The story of the Whitaker-Jaynes House coincides with the history and development of Buena Park. The House was built for Andrew W. Whitaker when he arrived from Indiana in 1887. His brother, James A. Whitaker, a prosperous wholesale grocer from Chicago had bought 690 acres of land here in 1885 to establish a cattle ranch. A land agent for Santa Fe Railroad, named George Fullerton, convinced Whitaker to subdivide his property instead. Since Whitaker's acreage bordered the rail route, the deal was consummated in exchange for a rail terminal to be built later. So on June 17, 1887, Whitaker registered his platted map for the town of Buena Park with Los Angeles County (Orange County was not formed until 1889).