Rancho Santa Margarita leaders are in search of a place to display an extensive collection of historical artifacts, maps and other documents, some of which date back to the 1920s — around 80 years before the city was even incorporated.
The city has collected historical items and information for several years through efforts by a group of volunteers at the Rancho Santa Margarita Historical Society. And after Rancho Santa Margarita’s long-time master planner, Richard Reese, died in August, numerous documents about the planning of the city were donated in his honor.
“The time has arrived for the city to find a permanent home to share these items with the community,” said City Manager Jennifer Cervantez.
Items the city wishes to display include photos and documents, newspaper clippings, soil samples from the early planning days, iron brands from the original O’Neill family ranch and memorabilia from when the housing tracks were first marketed to the city — just a sliver of what the city has in its possession.
Additionally, city leaders want Reese’s meticulous records and drawings he created while envisioning Rancho Santa Margarita in the late ’90s to be available for public viewing.
Some of these items have already been on display in the City Hall lobby, but city officials have been in conversations for years for a better home for the public to view them.
“This is long overdue,” said Councilmember Bradley McGirr, who added that he wants to ensure Reese’s legacy in the creation of the community is honored through the display.
“I think one of the beautiful things about Rancho Santa Margarita is the little things,” said Mayor Pro Tem Carol Gamble. “The little things that we can do to raise a sense of community. When we can create spaces, places or opportunities for greater connection for the community, we have a more harmonious community and people that care and look out for each other.”
A dedicated space to display Rancho Santa Margarita’s history, Cervantez said, is an opportunity to provide current and future generations with the story of the ranch land and the development of this unique community.
Cervantez said that the city sees this as an opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the area and become familiarized with early Orange County items of historical significance.
Although still in the early planning stages, Cervantez said the city hopes to use the Bell Tower Regional Community Center located next to City Hall. For the Bell Tower to be an option, dimensions for the displays are needed in addition to a budget.
“My biggest concern is finding a big enough room in the Bell Tower to display all of this,” said McGirr. “We have so much, and it is growing with time.”
Councilmember Anne Figueroa encouraged longtime Rancho Santa Margarita residents to contribute historical items they may have to this already deep collection.
Rancho Santa Margarita was incorporated on Jan. 1, 2000, but before the city became official, the community began to grow in the 1980s. The O’Neill family owned the ranch lands that previously occupied the space starting in 1882, which was operated as a working ranch into the 1940s.
