Los Angeles, or L.A.’s first name was tad longer: El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula in reference to a river named by Juan Crespí in 1769.

The city of Palo Alto (“tall tree” in Spanish) is named after a specific Coast Redwood tree (Sequoia sempervirens) on the banks of San Francisquito Creek that is more than 1,000 years old. It was so tall and distinct that the Spanish explorers used it as a landmark in 1769 (Portola) and later expeditions.

The first retirement community in California was called Villa de Branciforte. It was established 1797 in modern day Santa Cruz, for retired Catalan Volunteer soldiers.