San Clemente - Community Info
The City of San Clemente, commonly known as the "Spanish Village by the Sea" spans seventeen square miles of coastline and scenic foothills. The City, long admired by explorers and passing settlers for its location, remained virtually uninhabited until 1776, when the establishment of the San Juan Capistrano Mission led to nearby settlements by both Indians and Spaniards.
Property rights to land exchanged hands several times, but few ventured to build on the land until 1925, when Ole Hanson, a Seattle developer, purchased a large portion of what is now San Clemente. Hanson believed that the area´s pleasant climate, beautiful beaches and fertile soil would serve as a haven to Californians who were tired of "The Big City." He named the City after San Clemente Island, which was originally named by the explorer, Vizcaino, in 1602 after Saint Clemente, whose feast is celebrated on November 23 - the day of Vizcaino´s arrival on the island.
Hanson succeeded in promoting the new area and selling property to interested buyers. He built facilities such as a community center, beach club, pier and Plaza Park, and donated them to the community. The area was incorporated officially as a City in 1928 and enjoyed slow but steady growth in the years thereafter.
In 1969, an event occurred which accelerated the growth and reputation of San Clemente. In that year, then President Richard Nixon purchased a Spanish mansion that Hamilton Cotton had built in the southern part of town in 1927. This "Western White House" became the site of numerous historical meetings and decisions. In earlier years, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt often stopped at Cotton´s Point whenever he traveled between Los Angeles and San Diego.
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