Trabuco Canyon, California
Unincorporated community
The "Wash" at Trabuco Canyon
The "Wash" at Trabuco Canyon
Coordinates: 33°39′45″N 117°35′25″W / 33.66250°N 117.59028°W / 33.66250; -117.59028
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyOrange
Elevation
430 - 1,640 ft (−70 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
92678-92679
Area code949

Trabuco Canyon (Trabuco, Spanish for "Blunderbuss") is a small unincorporated community located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.

Trabuco Canyon is north of the town of Rancho Santa Margarita. Plano Trabuco Road leads from the top of the canyon south to Rancho Santa Margarita.

History

Trabuco is Spanish for blunderbuss, a type of shotgun. Some credit a Franciscan friar traveling with the Gaspar de Portolá Expedition in 1769 with the story that a blunderbuss was lost in the canyon, after which the area was named. A mission was originally to be built in the canyon, but was instead established in San Juan Capistrano.[1]

The Trabuco Adobe was built in 1810 next to the Acjachemen village of Alume that was also identified during the 1769 Portolá expedition, where Juan Crespí wrote, "we made camp close to a village of the most tractable and friendly heathens we have seen upon the whole way."[2]

John (Don Juan) Forster received a Mexican land grant in 1846 and established Rancho Trabuco.[3] The grant was bordered by Rancho Cañada de los Alisos on the west, and by Rancho Mission Viejo on the east.[4]

Trabuco Canyon was the site of attempts to mine tin in the early 1900s. Mining remains from this activity include: tunnels into the sides of the canyon (closed for public safety); the stone foundation of an ore-processing stamp mill; and several dams on the creek.

The Trabuco Canyon National Forest was established in 1907, which was quickly combined into the Cleveland National Forest in 1908.[5]

One of the last California grizzly bears was killed in Trabuco Canyon in 1908, a female bear thought to be the mate of the so-called "Monster of San Mateo."[6]

On October 21, 2007, a large wildfire started in Silverado Canyon and spread to Trabuco Canyon. The Canyon was evacuated by the Fire Department.[7]

On August 23, 2023, it was the site of a mass shooting.[8]

Updated news article as of 8-25-2023. Cook's Corner: 3 killed, 6 hospitalized in shooting at historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/cooks-corner-at-least-3-killed-6-hospitalized-in-shooting-at-historic-biker-bar-in-trabuco-canyon/

Features

Fourth of July features an old-fashioned parade of locals riding horses and pulling home-made floats. A local landmark is the Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse, which was a favorite restaurant of former President Richard Nixon.[9][10]

The Vedanta Society of Southern California has the Ramakrishna Mission Monastery on 40 acres (160,000 m2) in the canyon, founded in 1942 by renowned author and philosopher Gerald Heard.[11] The Trabuco Canyon Community Church is located in the canyon also.[12]

Trabuco Canyon general store

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
20201,020—
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
2020[14]

For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau first listed Trabuco Canyon as a census-designated place (CDP) prior to the 2020 census.

2020 census

Trabuco Canyon CDP, California - Demographic Profile
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2020[14] % 2020
White alone (NH) 718 70.39%
Black or African American alone (NH) 12 1.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 2 0.20%
Asian alone (NH) 62 6.08%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 7 0.69%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 61 5.98%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 158 15.49%
Total 1,020 100.00%

See also

References

  1. ^ Moodian, Michael A. (2010). Rancho Santa Margarita. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. ISBN 978-0-7385-8004-3. OCLC 464595759.
  2. ^ Brigandi, Phil (2013). Orange County chronicles. Charleston. ISBN 978-1-62584-588-7. OCLC 914181947.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Diseño del Rancho Trabuco
  4. ^ Spanish and Mexican Ranchos of Orange County Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Newland, James D. (2008). Cleveland National Forest. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7385-5804-2. OCLC 212842956.
  6. ^ Neely, Nick (2019). Alta California : from San Diego to San Francisco, a journey on foot to rediscover the Golden State. Berkeley, California. ISBN 978-1-64009-166-5. OCLC 1112702743.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ "OCFA". Archived from the original on October 27, 2007.
  8. ^ Rodriguez, Matthew; Gile, Michelle (August 23, 2023). "Cook's Corner: 4 killed, 6 hospitalized in shooting at historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon - CBS Los Angeles". CBS News. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "Trabuco Oaks Steak House - Orange County Restaurant Reviews - FoodieView". Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
  10. ^ Trabuco Oaks Steak House - Rancho Santa Margarita - Trabuco Canyon | Urbanspoon
  11. ^ http://www.vedanta.org/vssc/centers/trabuco.html Archived 2010-06-20 at the Wayback Machine Vedanta Society: Trabuco Canyon . accessed 8/20/2010
  12. ^ Trabuco Canyon Community Church Archived 2008-10-31 at the Wayback Machine,
  13. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  14. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Trabuco Canyon CDP, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.

Updated news article as of 8-25-2023. Cook's Corner: 3 killed, 6 hospitalized in shooting at historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/cooks-corner-at-least-3-killed-6-hospitalized-in-shooting-at-historic-biker-bar-in-trabuco-canyon/

External links

Municipalities and communities of Orange County, California, United States
Authority control databases
Categories