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The history of Seal Beach is one of ups and downs but there has been one constant.

From the heyday of the local Indian culture to the days of the “Joy Zone,” the Jewel Cafe dancing hall, the wild days of Seal Beach as “Sin City,” to the present family town, one thing has remained constant – people came for the sunshine and ocean air.

Studies of the Gabrielino Indians who inhabited the area show a people who spoke the Shoshone language of many western American tribes. They were a nomadic people, friendly, far from warlike, who built winter shacks and enjoyed the mild climate. They mixed easily with other migratory people who drifted into the region. Food was abundant and there was plenty for everyone.

The Gabrielinos seem to have existed by the banks of the San Gabriel River in a state of perpetual beach party, barbecue, clambake type-atmosphere. They did find time, however to become somewhat proficient and well-known for their basket weaving.

The center of the coastal Indians’ legends was the village of Puvungas, the site of the Rancho Los Alamitos, the seed of the new world culture we find today.

The Rancho was part of the famous Spanish, California land grant. In 1862 Don Abel Stearns was granted 200,000 acres of the Rancho that included present day Seal Beach.

Later, Fred Bixby, who was raised on Rancho Los Alamitos, located in present day Bixby Knolls in Long Beach, owned, co-owned and managed a million acres in California and Arizona, including parts of Seal Beach. The Bixby Ranch Company, with 90 percent of its shareholders being Bixby family members, still has real estate holding in the city of Seal Beach.

Another early landowner was I. W. Hellman, founder of Farmers and Merchants Bank of Los Angeles in April 1871.

In the late 1800’s John Bixby, his cousin Jotham Bixby, and Hellman purchased much of the Rancho Alamitos land from Stearns. The names of Bixby and Hellman still ring through the history of Seal Beach. The Hellman Ranch was an original Spanish land grant, purchased for a reported three cents per acre.

During the 1800’s, after the gold rush, the German Burghers began the village of Anaheim. In 1867, seeking a port to on-load their goods, the Burghers utilized Anaheim Landing, near the site of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

By the 1870’s the Burghers began using the coast as a pleasant place to spend summer days. Before long the spot caught on as one of the most popular summer vacation spots. They enjoyed the still water of the bay in which children could swim and be safe.

Anaheim Landing’s popularity as a shipping port died with the influx of the Pacific Electric Red Car. But its use as a recreation spot continued to grow. Soon a “tent city” began with spaces carved out as 25 square feet. This pattern can still be seen today in Old Town Seal Beach with its small lots. The Burghers called the place Bay City. However it was too often confused with San Francisco and the Post Office asked for the city fathers to come up with a new name.

In 1901 J. C. Ord, as associate of Bixby, Hellman and H. E. Huntington, set up the first general store on the corner of Main Street and Electric Avenue. At the time the retired Yankee Civil War veteran was the only year-round resident. Another associate of Ord’s was Philip A. Stanton. He is known as the father of Seal Beach. He is also credited for fathering the cities of Stanton and Huntington Beach.

However, with the Navy’s influx during World War II in the 1940’s came the beginnings of people who wanted to raise their children in the Seal Beach area in a family-like atmosphere. A group of citizens formed “The Good Government Group” and worked hard to run off the “bad elements” from the town. The big fight was with The Airport Club gambling hall. It took three elections in one year and 11 recall attempts in five years, each costing $1,500 to finally kill off the Airport Club and ring the death nell of gambling in Seal Beach in the 1950’s.

With the growing aerospace industry and other businesses, the economic level of people in Seal Beach began to rise. The town began to grow. After Old Town came the Marina Hill area, followed by College Park West in 1964 and College Park East, which was started in 1965 and completed in 1970.

At Orange County Van Rental, our mission is to provide you with the best Seal Beach Van Rental experience. Whether your needs are mini vans, 8 passengers, 11 passengers, 12 passengers, or 15 passengers, Van Rental Seal Beach can accommodate you! Take one of our clean and comfortable vans for a tour around the city of Seal Beach.

If you wish to rent a 12 or 15 passenger van for your trip to Seal Beach, our passenger vans are easy to reserve.