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Scarce early map of Alhambra, published by the Chamber of Commerce.
Alhambra, California, was established near the San Gabriel Mission, which was founded on September 8, 1771. The land that would become Alhambra was part of a 300,000-acre land grant given to Manuel Nieto after 1784. Following Mexico's independence from Spain in 1820, these lands became part of the Mexican Republic and later transferred to the United States after the Mexican–American War.
Benjamin Davis Wilson, who married into the Yorba landowning family, named the area Alhambra after being inspired by Washington Irving's "Tales of the Alhambra." The suburb of Los Angeles remained unincorporated throughout much of the 19th century. Ramona Convent Secondary School was established in 1890, and Alhambra High School followed in 1898.
Alhambra was incorporated as a city on July 11, 1903. The Alhambra Fire Department was established in 1906. The city is known for its historical significance in residential architecture, with styles ranging from craftsman to Spanish colonial, and has designated 26 single-family residential areas as historic neighborhoods.
The downtown area, at the intersection of Main and Garfield, has been a commercial center since 1895. Alhambra experienced economic and demographic shifts with immigrant waves from Italy in the 1950s, Mexico in the 1960s, and China in the 1980s, leading to a prominent Chinese business district developing on Valley Boulevard.
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