“A Basque, Esequial #Murrieta , purchased the Rancho Pauba and Rancho Temecula Mexican land grants…”

— Gus (@Gus_802) July 4, 2014

For most of its history Murrieta was not heavily populated. A Basque, Esequial Murrieta, purchased the Rancho Pauba and Rancho Temecula Mexican land grants, comprising 52,000 acres (210 km2) in the area, intending to bring his sheep-raising business to California. He returned to Spain, however, and turned the land over to his younger brother, Juan (1844-1936), who brought 100,000 sheep to the valley in 1873, using the meadows to feed his sheep. Others discovered the valley after the construction of a depot in 1882 that connected Murrieta to the Southern California Railroad’s transcontinental route.

By 1890 some 800 people lived in Murrieta.[3] Today much of the site (about 50 acres) is home to a Bible college and conference center, owned by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, which has invested millions of dollars into restoring and rebuilding the old resort rooms.[4] When the trains stopped in 1935, tourists - the lifeblood of the town - were much harder to come by. The boom that Murrieta had experienced due to the train and the hot springs gradually died, leaving Murrieta as a small country town.

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