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.
