The Mission Viejo Aurora story begins in California with a large cattle ranch known as Rancho Mission Viejo, south of Los Angeles, in Orange County. Originally a Spanish land grant, dating from the year 1769, the area was first colonized by Spanish friars with an attempt to establish the first Mission San Juan Capistrano. The attempted church settlement was soon abandoned and the area where this first mission was built became known colloquially as "Mission Viejo" and later was adopted as part of the name of the 52,000-acre Rancho Mission Viejo. Read more »
