The area we know today as Del Mar was populated by native Americans possibly dating back 50,000 years. The San Dieguito Indians were the most ancient inhabitants. At some point around 7,500 years ago the La Jolla Indians arrived,  first joining and then replacing the San Dieguitans. Around 1,500 years ago, the Diegueno Indians arrived from the desert lands to the east and were the inhabitants Christianized by the Franciscan Fathers.  They then moved to the San Diego Mission area when it was founded in 1769. Following the Mission era, the main part of Del Mar was granted to Don Juan Maria Osuna in 1840-1841 as part of the San Dieguito Ranch. In 1882 a New Yorker named Theodore Loop came to southern California to build a railroad connecting Los Angeles and San Diego. The original train tracks were laid down in the middle of what is known today as Del Mar. The completion of the railroads brought several pioneer farming families to the area. William Weed was one of them. Mr. Weed ended up purchasing most of the land that we now know as Del Mar. Mr. Loop liked the area so much he told people that he had "found the most attractive place on the entire coast". In the same year Loop met a very successful rancher from New Mexico, Mr. Jacob Shell Taylor. Taylor and Loop were both captivated by the beauty of the area and recognized a development opportunity. Taylor purchased 338 acres of Mr. Weed's land in 1885 and began construction on his dream resort. Mr. Taylor built as many as 40 small houses, a two story Victorian schoolhouse, an observation tower, a train depot and a water system. But the main construction project was "Casa Del Mar", the area's first resort. The resort had a dance pavilion on the beach and a large swimming pool that went out into the ocean called a Natatorium. With the natural beauty of the area and the close proximity to Los Angeles, Del Mar became a popular vacation destination.