Arcadia was once part of the Spanish Empire and part of a area called Rancho Santa Anita. In 1845, Hugo Reid, a pioneer from Scotland, bought Rancho Santa Anita from Governor Pio Pico. Through the years, several early settlers occupied Rancho Santa Anita. In 1875, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin bought the land. The city of Arcadia's destiny was entwined with the fortunes of Baldwin, who expanded his property holdings to in the San Gabriel Valley. Baldwin went on to oversee Arcadia's incorporation in 1903 and became the city's first mayor. The Arcadia School District came to be at the same time as the incorporation of Arcadia in 1903.