Why do all of California's major cities have spanish names but not Texas'?

[Tonyafd]

Originally Posted by KoNgFooCj

California's 6 largest cities:
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Jose
San Francisco
Sacramento
Fresno

Texas' 6 largest cities:
Houston
San Antonio
Dallas
Austin
Fort Worth
El Paso

Weren't they both under Mexican rule until about the same time? Besides that all of Texas' 6 largest cities are located further south than any of California's 6 largest cities with the exception of San Diego and Dallas/Fort Worth which are both at 32 degrees latitude. Are Spanish names less popular further from the West Coast?

Interesting point OP. Evidently navigation by water was more easily done resulting in settlement of California before Texas. The abandonment or sale of Florida to the United States gives indication of how unimportant Mexico regarded the East side of Mexico before the Alamo.

[TheseGoTo11]

The Spanish never settled Texas, and only lightly settled California, though enough to build their mission network. They never made it north of San Antonio in any significant way, but they did get to Laredo and El Paso. The Aztec Empire way back when didn't even make it to the Rio Grande, and the Spanish Conquistadors who defeated the Aztecs struggled to take land from the Plains Indians who were north of the river.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by marino760

I'm not sure about Texas, but here in CA there are tons of areas, towns, and localities that have kept their Spanish names including the names of mountains, lakes, rivers. These names were already established when CA became a state and are part of CA history. Personally for me, the names are beautiful and make the state more interesting and colorful.

Sierra Nevada Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
Santa Susana Mountains
Santa Ana River
Santa Paula
San Bernardino
Santa Monica
Escondido
Santa Rosa
Ventura
Santa Maria
El Segundo
Santa Catalina Island

The list is almost endless. There are also many places that have kept their Native American names as well such as
Malibu
Cucamonga
Yosemite
Temecula
Napa
Mojave desert
Tehachapi
Tahoe
Yucaipa

While Ventura County is the name of the county that broke away from Santa Barbara County, the city of Ventura was originally called the City of San BuenaVentura, or to translate, the city of Good Fortune. The cities two high schools kept the name, Buena High School and Ventura High School.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

While Ventura County is the name of the county that broke away from Santa Barbara County, the city of Ventura was originally called the City of San BuenaVentura, or to translate, the city of Good Fortune. The cities two high schools kept the name, Buena High School and Ventura High School.

Yes, Ventura has a long and colorful history. I believe the old mission church still holds mass on Sundays and Holy days but I could be wrong about that part.

[adjusterjack]

California was named by Spaniards.
Texas was named by Texans.


It's that simple.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by adjusterjack

California was named by Spaniards.
Texas was named by Texans.


It's that simple.

LOL, the name Texas is neither Spanish nor English. It's derived from a Native American language and has been spelled about a dozen different ways through the years depending on who the people are living there.

[CrazyDonkey]

Amarillo
El Paso
Galveston (Galve's Town)
Laredo
San Antonio
Waco

So, there is a trace. The Texians were "Anglo" settlers in Texas (mostly from the United States) who fought a war of liberation against Mexico, so it is little wonder that most Hispanic placenames were replaced.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by marino760

Yes, Ventura has a long and colorful history. I believe the old mission church still holds mass on Sundays and Holy days but I could be wrong about that part.

Oh yes the San BuenaVentura Mission as well as Santa Barbara Mission are still both being used to this day.

The Ventura Mission has a K thru 8th grade school on the grounds as well. My oldest son went to Kindergarten at the Mission. We ended up transferring him to the public school for the remainder of his school years due to cost at the time.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by Tonyafd

Interesting point OP. Evidently navigation by water was more easily done resulting in settlement of California before Texas. The abandonment or sale of Florida to the United States gives indication of how unimportant Mexico regarded the East side of Mexico before the Alamo.

Interesting you say that since the Spaniards exploring the area originally thought California was an island probably because the Baja peninsula or lower part of California which now still belongs to Mexico is so long and narrow. There are many old maps showing CA as a huge island going from the west coast of central Mexico all the way up the to what is now Oregon and Washington.

BTW, California was named after a mythological island in Spanish folklore.

[Tritone]

Originally Posted by TwinbrookNine

In New World Spanish, "Austin" derives from the lunar month around August (Ostiano)

Austin is named after Stephen F. Austin.

Waco comes from "Wackollo" meaning goofy but not exactly chollo

named after the Waco(Hueco) indians from central Texas.

and Dallas is a contortion of Daliosiente which meant Tuesday in the Mayan areas - a day when the market was open.

named after George_M._Dallas.

My dad (pop-ollo) told me that "Fort Worth" was coined from the word "fosuerte" which had something to do with a lame horse.

named after Gen. William Jenkins Worth.


This was an odd attempt to make everything out to be Spanish/Mexican.