fullest. This path witnessed Anaheim in its early beginnings, solely to turn into the massive road that continues to be at the moment. Consider who it was who began that identify, and the household legacy they’ve left Anaheim for generations to come back.

Sources:
All images from Anaheim Public Library Archives Assortment
Orange Coast Journal, 1989
Early Anaheim-(E-book)
Nice California Registers
Census Data,
Beginning and Dying Data,
San Diego- El Cajon Historical past
Anaheim Historical past (APL Archives)
Findagrave
Obituary Notices
Loma Vista and Forest Garden Cemetery