Anaheim, the "home by the river" as it was named by early German settlers, was once part of a Spanish land grant. The land that is now Anaheim was purchased for $2.00 an acre over 100 years ago by German colonists who came here to grow grapes and produce wine.

Anaheim was the wine capital of California for many years, but in the late 1880s a blight completely wiped out the vineyards, thus ending this thriving industry. The orange industry was developed and grew, as did the prosperous new city of Anaheim that was a booming agricultural community until post World War II.

In 1955, an enterprising young man, Walt Disney, opened the doors of his fabled Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, to be visited and enjoyed by people around the world. Only 11 years later, in 1966, Anaheim Stadium (now Edison International Field of Anaheim) was built. It is home to the Major League Baseball's Anaheim Angels. The 17,174-seat Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, located across from the street from the baseball stadium, is home to the National Hockey League's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

The Anaheim Convention Center was built in 1967 directly across from Disneyland and has undergone four major expansions since its opening. A fifth expansion expected to be completed by the end of 2000 will give the center a total 1.4 million gross square feet and make it the largest convention center on the West Coast.

Anaheim is now the second largest city in Orange County and is the center of the visitor industry for all of Orange County which attracts almost 38 million visitors annually.