French, C. E. (Charles Edwin)

Biography

Charles Edwin French was a resident of Santa Ana, California who contributed significantly to the city's growth during the mid to late 19th century. He actively promoted Santa Ana and the surrounding area as an ideal place to live and conduct business. Professionally, he facilitated real estate transactions, was postmaster of Santa Ana, and managed Irvine Ranch for a time. He was responsible for the construction of the original Irvine family ranch home in 1876. He was instrumental in establishing the first horse-drawn street car line in what is now Orange County and was named secretary of the Santa Ana, Orange, and Tustin Street Railway when it was incorporated in 1886.

In addition to his business ventures, French also supported the civic and cultural growth of the city. In 1878 he donated office space and a cabinet for books to begin the Santa Ana Public Library Association, with his wife, Emma French, acting as the city's first librarian. This library, along with the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), transferred their holdings to the City of Santa Ana in 1891, at which time C. E. French was elected to the first public library board. He built French's Opera House, which opened in 1890 with a benefit for the Orphan's School in Anaheim, starring Madame Modjeska as Lady Macbeth. French Street, French Elementary School, and French Park (an exclusive residential neighborhood in early Santa Ana) were named for him and his family.

From the guide to the C. E. French Letter Books, 1884-1896, (University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.)