Dana Point's Early Years

Dana Point's Early Years. Life Before the Highway. , "The Only Romantic Spot on the Coast" , Dana Point is named after Richard Henry Dana, Jr. a nineteenth century sailor. Dana called this area "the only romantic spot on the coast," words of admiration that would forever link his name with this place., Richard Henry Dana became a prominent New England politician and lawyer. he never lived in Dana Point., Before Europeans, a Thriving Culture , Long before merchant ships piled these waters, Orange County's native people, the Acjachemen, hunted and gathered here. Shellfish and fish, sea otters, Olivella shells, and other marine resources sustained their lives and culture., Memorable Street Names , The colorful names of Dana Point's downtown street, like "Green Lantern" are the brainchild of Ann G. Walters, a twentieth-century realtor. reflecting the design of a ship lantern, each lantern hung from a post topped with a colored globe that corresponded to the name of the street., Mission Trade , After the founding of Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, cattle became king. Oxen pulled wooden carretas piled high with cowhides to the Dana Point Headlands. Crews of merchant ships waited below., Let Gravity do the Work , In "Two Years Before the Mast", a book Dana wrote about his voyage to California, he described the crew tossing stiff cowhides off the headlands to be loaded onto the brig Pilgrim., Cow hides were so valuable in the nineteenth century that they were called "California banknotes."