Arden Park History
(Right click image to open in a new tab for a larger view)Early History
The land now called Arden Arcade, which includes Arden Park, has a long history. The original residents were the Nissenan people of the Maidu tribe of Native Americans. Mexico deeded the Rancho del Paso land grant to John Sutter in 1843. Sutter then deeded the Rancho Del Paso to Eliab Grimes, Hiram Grimes and John Sinclair.
Samuel Norris acquired and held the land from 1852 until 1862, when the property transferred to Colonel James Ben Ali Haggin in 1870. Haggin was a breeder of champion racehorses, one of which, Ben Ali, won the Kentucky Derby in 1886. Haggin built a railroad spur, roughly from the current Union Pacific tracks to his breeding paddock, for shipping the horses. Today it is the site of the Haggin Oaks golf course. Del Paso Country Club was also developed from a portion of this ranch.
Haggin eventually sold the land in 1910 to Orlando Robertson of Arden Hills MN. Robertson developed tracts of land for sale and laid out many of the streets, choosing street names that reflected the inventors of the period, Watt, Edison, Howe, Marconi, Fulton, Morse, Whitney, and Bell.
The land now called Arden Arcade, which includes Arden Park, has a long history. The original residents were the Nissenan people of the Maidu tribe of Native Americans. Mexico deeded the Rancho del Paso land grant to John Sutter in 1843. Sutter then deeded the Rancho Del Paso to Eliab Grimes, Hiram Grimes and John Sinclair.
Samuel Norris acquired and held the land from 1852 until 1862, when the property transferred to Colonel James Ben Ali Haggin in 1870. Haggin was a breeder of champion racehorses, one of which, Ben Ali, won the Kentucky Derby in 1886. Haggin built a railroad spur, roughly from the current Union Pacific tracks to his breeding paddock, for shipping the horses. Today it is the site of the Haggin Oaks golf course. Del Paso Country Club was also developed from a portion of this ranch.
Haggin eventually sold the land in 1910 to Orlando Robertson of Arden Hills MN. Robertson developed tracts of land for sale and laid out many of the streets, choosing street names that reflected the inventors of the period, Watt, Edison, Howe, Marconi, Fulton, Morse, Whitney, and Bell.
Modern History
Williams purchased 1,800 acres in 1945 that included the Arden Park and Arden Manor neighborhoods. Williams, a developer, was looking for land to develop with an appeal to those who loved the open spaces and desired room for horses. Williams then sold most of the land except the 435 acres that is known today as Arden Oaks. In 1946, the firm of Wright and Kimbrough began developing and selling homes in what was then known as Arden Park Vista, with most lots ranging from .25 – one acre in size.
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