Early Costa Mesa

Three emerging communities from the partitioned Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana formed the improbable start for a city that would eventually proclaim itself the �City of the Arts.� These farming communities�Fairview, Paularino, and Harper�attracted families and businesspeople. Community leaders then took pragmatic steps to meet local needs such as schools, churches, and a water supply. Harper�s first land developer appealed to folks of modest means by advertising, �You! Five Acres.� By 1920, Harper